COPE launched: new platform to accelerate the scale-up of green hydrogen

Green hydrogen plays an important role in the decarbonisation of industry and energy systems. At the same time, scaling up electrolysis technology remains complex and costly. According to GroenvermogenNL and TNO, one of the key challenges lies not only in technology development itself, but also in the organisation of testing, validation and knowledge sharing. 

At present, the testing landscape is still fragmented. Organisations use different protocols, results are difficult to compare and valuable knowledge remains scattered across individual projects and facilities. In addition, testing infrastructure requires major investments. COPE therefore focuses on connecting existing testing infrastructure in a smarter and more effective way. 

Community of Practice Electrolysis 

COPE brings together companies, research institutes, testing facilities and other stakeholders from across the hydrogen value chain around three pillars: 

• harmonisation and validation of testing protocols; 
• connecting existing testing locations through a Distributed Test Center; 
• improving the use of data and AI to better predict electrolyser performance and lifetime. 

The goal is to make validation more affordable and efficient, shorten development timelines and accelerate the scale-up of electrolysis technology. In the coming period, COPE will work on industry-supported testing protocols, an overview of available testing capacity and agreements on collaboration, governance and data usage. 

First position paper published 

To mark the launch, COPE also published its first position paper. The paper explains why a strong testing ecosystem is essential for accelerating green hydrogen and outlines the steps needed to achieve greater harmonisation, collaboration and shared learning. 

In addition, the paper includes a first overview of existing testing facilities in the Netherlands and abroad. From Faraday Lab and Hydrohub to large-scale testing facilities in Germany, Finland, Austria and Australia, together they form the foundation of an international network for testing, validation and scaling up electrolysis technology. 

Read the full position paper here

More information about COPE and participation in the initiative