This report is developed as a part of the project “EMSA study investigating the safety of hydrogen as fuel on ships”. The overall objective of the project is to carry out a structured set of safety assessments and reliability analyses,delivering a Guidance document addressing ships using hydrogen as fuel. The purpose is to assist the industry and the regulators towards a safe and harmonised deployment of this relevant technology that could demonstrate an important step towards decarbonisation of the sector.

The purpose of this action is to make changes to the Risk Management Program (RMP) rule in order to improve safety at facilities that use and distribute hazardous chemicals. Because major and other serious and concerning RMP accidents continue to occur, this final rule aims to better identify and further regulate risky facilities to prevent accidental releases before they can occur.

On March 11, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the much-anticipated Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule (SCCAP) Final Rule, an update to EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP) 40 CFR Part 68, under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAA). This is the first substantial change to the rule since its inception in 1996.

How cryogenic containers workCondensation/StratificationEvaporationLiquid GrowthCryogenic TanksInsulation Methods

The testing provided data to allow the ability of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling to predict accumulation of natural gas from transient releases and temporal and spatial variations in explosion loading. Strain and pressure data was also gained on the structural response to allow assessment of structural modelling. 

Natural gas distribution companies are developing ambitious plans to decarbonize the services that they provide in an affordable manner and are accelerating plans for the strategic integration of renewable natural gas and the blending of green hydrogen produced by electrolysis, powered with renewable electricity being developed from large new commitments by states such as New York and Massachusetts. The demonstration and deployment of hydrogen blending have been proposed broadly at 20% of hydrogen by volume.

State policy targets on greenhouse gas emission reductions and other decarbonization initiatives are creating a movement toward low or zero-carbon gases and fuels. Given its versatility as an energy carrier and its potential for use in a broad range of applications, hydrogen is gaining in popularity, and natural gas providers are looking at integrating it into their networks.

Safe practices in the production, storage, distribution, and use of hydrogen are essential for the widespread acceptance of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. A catastrophic failure in any hydrogen project could damage public perception of hydrogen and fuel cells. Given the nascent nature of the mobile hydrogen applications, incidents involving mobile equipment can have detrimental impacts for the public as well as stakeholders and project proponents who are committed to hydrogen’s use as a safe alternative energy resource. 

Several codes require excess flow valves in pipelines so that in the case of line rupture, the flow will be shut off.   In theory, this is a good idea, however, in practicality, it has many limitations.  The sizing and practical uses make the sizing difficult if sometimes impossible, depending on the design parameters.   

The information in this document provides answers to the questions that were raised during the Center for Hydrogen Safety April 27, 2023 webinar. The Q&As are sorted by topic with the question number for reference. The Q&As are sorted by topic with the question number for reference. Redundant questions were deleted from the original list.