One of the greatest challenges facing the dynamically growing hydrogen market in Poland and Europe are issues related to the safety of hydrogen systems, technologies, and projects, as well as adapting the current infrastructure to the safe use of this gas. In the general public perception, hydrogen is still seen primarily as „an explosive” and dangerous gas. Hardly surprising, looking at its physicochemical properties this popular opinion seems to have some basis. To dispel these doubts and perhaps convince you that properly functioning and used hydrogen systems do not have to be dangerous, we asked Aleksandra Tracz-Gburzyńska, Head of Safety at SES Hydrogen, in a new series of her original articles to explain more about designing hydrogen systems to meet the necessary safety standards. Enjoy the lecture!
The Renaissance of Hydrogen – this is how the current situation in the Polish, European and global economies can be described. Starting a series of publications on hydrogen and related technologies, even before we delve into the projects and technical solutions, let us go back to the very beginning.
Traditionally, hydrogen has been and still is widely used in the petrochemical and chemical industries, and smaller quantities in electronics, steel, glass, or food hydrogenation. In energy, the first significant use of hydrogen was in space programs. Currently, given the “promise” of hydrogen – as an efficient energy carrier and as a fuel with minimal environmental impact – it will have increasing applications especially in the areas of power generation, heating, and transportation.
In Poland and around the world systems and technologies are already being developed to produce hydrogen using various raw materials and energy sources such as sunlight, wind, biomass, hydropower, or plastic waste. Establishing rules for the safe use and application of hydrogen as a fuel should be a major goal, as it will greatly facilitate the implementation of new hydrogen technologies and projects.
Both the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), as well as much other international standardization and technical organizations in implementing their standards, emphasize that a key element in the safe use of hydrogen is an understanding of its unique safety-related physicochemical properties and associated phenomena and that there are acceptable solutions and engineering approaches to controlling the hazards and risks associated with hydrogen use. Proper implementation of these solutions will ensure mitigation of the risks associated with hydrogen technologies.
So let’s remember that the foundation for the proper and safe design of hydrogen infrastructure is knowledge of the physicochemical properties and process parameters related to production, storage, compression, gas flow in the system, and its distribution.
The question is often asked: Is hydrogen safe?
We must remember that currently used hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel fuel, gasoline, LPG, LNG are also a source of many risks, including fire and explosion hazards. Despite this, filling station and terminal infrastructures have been functioning in our environment for years and we use them daily. How is it possible? Because we can control hazards by understanding the risks associated with fuel use.
It is crucial to handle them properly, taking into account their specific properties and operating parameters, characteristics for a given fuel technology, and to arm that technology with appropriate safeguards: process, technical, fire, and explosion protection, as well as to implement appropriate organizational measures during their operation.
Hydrogen fuel technologies are being implemented along similar lines. In a nutshell, safety starts with a project. It consists of work of interdisciplinary engineering and analytical staff, then the developed design solutions are implemented at the stage of construction and commissioning of the hydrogen infrastructure, subject to testing, inspection, and acceptance. At the stage of operation and use, specific procedures and instructions apply. Thus, safety principles function throughout the entire life cycle of the installation. And all new investments should be based on such principles.
Answering the question of whether it is safe – it will be if the methodology described above is firmly implemented with an emphasis on designing and implementing investments based on safety requirements.
Let us also remember that in the exploitation phase it is ultimately a future user of e.g. a hydrogen filling station, who will also be responsible for safety by following the safety procedures in force at the station.
