With the nation’s goal of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030—including 280 GW from solar—effective energy storage solutions are essential for managing power generation and ensuring a stable energy supply.

BESS provides a range of benefits for integrating renewable energy, such as improving grid stability, enabling peak load management, enhancing the profitability of renewable energy investments, reducing renewable energy curtailment, supporting decentralised energy solutions, and providing fast-response operating reserves.

To support the development of quality infrastructure (QI) services for BESS, our team designed and co-facilitated a multi-stakeholder engagement initiative entitled “Improving Quality Infrastructure for Battery Energy Storage Systems”. This initiative aimed to identify the QI services required by the battery sector to ensure the sustainability, safety, and quality of BESS as well as to meet buyer expectations.

The process was carried out using the Calidena methodology, a participatory approach designed to strengthen QI in value chains through stakeholder collaboration. It involved interviews and meetings with QI institutions and sector organisations, along with background research and mapping of the BESS value chain to identify areas with the highest demand for QI services.

A two-day, in-person stakeholder workshop was conducted in India, where participants collaboratively assessed existing gaps and demands in QI services. The workshop also focussed on identifying priority areas for the development or expansion of QI services. In addition to strengthening specific QI services, the process also aimed to foster greater cooperation and coordination among national and international organisations.

The process culminated in the formulation of an action plan outlining subsequent activities and identifying organisations to be involved in the implementation phase. The implemented activities will support the improvement of laboratory testing facilities, address requirements for the End of Life management of BESS and close existing gaps in supporting standards and technical regulations in India.

The initiative was conducted on behalf of the German Metrology Institute, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Due to the global climate crisis, there is an urgency for all sectors of the global economy to be decarbonised – following a net-zero compatible pathway – by or around 2050. While most industries and applications can rely on electrification with renewable power, some hard-to-abate sectors need more than electrification alone, and require the use of hydrogen, or hydrogen derived commodities like ammonia, methanol or direct reduced iron (DRI) steel to achieve net-zero emissions. According to IRENA’s 1.5°C scenario, green and blue hydrogen production would need to increase to 125 million tonnes per year (Mtpa) by 2030 and 523 Mtpa by 2050. This brings both opportunities for development, as well as challenges for scaling and adapting the production, infrastructure and end-use value chains required. The existence and further development of a robust Quality Infrastructure – defined as a system comprised of organisations, policies, legal framework, and practices required to assure quality, safety and sustainability of products and services – for green hydrogen is a key pillar for enabling this transition.

Ferdinand Consultants supported IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, throughout its project focused at practical recommendations on the development of quality infrastructure services for the green hydrogen value chain. Niels Ferdinand is one of the key authors of the related publications. The project was implemented together with Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Germany’s national metrology institute – PTB) and with financial support from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Quality infrastructure provides instruments and services to reduce safety, financial, and reputational risks in the sector while supporting the achievement of the intended positive sustainability impacts of investments. IRENA’s report “A Quality Infrastructure Roadmap for green Hydrogen” includes an overview of the main considerations and good practices for the key elements that underpin the quality infrastructure ecosystem, namely standardisation, metrology, conformity assessment (testing, certification, inspection, verification, and validation), and accreditation, as well as technical regulations relevant for the hydrogen sector.

A key output of the project is a general roadmap on how countries can develop their quality infrastructure to effectively support the green hydrogen sector, with particular focus on the hydrogen production and distribution segments of the value chain. The five steps included in this roadmap approach are:

IRENA piloted the roadmap in a case study developed for Tunisia together with the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy. Ferdinand Consultants supported the pilot application, identifying Quality Infrastructure services offered and required, proposing an action plan for Tunisia and participating in the related stakeholder consultation. See contents of the case study here.

A three-level model is proposed which defines the required quality infrastructure services at different levels of development of the green hydrogen sector:

A checklist of services for each quality infrastructure pillar is provided, that can be used by policymakers and industry stakeholders to ensure that key services are in place from basic services to specialised requirements for green hydrogen. A database, comprising of a non-exhaustive list of available and upcoming quality infrastructure standards was also created.

The project developed comprehensive knowledge and defined a systemic approach to develop quality infrastructure for the emerging green hydrogen. The roadmap provides a structured method and practical tools for decision-makers and practitioners to apply when considering the vital role of quality infrastructure in supporting their energy transition efforts.

