Solid oxide electrolyser technology proves its power.
Date: 2022-10-13
Institutions: Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking
Subjects: energy research, energy technology, fuel cell, hydrogen, renewable energy

Hydrogen Production

Solid oxide electrolyser  
technology proves its power

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Producing  hydrogen  in  sufficient  volumes  and  for  a  variety  of  applications  is  a  vital  part  of 

efforts to decarbonise Europe’s energy, transport and industry sectors. Projects funded by the 

Clean Hydrogen Partnership are demonstrating the flexibility and scalability of solid oxide cell 

technology to make this clean energy carrier.

Towards low-CO2 steelmaking
Steel manufacturing is a sector where it is traditionally diffi-
cult to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To demonstrate 
how hydrogen can help decarbonise such hard-to-abate sec-
tors, the GrInHy2.0 project installed a solid oxide electrolyser 
(SOEC) in the Salzgitter AG steelworks in Salzgitter, Germany. 
Waste heat from steelmaking is used to make steam which, 
with ‘green electricity, powers a 720 kW electrolyser that pro-
duces hydrogen, which is used in steel annealing. The avail-
ability of high temperature steam reduces electricity use – 
one of the major cost factors in hydrogen production. 

The  GrInHy2.0  electrolyser  produces  170  normal  cubic 
metres (Nm3) of hydrogen per hour and uses up to 20 % less 
electricity than low-temperature electrolysers. 

Meanwhile, the SWITCH and REFLEX projects are demon-
strating how reversible solid oxide technology can operate 
in electrolysis mode to produce hydrogen, or in fuel cell 
mode to generate electricity.

Turning up the heat on electricity 
consumption

The GrInHy2.0 consortium is laying the foundation for fur-
ther market deployment of SOECs and gaining an in-depth 
understanding of their performance in fuel cell stacks. The 
project results will be disseminated among those decision 
makers who are likely to commission similar facilities. 

SWITCH will be demonstrated at a hydrogen refuelling station 
in the Netherlands, and REFLEX will soon be providing heat 
and power to a technology park headquarters in France. Both 
projects are developing the know-how for SOEC applications 
such as heating homes or powering a grid. 

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP – SUCCESS STORIES I 2022 >

 
 
 
TOWARDS GREATER EFFICIENCY

The application of SOEs in different contexts needs to be further demonstrated 
and must be accompanied by improvements in materials used in the fuel cells, 
to ensure better performance, greater durability and lower cost. 

GENERATING MULTIPLE BENEFITS

These  projects  seek  to  demonstrate,  at  scale  and  in  different  settings,  the 
greater electrical efficiency and versatility of SOC technology compared with 
proton-exchange membrane and alkaline electrolysis. SOC is capable of co-
generating  electricity,  hydrogen  and  heat  when  operating  in  fuel  cell  mode 
using natural gas or biogas. The goal? GrInHy2.0, SWITCH and REFLEX are 
helping to attract further investments to ensure improvements to components 
and  systems  and  reduce  capital  expenditure.  Key  results?  GrInHy  2.0  is 
a  leader  in  high-temperature  electrolyser  technology  and  is  setting  new 
standards  for  SOEC  use.  REFLEX  has  developed  an  innovative  prototype 
stack  and  improved  the  efficiency  of  its  electronics  and  software.  REFLEX 
demonstrated the power-to-power round-trip efficiency of the technology and 
its flexibility, taking it from Technology Readiness Level 3 to 6. 

