On 30–31 January 2025, the HyPEF team gathered at ENGIE Lab CRIGEN in Paris for its Second General Assembly, celebrating one year of progress in its mission to define a robust framework for assessing the environmental footprint of fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) technologies.
Over two days of intensive discussions and collaboration, key technical decisions were made to further progress in the development of Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) for hydrogen-related products.
The in-person participation of AWG (Advisory Working Group) members Annabelle Brisse and Luiz Paulo Sales Silva (Hynamics) and Alessandro Arrigoni (JRC) added depth to the discussions, providing valuable insights and guiding partners in tackling key challenges to establish a new sustainability benchmark for hydrogen systems.
Welcome to HyPEF! We will deliver and test the FIRST EVER Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) for fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) products.
Refining HyPEF’s Categories
During the assembly, experts from across the consortium focused on screening PEF studies to define and assess representative hydrogen-related products that will serve as benchmarks. After extensive deliberation, three product (sub-)categories were confirmed, based on the work during the first year of the project:
- Devices for hydrogen production (in particular, electrolysers) – Led by IMDEA Energy in collaboration with ENGIE, this segment is assessing the environmental performance of solid oxide, alkaline, and proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers.
- Hydrogen storage tanks (in particular, tanks for compressed hydrogen storage for heavy-duty mobility) – An analysis of the environmental sustainability of hydrogen storage, considering factors such as material selection and recyclability, is taking place under ENEA’s guide, working alongside Hexagon Purus.
- Fuel cells for electricity production – EIFER and ADVENT are examining the environmental performance of hydrogen fuel cells intended for electricity production.
Identifying Environmental Hotspots
A crucial part of the discussions revolved around pinpointing major environmental hotspots for each product (sub-)category. The results of these studies will help stakeholders understand the critical areas where environmental improvements can be made:
- Electrolysers – The representative product, a combination of different electrolyser types (1 MW capacity), is considered to operate entirely on renewable electricity.
- Hydrogen storage tanks – A Type IV tank was chosen as the reference model, with ongoing considerations around scope and pressure levels.
- Fuel cells – A mix of PEM and solid oxide fuel cell modules (100 kWel capacity) was selected, with analyses focusing on stacks
Strengthening the PEFCR’s Governance Framework
To ensure credibility and thoroughness in the HyPEF’s PEFCR development process, governance and external review mechanisms are being addressed throughout the project. As such, ECOINNOVAZIONE and ISINNOVA are concentrating efforts on establishing a robust governance framework, engaging the AWG. At the same time, the project engagement tools and stakeholder feedback mechanisms are taking off during HyPEF’s second year to ensure expert input in the project’s regulatory endeavour.
