Guidance for hydrogen and fuel cell stationary applications

Health and Safety

Executive

Installation permitting guidance

for hydrogen and fuel cell ry

stationary applications: UK

version

Prepared by Health and Safety Laboratory

for the Health and Safety Executive 2009

RR715

Research Report

Health and Safety

Executive

Installation permitting guidance for

hydrogen and fuel cell stationary

applications: UK version

The HYPER project, a specific targeted research project (STREP) funded by the European Commission

under the Sixth Framework Programme, developed an Installation Permitting Guide (IPG) for hydrogen and

fuel cell stationary applications. The IPG was developed in response to the growing need for guidance to

foster the use and facilitate installation of these systems in Europe. This document presents a modified

version of the IPG specifically intended for the UK market. For example reference is made to UK national

regulations, standards and practices when appropriate, as opposed to European ones.

The IPG applies to stationary systems fuelled by hydrogen, incorporating fuel cell devices with net electrical

output of up to 10 kWel and with total power outputs of the order of 50 kW (combined heat + electrical)

suitable for small back up power supplies, residential heating, combined heat-power (CHP) and small

storage systems. Many of the guidelines appropriate for these small systems will also apply to systems up to

100 kWel, which will serve small communities or groups of households. The document is not a standard, but

is a compendium of useful information for a variety of users with a role in installing these systems, including

design engineers, manufacturers, architects, installers, operators/maintenance workers and regulators.

Update November 2023

This report was published in 2009. Some of the information in the introductory section 2.3 relating to

hydrogen viscosity and the potential for possible leaks from hydrogen systems has been superseded by the

information in Research Report RR1169 (2022) ¡®Hydrogen in the natural gas distribution network:

Preliminary analysis of gas release and dispersion behaviour¡¯. The superseded information does not affect

the scientific information in the rest of this report. It has not affected any evidence assessment by HSE on

using hydrogen including for heating. The Government's Hydrogen Strategy was published in August 2021.

Technical specialists may wish to note the details of the superseded information in introductory section

2.3.This is incorrect information on page 6. Firstly, in table 1, the gas viscosities should state (in g/cm-sec x

10-5 at normal temperature and pressure) 0.110, not 0.651 for methane, and 0.088, not 0.083 for hydrogen.

Secondly the following technical statement is not correct: ¡°Hydrogen gas has a very low viscosity and so it

is very difficult to prevent hydrogen systems from developing leaks. Pipe work that was ¡®leak tight¡¯ when

pressure-tested with nitrogen will often be found to leak profusely when used on hydrogen duty.¡± This

incorrect statement is superseded by the information in RR1169 (2022).

This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents,

including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily

reflect HSE policy.

D K Pritchard, M Royle & D Willoughby

Health and Safety Laboratory

Harpur Hill

Buxton

Derbyshire

SK17 9JN

HSE Books

? Crown copyright 2009

First published 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior

written permission of the copyright owner.

Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to:

Licensing Division, Her Majesty¡¯s Stationery Office,

St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ

or by e-mail to hmsolicensing@cabinet-office.x..uk

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The contribution of the HYPER project partners (listed below) to the HPYER Installation

Permitting Guidance, which was used as the basis of this UK installation permitting guidance is

gratefully acknowledged.

Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique

Ecofys Netherlands BV

Exergy Fuel Cells s.r.l.

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH

Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques

National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos

PlugPower Holland BV

Pro-Science Gesselschaft fur wissenschaftliche und technische Dienstleistungen mbH

Russian Research Centre-Kurchatov Institute

Sandia National Laboratories

University of Manchester

University of Pisa

University of Ulster

Vaillant GmbH

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