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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion at the off-gas system of a nuclear power plant

Event

Event ID
643
Quality
Description

The dilution fan was blocked by formation of ice, causing high hydrogen concentration, which ignited and exploded, demolishing filter house.

Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Macro-region
North America
Country
United States
Date
Component involved
off-gas system (filter)
Failure mode
internal explosion
Initiating cause
ice formation
Root causes
Unknown
Date entry in HIAD
28/01/2026

Facility

Application
Power plant
Sub-application
Nuclear power plant - BWR
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Location type
Confined
Location
industrial area
Operational condition
UNKNOWN

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0
Currency
US$

In-depth data

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Probable IGNITION SOURCE
Explosion type

References

Sources categories
Zalosh
Reference & weblink

Table II - Industrial Incidents of Appendix A of Zalosh and Short
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN FIRE AND EXPLOSION INCIDENTS
Quarterly Report No. 2 for Period December 1, 1977 - February 28, 1978
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6566131
(accessed September 2020)