Safety study for an H₂ refuelling station – Pioneering project in Belgium
Utilities
Prohead Engineering is often involved in innovative energy transition projects. Such projects are rarely straightforward and draw on years of experience with hydrogen in process chemistry.
About the case
Context:
The first publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station in Belgium marked an important step in the transition to sustainable mobility. The installation offered refuelling at both 350 bar and 700 bar, suitable for industrial vehicles and passenger cars. The project was part of the ambition to introduce hydrogen as a fully-fledged alternative fuel and required a thorough safety study.
Process safety risks:
Hydrogen involves different risks than petrol, diesel or CNG:
- Extremely low ignition energy
- High diffusion rate
- Wide flammability range
- Invisible flames
These properties make a generic approach inadequate: the safety study had to be fully tailored to the specific properties of hydrogen.
Approach:
Prohead Engineering carried out an integrated process including:
- Risk assessment focused on H₂-specific hazards, ventilation and leak detection.
- CFD modelling to simulate gas dispersion and explosion scenarios and optimise the design.
- Advice to the operator and manufacturer on technical solutions, emergency procedures and compliance with ATEX and explosion safety legislation.
Result
The refuelling station was designed and delivered safely and in compliance with legislation. Thanks to the H₂-specific risk assessment and recommendations, the operator obtained a robust safety framework. The project thus delivered a reference installation for the safe use of hydrogen in Belgian mobility.