A blockchain-based verifiable ESG credentials platform for hydrogen supply chain
Project lead
Dr Qing Liu, Q.Liu@data61.csiro.au
Challenge
Hydrogen is expected to become one of the critical next-generation energy resources that can positively contribute to the fight against climate change because of its potential to enable decarbonisation across the industrial sectors.
Since hydrogen can be produced and delivered from different feedstocks and technologies that vary in terms of carbon emission, the degree of cleanness (i.e., degree of carbon emission) of hydrogen at the time of use depends on fossil fuel consumption in the entire supply chain. Certification is viewed as an effective way of proving the cleanliness of a unit of hydrogen, enabling stakeholders within the hydrogen supply chain to share important information for decision making.
Hydrogen is an emerging industry in which stakeholders are beginning to establish global supply chains. While lack of visibility and trust among stakeholders is inherent in global supply chains, even at this early stage end-users and regulators are demanding provenance information to independently assess the cleanness of hydrogen. To support organisations in dispelling the distrust and enhance sustainability, we propose to establish a trustworthy data platform for hydrogen accreditation towards sustainability.
What we are doing
To facilitate transparency and build stakeholder trust in hydrogen certification, this project aimed to develop an end-to-end data integrity platform for hydrogen certification and to monitor hydrogen’s whole lifecycle. To this end, we needed to understand the business requirements for a hydrogen data platform that supports hydrogen certification. Additionally, we assessed the feasibility of adopting blockchain technology for realising such a data platform. Moreover, based on the requirements and feasibility analysis outcomes, we planned to develop an architecture for the proposed data platform and a proof-of-concept prototype.
Blockchain is a decentralised database/ledger that creates a lasting “immutable record” of shared data and business transactions. This ledger enables decentralised and trustable sharing of transactional data across a large network of participants. Blockchain also permits the automatic execution of so-called “smart contracts” (i.e., user-defined scripts) that can implement business logic with similar guarantees. Due to its unique features and capabilities, blockchain is an attractive potential technology to enable and support information sharing and business collaborations across the whole process of hydrogen manufacturing, transporting, storing, and consuming.
Inputs and outputs of the proposed data platform
Outcomes to date
The project was conducted with the following outcomes:
- Reference architecture and prototype of a blockchain-based verifiable ESG certification platform for hydrogen supply chain.
- Constructed ESG dashboard for analysis and certification.
- Established hands-on capability for architecting and building ESG credentials platforms for hydrogen supply chain.
- Identified the data challenge and proposed solutions for future development.
Project finish date
December 2022