Generally speaking, the International Fire Code and NFPA 2 apply to non-transportation use of hydrogen. These are maturing quickly, with NFPA 2 currently having issued its most recent edition in 2023. Standards for both on-board LH2 tanks and LH2 tankers for bulk fuel transport are managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and are well established. DOT transport requirements for the U.S. can be found in 49 CFR. 

There is growing activity regarding the use of LH2 as a vehicle fuel and there are several prototype trucks in operation. The on-board tanks may lack some reference standards, but vehicle fuel storage systems are typically self-certified by the original equipment manufacturers, particularly at the current state of development. While there is risk of impeding the development of a commercial market due to a lack of approved and common hardware, there is also risk of finalizing a standard prior to completion of development and testing. ISO TC 197 has several working groups including WG 1 and WG 35 to further develop the necessary standards for fuel tanks, fueling connections, and filling protocols. Liquid hydrogen transfer is well proven and established for industrial applications. However, consumer use of a cryogenic product has not yet been proven and will require refinement of hardware and processes.

The vehicle manufacturers can also provide guidance as to their efforts to meet required regulations.
 

It is possible to store large quantities of gaseous hydrogen above ground, but it will likely require a large footprint due to its relatively low density even at high pressure. Also, if the quantity equals or exceeds 10,000 lb., the facility will need to comply with OSHA 1910.119 process safety management requirements if located in the US. Similar regulations exist in Europe and Asia that increase the regulatory requirements as storage exceeds about 5 tons. Codes such as NFPA 2 aren’t intended to provide full guidance for large facilities and  systematic hazard and risk analysis should be completed to ensure safety. A large storage facility would have to be sited and permitted using methods and risk analysis as typically would be done for a large plant. The technology for gaseous storage is fairly well established and well proven from previous and smaller installations. The same types of tanks, from fully metallic to fully composite construction, would be selected and used based on the operating parameters and economics. Individual tanks may be larger, but large amounts of non-cavern storage are likely to consist of large arrays of multiple vessels due to manufacturing and transportation limitations. The key aspects for large storage systems are as follows: 

1. Materials of construction:  Material science for hydrogen pressure vessels is well established and would mirror smaller storage systems. 
2. Fatigue:  Gaseous storage systems are likely to cycle deeply to increase utilization of the high capital cost of vessels. Deep cycles will typically lead to relatively short intervals between inspections based on fracture mechanics. 
3. A Mechanical Integrity program:  Given the large amount of stored energy, a mechanical integrity program will be very important. The cost of inspections could be high based on quantity and size of vessels. 
4. Minimization of impingement: Piping should be designed such that leaks don’t impinge on a neighboring tank. Impingement fires offer high risk of failure. Fire barriers or intumescent paint could be used at the base for protection. 
5. Relief systems:  Design of relief systems from a fire could be challenging, as well as designing a safe vent system and stack for what are likely to be very large relief devices. 
6. Permitting:  Large quantities of hydrogen need to meet additional regulatory requirements and height of vessels can lead to additional review depending on location. 
7. Foundations:  These will be large and expensive due to weight, height, and seismic considerations. 
8. Pressure: Higher pressure means lower volume required, smaller and/or fewer vessels, and smaller plot space. Lower pressure requires less compression equipment and less compression energy requires less compression.
9. Installation: One overlooked aspect of storage is the cost to transport and then install the vessels including freight, concrete, rigging, and piping. These costs must be added to the capital cost of the vessels. Storage vessels are expensive to ship   due to size and weight.
    

This production rate of hydrogen of about 96 kg/h is quite significant, which depending upon the application might require a significant amount of storage. There will be a need to determine how many kg the project wants to store from this production rate in order to determine how much hydrogen ground storage is needed. Since the project is in Europe, look for pressure vessel manufacturers that offer PED approval for their vessels. 

There are many types of vessel construction other than Type 4 vessels for ground storage.  General vessel types also include Type 1 which are more traditional metallic vessels, Type 2 which are hoop wrapped, Type 3 which are fully wrapped with metallic liners, and Type 4 which are fully wrapped with non-metallic liners.
Selection between these types of vessels is highly dependent upon the design attributes (e.g., weight, service conditions, longevity, etc.), the nature of the process (pressure, temperature, cycles, etc.), and economics. The Panel is not in a position to endorse a particular type, brand or vendor. There are many vendors that can supply a variety of these types of vessels. It is important to develop a process specification for a vendor to quote since the application will have a significant effect on the economics of one type compared to another.

It is important to be aware of the local pressure vessel Codes within your jurisdiction. Virtually any manufacturer can help with that determination if requested but it’s also prudent to confirm with the local authority having jurisdiction. The manufacturer can also assist with the User Defined Specification for your service as well recommend   the storage pressure and number of vessels that might be optimized to store the quantity of hydrogen needed. Storage vessel cost may range from $500 up to $2000 per kg stored depending on the requirements selected. There are also many indirect costs related to storage such as relief devices, piping, freight, foundations, and installation that also must be considered as part of the overall assessment.