Hydrogen (H2) under REACH
H2 · 氢气
Status: Registered. Hydrogen is fully registered under REACH. **Distinguishing pattern: alongside ammonia batch 37 (~50% of global H2 demand for Haber-Bosch) + methanol batch 3 (~25%) + petroleum refining hydrocracking + hydrotreating (~20%) + chlor-alkali batch 45 co-product (~1-2% of total H2 supply but 100% of chlor-alkali H2 byproduct) + Flam. Gas 1A H220 + Press. Gas + IN CBAM PHASE 1 SCOPE (effective 1 January 2026) + grey vs green vs blue hydrogen production-route economics + emerging green-hydrogen economy (Australian Pilbara + Saudi NEOM + Korean + Japanese + EU import ambitions; Inflation Reduction Act 45V production tax credits) (NEW combined).** Reg (EC) 1272/2008: Flam. Gas 1A + Press. Gas. NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case (largely irrelevant due to bulk-trade constraint).
Hydrogen is fully REACH-registered with **Flam. Gas 1A + Press. Gas hazard profile**. **In CBAM Phase 1 scope** (alongside ammonia batch 37). NOT SVHC. **H2 is structurally NOT internationally traded as compressed gas at scale**; emerging international trade via green-ammonia carrier. **EU Hydrogen Strategy** drives 10 Mt/yr renewable hydrogen + 10 Mt/yr import targets by 2030. End-use: ammonia batch 37 (~50% of global H2 demand for Haber-Bosch), methanol batch 3 (~25%), petroleum refining (~20%), chemicals + electronics + emerging fuel-cell EV (~5%).
Listing and threshold
| Substance | Hydrogen (H2) (CAS 1333-74-0), H2 |
|---|---|
| Regime | EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals |
| Jurisdiction | European Union (EU-27 plus EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) |
| Status | Registered |
| Tonnage threshold | Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market |
Classifications under this regime
- Harmonised CLP classification: Flam. Gas 1A (H220, "extremely flammable gas"), Press. Gas (compressed / refrigerated liquefied)
- Signal word: DANGER
- GHS pictograms: GHS02 (flame), GHS04 (gas cylinder)
- IARC: not assigned
- NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
- ADR / RID transport classification: Class 2.1 (flammable gas), UN 1049 (compressed) / UN 1966 (refrigerated liquefied)
Restrictions and conditions of use
- NOT on REACH Annex XIV (Authorisation list)
- NOT classified as SVHC
- **Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): YES, hydrogen is in CBAM Phase 1 scope** (Reg (EU) 2023/956 plus Implementing Reg 2023/1773). Effective 1 January 2026 with full carbon-cost levy; transitional reporting since 1 October 2023 (verified V22 audit; sources https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/956/oj and https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/1773/oj)
- **EU Renewable Energy Directive RED II plus RED III**: hydrogen produced from renewable electricity qualifies for renewable-fuel incentives plus targets (verify the current RFNBO definitions and target timelines against EUR-Lex before relying)
- **EU REPowerEU Plan plus EU Hydrogen Strategy**: 10 Mt domestic renewable-hydrogen production plus 10 Mt import target by 2030 (verify the most recent Commission communication and target update against https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systems-integration/hydrogen_en before relying on a specific tonnage figure)
Importer obligations
A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). **H2 is structurally NOT internationally traded as compressed gas at scale** (intra-complex captive consumption); emerging international trade in green-hydrogen carriers (ammonia + LOHC + LH2). The most-imminent practitioner watch-item is **CBAM Phase 1 full carbon-cost levy effective 1 January 2026** (transitional reporting since 1 October 2023). **EU Hydrogen Strategy** drives 10 Mt/yr green-hydrogen imports by 2030 (Australian Pilbara green-hydrogen + Saudi NEOM + Moroccan + North African solar-electrolysis projects).
Required documents
- REACH registration number on the EU side (registrant or OR-appointed)
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS) compliant with REACH Annex II reflecting H220 classification
- CLP-compliant labelling with GHS02 + GHS04 pictograms and DANGER signal word
- Customs entry with HS code 280410 (hydrogen)
- ADR consignment note for transport (Class 2.1, UN 1049 / 1966)
- **CBAM Phase 1 carbon-intensity verification documentation** for EU importer (transitional reporting since October 2023; full carbon-cost levy from January 2026)
- Renewable-hydrogen certification (CertifHy / RFNBO) for green-hydrogen claims
Common compliance traps
The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.
- **EU CBAM Phase 1 effective 1 January 2026** (alongside ammonia batch 37; transitional reporting since October 2023)
- **EU Hydrogen Strategy** drives 10 Mt/yr renewable hydrogen production + 10 Mt/yr import targets by 2030
- **H2 is structurally NOT internationally traded as compressed gas at scale**; emerging international trade via green-ammonia carrier (Australian Pilbara + Saudi NEOM)
- Major Chinese producers: Sinopec, CNPC, Air Products / Air Liquide / Linde Chinese subsidiaries (industrial-gas vendors), chlor-alkali co-product producers (NaOH batch 1 + Cl2 batch 45 same producers), Shandong + Hebei + Jiangsu industrial-gas hubs
- Production routes: steam methane reforming / SMR (~95% globally; CO2-intensive grey hydrogen), water electrolysis (green hydrogen, growing rapidly post-2022), coal gasification (significant Chinese share due to coal abundance), naphtha reforming, chlor-alkali co-product (~1-2%)
- End-use mix: ammonia batch 37 (~50% of global H2 demand for Haber-Bosch), methanol batch 3 (~25%), petroleum refining hydrocracking + hydrotreating (~20%), chemicals + electronics + glass + emerging fuel-cell EV (~5%)
- Grey vs green vs blue hydrogen production-route economics: grey ~USD 1-2/kg (SMR), blue ~USD 2-3/kg (SMR + CCS), green ~USD 3-8/kg (electrolysis-renewable; falling toward USD 1-2/kg by 2030 in best regions)
Where to read next
For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for hydrogen (h2), see the CAS 1333-74-0 sourcing reference.
For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the hydrogen (h2) cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.
For the structure and history of REACH, see the REACH glossary entry.
Need cross-jurisdiction compliance support on this substance? Run it through the REACH / TSCA / IECSC / AICIS / K-REACH checker, or send us the substance and the destination and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the regulatory work on the destination side.
Read next
Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references
Regulatory
Hydrogen (H2) under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Hydrogen (H2) under IECSC
People's Republic of China listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Hydrogen (H2) under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Hydrogen (H2) under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Glossary
REACH, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
EU chemical regulation requiring importers and manufacturers to register every substance manufactured or imported into the EU above 1 tonne per year. Registration is identity-based and dossier-based, not inventory-lookup-based, which makes it stricter than TSCA in the US.
Referenced in
4 pages across the Sourzi moat
This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages. Sample backlinks per content type below.
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