Are you planning to order, or have you already ordered, an electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen like this one:
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/largest-electrolyzer-system-goes-live
Or perhaps something smaller? Don’t forget to involve an experienced partner for the design and specification of the related systems. Many mistakes have been made—even with something as simple as installing an air compressor incorrectly—and with hydrogen systems, such errors are unacceptable.
Depending on your local regulations, you as the operator are responsible for ensuring compliance with IECEx, ATEX, or NFPA 2, or alternatively ISO 22734 (which, by the way, was updated in July 2025). This is not just paperwork—you are responsible for the health and safety of your staff as well as the environment in which your business operates.
Keep in mind that compliance with specific standards or directives is a necessary condition for safety, but not a sufficient one. Product and installation safety must go further. Hydrogen is not as dangerous as many people assume—there are much more hazardous and tricky substances—but the risks must still be identified during the design phase, addressed properly, and supported by clear and transparent documentation. And of course, maintenance must not be neglected.
Just one example: if you are using ventilation to reduce or eliminate a hazardous area (Zone or Division), are you aware that all related parts must still be classified for the case when ventilation fails?
- How quickly could an H₂ leak be detected?
- Did you know that a hydrogen jet leak cannot be diluted because of its inertia?
- Have you considered what happens if a two-phase jet leak (water + hydrogen) strikes the cell stack, which is often not electrically insulated?
- What is the certified temperature range of your components? Is it the typical +40 °C (104 °F), or have you accounted for local conditions that may reach 60 °C (140 °F)?