Eye opening hydrogen safety field trip to DNV’s full scale Research and Testing facility Spadeadam

32 stakeholders from the Danish hydrogen and Power-to-X industry joined a one and half day field trip to DNV’s Spadeadam full scale Research and Testing facility in Cumbria, England

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On 29-30 November, a broad delegation of 32 representatives from the Danish hydrogen and Power-to-X community went on a field trip to DNV’s unique full-scale testing facility in Cumbria, England, to participate in a tailored one and half day hydrogen safety awareness seminar under the theme “Scale Up Safe”. 

The safe and efficient scale-up of the future hydrogen society will be determined by success in managing barriers such as infrastructure, production processes and safety and hazards which are 3 out 6 central barrier categories identified by DNV in its Hydrogen Forecast to 2050. Other important barriers are investments, demand, policy, regulations and standards. 

The overall objective of the event was to raise awareness and stimulate discussions around these key issues – keeping in mind Denmark’s increasing GW portfolio of projects and the move from distant industry zones to urban areas. 

The emphasis of the tailored program was to give the participants a first-hand experience with seeing and feeling the effects of hydrogen releases and explosions in different accident scenarios. These real-life simulations were supported by classroom lectures, presentations, videos, case studies and group discussions, all designed to provide an overview of hydrogen major accident hazards and how awareness can lead to inherently safer solutions. 

The full-scale demonstrations included confined, congested, vented explosion, flame comparisons, large jet fires and finally a detonation which left the most significant impression on the audience, as the powerful effects of the detonation of a rather limited amount of hydrogen very clearly underpinned one of the major points highlighted at the event; i.e. that hydrogen, at worst and compared to hydrocarbons, is significantly more reactive and potentially more ignitable, that detonation is credible even for small releases, and that the severity of consequences can be significantly worse.

Prajeev Rasiah, Regional Director, Northern Europe, Energy Systems, DNV summarized the fieldtrip with these words: “It was great to host so many stakeholders from the Danish hydrogen industry at our Spadeadam facility. Great interactions and discussions around the event theme "scale up safe" when it comes to scaling up hydrogen, which, according to DNV’s Hydrogen Forecast to 2050, will make up 15% of the energy mix in Europe by 2050. It is our firm belief that this can be done safely provided that we work together to better understand and manage the risks effectively and efficiently, like we got a taste of at this event.”

Mick Cramer Jakobsen, Head of Customer Relations and Sales, Region Northern Europe, Energy Systems, DNV concluded on the event as follows: “If I were to give one key takeaway from the event, it would be around that further inflow of capabilities are needed in the industry. The fact that hydrogen and Power-to-X are considered central elements in the fight to reduce CO₂ emissions which at the same time makes it vital to ensure that we do not compromise on safety and let safety become an Achilles' heel. Hydrogen and Power-to-X plants can be designed and built to be at least as safe as traditional gas plants and transport systems widely accepted by society. But this requires R&D work like what DNV is undertaking on our Spadeadam facility and that the necessary and correct safety measures are built into hydrogen production and transport systems.”