HyPEF

HyPEF is an EU-funded project that promotes the consolidation of an environmentally -responsible hydrogen economy by enabling product environmental footprint studies that are specific to fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) products. HyPEF addresses the need for standardised practices to evaluate the environmental performance of essential future energy technologies, like hydrogen systems.

Ensuring new energy technologies are clean

In the quest for exploring alternative energy sources and solutions, it is crucial not to overlook sustainability and environmental impact. While the EU is increasingly promoting the deployment of fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) systems as promising energy players, the concern is ensuring those systems are environmentally sustainable across their life cycle.

Over 3 years, HyPEF will complement and advance current methodological guidelines available for Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the latest recommendations on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of FCH systems by developing category rules specific to FCH products (FCH-PEFCRs). HyPEF-produced FCH–PEFCRs will pave the way for subsequent PEF initiatives in the FCH sector.

Results

Following the assimilation of the state-of-the-art PEF and LCA frameworks, HyPEF will formulate and test the first PEFCRs specific to FCH product categories through some main steps:

Categorisation of FCH products after market analysis of FCH systems.
Interactive PEFCRs formulation for 3 selected FCH product categories: hydrogen production, storage, and use.
Testing of the FCH-PEFCRs on in the 3 selected categories.
Consultation and review with stakeholders to ensure the relevance and acceptance of FCH-PEFCRs among the FCH community and policymakers.

Three specific FCH product categories (hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, and hydrogen use) will serve as pilots for the drafting of tailored FCH-PEFCRs to be tested in 12 case studies. A consultation process with experts and a quality review will be carried out to ensure the delivered FCH-PEFCRs are relevant for use in the FCH community and inspire policymaking in the field of new energy technologies. HyPEF’s methodological advancements will inspire the development of regulatory frameworks for FCH systems to support policy-making for an eco-friendly hydrogen economy and promote market benchmarking for the responsible deployment of FCH products.

HyPEF’s methodological research will impact environmental footprint studies and the hydrogen regulatory framework at two main levels.

1. FCH product level:

Enabling subsequent PEF studies of FCH products.
Categorisation and definition of FCH products.
Early development of FCH-PEFCRs.
Application of FCH-PEFCRs to case studies.

2. FCH framework level:

Enabling responsible decision-making and financing.
Robust life-cycle environmental assessment and claims for FCH products.
Increased data availability and quality.
Promotion of an eco-friendly market deployment of FCH products.

ISINNOVA’s role

Within HyPEF , ISINNOVA will support the coordination and management of the project, contribute to stakeholder engagement activities and leadall communication and dissemination activities.