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Clean Hydrogen Partnership
GrInHy2.0 project 
Reflex project
Switch project 
@CleanHydrogenEU
Clean Hydrogen Partnership

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

170 NM3 OF ‘GREEN’ 
HYDROGEN  
produced per hour by the GrInHy 
2.0 electrolyser

84 % ELECTRICAL 
EFFICIENCY 
of the high temperature GrInHy 2.0 
electrolyser, compared with around 
60 % for alkaline or PEM versions 

EUR 4 500 
per kg of ‘green’ hydrogen per day 
Capex target achieved by GrInHy 2.0 

100KG/DAY  
hydrogen production expected  
by the SWITCH system 

IMPACTS

MEGAWATT SCALE 
demonstration of high-efficiency  
hydrogen production by GrInHy2.0

HIGHEST EFFICIENCY 
on the market achieved by the SOEC 
technology used in GrInHy2.0 

GUARANTEED AND COST-
OPTIMISED
production of hydrogen by the 
combination of electrolysis (SOE)  
and fuel cell (SOFC) modes in the 
SWITCH system – depending  
on the price of electricity and  
natural gas

SUSTAINABLE AND SECURE
supply of hydrogen thanks to the 
SWITCH system

MORE COMPETITIVE 
REVERSIBLE SOC MARKET
expected by the REFLEX project  
through lower capital- and operating 
expenditure of reversible  
SOC technology

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9246-405-9 

doi:10.2843/414981 

EG-05-22-308-EN-N

 
 
Hydrogen Storage and Distribution

Hydrogen: a vital element  
in decarbonising the gas grid

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The decarbonisation of the natural gas grid, from production and transport to end use, can help 

the  EU  reach  its  climate  change  targets.  A  range  of  projects  funded  by  the  Clean  Hydrogen 

Partnership are demonstrating how green hydrogen can be safely blended with natural gas and 

transported using existing infrastructure. 

Cleaner and greener

Demonstrating the benefits

Europe  needs  to  reduce  its  dependence  on  natural  gas  to 
achieve  climate  change  targets  and  to  avoid  supply  and 
price shocks. When produced in a sustainable way, hydrogen 
emits no greenhouse gas emissions over the whole produc-
tion and use cycle. It can be fed into existing infrastructure 
and transported with natural gas and re-extracted for later 
use or combusted as a mixture with natural gas. The aim is 
to replace natural gas with hydrogen over the long term. 

The HPEM2GAS and HIGGS projects are demonstrating 
how  hydrogen  can  be  safely  injected  into  the  natural 
gas  grid.  THYGA  is  looking  at  the  effect  that  mixtures 
of natural gas and hydrogen will have on residential and 
commercial appliances.

Meanwhile, the HEAVENN (Netherlands) and GREEN HYS-
LAND  (Spain)  projects  are  developing  ‘hydrogen  valleys’ 
that  combine  sustainable  energy  generation,  hydrogen 
production, storage, transport and use in a specific region.

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership supports research and 
demonstration  projects  to  perfect  the  separation  and 
transport of hydrogen-natural gas mixtures, as these two 
gases will continue to be used alongside one another for 
the near future.

For  example,  HPEM2GAS  built  and  demonstrated  a 
75-cell,  200  kW  proton  exchange  membrane  electrolyser 
in Emden, Germany.The pressure of the hydrogen produced 
was adapted to the operating pressure of the local natural 
gas distribution grid and successfully injected into it. This 
avoided having to change critical settings in gas supply and 
consumption.  HIGGS,  another  project,  studied  the  effect 
high  levels  of  hydrogen  could  have  on  gas  infrastructure 
and its components. An experimental site was built at the 
Aragon Hydrogen Foundation in Spain. The project identified 
technical, legal and regulatory barriers and enablers. 

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP – SUCCESS STORIES I 2022 >

 
 
THE BURNING QUESTION

Infrastructure operators need certainty – along with the necessary policies and 
regulations – to commit to long-term investments in hydrogen technology. They 
need to know that the natural gas grid and appliances in homes, businesses 
and factories can be used safely with increasing concentrations of hydrogen. 

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Collaboration  between  SMEs,  industry  and  research  is  helping  to  create 
breakthroughs in technology to make using hydrogen with natural gas viable in 
the short- to medium term. In parallel, work is being done to develop regulations 
and safety standards. The goal? To develop the market for hydrogen production 
and  promote  the  large-scale  adoption  of  hydrogen-natural-gas  blends. 
Key results? HIGGS concluded that the high-pressure transmission gas grid is 
substantially hydrogen-ready, although parts of it need additional monitoring 
and testing. Even a low hydrogen blend can mean an important reduction in 
CO2  emissions. The  research  done  under  the  project  determined  that  up  to 
20 % of the volume of natural gas can be replaced with hydrogen. 

