UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard: emissions reporting and sustainability criteria
Guidance and a calculator tool for hydrogen producers to use for greenhouse gas emissions reporting and sustainability criteria under the UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard.
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Update: 18 May 2023
We have updated the calculator files with a fix to a broken formula and minor usability improvements.
Update: 19 April 2023
This first review of the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard, LCHS Version 2, clarifies several areas of the standard, including:
- the introduction of a materiality threshold to ease the reporting and verification burden
- a waste fossil feedstock counterfactual emissions methodology to reflect their system-wide emissions benefits
- a revised process for including new technology pathways
- a new chapter on consignments
See the full update notice on page 5 of the guidance.
We expect to publish a further review later in 2023, which will resolve outstanding issues to ensure the LCHS requirements are clearer, so they can be more effectively applied under the Hydrogen Production Business Model contract.
The Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard sets a maximum threshold for the amount of greenhouse gas emissions allowed in the production process for hydrogen to be considered ‘low carbon hydrogen’. Compliance with the standard will help ensure new low carbon hydrogen production makes a direct contribution to our carbon reduction targets.
This guidance sets out the methodology for calculating the emissions associated with hydrogen production and the steps producers should take to prove that the hydrogen they produce is compliant with the standard.
It is for use by hydrogen producers seeking support from government schemes and policies that have adopted the standard.
The standard requires hydrogen producers to:
- meet a GHG emissions intensity of 20g CO2e/MJLHV of produced hydrogen or less for the hydrogen to be considered low carbon
- calculate their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to the ‘point of production’
- set out a risk mitigation plan for fugitive hydrogen emissions
- meet additional requirements for the use of biogenic inputs, where relevant and as appropriate for the feedstock source and classification
Previous versions of the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard
We will review the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard regularly to ensure the guidance remains fit for purpose and reflects our growing understanding of how new technologies work in practice, including how hydrogen production interacts with the broader energy system.
Projects receiving government support should use the version of the standard mentioned in their specific agreement.
You can access previous versions here:
- Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard, Version 1 (July 2022) (link to National Archives site)
Hydrogen emissions calculator
The calculator has been updated for use with the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard, Version 2, April 2023.
Use the hydrogen emissions calculator (HEC) to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a prospective hydrogen production facility and determine its likely compliance with the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard.
You do not need to use the calculator for Strand 1 of the NZHF, but it is necessary if you are applying to Strand 2. For the remaining strands of the NZHF and future allocations of the hydrogen business model, the appropriate scheme guidance will confirm how the calculator should be used.
There are 3 versions of the calculator: use the streamlined versions for the production routes specified, and the full version for any other production route, or those that differ from ‘standard’ electrolytic or CCS-enabled projects.
1. For electrolytic projects - this streamlined version can accommodate data related to typical electrolytic hydrogen production processes (covering all types of electricity source).
2. For fossil gas reforming projects with carbon capture and storage (CCS) - this streamlined version can accommodate data related to typical hydrogen production processes with fossil gas as the primary input (steam methane reforming, autothermal reforming and partial oxidation processes).
3. The full version - this accommodates data related to any current hydrogen production process.
Calculator training videos
We have produced training videos on various aspects of using the calculator:
Last updated 18 May 2023 + show all updates
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We have updated the calculator files with a fix to a broken formula and minor usability improvements.
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Published calculators for use with version 2 of the Standard.
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UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard Version 2, April 2023, published.
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We expect to publish version 2 (April 2023) of the guidance and calculator for greenhouse gas emissions reporting and sustainability criteria under the UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard shortly.
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Calculator files updated: minor functionality improvements and text clarifications.
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Guidance and HEC training videos updated. Clarification questions added.
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Added final 3 Hydrogen emissions calculator training videos.
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Original versions of the standard guidance and Hydrogen Emissions Calculators (HECs) updated, 1. so that the default natural gas upstream emissions factor better reflects the current composition of the UK natural gas network, 2. to improve the HEC functionality.
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Hydrogen emissions calculator training videos added.
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Added hydrogen emissions calculator. This can be used to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a prospective hydrogen production facility, and so determine its likely compliance with the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard.
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First published.