The cause of a fire in a hydrogen transport vehicle in Korea last month was discovered to be a brake system malfunction rather than hydrogen.
For safe hydrogen transportation, it was suggested that safety standards be developed, such as changing the direction of the hydrogen outlet and strengthening the heat shield of the hydrogen container.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy held a meeting with the hydrogen transportation industry at NK Ether in Gangseo-gu, Busan, to share the findings of a recent hydrogen-carrying vehicle fire accident investigation and to demand thorough safety management.
A fire broke out on the Daejeon-Dangjin Expressway on the 28th of last month, as a hydrogen transport vehicle belonging to SPG Hydrogen, a hydrogen producer, was delivering hydrogen from the SPG Daesan plant to the Daejeon Jaundae hydrogen charging station. Due to the quick action of the fire department, the fire caused a pillar of hydrogen fire in the hydrogen container loaded in the vehicle, but it was extinguished in about 30 minutes with no casualties.
The tire fire was caused by an abnormality in the vehicle’s brake system, not the fire caused by hydrogen, according to the Korea Gas Safety Corporation, which investigated the accident and received expert advice. The container safety device forcibly released hydrogen when the internal pressure of two out of ten hydrogen containers rose due to a vehicle fire, and it was determined that the released hydrogen ignited twice, forming a fire pillar.
With this accident as a springboard, the hydrogen transportation industry has pledged to conduct a more thorough safety audit of hydrogen transportation vehicles, including safety device performance checks, vehicle and container inspections in accordance with laws and regulations, and strict adherence to driver safety education. In addition, the relevant industry acknowledged the need for measures to improve the direction of the hydrogen outlet and strengthen the heat barrier for hydrogen containers as a result of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation’s investigation and expert advice, and announced that it would cooperate in institutionalizing it, such as developing safety standards.