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Clean Hydrogen Partnership
HPEM2Gas Project
MEMPHYS project
Bionico project
HyGrid project
HIGGS Project
THyGA project
Heavenn project
Green Hysland project 
@CleanHydrogenEU
Clean Hydrogen Partnership

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

EUR 30 MILLION
combined subsidy from the Clean 
Hydrogen Partnership for the 
HEAVENN (Northern Netherlands) and 
GREENHYSLAND (Mallorca, Spain) 
hydrogen valleys, including plans for 
H2 distribution infrastructure

23
Hydrogen valleys in Europe at various 
stages of development 

100 KG HYDROGEN PER DAY
produced by the BIONICO catalytic 
membrane reactor  

144 CELLS
in each of the two stacks in the 
HyGRID system 

85 NM3/H 
of gas mixture containing H2 can be 
processed by the HyGRID system

7 % 
reduction in CO2 emissions when 
methane (the main constituent 
of natural gas) is replaced by a 
20 % volume of hydrogen

IMPACTS

INJECTION OF HYDROGEN 
into the natural gas grid 
demonstrated by HPEM2GAS

LOW CAPEX  
feasible for an electrochemical 
hydrogen purification system for use 
with biogas or industrial waste gas 
demonstrated in the MEMPHYS project. 

LARGEST 
membrane reactor for hydrogen 
production from biogas in the world, 
built by BIONICO

SUCCESSFUL TESTING 
of a dedicated membrane-based 
hydrogen purifier sub-system in HyGRID

FIRST PUBLIC 
hydrogen refuelling station for trucks 
opened in Emmen, Netherlands as part 
of the HEAVENN project.

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9246-405-9 

doi:10.2843/414981 

EG-05-22-308-EN-N

 
 
Hydrogen End-uses

Cleaner, quieter hydrogen-powered  
transport takes to the road

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Fuel  cell  electric  vehicles  (FCEVs)  powered  by  green  hydrogen  can  contribute  to  meeting 

climate goals and making Europe’s cities more liveable. Projects funded by the Clean Hydrogen 

Partnership    are  rolling  out  fuel  cell  electric  buses,  taxis  and  hydrogen  refuelling  stations  to 

develop the market for cleaner, quieter public transport. 

Public transport leads the way

The  EU  needs  to  decarbonise  its  transport  sector  and  in-
crease  its  energy  self-sufficiency.  Several  EU  policies  and 
directives have already laid the foundation for low-emission 
transport. By replacing ‘captive’ fleets ¬of taxis and buses – 
which have predictable driving and refuelling patterns –  with 
hydrogen  fuel-cell-powered  models,  the  versatility,  safety 
and reliability of the technology is being demonstrated to the 
public and decision makers.

ZEFER  has  deployed  180  fuel  cell  electric  taxis  in  Paris, 
London, and Copenhagen. They have driven 8.3 million km. 
H2ME,  which  started  in  2015,  and  H2ME2,  to  end  in  June 
2023, aim at deploying more than 1 100 fuel cell hydrogen 
cars and vans and 49 refuelling stations across 8 countries.

The 3EMOTION project has put hydrogen buses on the roads 
of  Pau,  London,  Versailles,  Rotterdam  and  Aalborg.  They 
have driven 3.1 million km by June 2021, saving 3.8 million 

kg of CO2.Combined, the JIVE projects will deploy nearly 300 
fuel cell buses (FCBs) in 22 cities across Europe by the early 
2020s – the largest deployment in Europe to date.

