What are the safety issues related to the hydrogen refuelling systems being currently used around the world to refuel hydrogen vehicles and how to guarantee the safety of these systems?

Background

Europe is clearly committed to reduce its GHG emissions in different sectors (transport, buildings, etc.), having several funding programmes for projects that aim to achieve this goal, which is a great opportunity for companies that want to be on the forefront of green transition. This means that the widespread use of fossil fuels is nearing its end and new solutions are needed. In the transport sector, electric vehicles can help to achieve Europe’s mission of decarbonization but they are not an all-purpose solution, especially when considering heavy-duty vehicles and long distance travelling. This is where hydrogen powered vehicles are expected to have an important role, due to their fast refueling times and long driving range, but since this is a new technology that is rapidly growing around the world, a careful analysis of safety in the refuelling process is of paramount importance.

Challenge

The goal of this project is to identify what are the safety risks associated with the current hydrogen refuelling systems for vehicles and what solutions can be implemented in order to minimize or even eliminate those risks. Also, how will the future hydrogen refuelling systems be designed to accomodate the suggested solutions? How will they change? What needs to be added?