Green Hydrogen Certification: Win Buyers and Meet Regulations Without Delays

Green Hydrogen Certification: Win Buyers and Meet Regulations Without Delays 

As demand for green hydrogen surges, producers must prove that their product really is green. Governments and customers want evidence that hydrogen came from renewable power, meets strict emissions rules, and is fully traceable.  

For example, EU law now requires “renewable” hydrogen to cut life‑cycle greenhouse gases by at least 70%, and to be powered by new wind/solar capacity. In practice, this means hydrogen makers typically sign long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with new renewable projects and use certificates to show the electricity is clean. Producers also need to account for Scope 2 and 3 emissions (the grid power’s carbon and any upstream fuels or leaks) to honestly measure their hydrogen’s footprint. 

What needs proving in green hydrogen production 

In plain terms, green hydrogen producers must demonstrate three key things to stakeholders: 

• Renewable energy use. The electricity for electrolysis must come from renewables. Producers often use Guarantees of Origin (renewable energy certificates) or PPAs with new wind/solar farms to prove it. EU rules even demand additional renewable capacity, as well as geographic and temporal matching, so projects typically build or contract new solar/wind power considering these requirements. 

  
  

• Emissions savings. The full carbon footprint of the hydrogen must meet targets (e.g. 70% lower GHGs under EU rules). This includes all indirect emissions: power plant carbon (Scope 2) and supply-chain emissions (Scope 3) like fuel extraction or equipment. As RMI notes, hydrogen should be certified only if all related emissions are counted, otherwise claims of “clean” hydrogen can be misleading. 

  
  

• Chain of custody and traceability. Every ton of hydrogen must be tracked from production to delivery. This prevents double-counting of renewable credits and ensures transparency. For instance, hydrogen can only be called green if its renewable electricity certificate is retired just once when it enters the supply chain. Traceability typically means using a recognised system (like a registry), using features such as digital twins to capture and link all production-related data to the physical product (in this case, a unit of hydrogen), and store this data in an auditable format. 

These proofs not only satisfy regulators, but also buyers and investors. Major companies signing hydrogen offtakes need confidence the gas is green. A buyer will require the producer’s certification and quality checks in the contract. As a result, hydrogen producers who can quickly produce reliable evidence, without drowning in paperwork, gain a competitive edge. 

Key certifications and traceability schemes 

Several well-known standards and certificates help verify hydrogen’s green credentials: 

• Guarantee of Origin (GO) schemes. Many countries are rolling out GOs for hydrogen, modelled on renewable energy certificates. These guarantees label hydrogen as “green” and carry metadata on its production. For example, the EU-funded CertifHy pilot in 2019 issued over 75,000 GOs for green or low‑carbon hydrogen, backed by producers like Air Liquide and Uniper. More recently, Denmark launched a GO scheme (in summer 2023) that lets electrolysers and power-to-X projects obtain renewable hydrogen certificates. Even South Africa is aligning a future GO system with Europe’s standards to appeal to export markets. These programs show how governments and industry are establishing GO registries so buyers can verify hydrogen origin. 

  
  

• Voluntary certification schemes (ISCC, RSB, etc.). Besides GOs, producers can use sustainability certification systems that the EU recognises. For example, ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) now covers hydrogen (as an RFNBO – fuel of non-biological origin). ISCC certification involves strict rules on traceability and GHG calculation for hydrogen supply chains. Likewise, RSB's Standard for Advanced Fuels now covers RFNBO, including renewable hydrogen.  Under the EU’s framework, any scheme that the Commission has approved can be used to prove compliance. In practice, a producer might get an ISCC or RSB audit, providing verified mass-balance accounting that ensures the hydrogen matches renewable inputs. 

  
  

• Emission reporting and life-cycle proof. In addition to energy origin, producers often need to demonstrate how much CO₂ was avoided. This means calculating the hydrogen’s carbon intensity and sharing results. Some countries require a specific methodology (for example, delegated acts in the EU define how to count upstream emissions and grid electricity emissions). Producers can present these calculations via recognised protocols or registries. Buyer agreements may even specify that certification must cover certain Scope 3 emissions from various sources. 

By combining these tools, producers give end-users a clear sustainability verification. For instance, when a refinery agrees to buy renewable hydrogen, it will likely ask for the GO certificate and proof that any grid power used met the EU’s temporal/geographical granularity criteria. Buyers want confidence: a well-known study of offtake contracts notes that parties demand “a robust guarantee of ‘green’ origin certification” to mitigate greenwashing risks. In other words, they expect industry-standard verification, not just a seller’s word. 

Real-world examples and market trends 

Many pilot projects and deals illustrate how the certification landscape is shaping up: 

• EU CertifHy Pilot (2019). The CertifHy project launched the first EU-wide GO scheme for hydrogen. Four producers – including Air Liquide, Air Products, Uniper and Nouryon – participated, issuing 75,000+ Green/Low-Carbon H₂ GOs into a registry. By trialing this system, CertifHy proved that an EU hydrogen GO market could label hydrogen origin and create demand pull for renewables. 