Going the distance

Large-scale  deployment  of  fuel-cell  buses,  taxis  and 
refuelling stations in major European cities is allowing the 
public to experience first-hand the cleaner, quieter ride that 
hydrogen-powered vehicles offer. ZEFER has increased use 
of the refuelling station network, which is helping to make 
owning  and  operating  the  new  technology  commercially 
viable.  The  next  steps  include  making  it  easier  for  bus 
operators to include hydrogen fuel cell buses in their fleets.

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP – SUCCESS STORIES I 2022 >

 
 
DRIVING DEMAND

Ensuring full commercialisation of fuel cell buses and vehicle fleets requires 
the  appropriate  regulatory  framework,  permits  and  certification  schemes. 
Stronger demand is needed to drive down prices of hydrogen, vehicles and 
refuelling infrastructure relative to diesel-powered equivalents.

ON THE ROAD TO COMMERCIALISATION

The  deployment  of  hydrogen  vehicles  and  refuelling  stations  in  major 
European  cities  is  providing  data  on  long-term  performance  and  reliability 
and determining best practices for procurement, maintenance and operation. 
The  goal?  To  convince  local  and  national  governments  to  regulate  for 
zero  emission  public  transport  systems,  paving  the  way  to  full  commercial 
deployment. Key results? The price of an FCB has been reduced significantly  
to below EUR 625 000, and new 18 m articulated models of FCBs and coaches 
have been announced by bus manufacturers.

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Clean Hydrogen Partnership
3Emotion project
ZEFER project
The H2ME Project
Hydrogen Mobility Europe 2
The JIVE project 
The JIVE 2 project
@CleanHydrogenEU
Clean Hydrogen Partnership

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

7 MILLION KM 
driven by 120 hydrogen taxis  
deployed by ZEFER in Paris and  
London, and still counting 

180
fuel cell electric vehicles in use in 
Paris, London and Copenhagen  
under the ZEFER project 

3-5 MINUTE 
refuelling time achieved by hydrogen 
vehicles, comparable to diesel  
or petrol vehicles 

535
Hydrogen vehicles deployed between 
March 2015 and May 2022 by both 
H2ME projects 

230+  
Fuel cell electric buses deployed in 
Germany, France, UK, Scandinavia, 
Spain, Italy and the Netherlands

7  
regional clusters, from Scandinavia  
to Iberia, now exist to advance fuel 
cell bus 

IMPACTS

PROVEN ABILITY  
of hydrogen vehicles to meet drivers’ 
daily and annual needs 

SAFETY 
of refuelling stations and fuel cell 
systems proven by ZEFER 

HIGH SATISFACTION LEVELS 
from drivers, technicians and 
passengers at four sites where  
buses are in regular operation 

CAPEX TARGET
of <EUR 650 000 (JIVE) and 
<EUR 625 000 (JIVE 2) per non-
articulated bus met by several suppliers

LARGEST SINGLE ORDER 
for FCBs in Europe to date  
(100) placed by Cologne regional 
transport in May 2022 

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION
of FCBs with diesel buses, due  
to the same flexibility and  
operating procedures 

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9246-405-9 

doi:10.2843/414981 

EG-05-22-308-EN-N

 
 
Hydrogen End-uses 

An important step for fuel cell  
membrane technology 

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Fuel cell stacks are the heart of power production in electric vehicles. The GAIA project, funded 

by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership developed and tested advanced fuel cell components that 

can satisfy stringent durability and performance requirements, taking the technology another 

step closer to commercial deployment.

The sum of the parts

The  membrane  electrode  assembly  (MEA)  is  the  key 
part  of  the  fuel  cell  where  the  chemical  reactions  that 
produces  electricity  from  hydrogen  fuel  take  place.  Its 
components make up to 60 % of the total fuel cell cost. 
The  use  of  innovative  materials  in  MEAs  is  improving 
their performance and reducing production costs.

GAIA succeeded in increasing the power density of its high-
performance  MEAs  by  20  %  compared  to  the  state-of-the 
art,  meeting  the  2024  Clean  Hydrogen  Partnership  power 
density target for light-duty vehicles of 1.8 W/cm2 at 6V. 

