The 2020 EU hydrogen strategy has laid out the European Commission’s plans to transition towards ‘green’ hydrogen, a zero-carbon alternative to natural gas, aiming to increase the market share of hydrogen from 2 % in 2020 to 14 % by 2050. To expand the use of hydrogen, and to meet specifications for health, safety and environment, a metrological infrastructure is required to address all parts of the supply chain, from manufacturers to consumers. This includes developing traceable measurements for leak testing, odorization, purity assessment, material compatibility and sensor calibration. Traceable hydrogen flow measurements and quality assessments are also necessary to facilitate fair trade and custody transfer, and there is a requirement for low-pressure sampling methods for gas grids, allowing existing infrastructure to be utilised for hydrogen transport.

This project will produce methods to support reliable, traceable calibration and measurement, as well as novel methods for evaluating overall measurement uncertainty, for the entire hydrogen supply chain. It will develop calibration standards for flow metering equipment under actual conditions, as well as standards for online monitoring instruments, ensuring accuracy and traceability at all stages. It will also produce measurement standards to assess gas quality, equalising standards for common impurities. Uptake of the technology and measurement infrastructure developed by this project will be supported by cooperation from the European Metrology Network Energy Gases. This uptake will allow for the reliable monitoring of gas grids, evaluation of performance, and calibration of sensors for continuous monitoring, facilitating a safe and efficient transition towards green hydrogen.