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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Fire from a liquid hydrogen pipe

Event

Event ID
579
Quality
Description
A fire occurred at a non-further specified industrial plant. The fire was the consequence of a liquid hydrogen leak from a joint between an isolating block valve and a relief valve on one of the separation column preheater. The relief valve had been under repair and was being brought back onto line when the incident happened.

An investigation team was appointed. The first task was to confirm that it was safe to resume operation in the section of the plant.
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Fire (No additional details provided)
Macro-region
Europe
Country
France
Date
Main component involved?
Joint/Connection (Glass)
How was it involved?
Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
Initiating cause
Unknown
Root causes
Unknown (No additional details provided)
Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING CAUSE was a leak of liquid hydrogen which ignited.

ROOT CAUSE unknown.

Facility

Application
Hydrogen Production
Sub-application
LH2 production
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected
relief valve, blockvalve
Location type
Unknown
Operational condition
Pre-event occurrences
The relief valve had been under repair and was being brought back onto line when the incident happened.

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0
Environmental damage
0
Property loss (onsite)
low
Post-event summary
The damage was probaby lmited to teh immediate surroundings of the connection and to a quantitiy of rleased hydrogen

Event Nature

Release type
Liquid
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Release duration
unknown
Actual pressure (MPa)
<1.0
Design pressure (MPa)
<1.0
Presumed ignition source
Not reported

References

Reference & weblink

JRC assessment

Sources categories
ICHEME