The CEP (Clean Energy Partnership) ? Berlin is one of the most diversified hydrogen demonstration
projects at present. The first hydrogen fuelling station serving 16 cars is fully integrated in an ordinary
highly frequented Aral service station centrally located at Messedamm in Berlin. Hydro has supplied
and is the owner of the electrolyser with ancillary systems. This unit produces gaseous hydrogen at 12
bar with use of renewable energy presently serving 13 of the cars involved. The CEP project is
planned to run for a period of five years and is supported by the German Federal Government and is
part of the German sustanaibility strategy. During the planning and design phase there have been done
several safety related assessments and analyses:
- Hydro has carried out a HAZOP (HAZard and OPerability) analysis of the electrolyser and
ancillary systems delivered by Hydro, Electrolysers.
- Hydro arranged with support from the partners a HAZOP analysis of the interface between the
electrolyser and the compressor, an interface with two different suppliers on each side.
- A QRA (Quantitative Risk Assessment) of the entire fuelling station has been carried out.
- Hydro has carried out a quantitative explosion risk analysis of the electrolyser container
supplied by Hydro Electrolysers.
The aim in the CEP-Berlin project was to follow the guidelines from the European Integrated
Hydrogen Project, phase 2, (EIHP2) [1] when planning and designing a new hydrogen fuelling station.
These guidelines focus on installation and operation of hydrogen refuelling stations, and were based
upon best practice and knowledge from the industrial partners in EIHP 2. The explosion risk analysis
for the CEP-Berlin facility demonstrated that the safety risk was acceptable if certain design
modifications were carried out. Both Aral/BP and Hydro accepted the results from the quantitative risk
assessments. These companies have also their own standards regarding safety acceptance criteria,
which have to be complied with. The fuelling station was opened November 12 2004, and was put in
normal operation during winter 2005.