Event
- Event ID
- 243
- Quality
- Description
- An explosion occurs in the oxygen gas holder in an electrolysis plant.
The explosion was due to the entry of hydrogen in the oxygen gas holder.
The dome of the gas holder and the collar were blown away. - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- France
- Date
- Main component involved?
- Gasometer/Gasholder
- How was it involved?
- Internal Explosion (H2-Air Mixture)
- Initiating cause
- Malfunctioning (Electrolyser, Cross-Over)
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen Production
- Sub-application
- water electrolysis
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- Electrolyser, oxygen holder
- Location type
- Open
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- The dome of the gas holder (1060 kg) was blown 135m away, the collar (1150 kg) 33m away and concrete elements 80m away.
- Emergency action
- The video does not show any intevention to stop the fire. The event occurred at night, and probably there was no worker on site when the fire started.
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas mixture
- Involved substances (% vol)
- O2, H2
- Presumed ignition source
- Not reported
References
- Reference & weblink
Event description in the French database ARIA<br />
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/20351/<br />
(accessed October 2020)<br />
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ARIA
