Hydrogen Installation Case Studies Available
Karen Hall, National Hydrogen Association
Hydrogen energy technologies are in various stages of commercialization. Technologies are being deployed worldwide to solve issues regarding fuel supply, clean, quiet power, uninteruptible power, and a variety of other applications. Increasingly, permitting officials are faced with reviewing a project that involves hydrogen energy equipment. In many cases, it is desirable to have information regarding similar projects that have been successfully seployed in other regions.
A growing number of resources are available to fill this information need:
DOE Permitting Web Site
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a Hydrogen Permitting Web site. The objective of this site is to help local permitting officials deal with proposed hydrogen fueling stations, fuel cell installations for telecommunications backup power, and other hydrogen projects.
A permitting process section seeks to help project developers and the public understand the general procedures involved. It is available at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/permitting. Additional case studies are expected to be added later this year.
Case Studies of Hydrogen Fueling Stations
About 60 hydrogen fueling stations have been approved for operation in the United States, and many more are planned. The case studies presented on this site are examples of operational projects throughout the nation.
Case studies are posted at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/permitting/stations_studies.cfm for the following locations, as representative examples of the hydrogen fueling stations approved throughout the US:
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Oakland, California
- White Plains, New York
Additional information regarding permitting hydrogen fueling stations can be found at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/permitting/fueling_stations.cfm.
Case Study of Fuel Cell Backup-Power Systems for Telecommunications and Emergency Response Communications Facilities
Telecommunications companies have purchased an estimated 300-500 fuel cell systems. The following case study describes some of these telecommunications and similar emergency response communication use experiences.
- Early Markets: Emergency Back-up Power (PDF 521 KB)
Additional information regarding permitting fuel cells for telecommunications can be found at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/permitting/telecommunications.cfm.
Permitting Workshop Proceedings
The NHA publishes proceedings from workshops relating to permitting hydrogen energy technologies at http://www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info/resources/workshops.asp. These include workshops that the NHA has conducted, as well as DOE Hydrogen Permitting Workshops. These workshops include presentations on case studies, as well as lessons learned during the permitting process. In addition, these workshops highlight recent changes in model codes (ICC and NFPA) that address hydrogen energy technologies.
Permitting Guides
The Regulators' Guide to Permitting Hydrogen Technologies was developed through a collaborative effort involving the National Fire Protection Association, the International Code Council, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
- Regulators' Guide to Permitting Hydrogen Technologies - Overview (PDF 150Kb, 14pp)
- Module 1 - Permitting Stationary Fuel Cell Installations (PDF 4781Kb, 42pp)
- Module 2 - Permitting Hydrogen Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities (PDF 487Kb, 57pp)
These guides address the applicable codes and standards for these types of installations, and include case studies. All are available at http://www.pnl.gov/fuelcells/permit_guide.stm.
IEA Task 19
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a Survey of Hydrogen Risk Assessment Methods, 33 pages, January 2008. This report, developed under IEA Task 19, is a survey of risk assessment methodologies for hydrogen production, storage and/or refueling stations. In total 11 example projects are reviewed. The methods applied in the 11 case studies represent standard approaches to risk assessment, following representative set of standards and guidelines. The survey discusses how the approaches differ how detailed differences determine their adaptability to the specifics of hydrogen risk. It is available as a free download at http://www.ieahydrogensafety.com/reports.htm. At his same IEA site, you can download Comparative Risk Assessment Studies of Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Fueling Stations, 86 pages, January 2008. These reports focus more on the risk assessment methods used, rather than the case studies themselves.
Case Studies Featured in the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Safety Report
Due to the increasing requests for case studies, the NHA will be featuring more of these in the Safety Report. This month, we are featuring the Shell hydrogen fueling station which recently opened in Los Angeles.
To have your project featured in future editions, please send an e-mail with the project details, including some basic details on the permitting issues, to hallk@hydrogenassociation.org.
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