MULTI-FUEL HYDROGEN REFUELLING STATIONS (HRS): A CO-CREATION STUDY AND EXPERIMENTATION TO OVERCOME TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS

According to market studies scouted within the HyLaw project, by 2050 hydrogen will represent 18% of the total worldwide energy consumption.

This would decrease the amount of CO2 released in the atmosphere by 6 gigatons per year and create 30 million jobs within an industry worth 2.5 trillion dollars annually.

Given the systemic role that hydrogen can fulfil in integrating all energy sectors (production, transmission, storage, distribution and consumption) and the central role hydrogen can play in decarbonising our society., The need for producing, storing and distributing hydrogen in high quantities and in new locations is growing rapidly.

For more efficient and lower cost hydrogen distribution, hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) can be integrated on already existing refuelling stations.

In this context, the safety recommendations for including hydrogen in a multi-fuel refuelling stations requires in depth investigation.

The aim of MultHyFuel project is to contribute to the effective deployment of hydrogen as an alternative fuel by developing a common strategy for implementing HRS in multifunctional contexts, contributing to harmonize laws and standards based on practical, theoretical and experimental data as well as on the active and continuous engagement of key stakeholders.

To this purpose, the project will: 1) contribute to the existing knowledge base underpinning safety rules on hydrogen dispensing by providing experimental data from engineering research and smart mitigation measures/barriers; 2) define zoning thresholds and safety requirements (e.g. separation distances, validation of safety barriers, permitting and technological requirements) based on experimental and modelling approaches, 3) contribute to the harmonization of rules applicable to HRS co-located alongside other fuels by implementing an extensive cross-country assessment of the regulation in place, performing a gap analysis, and building relevant and efficient network of stakeholders.