I lead a global team of 20 Hydrogen Leaders at TÜV SÜD and am responsible for the hydrogen business on a global and strategic level. As an engineer, I previously worked in the automotive sector, focusing on designing new zero emission technologies—such as hydrogen storage systems for long-haul transportation—and bringing these technologies to market. From a safety & compliance perspective, the greatest challenges for the development of new technologies lies in the lack of clearly defined legal and regulatory frameworks. This is the case even in Europe, where hydrogen regulations currently are the most advanced. When a company considers investing in this sector, it must ensure compliance with all necessary requirements, even if the precise future regulations are not yet known. Therefore, a key task of our team is to help our clients navigate uncertainties in the safe and compliant use of hydrogen, across countries and regulatory landscapes.
At TÜV SÜD, we are in a privileged position. We can draw on decades of experience across all industrial sectors involved in the hydrogen value chain: assessing power plants and renewable energy generation facilities, testing electrolyzers, and auditing the safety of pipelines, storage facilities, and vehicles. As a result, hydrogen is a prominent topic throughout the entire organization. This wealth of experience enables us to comprehensively advise clients on product design and quality and to confidently access international markets. One currently important area is the H2-readiness protocol developed by TÜV SÜD — which certifies the compatibility of materials, components or complex systems for hydrogen use. This readiness protocol, developed by our team, can be leveraged to certify materials such as metals or plastics, as well as complex systems and facilities like power plants and turbines.
"The greatest future benefit of hydrogen likely lies in decarbonization"
The greatest future benefit of hydrogen likely lies in decarbonization—moving away from the dependency on fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal. Hard-to-abate industries with high energy demands, such as petrochemicals and manufacturers of steel, glass, and cement, will particularly benefit from hydrogen use. Rail transport also has significant potential. While 60 percent of Europe's rail network is electrified, 99 percent of American tracks are still operated using diesel, according to the US Bureau of Transportation. A larger share of rail networks is expected to be electrified in the future. But until then, hydrogen-powered trains can serve as an attractive bridging technology and a promising solution. In all key areas, TÜV SÜD already possesses extensive expertise in testing and certifying technologies and processes.
Here, the international DNA of TÜV SÜD is a clear advantage. Hydrogen is a global business, with supply chains spanning the entire planet. Most hydrogen projects involve companies from multiple nations. TÜV SÜD can rely on an international network of more than 500 hydrogen experts in over 20 countries. This expertise provides a noticeable efficiency advantage for us and hence, for our clients.
A good example is the safety audit that TÜV SÜD is conducting for India's first hydrogen train. The test operation started in December 2024. This ambitious project will make India the fifth country in the world to use hydrogen-based rail technology. Indian Railways is planning 35 hydrogen trains for partly mountainous routes. The first prototype will be powered by an electrolysis plant. Our international expertise will ensure the efficiency and safety of this pioneering technology.
