Standards Australia is accelerating Australia’s hydrogen economy with a new agreement with Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) to expedite the development of hydrogen standards.

The federal government identified hydrogen as one of five top-priority, low-emission technologies it will be investing in over the next decade. Standards Australia has published several standards aiming to support hydrogen production, with more currently under development. The standards come as Australia’s latest hydrogen plants open in early 2021.

“Australia could be exporting a huge amount of hydrogen in the coming decades, potentially adding billions to the economy. To assist with the safe, effective scale-up of the technology we will need appropriate standards in place,” Standards Australia engagement manager Kara Chan says.

“By facilitating knowledge sharing between ourselves and industry we can assist in giving Australia a step up in the global hydrogen economy.”

Future Fuels CRC chief executive David Norman says that the shared interested in hydrogen production, distribution and use will result in the creation of essential technical content to support the growth of the industry.

“Standards can help ensure that safety and performance requirements are met, meaning we will see sustainable solutions in use sooner and on a larger scale,” he says.

Kara adds: “Standards Australia looks forward to developing our relationship with the Future Fuels CRC in bringing guidance to industry. Together, we can support the growth of hydrogen to build a stronger economy and more sustainable future for Australia.”