“Working with Niels was an absolute pleasure. He had such specialized knowledge which greatly informed the development of the outputs of the project. He is a very committed professional and a great team player – his contributions were invaluable! The supporting Ferdinand Consultants team (particularly Maria Llauradó) was extremely helpful in reviewing and finalising the roadmap as well as the database annex.”

Jaidev Dhavle
Associate Programme Officer – Innovation for the Energy Transition
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

To overcome the existing challenges and to increase circularity, quality infrastructure (QI) services are required. Quality infrastructure is the system comprising the organisations, policies and regulatory framework required to support and enhance the quality and sustainability of a value chain. Quality infrastructure services to support circularity include, for example, the accreditation of laboratories used for testing the purity of recycled materials and the safety of modules for reuse, and the development of standards that are fit-for-purpose and internationally recognised.

Following on from a successful online preparatory workshop, in June 2024 our team facilitated a multi-stakeholder workshop in India with the aim of improving the QI services related to circularity in PV systems. To prepare the process, our team organised meetings and interviews with QI organisations and our partner organisation, the National Physical Laboratory of India (CSIR-NPL). Additionally, we researched relevant background information, and mapped the value chain.

Stakeholders from public and private organisations were identified and invited to collaborate. We asked international experts from German recycling and reuse startup companies, Solar Materials and Better Sol, to present the quality requirements and their methodologies. We also invited the Chief of Global Standards at Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), to describe the Sustainable Electronics Reuse & Recycling (R2) Standard.

Our team designed and facilitated a two day face-to-face workshop in New Delhi as part of a Calidena process, which included a visit to the CSIR-NPL laboratory to see first-hand their research in PV recycling. This collaboration resulted in the identification of gaps, definition of measures for improvement, and initiated a follow-up committee to guide implementation of the measures. An action plan is being developed to create the basis for a one-year follow up by the key stakeholders. The implemented activities will contribute to increasing awareness about the need for circularity in PV systems, improve the collaboration amongst key stakeholders and foster the QI services required.

The process was conducted on behalf of the German Metrology Institute, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Our team was mandated to support PTB in developing its strategy for international cooperation with Asia. We began the process with a strategic analysis, identifying the most relevant development trends in the region. By matching these trends with national policies of Asian countries, along with the priorities of the Germany´s international cooperation and relevant areas for Quality Infrastructure development , we identified topics to be considered in PTB´s Asia strategy.

Niels Ferdinand advised the PTB team while it was internally developing and finalizing its strategy. He is currently supporting the implementation of PTB’s strategic action plan.

The strategy helps PTB´s International Cooperation group focus on the most relevant topics and sectors, build the necessary capacities and develop the partnerships required for future projects.

To overcome the existing challenges and to fulfil the requirements of international markets, quality infrastructure (QI) services are required. Quality infrastructure is the system comprising the organisations, policies and regulatory framework required to support and enhance the quality and sustainability of a value chain. The QI for organic cotton includes services such as accreditation of laboratories used for product testing, identification of standards that are fit-for-purpose and internationally recognised, and systems to ensure traceability of the final product.

Following on from a successful process in Ethiopia in 2022, in November 2023 our team facilitated a multi-stakeholder workshop in Egypt with the aim of improving the QI services in the organic cotton value chain.

To prepare the process, our team organised meetings and interviews with Quality Infrastructure organisations and our partner organisation, the Cotton Egypt Association (CEA), researched relevant background information, and mapped the value chain.

Stakeholders from public and private organisations were identified and invited to collaborate. We invited representatives from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) to present the requirements for GOTS certification, the Egyptian National Institute of Standards (NIS) to describe the network of QI services that currently exist in Egypt, and Heinz Zeller from Hugo Boss to discuss the quality criteria required by international buyers.

Our team designed and facilitated two online, half-day workshops as part of a Calidena process, which resulted in identification of gaps, definition of cross-industry measures for improvement, and initiated a follow-up committee to guide implementation of the measures.

The pioneer process resulted in an action plan, which creates the basis for a one-year follow-up by the key stakeholders. The implemented activities will contribute to an increased competitiveness of organic Egyptian cotton on the international market.

This Calidena process was conducted on behalf of the German Metrology Institute, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).