Global Hydrogen Trade Embraces Digital Traceability as EU, US, and Asia Align on Certification Standards
The global hydrogen market is undergoing a digital transformation, as traceability and certification become essential to clean energy trade. Governments and energy companies across Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea are moving towards a unified approach to hydrogen certification, ensuring hydrogen is low-carbon, verifiable, and aligned with ESG and net-zero goals.
By mid-2025, digital traceability for hydrogen has shifted from a value-add to a baseline requirement. The adoption of tools such as Europe’s CertifHy and the U.S. Department of Energy’s 45VH2-GREET model is enabling trusted, transparent hydrogen supply chains. Technologies like blockchain, IoT, AI-powered analytics, and digital twins are driving this shift, allowing real-time monitoring of carbon intensity, origin, and storage conditions for each kilogram of hydrogen produced.
Hydrogen traceability is no longer just about compliance. With rising pressure from carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAM) and competition for 45V tax credits, certified hydrogen is becoming a commercial advantage. Countries such as Germany, Japan, and the U.S. are integrating digital verification into refuelling networks and import frameworks, with pilot programmes already under way.
“Digital certification is becoming the passport for international hydrogen trade,” said a spokesperson from a leading European hydrogen alliance. “Without traceability, green hydrogen risks being undermined by greenwashing and missed targets.”
More than 30 nations are now introducing or planning to mandate hydrogen certification. While Europe leads with CertifHy under the RED II directive, and the U.S. continues with its GREET-based system, global convergence is in progress.
Industry experts warn that without traceability, the hydrogen economy could face public backlash, disrupted funding, and failed ESG claims. But getting it right opens doors to green investment, performance-based pricing, and carbon market access.
With global demand for hydrogen projected to exceed 500 million tonnes by 2050, and the hydrogen certification market estimated to reach £15 billion by 2030, traceability is fast becoming core infrastructure for a clean energy future.
