DOE Hydrogen Program’s 2023 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting Presentations and Awards

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

On the week of June 5th, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program held its 2023 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR) in Crystal City, Virginia. At the DOE AMR, hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE are presented and reviewed on their progress and merit. Additionally, the Hydrogen Program presents awards to individuals from partner institutions for contributions to overall program efforts and to recognize research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) achievements in specific areas.

This year’s awardee in the Safety, Codes, and Standards category was Sara Marxen (CSA Group) for outstanding leadership in the development of the Canadian Standards Association and International Organization for Standardization standards, as well as active participation in the greater regulations, codes, and standards community.

Click here to learn more about the 2023 award recipients and how their critical work is helping stakeholders realize the full potential and clean energy benefits of hydrogen power.

At the AMR, principal investigators (PI) presented the status and results of their hydrogen and fuel cell projects for review. Karen Quackenbush, Senior Technical Specialist at the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), was one of the PIs this year. Her presentation focused on the codes and standards support work conducted by the association. Additionally, Karen Quackenbush and another FCHEA staff member, Haboon Osmond, Technical Affairs Coordinator, reviewed several projects.

Below is a complete list of the 2023 Safety, Codes, and Standards presentations provided at the AMR.

  1. Nick Barilo, Pacific Northwest National Lab: Hydrogen Safety Panel, Safety Knowledge Tools, and First Responder Training Resources

  2. William Buttner, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: NREL Hydrogen Sensor Testing Laboratory

  3. Brian Ehrhart, Sandia National Laboratories: Risk Assessments of Design and Refueling for Hydrogen Locomotive and Tender

  4. Austin Glover, Sandia National Laboratories: Modeling and Risk Assessment of Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends

  5. Kevin Hartmann, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Component Failure R&D

  6. Ethan Hecht, Sandia National Laboratories: R&D for Safety, Codes and Standards: Hydrogen Behavior

  7. Eladio Knipping, Electric Power Research Institute: Hydrogen Education for a Decarbonized Global Economy (H2EDGE)

  8. Taichi Kuroki, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: MC Formula Protocol for H35HF Fueling

  9. Shaun Onorato, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Assessment of Heavy-Duty Fueling Methods and Components

  10. Matthew Post, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Hydrogen Contaminant Detector

  11. Karen Quackenbush, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association: Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association Codes and Standards Support

  12. Joe Ronevich, Sandia National Laboratories: R&D for Safety, Codes and Standards: Materials and Components Compatibility

  13. Ben Schroeder, Sandia National Laboratories: Hydrogen Quantitative Risk Assessment

  14. Arun Veeramany, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Large-Scale Hydrogen Storage – Risk Assessment Seattle City Light and Port of Seattle

To look at presentations from other technology areas, please click here. To view the AMR Proceedings, please click here.

FCHEA’s Information Resources for Codes and Standards

by Karen Quackenbush, FCHEA (Excerpted from FCHEA website) 

The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) works closely with the U.S. National Laboratories, National Codes and Standards Development Organizations, and the International Standards Development Organizations to offer opportunities for members to comment and provide input on a variety of code changes and keep interested parties informed about developments in hydrogen and fuel cell requirements.

FCHEA also maintains the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Safety Report, a website and electronic newsletter published every other month which highlights the latest developments for U.S. and international codes and standards for fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. 

An excellent resource for understanding which organizations are involved, and the progress of these efforts is through the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Codes and Standards Coordinating Committee. This group meets monthly by teleconference. Minutes of the calls are posted on the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Safety Report website.

Where Can I Go to Learn More?

There is a wealth of other resources available to learn more about fuel cell and hydrogen regulations, codes, and standards (RCS).  Please see the below list of links for more information:

  • The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Safety Report is a bi-monthly newsletter published by FCHEA which provides the latest developments on fuel cell and hydrogen RCS activities.

  • FCHEA also publishes through the Safety Report a Regulatory Affairs Matrix. This Matrix is a prioritized tracking document for the active regulations, codes, and standards affecting the fuel cell and hydrogen industry. “Active” refers to the document being open to development or revision. Once a document is published, it is removed from the Matrix, as progress no longer needs to be tracked.

  • The Department of Energy’s H2Tools standards database provides organized data on published RCS documents with drill-down capability providing further information and contacts for individual documents.

  • The Introduction to Hydrogen for Code Officials is a web-based course that provides an overview of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, how these technologies are used in real-world applications, and the codes and standards required for permitting them.

  • The Hydrogen Safety Best Practices Manual is an online manual that captures the wealth of knowledge and experience related to the safe handling and use of hydrogen that exists as a result of its extensive history in a wide variety of applications. The purpose of the manual, prepared collaboratively by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, is to share this knowledge gathered from numerous experts, public domain documents, and references in an online, easy-to-use manner.

  • FCHEA includes other technical resources relating to safety, codes, and standards here.

If you have a resource you would like to add to FCHEA’s website, please feel free to Contact Us.

