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Hydrogen has an enormous potential to support the greening of industry, transport, power generation, energy system and buildings across Europe, while at the same time facilitating the large-scale integration of renewables and the decarbonization of natural gas through innovative technologies. Beside the decarbonization of the energy system, the REPowerEU Plan describes the role of hydrogen as ensuring affordable and competitive energy for European consumers and increasing the EU’s energy security of supply to better prepare for emergencies.

In close collaboration with the European institutions, CEN and CENELEC experts across 20 TCs develop standards contributing to the wider deployment of hydrogen technologies in Europe along the whole hydrogen value chain: production; transmission, distribution, storage and injection infrastructure; safety; quality; and end-use applications (including transport).

As the industry has indicated the lack of standards in the sector as one of the potential barriers to the large-scale deployment of hydrogen, the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (ECH2A), under the umbrella of the European Commission, has developed a Hydrogen Roadmap. This document identifies the needs, gaps, and challenges for hydrogen standardization.

In 2024, CEN and CENELEC Technical Committees will work on the implementation of this Roadmap. CEN and CENELEC expect to receive from the European Commission a Standardization Request on the quality of hydrogen and other technical issues. In this context, a good cooperation with EU institutions on standardization priorities in terms of standards development is key in 2024. This will ensure a rationalization of resource and guarantee a common approach to the dissemination of hydrogen-based technologies in Europe.

CEN/TC 234 ‘Gas infrastructure’ is responsible for the standardization of functional requirements in the field of gas infrastructure, from the input of gas into the on-shore transmission to the determination and coordination of all gas infrastructure aspects. In preparation of the repurposing of gas infrastructure for pure hydrogen, CEN/TC 234 will work on the following standards:

• EN 16726, describing the composition of high calorific gas that will be finalized in 2024 in order to integrate, among others, the Wobbe Index parameter and the admissible hydrogen concentration. Its publication is expected by 2025.
• EN 17928 series on the injection stations for hydrogen (and biomethane), to be finalized in 2024.
• A new Work item on ‘Gas infrastructure - Conversion of pipelines with maximum operating pressure over 16 bar for the use of hydrogen - Functional requirements’ intended to be published as EN 1594-2.

CEN-CLC/JTC 6 ‘Hydrogen in energy system’ is responsible for standardization in the field of systems, devices and connections for the production, storage, transport and distribution, measurement and use of hydrogen.

In 2024, this TC will publish a standard related to hydrogen vocabulary (EN ISO 24078). It will also start to work on the production of hydrogen via electrolyser by adoption of ISO 22734-1 as a first step. The committee will also continue working on a deliverable on the safe use of hydrogen in built constructions.

Finally, CEN/TC 58 ‘Safety and control devices for burners and appliances burning gaseous or liquid fuels’ will revise a guidance document (CEN/TR 17924) published in 2023 on a hydrogen leakages. The aim is to integrate the results of technical tests into theorical considerations.

Methane is one of the most important greenhouse gas contributors, and therefore has a substantial impact on climate change. For this reason, the EU has set the reduction of this type of emissions as a top priority. The focus is now on the energy industry, where a potential for quick wins has been identified. CEN/TC 234 ‘Gas infrastructure’ answered a call for projects released in 2023 by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) to fund standardization activities to speed up the reduction of methane emissions in the atmosphere. Granted funds will be allocated to the execution of 3 tasks:

1. Based on a CEN technical specification currently in preparation, CEN/TC 234 will develop a European standard on quantification of methane emissions in gas transmission, distribution and storage systems and LNG terminals. This standard intends to provide aligned technical provisions on how to quantify emissions and ensure transparency and comparability of data. It aims at building a reliable basis for the data analysis, identification and monitoring of systematic mitigation activities in the gas sector, to the benefit of the industry, authorities, and other interested parties.
   
   
2. CEN/TC 234 will also develop a standard describing the Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programmes that contribute to effectively reduce methane emissions from operated assets.
3. Finally, it is expected to develop a third deliverable which will describe the equipment to be installed in the field to help minimise the quantities of gas vented in the mid and downstream gas sector.

