AS THE WORLD SEEKS TO IDENTIFY alternative energy sources, hydrogen-powered fuel cells offer a broad range of benefits for the environment, the economy, and energy security. Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to replace the internal combustion engine and to provide power in a wide range of stationary and portable applications.

The HSP has reviewed many safety plans for gaseous hydrogen. An emerging trend is the use of liquid (cryogenic) hydrogen in the commercial market, potentially near residential areas, for fueling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Finding a “qualified” person to determine liquid hydrogen code compliance is difficult, and the skills necessary of such an individual are not well defined in the codes and standards.

The three-year HyTunnel CS project culminated in the report titled Deliverable D6.9, “Recommendations for inherently safer use of hydrogen vehicles in underground traffic systems.” The HyTunnel CS project aimed to perform pre-normative research for the safety of hydrogen-fueled vehicles traveling through tunnels or entering confined spaces. The main objective was to compare the relative risk of hydrogen vehicles entering underground traffic systems to existing fossil fuel-powered vehicles [1].