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Hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) operating at high pressures pose a higher risk of leakage than conventional gas stations. Therefore, in this study, a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) was conducted using DNV-GL SAFETI v.8.9. The impact of the shutoff valve was quantitatively assessed, and step-by-step mitigation was applied to propose the minimum installation requirements for the valve necessary to achieve broadly acceptable risk levels. The QRA includes sequence analysis (CA), individual risk (IR), and societal risk (SR), with accident scenarios consisting of catastrophic ruptures and three leak scenarios. The research results indicate that the application of a dual shutoff valve system resulted in an IR of 7.48 × 10−5, effectively controlling the risk below the as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) criteria of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The SR was analyzed based on the ALARP criteria in the Netherlands, and the application of the dual shutoff valve system effectively controlled the risk below the ALARP criteria. Consequently, this study suggests that applying a dual shutoff valve system with a mitigation value exceeding 1.21 × 10−2 can successfully mitigate the risk of urban hydrogen refueling stations to broadly acceptable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The average temperature of the Earth has risen due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases emitted from the usage of fossil fuels. The consequential climate changes have caused various problems, fueling the growing demand for environmentally friendly energy sources that can replace fossil fuels. Batteries and hydrogen have thus been utilized as substitute energy sources for automobiles to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Consequently, the number of hydrogen refueling stations is increasing due to an increase in the number of hydrogen-powered vehicles. However, several incidents have been reported in the United States of America and Japan where hydrogen refueling stations have been operating for a long time. A risk assessment of hydrogen refueling stations operating in urban areas was performed in this study by calculating the risk effect range using a process hazard analysis tool (PHAST) v8.7 from DNV-GL and a hydrogen risk assessment model (HyRAM) from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The societal risk was assessed through a probit model based on the calculation results. The assessment results showed that the risk caused by jet fire and overpressure in an incident is lower than the 'as low as reasonably practicable' (ALARP) level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, many countries worldwide focused on the hydrogen economy, aiming for eco-friendly and renewable energy by moving away from the existing carbon economy, which has been the primary source of global warming. Hydrogen is the most common element on Earth. As a light substance, hydrogen can diffuse quickly; however, it also has a small risk of explosion. Representative explosion accidents have included the Muskingum River Power Plant Vapor Cloud Explosion accident in 2007 and the Silver Eagle Refinery Vapor Cloud Explosion accident in 2009. In addition, there was an explosion in a hydrogen tank in Gangneung, Korea, in May 2019, and a hydrogen refueling station (HRS) in Norway exploded in 2018. Despite this risk, Korea is promoting the establishment of HRSs in major urban centers, including downtown areas and public buildings, by using the Regulatory Sandbox to install HRSs. This paper employed the Hydrogen Risk Assessment Model (HyRAM) of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) program specialized in hydrogen energy for HRSs installed in major urban hubs. A feasibility evaluation of the site conditions of an HRS was conducted using the French land use planning method based on the results obtained through evaluation using the HyRAM and the overpressure results of PHAST 8.0. After a risk assessment, we confirmed that an HRS would be considered safe, even if it was installed in the city center within a radius of influence of jet fires and overpressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]