Permitting Officials Attend Detroit Hydrogen Workshop, Codes and Standards Conference
Geoff Bromaghim, National Hydrogen Association

Results of the HySafe meetings held in Karlsruhe, Germany, Sept. 16-19
Karen Hall, National Hydrogen Association

SAE and ISO Cooperate on Refueling Interconnection Effort
Karen Hall, National Hydrogen Association

Texas Hydrogen Roadmap Workshop
Debbi Smith, National Hydrogen Association

ICC Final Action Hearings, Minneapolis, MN – Results Affecting Hydrogen Technology
Kyle Gibeault and Patrick Serfass, National Hydrogen Association; Darren Meyers, Hydrogen Industry Panel on Codes (HIPOC) contributing

National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Codes & Standards Coordinating Committee Teleconference - September 2008 Minutes
Chad Blake, NREL

Did You Know? 
NHA staff have worked to revise the key dates section of this website with updated information on both the ICC and NFPA document development schedules.

Permitting Officials Attend Detroit Hydrogen Workshop, Codes and Standards Conference
Geoff Bromaghim, National Hydrogen Association

On September 17-19, two consecutive events, a hydrogen permitting workshop and a hydrogen codes and standards conference, brought a variety of local and state permitting officials, code experts, and industry professionals to Detroit, MI. NextEnergy Center, a Detroit-based non-profit organization dedicated towards advancing alternative energy in the State of Michigan, hosted both events. Links to available presentations are provided below.

On September 17-18, various permitting officials met for a workshop on permitting hydrogen fueling stations and fuel cell backup power for wireless telecommunications sites. The event was co-organized by the National Association of State Fire Marshals, the U.S. Department of Energy, the State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and NextEnergy Center. The audience of about 30 people included MDEQ inspectors, municipal fire chiefs, and other local building permitting officials. 

This event was a continuation of a series of regional workshops targeted at educating key permitting officials on the relevant safety considerations and applicable permitting processes for citing hydrogen facilities in their localities. These officials also help provide valuable feedback on how to improve these permitting processes.

On May 1, 2008, Michigan became the first state to promulgate its own hydrogen rules. Therefore, this workshop had the duel objectives of familiarizing local officials with the properties of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as well as informing them of the newly formed procedures required to permit these facilities in the State of Michigan.

Ryan Smith of NextEnergy Center and Tony Androsky of the U.S. Fuel Cell Council opened the technical program with detailed primers on hydrogen as a fuel, its properties, and the operation of fuel cells. Joe Mercurio of General Motors gave a projection on the growth and commercialization of hydrogen vehicles from the view of the automotive industry, and Paul Buehler of Plug Power provided an industry perspective from his experiences getting permits for telecommunications projects. Attendees were also given a tour of NextEnergy Center’s facilities, including their on-site hydrogen fueling station.

Andrea Zajac, Chief of MDEQ’s Storage Tank Unit, gave an in-depth overview of Michigan’s hydrogen permitting program. She detailed what does and does not get regulated in Michigan, application procedures, and the division of specific responsibilities between the MDEQ officials and local authorities.

At the completion of the workshop, attendees were invited to participate in NextEnergy Center’s 2008 Hydrogen Codes and Standards Conference, which began on the afternoon of September 18. 

The Conference provided a comprehensive update on the state of hydrogen codes and standards, with speakers from various standards organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association, CSA-America, Society for Automotive Engineers, Compressed Gas Association, and the International Electrotechnical Commission. Following their presentations, the audience engaged these panels with rounds of Q&A, allowing them to relay how their standards organizations are responding to head-off specific concerns and ensure safety with emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. 

Carl Rivkin of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory then summarized the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Education Program activities. Steve Matheson (Honda), Marcus Newborough (ITM Power), and Max Dorflinger (NextEnergy) discussed residential hydrogen refueling technologies. 

More than 60 hydrogen industry experts, automobile industry representatives, local authorities, and first responders were in attendance for the Conference.