It did so without increasing the amount of platinum on the 
catalyst.  Previous  projects  like  VOLUMETRIQ  improved 
manufacturing technology and quality assurance for fuel 

cell  stack  components,  while  INSPIRE  integrated  stack 
components  that  can  meet  performance,  durability  and 
cost targets into a fuel cell. 

Partnerships for success

GAIA brought together 10 partners including research in-
stitutions,  a  leading  multinational  vehicle  manufacturer 
and  manufacturers  of  fuel  cells  and  advanced  materials 
like  nanofibers.  The  MEAs  developed  were  tested  in  a 
4-cell  stack.  The  project  results  were  communicated  to 
industry, academia, government bodies and the public. In 
the future, the project achievements will be validated in a 
larger 10-cell stack and over 6 000 hours of operation. The 
techno-economic feasibility of the MEA will be assessed, 
targeting a cost of EUR 6/kW, in line with the call topic. 

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP – SUCCESS STORIES I 2022 >

 
MORE PERFORMANCE, LESS COST

To  ensure  the  commercial  viability  of  the  technology,  the  longevity  of  MEA 
components needs to be improved and the high cost of manufacture, due to 
the use of a platinum catalyst, must be reduced.  

A FOCUSED APPROACH

The advances were achieved thanks to coordinated research and innovation 
into  MEA  design  and  catalysts,  ionomers,  membranes  and  gas  diffusion 
layers  by  industry,  manufacturers  and  academia.  The  goal?  To  achieve 
increased power density, which will lower overall stack cost, in turn helping 
to support the large-scale adoption of proton exchange membrane fuel cell 
technology and decarbonise the transport sector. Key results? The European 
Commission’s Innovation Radar determined that the power density achieved 
by GAIA’s MEAs has market-creating potential. A cost analysis determined 
that recycling of catalysts and ionomers could significantly reduce MEA cost, 
bringing it close to the EUR 6/kW target of the public-private partnership’s 
2019 annual working plan. 

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Clean Hydrogen Partnership
The GAIA project 
@CleanHydrogenEU
Clean Hydrogen Partnership

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

1.8 W/CM2 
power density target achieved, at 0.6 V

20 %
increase in power density over  
state-of-the art

0.25 G PT/KW
of platinum-specific power density, 
reduced from 0.45g Pt/kW achieved 
by VOLUMETRIQ 

11 μV/H AND -14 μV/H
degradation rate target achieved  
for the catalyst at various stack  
temperatures and current densities 

8
articles published to date  
in international high-quality journals 

IMPACTS

STRONGER 
leadership of fuel cell technology 
thanks to progress achieved by GAIA

NEW MEA MATERIALS  
developed and up-scaled by GAIA 

FIRST TIME 
use of an up-scaled electrospun 
reinforcement in the membrane used 
for the MEA in final stack testing 

EXTREMELY LOW 
degradation rate of catalyst and gas 
diffusion layers achieved

REPRODUCIBLE   
power density achievement 
demonstrated in two full-size 
automotive MEAs

EXCELLENT PROGRESS
made towards durability and  
cost targets 

SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION 
of MEA cost possible with recycling  
of catalysts and ionomers

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9246-405-9 

doi:10.2843/414981 

EG-05-22-308-EN-N

 
 
 
 
Supply Chain

The shift to gigawatt-scale fuel  
cell manufacturing

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The large-scale deployment of hydrogen technology for low- or zero-carbon transport and energy 

use requires massive fuel cell production. A project funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership 

developed  innovative  manufacturing  techniques  to  lower  costs  and  achieve  volumes  to  help 

meet an anticipated surge in demand for fuel cells from 2025.

