Explosion Protection as the Foundation of a Safe Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen is not a new substance in the field of explosion protection — but it is taking on new roles. While the handling of hydrogen in industrial processes, particularly in the chemical or fertilizer industries, has been safeguarded for decades by proven technical rules and standards, the planned ramp-up of the hydrogen economy introduces its use as an energy carrier and energy storage medium. With widespread deployment across numerous sectors, new challenges arise. Hydrogen will no longer be used only in closed industrial environments but increasingly in public and semi-public areas — for example at refueling stations, in buildings, or within energy supply systems.

The Explosion Protection Working Group of the Hydrogen Technologies Standardization Roadmap examined the extent to which the existing regulatory framework covers these new applications and where further action is required.

The existing technical rules for industrial handling of gaseous hydrogen under atmospheric conditions are largely complete. National and international standards define requirements for types of ignition protection, installation, maintenance, and operation of explosion-prone systems. These rules have evolved over many decades and form a robust foundation for safe operation.

However, the expansion of hydrogen use into public and new industrial application areas (e.g., heat generation, refueling systems, or energy storage) gives rise to new safety-related questions. Special operating conditions — such as high pressures or extremely low temperatures in the case of cryogenic hydrogen — are only partially covered by existing standards.

Although standardization in explosion protection is generally highly advanced, there are targeted gaps that need to be addressed:

• The ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU and the corresponding harmonized standards primarily cover only atmospheric conditions.
• For non-atmospheric conditions, cryogenic applications, and high-pressure systems, there are currently no established requirements.
• New technologies such as high-temperature electrolyzers (SOE) are not yet covered by standards.
• In some areas, discrepancies between technical rules and European directives lead to uncertainties during practical application.
• For certain typical assemblies — such as hydrogen dispensing units or compressors — no uniform product requirements exist, slowing market ramp-up.

Additional safety questions arise as hydrogen technologies move from industrial into public environments: when systems operate in close proximity to people without explosion protection expertise, the need for clear and user-friendly rules increases.

To place future standards on a solid scientific basis, the working group identified several areas requiring pre-standardization research, especially related to:

• ignition sources caused by electrostatic charging, catalytic surfaces, or shock ignition,
• cryogenic hydrogen, including release behavior or interaction with oxygen,
• constructive protection measures (e.g., flame arresters for hydrogen-oxygen mixtures),
• pressure-resistant construction capable of withstanding internal detonations.

In parallel, several standardization projects at ISO level are already underway to incorporate these findings. A key task remains the international harmonization of tightness requirements for hydrogen systems to ensure consistent safety standards worldwide.

Beyond technical standards, the working group emphasized the need for normative and regulatory descriptions of professional competencies for everyone involved in the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of hydrogen systems.

Safe handling of hydrogen requires trained personnel — especially as applications increasingly move beyond traditional industrial environments.

In the field of explosion protection, hydrogen rests on a stable foundation: existing technical rules are comprehensive and well coordinated. Yet the transformation toward widespread energy applications introduces new boundary conditions.

What is needed:

• Updated standards for cryogenic and high-pressure applications,
• Uniform product requirements for hydrogen systems,
• Harmonization of international regulations,
• Clear qualification requirements for specialized personnel,
• Improved structuring and consolidation of the numerous standards and guidelines to avoid contradictions and overlaps.

The future of explosion protection lies in combining experience, research, and harmonization - nationally, at the European level, and internationally. Only through a consistent and accessible regulatory framework can hydrogen technologies be integrated safely, efficiently, and with public acceptance into our energy system.