The Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS)— a technical community within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and a global organization dedicated to the safe advancement of hydrogen as a next-generation fuel — has announced a partnership with energy giant bp, which has joined the CHS board of directors to demonstrate its commitment to energy transition safety.
“We are excited to have bp as an executive member of CHS,” said Nick Barilo, Executive Director of the CHS. “bp has the vision to appreciate hydrogen’s major role in transforming the world’s energy portfolio and to recognize the significance that safety has in enabling this achievement.”
CHS was founded in 2019 and is dedicated to advancing hydrogen safety globally. The organization is assisting the hydrogen community in rapidly scaling up to meet a quarter of the world’s energy demands by 2050. In its first 26 months, the CHS membership has grown to 66 organizations and 12 strategic partners.
bp aspires to be a net-zero corporation by 2050 or sooner, and to assist the globe in achieving net-zero status. The integrated energy corporation revealed a strategy last year to transform its business as it decarbonizes and diversifies its energy sources, including renewables, biofuels, and hydrogen. By 2030, the company intends to have a 10% market share in core hydrogen markets.
“Our commitment to investing in the clean hydrogen means taking a leadership role in hydrogen safety,” said Louise Jacobsen Plutt, bp’s Senior Vice-President for Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). “CHS is a global leader in providing expertise, training and other critical safety resources in the hydrogen space.”
The CHS purpose is accomplished by the provision of critical resources to its members, as well as access to its renowned and trusted Hydrogen Safety Panel. The chosen panel is comprised of hydrogen industry experts who have reviewed over 500 projects and authored 140 pages of online best practices and thorough safety instructions. Additionally, CHS members receive access to conferences and working groups, as well as safety recommendations, training and seminars, and a global platform for addressing emergent concerns and implementing innovative technical solutions.
Safety training courses deployed by CHS have been utilized globally by over 10,000 first responders. “This year, we are developing an addition nine critical hydrogen safety courses along with a credential to facilitate safe operations and workforce development. Plans are also being developed to add six more courses next year and begin translation work for three additional languages,” said Barilo.
