TÜV CERTIFICATION

TÜV CERTIFICATION: WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO FOLLOW?

by Floyd March

Certification models and structures are forming as the hydrogen economy is built. These methods are an essential way to ensure compliance with safety regulations, quality on an international scale, and verification.

While many of these certification models are new, such as the UK's most recent hydrogen certification model, TÜVs have been a long-standing method of certification from the industrial revolution in Germany all the way through to renewables.

View Sonic define TÜVs as: “Short for Technischer Überwachungsverein in German, which means Technical Inspection Association. These associations are independent companies that test, inspect, and certify technologies, products, and systems to ensure potential hazards and prevent damages.”

TÜVs can be a good benchmark for further certification

These methods of verification can be applied across the hydrogen sector as a blueprint due to the fact it has been historically recognised as the trademark for trust and quality. View Sonic explained that: “TÜV certification ensures that a product, service, or process has been tested for safety and that it complies with the requirements of national, regional, and international regulations.

Four steps to achieve TÜV certification

Depending on what is needed, the TÜV organisation works with companies in the following steps:

1 | Identification of Type and Scope of Certification:

With international and statutory regulations in mind, the TÜV will look at the most suitable methodology to approach the certification. They will also assess if the content is sufficient or if the trainers need to be qualified for the exercise.

2 | Development on Type of Examination:

After the scope has been decided on, the TÜV will develop ideas on the examination and its process, its target qualifications of test subjects, the questions to be asked, assessment criteria, and the required examination committee.

3 | Preparation of Examination:

Next, the TÜV will plan the logistics of the examination, including dates and locations, and set clear regulations for the test. Test subjects will also be verified to ensure that they fit the examination’s scope.

4 | Execution and Assessment of Examination:

Lastly, the examinations will be carried out and supervised by the TÜV and their selected committee. Once the tests are completed, the results will be assessed and certified that they have met the standards laid out in the beginning.

Expanding on this, there is a TÜV Rheinland Standard H2.21 which is an independent verification for the documentation of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen fuels. This standard is in line with the developments of definitions in the EU, which has been widely reported. “TÜV Rheinland Standard H2.21 defines a Greenhouse gas emission reduction threshold of 70% of the Comparator Value (94 g CO2-eq/MJ) and differentiates between two major hydrogen classifications, green and low-carbon.” With the flexibility of the standards, there can also be sub-categorisations through specific criteria on RFNBO, blue hydrogen, pink hydrogen, and more. Other feedstocks such as hydrogen derivatives, ammonia, and methane.

Ensuring these standards are appropriate for all forms of hydrogen can offer encouragement that the TÜVstyle framework can be applied across the hydrogen sector.

Regardless of the life cycle stage of the hydrogen, whether that be production distribution, etc. TÜV certification for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen fuels enables: “You to provide evidence that you, as the owner, are supplying the hydrogen to the recipient in a climate-neutral manner.”