Hydrogen Safety and the Role of Measurement in the Energy Transition
Hydrogen is being positioned as a core component of national energy strategies, particularly in projects linked to renewable power and industrial decarbonisation. As production capacity expands, operators and regulators are placing greater emphasis on the practical aspects of safety and reliability across the hydrogen value chain.
Public debate has largely centred on electrolyser capacity, infrastructure investment, and renewable integration. Less attention has been given to how hydrogen and associated process gases are monitored once systems move from pilot phases to continuous operation.
In industrial settings, hydrogen presents specific challenges. Its low molecular weight, wide flammability range, and high diffusivity mean that small changes in composition can create safety risks. These properties place strict requirements on monitoring systems, particularly in facilities operating at high pressure or under variable temperature conditions.
Measurement as part of process protection
In electrolysis-based hydrogen production, oxygen is generated as a by-product. If oxygen enters hydrogen streams, it can increase the risk of ignition, accelerate material degradation, and affect downstream equipment. Similar risks exist in hydrogen blending, compression, storage, and pipeline systems, where air ingress may not be immediately detected.
Many industrial plants continue to use extractive sampling systems, in which a small portion of the process stream is removed for analysis. While this approach is well established, it can introduce response delays and additional points of failure. In high-pressure hydrogen service, these limitations can reduce confidence in the data used for safety and operational decisions.
For this reason, some operators are turning to in-situ measurement systems that operate directly under process conditions. These systems are designed to reduce response time and limit the need for external sample conditioning, while providing continuous monitoring of gas composition.
Industry response and system integration
Across the energy sector, instrumentation manufacturers and system integrators are adapting measurement technologies to meet hydrogen-specific requirements. Optical sensors, solid-state devices, and enhanced diagnostic tools are being developed for use in hazardous environments.
UK-based Modcon Systems Ltd., which operates in industrial process analysis and instrumentation, supplies on-line analytical systems used in energy and process industries, including applications involving hydrogen and oxygen monitoring. In many projects, such systems are expected to integrate directly with plant control architectures, providing continuous data rather than periodic verification.
A process safety consultant involved in European hydrogen projects described this shift as a change in how plants are designed. Measurement, he noted, is increasingly treated as part of the safety architecture, rather than as a standalone control function.
Regulatory and standards environment
Regulatory frameworks for hydrogen installations are still evolving. While there is no single global standard for hydrogen measurement, requirements drawn from existing regimes governing explosive atmospheres and functional safety are being applied.
These include ATEX and IECEx classifications, as well as functional safety guidelines used across the chemical and energy sectors. Together, they are influencing engineering specifications, which increasingly call for continuous monitoring solutions capable of operating at full process pressure and temperature, with built-in diagnostics and verifiable performance.
Insurers and risk assessors are also paying closer attention to how gas composition is monitored, particularly at interfaces between hydrogen production units and downstream users. In this context, measurement data is being treated not only as an operational input, but also as part of safety documentation.
Beyond hydrogen production
Similar challenges exist in refineries, natural gas processing facilities, and chemical plants where hydrogen is present as a process component. In these environments, oxygen ingress can also lead to corrosion, catalyst damage, and safety incidents.
As a result, technologies developed for hydrogen applications are being adopted in more established industrial sectors. This reflects a broader trend in which emerging energy systems and conventional process industries face overlapping safety and monitoring requirements.
An enabling function
While hydrogen projects are often assessed in terms of capacity and investment, day-to-day safety depends on more basic factors, including the reliability of process measurement.
Instrumentation systems may not be visible to the public, but they form part of the infrastructure that allows complex plants to operate safely. As hydrogen moves from demonstration projects to commercial deployment, the effectiveness of these systems is likely to play an important role in the long-term stability of the sector.