The French testing and certification body joins Belgium’s Vinçotte, Germany’s TÜV SÜD and TÜV Rheinland, and Spain’s SGS as one of five companies accredited to conduct audits for official RFNBO validation.

Accredited bodies can award green hydrogen producers a CertifHy EU RFNBO certificate verifying the status of their volumes.

“Bringing a trusted, independent partner of this calibre into CertifHy’s ecosystem marks a critical step forward in our efforts to support the market for certified hydrogen and e-fuels,” explained Matthieu Boisson, Managing Director at CertifHy.

“This collaboration adds to the credible framework that producers and offtakers need to confidently scale their operations, accelerate global trade, and fulfil the promise of a sustainable hydrogen economy.”

To access subsidies and comply with mandatory targets under programmes such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), green hydrogen produced and sold in the EU must qualify as RFNBO.

Under the criteria, green hydrogen producers must source renewable electricity from newly built sources located in the same grid zone.

Electrolyser operation must match renewable electricity generation on a monthly basis until the end of 2029, shifting to hourly matching from 2030.

The RFNBO Delegated Acts were adopted in 2023 after extended delays and lobbying, but Member States and industry players have since called for clarification or revision, citing market uncertainty.

In July, the European Commission announced it would take legal action against the 26 member states that failed to transpose several EU directives into national law, including RED III.