Security
The hydrogen-related technologies are constantly developing to meet the energy and environmental constraints. Today the use of hydrogen through fuel cell systems, used for production, storage or distribution, are reaching interesting levels of maturity from a technical point of view. However safety standards are not yet established and require a specific study to be part of a realistic industrial context.
Hydrogen must be given special attention as its properties involve risks which are different from other fuels. The hydrogen is usually stored in the gaseous state at high pressure composite tanks. This gas has specific properties.
Hydrogen is colorless and odorless.
The small size of the molecule of hydrogen allows it to pass through openings of extremely small size.
The ignition energy of hydrogen in air is 10 times lower than that of propane or natural gas.
The hydrogen flame has a low enlightening while the heart of the flame is very hot (2000 ° C) and practically invisible in the day. Under certain conditions, there may be detonation.
It is therefore crucial to minimize the occurrence of leakage of hydrogen which can accumulate in enclosed or poorly ventilated areas.
Current regulations concerning production and use of hydrogen do not provide the applications of hydrogen as energy vector. The regulation considers hydrogen in chemical industry and is thus inadequate or incomplete to ensure easy and safe use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. Today, there are no specific regulations for fuel cell generators and hydrogen production.
It is urgent set regulatory aspects and standards to enable proper development of hydrogen and fuel cells technologies.
France is behind compared to European and worldwide partners. This delay penalizes French companies who want to develop hydrogen and fuel cell applications. The development of specific regulations for hydrogen uses in France is therefore a prerequisite condition for the emergence of these new technologies.
Projects involving the deployment of end users are crucial to have a clear view of hydrogen and fuel cells and to demonstrate that these new technologies are safe and reliable when the risks are properly assessed and controlled.