Links to available workshop and conference presentations as well as the State of Michigan hydrogen rules are below. Information about upcoming workshops will continue to be provided in future editions of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Safety Report.

Permitting Workshop Links
At the time of publication, the proceedings were not available. These will be made available through our “Technical Resources” Section as soon as they are available.

NextEnergy Center’s 2008 Hydrogen Codes and Standards Conference
The presentations from this event have been posted onto the NextEnergy Center website. To download these presentations, please click on the hyperlinks below, or visit the NextEnergy Center website at: http://www.nextenergy.org/events/2008/hcsc.aspx

Michigan Rules

BROKEN

Postponed

Texas Hydrogen Roadmap Workshop
Debbi Smith, National Hydrogen Association

The NHA presented information on hydrogen codes and standards on August 19, 2008, at the Texas Hydrogen Roadmap Workshop, held at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), in The Woodlands, Texas.

Goal of the Workshop 
The goal of the workshop was to create the starting point for a hydrogen roadmap for the state of Texas with the “Hydrogen Highway” concept developed by other states serving as the backdrop for the roadmap. The development of a “Texas Hydrogen Highway” has legislative authority based in TX House Bill 2702 signed into law in 2005. The idea of a hydrogen highway was further enforced through the recently released National Academies Study in which Houston and Dallas were included as topics for “Lighthouse Studies” in the NAS report and cities like San Antonio and Austin are facing air quality non-attainment for the first time.

Presentation on Codes and Standards 
The presentation on codes and standards was given by NHA Executive Vice President, Debbi L. Smith. It was a general presentation appropriate for the expected general audience and focused on permitting. The objective of the presentation was to orient the audience to three key points:

 

  • Texas will not be starting from scratch to build fueling facilities and other components of infrastructure installation. Other states and countries have installations thus providing several models to learn from.
     
  • Information resources exist for all stages of project development and implementation.
     
  • Relationships need to be established early with all relevant officials, surrounding community in which installations will take place, and end-users.

Conclusions of the Workshop

  • A “Hydrogen Highway” for light duty vehicles does not make sense for Texas at this time.
     
  • The use of hydrogen for centralized fleets in current non-attainment and soon-to-be non-attainment cities should be pursued with a strategy developed for other areas if it makes sense to do so.
     
  • End use technology for fleets may or may not include fuel cells.
     
  • Centralized fleets will include but will not be limited to: transit, trucking, materials handling equipment (private, state and federal gov’t), municipal on and off-road fleets, utility on and off-road fleets, others. Interest has already been expressed by TXDOT for transit, state and municipal fleets.
     
  • Projects currently under development in three Texas cities all have fleet-based end users identified.
     
  • Added value will be provided to fueling installations (whether private, or state or federal government) by dual use capabilities for emergency preparedness
     
  • Incentive packages to attract industry to do business with hydrogen in Texas will need to be developed.
     
  • Texas has significant renewable resources in solar, wind and biomass through landfills and agricultural waste.

Next Steps 
Based on discussions and conclusions, a draft roadmap is currently under development with input from workshop participants. Completion of the draft roadmap is expected before December 31, 2008.

To learn more and download presentations, please visit:http://www.harc.edu/OurWork/Projects/TexasHydrogen

ICC Final Action Hearings, Minneapolis, MN – Results Affecting Hydrogen Technology
Kyle Gibeault and Patrick Serfass, National Hydrogen Association; Darren Meyers, Hydrogen Industry Panel on Codes (HIPOC) contributing

While the ICC Final Action Hearings for the 2007/08 Code Development Cycle continued through September 23rd, 2008, most of the actions affect hydrogen technology in the forthcoming 2009 editions of the International Fire Code (IFC) and International Building Code (IBC) were resolved Friday morning, September 19th.

