Published: 12 February 2026 

CertifHy has submitted its low-carbon hydrogen and fuels certification scheme to the European Commission, formally initiating the recognition process under the EU framework for low-carbon fuels. 

The submission follows the adoption of the Low-Carbon Fuels Delegated Act on low-carbon hydrogen and e-fuels and represents a key step toward establishing a recognised certification pathway for demonstrating verified greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions performance. Subject to the Commission’s review and technical exchanges, the objective is to make the scheme available to market participants during 2026. 

While the EU low-carbon fuels framework covers multiple production pathways, the current scope of the CertifHy Low-Carbon Voluntary Scheme focuses on the electrolytic pathway, building on the existing certification architecture developed under the CertifHy RFNBO scheme. 

The CertifHy EU RFNBO Voluntary Scheme remains fully available to market participants without interruption. Certificates already issued under the RFNBO Scheme remain valid for their full prescribed validity period during and after the development of the low-carbon hydrogen and fuels certification scheme. 

Development began in September 2025 as an extension of the existing CertifHy EU RFNBO Voluntary Scheme. The approach preserves a common certification architecture, including governance, traceability and chain-of-custody requirements, while introducing a dedicated framework aligned with the EU Low-Carbon Fuels Delegated Act. 

The CertifHy Technical Committee prepared an initial draft, which was reviewed by Working Group 1 (WG1) of the CertifHy Stakeholder Platform. Participants discussed open questions with the WG1 coordinators, and their relevant feedback was incorporated into the draft document. In January 2026, the CertifHy Steering Committee approved the draft CertifHy Low-Carbon Voluntary Scheme prior to its submission to the European Commission. The recognition process will now include technical clarifications and exchanges with the Commission and Guidehouse as part of its assessment. 

Recognition of certification schemes is an important prerequisite for projects seeking to substantiate low-carbon claims in regulatory reporting, commercial contracts and financing discussions. Projects preparing certification in the coming years may therefore wish to monitor developments as implementation approaches. 

Further information about scope and applicability is available here: 

Learn more about low-carbon hydrogen certification

CertifHy also invites hydrogen and e-fuel stakeholders to contribute to the continued development of the scheme through Working Group 1 of the CertifHy Stakeholder Platform.