Turning up the volume

Taking it to the next layer

Clean  hydrogen  technology  can  play  a  leading  role  in 
meeting  EU  targets  to  decarbonise  the  transport  sec-
tor. To achieve this, fuel cells and their parts have to be 
produced  in  large  volumes,  while  meeting  strict  quality 
standards, and cost-effectively enough to give European 
manufacturers  a  competitive  edge.  The  MAMA-MEA 
project  focused  on  production  of  catalyst-coated  mem-
branes (CCM), that part of the fuel cell stack critical to its 
efficiency and performance.

MAMA-MEA  scaled  up  the  production  volume  of  CCMs 
from over 50 megawatts per annum (MW/a) to over 3 giga-
watts per annum. The power density of 0.8 watt per cm2 
(W/cm2) achieved exceeded the target of 0.67 W/cm2. 

MAMA-MEA made use of innovative additive layer manu-
facturing to deposit CCM components – anode and cath-
ode catalyst layers, ion-conducting membrane and edge 
seals  –  onto  the  membrane.  With  high  precision  and 
speed, each component can be laid down in thin layers, 
exactly where needed. The project consortium developed 
a  single,  uninterrupted  manufacturing  process  for  the 
CCM components. The process advanced from manufac-
turing readiness level 3 (proof-of-concept) to 6 (prototype 
system). Further improvements to production will include 
reducing waste of materials and better control over the 
placement of layers and their quality.

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP – SUCCESS STORIES I 2022 >

 
 
 
POWER AND RELIABILITY

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

The  production  of  fuel  cells  and  their  parts  must  increase  from  tens  of 
thousands  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  units  per  year,  while  maintaining 
a level of quality that ensures they can provide the required power, reliably, 
over thousands of hours of operation.

A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

A consortium of industrial, institutional and academic partners with exper-
tise in coating technologies and process design, from within and outside the 
fuel cell industry, funded by Clean Hydrogen Partnership, is bringing about 
innovation in manufacturing CCMs. The goal? To disrupt the emerging fuel 
cell market by reducing the time and cost of CCM manufacturing, without 
compromising on quality and fuel cell stack performance. Key results? The pro-
ject increased the manufacturing rate more than 10 times compared with the 
state-of-the-art, and increased material use to 99 %. Material and manufacturing 
costs were reduced by up to 58 %. 

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10-FOLD 
improvement in manufacturing rate 
of CCMs compared with the current 
state-of-the-art 

99 %
material use thanks to additive  
layer manufacturing

3 GW/A
manufacturing volume  
per production line

0.8 W/CM2
power density achieved

4 000 HOURS 
expected lifetime of CCMs  
under real-life conditions

IMPACTS

HIGH PRECISION 
placement of CCM components 
thanks to innovative  
manufacturing techniques 

SIMPLER
and scale-able production line  
developed

GIGAWATT
production scale achieved

COST REDUCTION
of materials and manufacturing  
by up to 58 %

FIND 
OUT 
MORE

Clean Hydrogen Partnership
MaMa-MEAS project 
@CleanHydrogenEU
Clean Hydrogen Partnership

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9246-405-9 

doi:10.2843/414981 

EG-05-22-308-EN-N

 
 
 
Market Uptake

Building a safe hydrogen economy

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Greater market uptake of hydrogen technology depends on public confidence in its safety. The Clean 

Hydrogen Partnership is funding projects on the safe development and use of this energy source in 

a wide range of settings, and supporting the work of the European Hydrogen Safety Panel (EHSP).

Ensuring that safety keeps up with 
innovation

Rapid development  and implementation  of  hydrogen tech-
nology means more and more consumers are using it for the 
first time, in their homes, businesses and in transportation. 
A lack of experience and of harmonised laws, standards and 
regulations might jeopardise wider hydrogen uptake.

Several Clean Hydrogen Partnership funded projects are de-
veloping the know-how, systems, and training programmes 
to reduce these risks. For example, the HyTunnel-CS project 
consortium is researching the safety of hydrogen-powered 
vehicles  in  enclosed  spaces  like  tunnels  and  parking  gar-
ages. The HyTunnel-CS project has produced an innovative 
design for a hydrogen fuel tank that remains safe in a fire. 

