Certification and Trading Frameworks for Hydrogen and Derivatives

December 8th, 2021

R&D Focus Areas:
Hydrogen certification schemes, Hydrogen market development, Policy

Lead Organisation:
Australian National University (ANU)

Partners:
With input from secondees to the ANU Grand Challenge Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific from Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (now Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – DCCEEW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Status:
Active

Start date:
January 2019

Completion date:
Ongoing

Key contacts:
Associate Professor Emma Aisbett:  Emma.Aisbett@anu.edu.au
Professor Ken Baldwin:  kenneth.baldwin@anu.edu.au
Dr. Lee White:  Lee.White@anu.edu.au

Funding:
Part of the ANU AUD$10 million 2019 – 2023 Grand Challenge Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific

Embedded emissions accounting: frameworks for trade in a net-zero world, ARC Linkage Grant, 2022 ($267,070 from ARC). Emma Aisbett (project lead, ANU), William Bloomfield (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Justin Borewitz (ANU), Wolfram Buss (ANU), Wenting Cheng (ANU), Mark Howden (ANU), Lee White (ANU).

P5.1 – Frameworks to support trade in Embedded Carbon Products, ARC Industrial Transition Research Hub for Carbon Recycling and Utilisation, 2023 ($579,483). Emma Aisbett (project lead ANU), Damon Honnery (Monash University), Peter Metcalfe (PI – Woodside Energy Ltd.), Stephen Wee (GrapheneX Pty. Ltd.), Lisa Wade (NAB Asset Servicing) Duncan Anderson (PI – Hydrobe Pty. Ltd.), Matthias Raab (PI – CO2CRC Limited), Jodie Kimber (PI – Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers Limited), Jason Nielsen (Climate-KIC Australia Ltd), Lee White (ANU)

Project total cost:
Part of the ANU AUD$10 million 2019 – 2023 Grand Challenge Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific

Project summary description:
The aim of this project is to support both government and industry efforts to design and participate in international trade and trading frameworks for hydrogen and derivatives. Frameworks for international net-zero trade require embedded emissions accounting that is robust and complete, without being overly complicated. So far, we have argued that modularity in embedded emissions accounting can support this goal, as well as promoting interoperability trading partner frameworks (White et al, 2021).

In Australia and elsewhere, we are observing the rapid emergence of a regime complex comprising a multitude of competing certification schemes and markets, both public and private. This project provides input to the developers of many of these schemes, encouraging the adoption of best-practice principles and compatibility/interoperability of schemes in order to avoid unnecessary regulatory compliance costs for Australian producers of hydrogen and derivatives.

The project is uniquely transdisciplinary in approach. In addition to extensive engagement with stakeholders in government and industry, the academic team comprises economists, policy-experts, legal scholars, engineers and physicists.

Related publications and key links:
Commissioned report:  Emma Aisbett, Wenting Cheng, Iain MacGill, & Lee White, Approaches to certifying Australia-Germany Green Hydrogen Supply Chains: informing discussion, Produced for the German-Australian HySupply Project, (August 2022) at: https://iceds.anu.edu.au/files/HySupply%20Certification%20Report_Final.pdf

Short article: Emma Aisbett, Conclusion: Hydrogen Certification in Australia, Germany and Japan, Periscope Paper Series Volume 7 / 2021

Policy brief: Stocks, M., & White, L. V. (2021) Hydrogen Certification: the need to consider Additionality, ANU Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific

Policy brief: White, L.V., Aisbett, E., Andrews, R., Baldwin, K.G.H, Beck, F.J., Cheng, W., Fazeli, R., Howarth, P., O’Neill, L., Reeve, A., & Skryabin, I. (2020) Policy Brief on Hydrogen Certification, ANU Zero Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific

Publication: Lee V. White, Reza Fazeli, Wenting Cheng, Emma Aisbett, Fiona J. Beck, Kenneth G.H. Baldwin, Penelope Howarth, & Lily O’Neill, Towards emissions certification systems for international trade in hydrogen: The policy challenge of defining boundaries for emissions accounting, Energy, Volume 215, Part A, 2021, 119139, ISSN 0360-5442, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2020.119139.

Webinar: Emma Aisbett, Penelope Howarth & Kenneth GH Baldwin, How do we certify the amount of carbon embedded in hydrogen fuels? ANU Energy Change Institute public forum, 8 September 2020.  https://iceds.anu.edu.au/events/public-forum-how-do-we-certify-amount-carbon-embedded-hydrogen-fuels

https://www.anu.edu.au/zerocarbon

Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable

 

Reviewed: August 2023