Online tool to help Australia's hydrogen industry maintain standards

CSIRO and Standards Australia have launched a new resource called HyStandards to help the growing hydrogen industry find the relevant Australian and international standards for its hydrogen projects.

Australia is expected to become the second-largest net exporter of low-emissions hydrogen by 2030 and the largest by 2050. In light of this expected growth there is a need for robust standards providing quality, safety and compatibility.

Dr Patrick Hartley, Leader of the Hydrogen Industry Mission at CSIRO, said the highly visual and interactive tool allows users to choose from five different scenarios that reveal a comprehensive list of applicable standards.

“One of the challenges for the burgeoning Australian hydrogen industry is navigating regulations and standards for new builds,” he said. “For example, when we were building our hydrogen refuelling station, an important step in the acceptance and handover from the developer was to assure ourselves that the technology complies with relevant regulations and standards. Having a resource like HyStandards would have helped us to quickly identify which standards were relevant.

“With the interest in using hydrogen to decarbonise the energy, mining and manufacturing sectors, we often hear questions from industry about standards. This collaboration with Standards Australia makes relevant standards easier to find.”

Adam Stingemore, General Manager of Engagement and Communications at Standards Australia, said that hydrogen is a major focus area for the organisation.

“Standards Australia continues to champion the need for hydrogen standards development to ensure consistent and safe working practices,” he said. “We’re delighted to see HyStandards come to life. This tool will be paramount to ensuring the industry can develop and operate safely and sustainably.”

The development of HyStandards was overseen by a steering committee formed by industry and government, and is part of CSIRO’s Hydrogen Knowledge Centre, an online resource for Australians that includes a database of hydrogen industry projects, a database of hydrogen research projects, FAQs and other useful information about hydrogen in Australia.

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