In case of a severe accident in light water reactors (LWR) a high amount of hydrogen, up to about 20 000 m(n)(3), might be generated and released into the containment. The mixture, consisting of hydrogen and oxygen, may either burn or detonate, if ignited. In case of detonation the generated shock wave may endanger the integrity of the containment or safety-related systems. Consequently, an effective removal of hydrogen is required. Hydrogen and oxygen react exothermally at catalytically acting surfaces, already at room temperature, and this is used in catalytic recombiners. It is recommended to combine recombiners with spark or catalytic igniters, in order to cover a broader spectrum of accident sequences. In this contribution, state of the art of hydrogen removal devices are reviewed and the possibilities for innovative methods, making use of the phenomena arising in the containments, using further components will be illustrated accordingly. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.