Marty Gresho, Fire Protection Programs for Sandia National Laboratory, Livermore, CA – and Chair of NFPA 2, and Patrick Serfass, Director of Technology and Communications for the National Hydrogen Association represented the Hydrogen Industry Panel on Codes (HIPOC) on hydrogen issues from the hearing room floor September 16th - 19th, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"A big thanks to both of you for representing HIPOC and the Hydrogen Industry at the hearings this week,” said HIPOC Chair, Tom Joseph, who could not make the hearings due to other business challenges, but responded to the good news nonetheless.

There were thirteen (13) final actions identified by HIPOC as relevant to the hydrogen and fuel cell community:  Eleven (11) affecting the 2009 IFC, One (1) affecting the 2009 IBC and One (1) affecting the 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC): 

Affecting the ICC 2009 International Building Code (IBC):
G28-07/08, As Modified by Public Comment 1.  Adoption of the public comment assures that canopy top storage/use of hazardous materials (including hydrogen) is to be classified as outdoor storage/use and not as a Group H occupancy classification.

Affecting the ICC 2009 International Fire Code (IFC):
F78-07/08, As Modified by Public Comment 1. Adoption of the public comment allows the fuel for backup power supplies, inclusive of stationary fuel cell power plants, to be located on the utility easement. However, it would limit the fuel to only that necessary for equipment servicing public utilities as subject to the authority having jurisdiction.

F231-07/08, Disapproved by consent agenda (no public comment). An attempt to clarify reference in the IFC to Ch. 30, 32 and NFPA 55.

F232-07/08, Disapproved by consent agenda (no public comment).Delete outdoor public assembly setback from T2209.3.1. Disapproved. IFC CDC agreed that they couldn’t define separations to “public assembly,” yet.

F233-07/08, Part I, As Submitted by consent agenda (no public comment). Adds reference to DIN EN 1081-2004 standard for the construction of vehicle fueling pads to dissipate static electricity built up on the vehicle before the driver’s door is opened.

F233-07/08, Part II, As Submitted. Retains consistency between building and fire code requirements to dissipate static electricity built up on the vehicle before the driver’s door is opened by adding reference to the DIN EN 1081-2004 standard for the construction of vehicle fueling pads.

F234-07/08, Public comment Withdrawn by Proponent. Therefore, final action defaults to Disapproved by consent agenda (no public comment). Indoor hydrogen fuel dispensing. There is still need for clarification beyond what the International Fire Code Development Committee and HIPOC were able to undertake with modifications. This proposal will be revisited by the HIPOC for the 2009/10 Code Development Cycle.

F235-07/08, As Submitted by consent agenda (no public comment). Adds reference to UL2075-2007 Standard for gas/vapor detection as required for in lubrication or chassis repair areas of repair garages used for repairing hydrogen and non-odorized LNG-fueled vehicles.

F261-07/08, F261-07/08Withdrawn by Proponent.  Intended to include the term “bulk” which was not included in the references to standards CGA P-18 and NFPA 55 which could be viewed as a potential conflict between the IFC, CGA and NFPA 55.

F282-07/08, F282-07/08As Modified by Public Comment 1. Deletes Exception 4 accompanied by additional text to Section 3501.1, Scope, intending that the more specific requirements of Chapter 22 (Section 2209) apply along with relevant Chapter 35 requirements not addressed in Chapter 22. Adds language to Exception 3 which clarifies that Chapter 35 is to be applied to GH2 systems regulated by the IFGC.  Adoption of the public comment clarifies that NFPA 55 applies to “bulk” GH2 and LH2 systems.

F286-07/08, Withdrawn by Proponent. Had proposed modifications to existing Table 3504.2.1 to add new “bulk” flammable gas storage volumes and setbacks to address the perceived disparity in the Table 2209.3.1 exposures for hydrogen motor fuel-dispensing and generation and other GH2 systems covered by Chapter 35.

