CSA Group - Final Report - North American Hydrogen Codes and Standards Forum

Executive Summary

CSA Group conducted a North American Hydrogen Codes and Standards Forum (Forum) in Ottawa on March 22, 2017. The goal of the Forum was to assess current codes and standards activities and identify coordination opportunities to support hydrogen gas vehicles (HGVs) and related infrastructure in Canada, while harmonizing requirements with the United States.

The discussion at the Forum highlighted the lack of current information on the Standards Development Organization landscape supporting relevant codes and standards and the need to coordinate activities between the numerous organizations and stakeholders involved. While attendees agreed that separate codes for US and Canadian jurisdictions are desired, codes activity should be better coordinated. Activities at ISO were also highlighted as important; these activities should be monitored and assessed for applicability in North America. Attendees also discussed the fact that vehicle technology is more advanced than station technology. Research efforts to advance station technology should be prioritized. Training and education needs of various stakeholders (regulators, first responders, and maintenance personnel) is being largely addressed in the United States, however Canadian stakeholders should explore what training and educational material can be utilized in Canada and what material will need to be developed. Finally, there are other markets and applications exploring the use of hydrogen. These activities need to be monitored and incorporated into future roadmapping activities.

As a result of the discussion at the Forum, there are numerous recommendations that support four broad actions that should be taken as next steps. These four actions are:

• Roadmap North American Codes and Standard Activities
• Support the Development of Codes and Standards
• Improve Technical Coordination Between Industry, Government, and SDOs
• Educate and Train Relevant Stakeholders

All of the recommendations from the various agenda topics discussed at the Forum support the above proposed actions. These are all detailed throughout the report and in Section 6.

If you wish to receive a copy of the full report, please email: NRCan.alternative_fuels-alternative_fuels.RNCan@canada.ca.