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Understanding the Path to Safe Hydrogen Deployment

The recent report by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) highlights the established framework necessary for the safe, large-scale deployment of hydrogen technology. Given the growing relevance of hydrogen in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the standards that govern its use are critical to the safe integration of this energy source into various sectors, including transportation, power, and industrial processes.

Hydrogen's role in industries such as petroleum refining, fertilizer production, and metal processing makes it a crucial element in the transition to cleaner energy solutions. Furthermore, it provides avenues for storage and use of renewable energy, effectively enhancing energy security and public safety.

Summary of ANSI's Findings

ANSI's report titled "Advancing Hydrogen Standards and Codes" derives insights from a workshop held on June 22-23, 2026. Throughout the workshop, a wide range of stakeholders—including industry professionals, government representatives, and researchers—collaborated to discuss the current state of hydrogen standards. A companion document, the Hydrogen Standards Landscape, was introduced to visualize existing standards across the hydrogen value chain.

Key Implementation Challenges:
The participants identified several challenges that must be addressed to facilitate the deployment of hydrogen systems effectively. These include:

1. Limited Familiarity with Requirements:
Local officials, emergency responders, and inspectors may not have sufficient exposure to hydrogen technologies, resulting in barriers to effective deployment. Implementing educational resources and engagement initiatives is seen as essential to improving familiarity with established standards.

2. Workforce Readiness:
The rapid pace of hydrogen deployment could outstrip the availability of trained personnel. Therefore, ensuring that workforce development keeps pace with industry needs is paramount.

3. Operational Experience and Data:
Sharing data on performance and safety will be vital for informing future standards and validating forthcoming technologies. Stakeholders believe that experiences from current deployments will benefit the development of future standards.

4. Coordination and Alignment:
A more streamlined approach to share information and reinforce collaboration among standards developers and regulators is necessary. Enhanced communication will lead to a more unified standards framework.

Future Directions

The workshop participants expressed a preference for building upon existing standards rather than instituting entirely new ones. A roadmap focusing on hydrogen storage and infrastructure was emphasized as crucial for organizing priorities and identifying gaps in the applied standards. This roadmap aims to streamline collaboration across various sectors involved in the hydrogen ecosystem, influencing end-use applications profoundly.

Recommendations also included the need for improved tools to navigate standards, access more educational resources, and heightened awareness surrounding compliance pathways and certifications.

Christine Bernat, ANSI’s director of standards facilitation, reiterated the progress made so far while emphasizing the need to ensure that those involved in hydrogen systems are adequately equipped to utilize the standards developed. She stated, "The hydrogen community has already done much of the hard work of building standards. Now the job is making sure the people who design, permit, inspect, and operate hydrogen systems can find them, understand them, and apply them with confidence."

The Hydrogen Standards Landscape

Accompanying the report is the Hydrogen Standards Landscape, which provides detailed insights into over 500 existing standards and ongoing efforts by various Standards Development Organizations (SDOs). The landscape encompasses every aspect of the hydrogen value chain—from production and storage to carbon capture and transportation.

Plans are underway to transition this landscape into an online database, allowing stakeholders continuous access to updated standards as the landscape evolves. Additionally, webinars conducted in March 2026 provided stakeholders with valuable insights into various portfolios from different SDOs.

Acknowledgements were given to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for its role in hosting the workshop and to all sponsors that contributed to the funding and technical support of the initiative.

Conclusion

In summation, the ANSI report sheds light on the groundwork laid for hydrogen standards while identifying actionable steps necessary for successful large-scale deployment. Stakeholders are invited to actively engage with ANSI to help prioritize future standards work. As hydrogen increasingly becomes a linchpin in our environmental strategy, the coordination of these standards will be pivotal to ensuring safety, reliability, and efficiency in hydrogen applications.