Hydrogen is seen as a game changer for the future of energy. But what will it take for this pioneering energy carrier to take off on a broad scale? Clear rules are an important prerequisite. The Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Industry (ÖVGW) has been working intensively on the first H2 regulations in a team of experts led by GCA since 2019.
Domestic companies are doing pioneering work
‘The big challenge for us was that we had to start with a blank sheet of paper,’ says Micha Oberhuber, giving an insight into the process. He is head of the ÖVGW technical committee and an expert in operation & maintenance, plant technology and process safety at Gas Connect Austria. Although hydrogen has been used in industry for over 100 years, there have been hardly any specifications - neither nationally nor internationally. Since the start of the project, around 30 players from the domestic gas industry have been doing pioneering work in various working groups. In addition to Austria's major gas network operators, well-known domestic energy companies such as RAG and OMV are contributing their expertise to the development of the regulations.
‘Our aim is to define precise technical guidelines and organisational specifications for hydrogen networks and plants,’ explains Oberhuber. These are an important prerequisite for the authorisation and construction of pipelines and plants. They also enable safe operation in accordance with fixed standards. The new H2 regulations are aimed at all potential hydrogen network operators as well as installers and operators of, for example, generation plants or refuelling stations.
Micha Oberhuber heads the ÖVGW Technical Committee for Hydrogen Systems. At Gas Connect Austria, he is responsible for operation & maintenance, plant technology and process safety.
First guidelines presented in February
The ÖVGW presented the first guidelines in February 2023, setting out the requirements for the quality of hydrogen for feed-in, transport, distribution and storage. Requirements for the construction of feed-in systems were also published. ‘These make it possible to connect hydrogen production with customers on a large scale,’ says Ober-huber.
The next milestone followed in June. A guideline for the construction of new hydrogen pipelines was issued for the first time. An important aspect: in addition to various types of steel, plastics such as polyethylene were also assessed as suitable for hydrogen. These are already being used in the existing natural gas infrastructure. This will make future conversions easier.
H2 regulations: an overview of the published guidelines
Five guidelines of the H2 regulations have already come into force. These are
- H B100: Hydrogen quality (valid since February 2023)
This guideline defines the requirements for the quality of gaseous hydrogen for feed-in, transport, distribution and storage. - H E310: Hydrogen feed-in systems (valid since February 2023)
This regulates the planning, construction and initial testing of hydrogen feed-in systems. It deals with feeding into pure hydrogen networks and gas networks. - H E200: Hydrogen pipelines (valid since June 2023)
This guideline regulates all criteria for the planning, construction and initial testing of new hydrogen pipelines. It also specifies materials and dimensioning. - H E510: Hydrogen refuelling systems (valid since October 2023)
It regulates the planning, manufacture, construction and initial testing of stationary refuelling facilities (see refuelling stations). In addition to technical specifications, the approval process is also described here. - H E100: Hydrogen production facilities (valid since April 2024)
The guideline applies to the planning, construction and initial inspection of commercial, municipal, industrial and grid-serving facilities for the production of hydrogen.
Outlook: The hydrogen regulations are growing
‘In the coming months, things will go from strength to strength,’ says Oberhuber. Towards the end of the year, the already finalised operating guideline ‘Commissioning and decommissioning of hydrogen pipelines and systems’ is expected to be published. This will be followed by the directive on the regulation of mobile hydrogen refuelling systems at the beginning of 2025. This was requested, for example, by various construction machinery manufacturers in order to be able to refuel hydrogen-powered machines on construction sites, in quarries, etc. in the future. Nothing stands in the way of further development of such equipment. ‘At the same time, we are also working intensively on a very important directive - from the network operator's point of view - for converting gas pipelines to run on hydrogen,’ says the expert. The future of energy continues to gather pace in Austria.
About Greening the Gas
Over 30 projects: That's how many research projects have already been implemented as part of the ÖVGW's ‘Greening the Gas’ initiative with national and international partners. The knowledge gained is being incorporated into the new H2 regulations. One example of this is the HyGrid2 project. This project is investigating the transport of pure hydrogen in used natural gas pipelines by 2025. Find out more: HyGrid2.