NEW: ISO/IEC 2023 Directives

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA  

A new edition of the ISO/IEC Directives was published in May 2023. This webinar covers the changes introduced in the ISO/IEC Directives Part 1 and IEC Supplement. It is focused on the changes which impact the operation of the Committees.

United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM)

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

The United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposes to amend the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to maintain alignment with international regulations and standards by adopting various amendments, including changes to proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, air transport quantity limitations, and vessel stowage requirements. Specifically, PHMSA is requesting input on revisions to HMR to facilitate the adoption of new and emerging technologies, such as clean energy technologies like hydrogen.

To fully engage with stakeholders, this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) solicits comments and input on questions related to 46 distinct topics under consideration. Any comments, data, and information received will be used to evaluate and potentially draft proposed amendments. Comments must be received by October 3, 2023. PHMSA will consider late-filed comments while a final rule is developed.

The notice can be found in the Federal Register here.

New CGA Hydrogen Safety Video Released on Hydrogen Storage and Transportation

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

On July 20, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) released its latest video on hydrogen safety titled “Hydrogen Safety: Storage and Transportation.” The video explains that while hydrogen is a clean and efficient energy carrier used in various applications, due to its flammability, it must be handled carefully to ensure safety. To watch the video, please click here or start the video below.

When hydrogen is stored in high-pressure cylinders or tubes, it is vital to ensure such storage containers are properly maintained and inspected to prevent leaks and other safety hazards. Additionally, when transporting hydrogen, following all safety regulations and guidelines is important to prevent accidents or injuries.

Lastly, all personnel who handle hydrogen should receive training in handling and safety procedures, which include understanding the properties of hydrogen, the hazards, precautions associated with its use, and emergency response. 

To learn more about hydrogen characteristics, storage, and transportation, please review CGA G-5. For more information, please visit https://safehydrogenproject.org/. 

Center for Hydrogen Safety’s Hydrogen Incident Recovery Guide 

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

On behalf of the Center for Hydrogen Safety, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed and published a Hydrogen Incident Recovery Guide in July 2022 as a reference to aid owners and operators of facilities that produce or use hydrogen to recover from a hydrogen incident.

The guide applies to the recovery phase of a typical emergency management framework that includes planning, response, mitigation, and recovery. It provides practical guidance with a checklist to help an organization recover from a hydrogen incident and return to normal operations after the event scene has been stabilized and returned to the organization by the incident commander. It does not include activities related to the immediate emergency response and initial investigations performed by other entities. Depending on the severity of the incident, this guidance can be tailored to meet the organization’s specific needs.

Summaries of FCHEA’s WG Meetings

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

Power Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Power Working Group met on June 13. In addition to discussing information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Energy Research and Development Division presented to the working group. CEC discussed the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) 4 grant funding opportunities. EPIC 4 Initiative 9, “Advancing Clean, Dispatchable Generation,” from the EPIC 2021-2025 Investment Plan, could include stationary fuel cells for power generation. Furthermore, Ballard, an FCHEA member, presented to the working group as well. Ballard discussed its presence in the PEM fuel cell technology space, being a vertically integrated manufacturer throughout the fuel cell value chain, its fuel cell stacks (e.g., FCvelocity-9SSL, Fcgen-LCS-M, and Fcgen-HPS), and how the company is powering thousands of heavy-duty vehicles (e.g., buses, trucks, trains, and ships) around the world. The meeting closed with working group updates and walk-in items.  

The Working Group also met on July 11. In addition to discussing information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies, presented to the working group. EEI shared an overview of its hydrogen and fuel cell activities and strategies. The meeting closed with working group updates and walk-in items.

Production Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Production Working Group met on June 14. In addition to discussing information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, StormFisher, an FCHEA member, presented to the working group. StormFisher develops, owns, and operates renewable hydrogen-based clean fuel production facilities that recycle energy and water to enable the transition to a low-carbon future. StormFisher discussed its clean technology commercialization and partnerships and the benefits of its green hydrogen-based power-to-gas (P2G). The meeting closed with walk-in items.

The Working Group also met on July 12. In addition to discussing information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, the working group discussed hydrogen leakage.

Transportation Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Transportation Working Group met on June 27. In addition to discussing information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, California Hydrogen Business Council (CHBC) presented to the working group. CHBC discussed how it is working on the reauthorization of the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program, specifically the allocation percentages. CHBC is working with transit agencies on the conversion to hydrogen buses. The other regulatory updates from California included the Clean Truck Mandate and the zero-emission locomotive regulation. The meeting closed with walk-in items.

Distribution Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Distribution Working Group met on July 12. In addition to discussing information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, Baker Hughes, an FCHEA member, presented to the working group. Baker Hughes discussed how repurposing natural gas pipelines may become a critical means of accelerating the permitting process.

If your company is an FCHEA member and you or your colleagues want to be added to any of our Working Group, Committee, or Task Force rosters, please contact Haboon Osmond at hosmond@fchea.org.