Green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources by electrolysis of water, is one of the key pillars of the global energy transition, as large industries already use hydrogen in their various production processes, but not renewable hydrogen. The production and handling of green hydrogen presents significant risks, not dissimilar to those of grey hydrogen, due to its chemical properties, such as its low molecular density and high flammability. In this context, the application of intrinsic safety in the design of green hydrogen production plants is essential to minimise risks and ensure safe and sustainable operations towards the energy transition. This article discusses how Lean Hydrogen designed an intrinsically safe hydrogen production vessel, combining technical and regulatory principles.
Electrolysis hydrogen production vessels consist of the following key elements: electrolysers, storage systems, auxiliary systems and compression system. Intrinsic safety is the design of a hydrogen plant that, by the very configuration of the above elements, minimises or eliminates the risk of accidents.
At Lean Hydrogen, the design of our plants is based on fundamental principles that guarantee safety and efficiency in installations with flammable gases, such as hydrogen. To this end, we apply the use of corrosion-resistant materials, hermetic design of components, separation of risk areas, ensuring safe distances between electrolysers, storage tanks and operating areas, as well as the installation of controlled ventilation extraction systems that minimise the accumulation of hydrogen in critical areas, in strict compliance with international regulations, such as the ATEX Directive.
The fire protection study is an essential aspect of the Lean Hydrogen project execution. A good analysis of passive and active protections not only mitigates, but can eliminate the impact of potential accidents.
To ensure that these safety standards are met from the design phase, Lean Hydrogen uses computer-aided design (CAD) software to model the plant in three dimensions. This tool allows us to visualise the equipment layout, optimise the use of space and validate that the configuration complies with established safety regulations. In this way, we ensure a design that is efficient, safe and aligned with industry best practice in hydrogen environments.
Safety in hydrogen plant design is essential to minimise and ensure safe operations. This objective will only be effective if the design is done correctly, as we do at Lean Hydrogen.
If you don’t know how to make your hydrogen plant design intrinsically safe, you can contact us and we will do it for you.
Date: 13/06/2025
Author: Christian Preciado Cárdenas
Reviewer: Eugenio Trillo León