  
  

• Country initiatives. As noted, Denmark started issuing hydrogen GOs in 2023. Other nations are preparing similar programs. Australia published a design for a hydrogen GO scheme in 2023, showing global momentum. In South Africa, the draft hydrogen strategy explicitly plans a GO system aligned with Europe. These examples signal that producers aiming for export markets must adapt to various GO rules. 

  
  

• Corporate offtakes. Large industrial buyers are now committing to green hydrogen via long-term contracts. For instance, in 2025 RWE and TotalEnergies announced a 15-year agreement for about 30,000 tonnes/year of green hydrogen from Germany. (That volume equates to roughly 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ avoided each year, as their announcement highlighted). Securing such deals requires producers to have all their certificates and calculations ready, so production can commence without lengthy audits. The RWE/Total deal shows how the market is maturing, producers must be ready with traceable proofs to meet the buyer’s technical requirements. 

  
  

• Certificate markets. New platforms are emerging to trade hydrogen certificates themselves. For example, H2C.org launched a global registry for “green hydrogen certificates” in 2024. By decoupling certificates from physical hydrogen shipments, H2C.org allows companies anywhere to buy the green attributes of hydrogen and count them against their Scope 1, 2, or 3 emissions. As Peter Ellen of First Carbon Investments explains, this lets exporters tap “green premiums” while buyers use certificates to remove emissions from their supply chains. For producers, this trend means that validated certificates (not just the gas itself) have real value and liquidity in international markets. 

These developments underscore a clear trend: traceability and certification are becoming central to the hydrogen business model. Investors, regulators and corporate buyers will not finance or purchase green hydrogen unless the environmental claims are backed by data and recognised standards. Investors increasingly require rigorous certification in hydrogen offtake agreements to balance risks and build bankable projects. In short, verified green credentials are part of project finance in today’s hydrogen economy. 

Streamlining compliance with digital tools 

Gathering and proving all this information might seem burdensome, but NoviqTech’s Carbon Central can help producers move fast. Carbon Central’s digital twins technology can automate data collection from the electrolyser, power meters and other systems. Instead of only manual logs, the platform ingests real-time electricity use and hydrogen output, then performs the necessary GHG calculations. 

Long-term offtakes are on the rise: RWE and TotalEnergies have agreed to a 15-year deal for 30,000 tonnes/year of green hydrogen in Germany, saving about 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. To close deals like this, producers need fast, reliable proof of green credentials. 

Carbon Central shows how this works in practice. In a green hydrogen use case, Carbon Central lets a project set up a “digital twin” (digital replica) of the facility. The twin is a data model where each component (electrolyser, water meter, solar array, etc.) is linked. Live data from these devices can flow into the system. Users can then define calculations – for example, total renewable energy used or total emissions avoided – and the system computes them automatically.  

All supporting documents (e.g. PPA contracts, meter logs) can be uploaded into the platform. In essence, the software prepares the certificate for you by gathering required inputs. This means when an auditor or buyer asks for proof, the information is already organised and verifiable. 

By using a digital registry, producers avoid most of the paperwork headache. Certificates (or “tokens”) can even be issued on a blockchain, as Carbon Central does, to provide an immutable audit trail. The result is that producers do not have to slow down operations: data capture and reporting are integrated into routine monitoring. Instead of shuffling spreadsheets, a plant operator can simply hit “generate report” each month and the platform pulls together all evidence of green production. 

Practical takeaways for hydrogen producers 

• Plan for transparency from Day One. As you design your project, think about traceability. Install meters on the electrolyser and renewable generators, and set up digital reporting. Having this data link will make compliance quick. 

  
  

• Use recognised standards. Decide early which certification scheme you will use (ISCC, RSB, etc.) and understand its criteria. Follow the methodology for GHG accounting (including Scope 3) so that when an auditor arrives, you can hand over complete records. 

  
  

• Leverage digital platforms. Carbon Central can integrate your plant’s data feeds, perform calculations, and issue certificates automatically. This saves time and reduces errors compared to manual reporting. 

  
  

• Engage buyers and auditors transparently. Provide them with access to your data model or registry. Many digital solutions allow stakeholders to view production data in real time, which builds trust. 

  
  

• Keep up with regulations. Stay informed about evolving rules (e.g. EU delegated acts, national GO systems) so you can adjust your proof strategy. For example, be ready to meet any new greenhouse gas threshold or certificate format as markets adopt them. 

By tackling these steps, green hydrogen producers can turn certification into a competitive advantage rather than a bottleneck. Producers who efficiently prove their hydrogen’s sustainability, using user-friendly standards and technology, will uncover better offtake terms and investment. In the emerging hydrogen economy, trusted green credentials are as valuable as the hydrogen molecules themselves.