Electrolyzer Safety

Water-electrolysis-based hydrogen generators have been in commercial use for more than a century. With the global drive toward renewable energy, very-large-scale electrolysis systems are being installed to convert inexpensive renewable electricity and water into commodity hydrogen for industrial, commercial, transport fuel, and energy storage applications. Along with scale-up of hydrogen production, there is growing interest in byproduct oxygen gas in electrolysis installations. Additionally, small-scale packaged electrolyzers continue to be installed to generate hydrogen on demand, minimizing or eliminating the need to store significant amounts of hydrogen on site. Throughout the past century, important learnings have become electrolysis best practices, and lessons continue to be learned as electrolysis deployments and technology evolve.

References

CGA G5.5, Hydrogen Vent Systems

CHS Webinar: Safety of Water Electrolysis

CSA/ANSI 22.2 No. 22734 (to be published in 2023)

EIGA Doc 154 09 E, Safe Location of Oxygen and Inert Gas Vents

EIGA Doc 211 17, Hydrogen Vent Systems for Customer Applications

IEC 61010-1, Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use - Part 1: General requirements

ISO 22734, Hydrogen generators using water electrolysis — Industrial, commercial, and residential applications (current version 2019)

ISO/TR 22734-2, Hydrogen Generators Using Water Electrolysis – Part 2: Testing guidance for performing electricity grid service (to be published in 2023)

NFPA 2, Hydrogen Technologies Code

Safety Planning for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Projects