Update to UK's Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard
The Standard aims to ensure that government-supported hydrogen production directly contributes to carbon reduction.
It is designed to be used for greenhouse gas emissions reporting by hydrogen producers, with new calculating tools in the recent update.
The Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard (LCHS) Version 4 incorporates updates to improve clarity, simplify processes and reflect lessons learned from Version 3 and stakeholder feedback. These updates are:
- Expanded eligibility requirements for biomethane supply, now allowing sourcing via the gas grid under a mass balance approach
- Simplified material classification process for refinery off gas
- New process for evidencing Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs), aligning with wider energy sector practices
- introduction of asphalt as an additional solid carbon permissible end-use and clarification of requirements for gas splitting production pathways
- Addition of a new section on stored feedstocks and fuels to clarify requirements for producers
- Updated emissions factors, technical parameters and calculation methodologies in the Data Annex
- Restructured guidance and updated terminology throughout for improved clarity
- New versions of hydrogen emissions calculators that reflect updated pathways and data
Hydrogen producers in the UK seeking to claim their hydrogen as ‘low carbon’, including for eligibility for government schemes, need to demonstrate that they have followed the LCHS and complied with its requirements.
