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Expert weighs in on fire protection standards in hydrogen industry growth

With the projected uptick of new hydrogen production projects, an expert explores hydrogen fire protection, reflects on the measures and standards established to mitigate risks, and more. Photo courtesy

As First State Hydrogen continues to advance its groundbreaking clean hydrogen production facility in the U.S., the spotlight intensifies as hydrogen becomes an increasingly key player in the energy transition.

With the projected uptick of new hydrogen production and handling projects, let's explore hydrogen fire protection, reflect on the measures and standards established to mitigate risks, and ensure that the hydrogen economy thrives.

The challenges of hydrogen fire protection

As the hydrogen industry experiences a boom, the issue of fire protection emerges as a critical concern. It's important to note that hydrogen fires can pose a significantly higher risk than traditional fuel fires, burning hotter and more rapidly due to their higher outflow rates. The diverse range of storage and transport options, from cryogenic liquids to high-pressure cylinders, further complicates safety measures. This underscores the industry's urgent need to prioritize risk mitigation for common hydrogen applications, such as high-pressure cylinders used in fuel-cell vehicles and data centers, to ensure safety as this energy source scales up.

Hydrogen jet fire test results

The author's company, a global leader in paint and coatings, recently tested an industry leading, flexible epoxy intumescent passive fire protection (PFP) coating to evaluate the material response against high pressure hydrogen jet fires to determine if current ISO jet fire standards are adequate for the challenges hydrogen poses. Collaborating with the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Authority, they conducted hydrogen jet fire tests at a specialized facility. The team replicated conditions of high-pressure hydrogen leaks and their effects on steel and protective coatings. The initial tests revealed unprotected steel reaching critical temperatures rapidly under hydrogen fires. The steel coated with advanced PFP coatings proved highly effective. The PFP coatings help keep steel well below critical temperatures throughout the exposure, indicating their potential to protect against structural failures during hydrogen fires.

These initial tests can contribute to setting standards for hydrogen fire protection. The results offer safety experts critical data for better protecting industrial environments against high-pressure hydrogen jet fires.

A call for a fire protection standard

The hydrogen industry currently relies on oil and gas regulations for specialized fire protection. While safety experts actively debate whether these standards can be adapted or whether entirely new criteria are necessary, industry collaboration remains key. Paint and coating companies, international standard organizations, safety groups, and energy regulators are all actively involved in assessing the adaptability of existing standards for hydrogen fires. The initial tests show promising results, suggesting that current oil and gas fire protection measures might be adapted for hydrogen fire protection, potentially leading to standards for the growing hydrogen industry.

Developing fire protection standards for the hydrogen industry remains a collective industry responsibility. Safety engineers, industry specialists, non-government officials (NGO), and policymakers must work together to ensure the hydrogen industry advances safely and responsibly. The paint and coatings industry, in particular, will play a crucial role in creating these standards. Leveraging their expertise in protective coatings, they can meet hydrogen's unique needs, from anti-corrosion to chemical resistance and passive fire protection.

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Stuart Bradbury is the PPG business development manager of Fire Protection, Protective and Marine Coatings.

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A View From HETI

The project would nearly eliminate the emissions associated with power and steam generation at the Dow plant in Seadrift, Texas. Getty Images

Dow, a major producer of chemicals and plastics, wants to use next-generation nuclear reactors for clean power and steam at a Texas manufacturing complex instead of natural gas.

Dow's subsidiary, Long Mott Energy, applied Monday to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a construction permit. It said the project with X-energy, an advanced nuclear reactor and fuel company, would nearly eliminate the emissions associated with power and steam generation at its plant in Seadrift, Texas, avoiding roughly 500,000 metric tons of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions annually.

If built and operated as planned, it would be the first U.S. commercial advanced nuclear power plant for an industrial site, according to the NRC.

For many, nuclear power is emerging as an answer to meet a soaring demand for electricity nationwide, driven by the expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence, manufacturing and electrification, and to stave off the worst effects of a warming planet. However, there are safety and security concerns, the Union of Concerned Scientists cautions. The question of how to store hazardous nuclear waste in the U.S. is unresolved, too.

Dow wants four of X-energy's advanced small modular reactors, the Xe-100. Combined, those could supply up to 320 megawatts of electricity or 800 megawatts of thermal power. X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell said the project would demonstrate how new nuclear technology can meet the massive growth in electricity demand.

The Seadrift manufacturing complex, at about 4,700 acres, has eight production plants owned by Dow and one owned by Braskem. There, Dow makes plastics for a variety of uses including food and beverage packaging and wire and cable insulation, as well as glycols for antifreeze, polyester fabrics and bottles, and oxide derivatives for health and beauty products.

Edward Stones, the business vice president of energy and climate at Dow, said submitting the permit application is an important next step in expanding access to safe, clean, reliable, cost-competitive nuclear energy in the United States. The project is supported by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

The NRC expects the review to take three years or less. If a permit is issued, construction could begin at the end of this decade, so the reactors would be ready early in the 2030s, as the natural gas-fired equipment is retired.

A total of four applicants have asked the NRC for construction permits for advanced nuclear reactors. The NRC issued a permit to Abilene Christian University for a research reactor and to Kairos Power for one reactor and two reactor test versions of that company's design. It's reviewing an application by Bill Gates and his energy company, TerraPower, to build an advanced reactor in Wyoming.

X-energy is also collaborating with Amazon to bring more than 5 gigawatts of new nuclear power projects online across the United States by 2039, beginning in Washington state. Amazon and other tech giants have committed to using renewable energy to meet the surging demand from data centers and artificial intelligence and address climate change.

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