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This data is from the European Hydrogen Incidents and Accidents database HIAD 2.1, European Commission, Joint Research Centre.

Hydrogen Release and Ignition at the Gas Storage Station of a Nuclear Power Plant
The accident took place when replacing a pallet of empty hydrogen cylinders with a new full one. The pallet in service (almost empty) was not disconnected from the gas supply line. When the operator in charge of handling (fork lift) begun to remove the pallet in service from its position, he teared off the hose connecting it to the pressure relief system. The pressurised hydrogen in the pipes and in the pallet escaped and ignited. The intervention of the teams from the plant and external emergency services extinguished the fire in 1h45.
Event Date
April 9, 2020
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Cause Comments
The immediate cause is a wrong application of the procedure of replacing gas cylinders. There are however several contributing causes (uncontrolled access to the storage area, non respecting of the ATEX distance for welding work, abnormally high frequency to replace the gas pallets, etc.). The root cause lies therefore in the lack of adaptation of the safety operation to the temporary different working conditions.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
hydrogen cylinders pallet
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
The storage consisted in 5 hydrogen pallets of 10 cylinders each of and 2 nitrogen pallets with 10 each. All the cylinders were of 50 l with 200 bar compressed gas. A leak of hydrogen at the alternator required a temporary increased rate of hydrogen supply. Therefore the pallets had to be changed much more frequently.Other maintenance work (including welding) was ongoing, and as a consequence the pallet storage location was open. The external company worker coming to change the pallet was able to access the storage without asking someone from the plant.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
The ASN (National Safety Authority) performed an investigation and concluded that:1-Many procedures have been disregarded, including communications of the ongoing operations and the temporary changes2-A reduction of the number of workers in teams, without correspondingly assessment of the consequences 3-A lack of related risk assessment 4- ATEX-compatible tools were not used in the zones (Forklift and welding material were inside the ATEX zone 2).
Event Nature
Emergency Action
the fire brigades controlled the fire by cooling the gas cylinders. The fire was extinguished in 1h45.
Release Type
Release Substance
Hydrogen Release Concentration (%)
100.00
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References

National Safety Authority request of action following the inspection (in French)

Local newspaper online news of 15th April 2020

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