MultHyFuel project, due to end in December 2023, is studying 
harmonised  permitting  requirements  and  risk  assessment 
methodologies for hydrogen refuelling stations in multi-fuel 
contexts.  Other  applications  being  examined  include  use 
of  liquid,  or  cryogenic  hydrogen  (PRESLHY  project),  and 
hydrogen-powered  passenger  ships  (e-SHyIPS  project). 
HyResponder  project  is  training  firefighters  to  respond  to 

hydrogen-related accidents. The EHSP is helping the Clean 
hydrogen  Partnership  in  promoting  a  high-level    hydrogen 
safety culture and ensuring that developments in technology 
are accompanied by safety innovations.

Teaching the skills

As fuel cell and hydrogen technology gains market share, 
more skilled workers are needed to design, build, operate 
and maintain it. Since 2021, the Clean Hydrogen Partner-
ship has been supporting nine projects studying hydrogen 
safety  through  research,  experiments  and  the  design  of 
solutions. Project results are made public via conferences, 
publications, online events and platforms. 

The TeacHy project has developed an MSc course in fuel 
cell  and  hydrogen  technologies.  Eighty  percent  of  the 
content is delivered online and the rest via in-person lec-
tures by a network of participating universities. Hydrogen 
safety is one of the seven compulsory core modules. In 
future, the  Clean Hydrogen Partnership will continue its 
work  on  hydrogen  safety  through  projects  and    through 
the activities of the EHSP.

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP – SUCCESS STORIES I 2022 >

 
 
RAISING THE BAR ON SAFETY

Fuel cell and hydrogen technology needs to attain at least the same level of safety 
currently in place for fossil fuels, while avoiding overly restrictive measures. 

A CULTURE OF SAFETY

A culture of safety, training and regular maintenance is being developed along 
the chain of production and use. The goal? To make hydrogen a leading clean 
energy  carrier  that  contributes  to  decarbonisation  of  European  economy. 
Key results? In September 2021, the EHSP published a Safety Planning and 
Management  document,  to  help  EU  hydrogen  projects  incorporate  safety 
lessons learnt. In addition, the EHSP published an analysis of events recorded 
in the updated European Hydrogen Incidents and Accidents Database (HIAD 
2.0). The analysis includes lessons learned and recommendations for different 
hydrogen sectors and applications.

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Clean Hydrogen Partnership
PRESLHY project
HyTunnel project
HyResponder project
MultHyFuel project
TeacHy project
The e-SHyIPS project 
@CleanHydrogenEU
Clean Hydrogen Partnership

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

19
recommendations formulated by 
PRESHLY on regulations, codes and 
standards to anticipate and mitigate 
accidents 

14
European countries covered by  
a review of hydrogen refuelling  
station permitting procedures  
undertaken by MultHyFuel

11
national training workshops organised 
by HyResponder  

12
partner universities form the core  
of TeacHy 

70
associate partners – universities, 
vocational training bodies, industry  
– involved in TeacHy

IMPACTS

BEST PAPER AWARD  
presented at the 9th International 
Conference on Hydrogen Safety 
(ICHS2021), for the EHSP’s analysis 
and summary of lessons learned 
from events listed in the hydrogen 
incidents database (HIAD 2.0). 

HIGH LEVEL OF SAFETY 
achieved for liquid hydrogen 
production, storage, transportation 
and end uses, thanks to current 
codes, standards, regulations,  
and guidelines 

GUIDELINES
for engineers on the safe design  
and operation of liquid hydrogen 
infrastructure published by PRESLHY 
in 2021

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION 
by PRESHLY consortium members 
in regulations, codes and standards 
bodies, working groups and technical 
committees to ensure integration of 
project recommendations 

GAPS 
in the legal and administrative 
framework for hydrogen refuelling 
stations identified by MultHyFuel

REVISED
international curriculum on hydrogen 
safety training for responders 
developed by HyResponder

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9246-405-9 

doi:10.2843/414981 

EG-05-22-308-EN-N