DVGW CERT certifies renewable hydrogen under EU rules

DVGW CERT GmbH, the certification company of the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW), certifies hydrogen and its derivatives as renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO). Since June 2026, DVGW CERT has been approved as a certification body under the European certification scheme CertifHy. Since August 2026, it has also been recognised by the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt). Companies can thus prove that their hydrogen meets the European requirements. Only with this proof can it be counted towards the statutory quotas.

Quotas create demand

The EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) sets binding minimum shares. By 2030, 42 per cent of the hydrogen used in industry is to be RFNBO, rising to 60 per cent by 2035. According to calculations by DVGW CERT, the 2030 target would correspond to around 7.1 terawatt hours in Germany. In the transport sector, the EU requires an RFNBO share of one per cent by 2030. In its national implementation, Germany sets a higher target of 1.5 per cent. Missing the quota triggers a penalty of 120 euros per gigajoule. This equals around 14 euros per kilogram of hydrogen, so the penalty effectively sets a price ceiling. EU rules for aviation and shipping also include RFNBO quotas.

Proof along the entire supply chain

Hydrogen qualifies as RFNBO if it is produced by electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources. It must also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70 per cent compared with the fossil fuel comparator. This corresponds to a maximum of 28.2 grams of CO₂ equivalent per megajoule. In addition, there are requirements for electricity sourcing. Every company that owns RFNBO and is part of the supply chain must be certified. This ranges from electrolyser operators to transport and processing through to market launch. In the audit, DVGW CERT examines, among other things, the greenhouse gas balance, electricity sourcing, mass balance, management system and traceability via the EU's Union Database.

Certificate valid for twelve months

The certification cycle starts with an optional pre-certification. It is based on documents and identifies possible gaps before operations begin. Initial certification requires a mandatory on-site audit, after which the certificate is valid for twelve months. This is followed by annual re-certification based on actual operating data. The offer covers all types of RFNBO, including hydrogen derivatives, and applies worldwide.

Next step: low-carbon hydrogen

Alongside RFNBO, the EU defines a second category, low-carbon fuels (LCF). This includes, for example, hydrogen produced from non-renewable electricity or by processes such as steam reforming and pyrolysis. No certification scheme for LCF has been recognised yet. DVGW CERT plans to apply for approval under the CertifHy scheme as soon as this becomes possible.