New on the Shelf: Canadian Hydrogen Installation Code (CHIC)
Reprinted with permission from the Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (BNQ)


A new Hydrogen Installation Code defining in a comprehensive document the installation requirements of different types of hydrogen installations heralds a new era for the advancement of the Hydrogen Economy in Canada.

Until now, hydrogen installations could only be put in place following approval by the competent authority under an exemption
procedure, a tedious process both for the owner of the hydrogen installation and the regulatory authority.

Published by the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) as a National Standard of Canada, the Canadian Hydrogen Installation Code (CHIC) [CAN/BNQ 1784-000] will help pave the way for a greater use of hydrogen as an energy carrier by guiding safe design and facilitating the approval process of hydrogen installations across Canada.

"Working together with stakeholders, we can help make hydrogen the fuel of the future" says Randy Dey, from The CCS Global Group, who chairs the technical committee that developed this new document. "The CHIC, which is the first of its kind, fills a gap and provides Canadian industry and regulatory authorities with a much needed tool for use with hydrogen installations."

The need for such a code had been recognized from the outset by the Governments of Canada and Québec, which both sponsored the development of the new code.

“Through the ecoACTION initiatives, our Government is committed to supporting the development of clean energy sources such as hydrogen,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. “This new code will further facilitate the
commercialization of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies as well as help build consumer confidence in the use of hydrogen as a clean, safe source of energy.”

"Our government supports the development of consensus based standards as an efficient means towards regulation," maintains
Mr. Raymond Bachand, Minister of Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation du Québec. "The Canadian Hydrogen Installation Code is part of a process that the Québec government has been supporting since 1994 and which is intended to promote the development of hydrogen technologies in Québec."

As an example, the CHIC defines the installations requirements of hydrogen refilling stations that dispense gaseous hydrogen,
whether the hydrogen is produced on site by water electrolysis or natural gas reforming or delivered by truck in a liquid or a gaseous form. It also provides the guidelines for the installation of fuel cells and internal combustion engines that provide emergency or back-up power to commercial buildings and residential homes.

It has been approved by the Interprovincial Gas Advisory Council (IGAC), which represents 14 regulatory authorities across Canada from the federal, provincial and territorial regions.

For more information on how to obtain a copy of the Canadian Hydrogen Installation Code (CHIC), please contact BNQ at the
address shown below or write to the following e-mail address: bnqinfo@bnq.qc.ca.

For technical information, please contact:

Sylvie Gingras, BNQ
Telephone: 418-652-2238, ext. 2655
Fax: 418-652-2292
E-mail: sylvie.gingras@bnq.qc.ca

Natural Resources Canada
Kathleen Olson
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
Ottawa
Telephone: 613-996-2007

Randy Dey
The CCS Global Group Inc.
Telephone: 905-847-7811
Email: RDey@ccsglobalgroup.com