F287-07/08, As Submitted by consent agenda (no public comment). Affects weather protection for flammable gas storage. As written the code would capture any structure providing weather protection including the storage modules used stationary fuel cell power plants using hydrogen.  The 2009 IFC will clarify that the weather protection requirements do not include Note ‘a’ to Table 3504.2.1.

Affecting the ICC 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC):
FG49-07/08, As Submitted by consent agenda (no public comment). Stationary fuel cell power plants not exceeding 10MW are to be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, NFPA 853, and the IBC and IFC.

The 2009/10 Code Development Cycle leading to the publication of the 2012 Editions of the ICC International Codes will commence with the March 24th, 2009 deadline for code change submittals. The 2009 Code Development Public Hearings will be held October 24–October 31, 2009 at the Hilton Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland.

The HIPOC holds regular, open conference calls intended to provide informal forums on topics intended to harmonize hydrogen technology requirements between the ICC, CHIC and NFPA. As a result, interested parties may request that the HIPOC vet or represent their issue as the proponent of such change. The next HIPOC meeting is an in-person meeting which will be dedicated to Hydrogen Fueling Station (HFS) separation distances in the ICC International Codes, and will take place October 29th and 30th ET in Phoenix, Arizona in conjunction with the 2008 Fuel Cell Seminar. For minutes, the HIPOC Charter, or more information, please visit the HIPOC web page: http://www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info/hipoc/

For more information on International Code Development, visit:
http://www.iccsafe.org/news/pdf/factssheet.pdf

For more information on the 2007/08 and 2009/10 code development cycles, visit: http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/codes/

HIPOC Key Dates

HIPOC Rolling Calendar (128Kb PDF)

[ICC Code Development Schedule] [NFPA Hydrogen Technology Documents]

2009/2010 ICC Code Development Schedule

Schedule updated
October 2008

Step in code development cycleDate

Publication of 2009 EditionsJanuary 2009

Deadline for receipt of code change proposals

April 24, 2009Publication date for monograph of "proposed changes to the i-codes"

July 13, 2009Code development hearings (CDH)

October 24 - November 11, 2009

Baltimore, MDDeadline for receipt of public comments

February 12, 2010

Publication date of public comments
"final action agenda"April 16, 2010

Final action hearings (FAH)

May 16-24, 2010

Location TBDResulting publication

2010 Supplement
Publication dates indicate approximate date when the printed copy of the document will be available. These documents will be posted on the ICC website approximately four weeks prior to availability of the printed version.

Milestone Dates for Key NFPA Hydrogen Technology Documents - October 2008

Dates in RED revised
October 2008

DocumentProposal Closing DateFinal date for proposal review meetingComment Closing DateFinal date for comment review meetingFinal Document Issued

NFPA 2 A2010 cycle5/29/09†8/28/093/5/103/7/101/25/11†

NFPA 52*F08 cycle5/25/078/25/073/2/085/4/088/17/09†

NFPA 55
F08 cycle

5/25/078/25/073/2/085/4/088/17/09†

NFPA 853 A09 Cycle

11/23/072/24/089/1/0811/3/088/2/09

NFPA 30A
A09 Cycle

11/23/072/24/089/1/0811/3/088/2/09

COMPLETE

NFPA 70
A08 Cycle

11/4/051/21/0610/20/0612/9/068/2/07

NFPA 88A
A2010 Cycle

11/23/082/24/099/1/0911/3/098/2/10
† Dates estimated: subject to change.

* After reviewing the timetable required to coordinate NFPA 52 and NFPA 55, the decision was reached by the chairs of the IMG and VAF committees to move NFPA 52 to the F2008 revision cycle (the same cycle same NFPA 55). This move would accomplish at least two things:

  1. It would give the task group working on the coordination effort more time to ensure that that all issues are completely addressed.
  2. It would allow NFPA 52 to extract any new requirements dealing with hydrogen storage systems that do not exist in the current edition of NFPA 55 but either are addressed in 52 or need to be addressed in 55 and 52.