FUELS

The development of European Standards for the sampling and testing of fuels is important to ensure that consumers and businesses are provided with safe and reliable fuels. For years, CEN/TC 19 ‘Gaseous and liquid fuels, lubricants and related products of petroleum, synthetic and biological origin’ has worked on the standardization of the European fuel market. The objective has been to support the requirements of the industry for safety, precise and concise test methods on the one hand, and the needs of the European Commission regarding fuels quality, emissions, allowance of biofuels, and infrastructure for alternative energy carriers on the other.

In 2024, CEN/TC 19 intends to publish a new fuel standard that will specify requirements for two types of petrol fuel low in aromatics and sulphur: one type for use in four-stroke engines with separate lubrication and the second, a mixed petrol fuel type, for use in mixture-lubricated engines (EN 17867 Petrol fuel for small internal combustion engines — Requirements and test methods).

In addition, the Committee will also update EN 16709 ‘Automotive fuels - High FAME diesel fuel (B20 and B30) - Requirements and test methods’. It will also proceed with the revision of EN 228 ‘Automotive fuels - Unleaded petrol - Requirements and test methods’ and EN 589 ‘Automotive fuels - LPG - Requirements and test methods and for EN 14214 Liquid petroleum products - Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) for use in diesel engines and heating applications - Requirements and test methods’.

WIND ENERGY

Wind energy plays, and will continue playing, an important role to achieve the EU’s renewable energy targets. Standardization in the field includes wind turbines, wind power plants onshore and offshore and interaction with the electrical system(s) to which energy is supplied. CLC/TC 88 ‘Wind turbines’ will continue working on the development of standards for wind turbines under the framework of the Frankfurt Agreement. In 2024, the Committee will focus on the development of several parts of the EN IEC 60400 ‘Wind energy generation systems’ series together with IEC/TC 88 (for example, on the design requirements for floating offshore wind turbines or on-Site suitability input conditions for wind power plants).

SOLAR ENERGY

CLC/TC 82 ‘Solar photovoltaic energy systems’ develops standards related to all aspects of solar photovoltaic energy systems, from the conversion of light to the interfaces, up to the public grid or users.

In 2023, the Committee will finalize several standards of the EN 61730 series. This series specifies the fundamental construction requirements for photovoltaic modules to provide they operate safely from an electrical and mechanical point of view. Standardization in this field is necessary to ensure high levels of product quality and safety and to streamline the consideration of environmental aspects.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

The core principle and responsibility of the nuclear industry is to guarantee its safety. For this reason, CEN and CENELEC, in close collaboration with the international standardization organizations, ISO and IEC, are committed to developing standards that ensure the safety, environmental and technical needs of the nuclear energy industry.

In 2024, CLC/TC 45B ‘Radiation protection instrumentation’ expects to adopt three international standards as European:

- prEN IEC 62618:2023 ‘Radiation protection instrumentation - Spectroscopy-based alarming personal radiation detectors (SPRD) for the detection of illicit trafficking of radioactive material’;
- prEN IEC 62694:2023 ‘Radiation protection instrumentation - Backpack-type radiation detector (BRD) for the detection of illicit trafficking of radioactive material';
- prEN IEC 61098:2023 ‘Radiation protection instrumentation - Installed personnel surface contamination monitors’.

In addition, CEN/TC 430 ‘Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection’ expects to adopt prEN ISO 18589-3 ‘Measurement of radioactivity in the environment - Soil - Part 3: Test method of gamma-emitting radionuclides using gamma-ray spectrometry (ISO 18589-3:2023)’.

The same Committee will also continue collaborating with its international counterpart ISO/TC 85 to develop two parallel standards: prEN ISO 17099 ‘Radiological protection - Performance criteria for laboratories using the cytokinesis block micronucleus (CBMN) assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes for biological dosimetry (ISO/DIS 17099:2023)’ and prEN ISO 14146 ‘Radiological protection - Criteria and performance limits for the periodic evaluation of dosimetry services (ISO/DIS 14146:2023)’.