Event
- Event ID
- 1252
- Quality
- Description
The driver of a hydrogen tube trailer stopped for a rest break and heard an audible leak from the composite tubes module mounted on the trailer.
Local Fire department, local emergency services and the police responded. They established an 800-ft (250 m) evacuation area for several hours.
A technician of the shipping company responded and inspected on scene. The leak ceased without ignition (unclear if stopped by itself, or because of a manual intervantion).
Later, the unit was returned to shipping company's facility, where it was emptied, inspected by tubes manufacturer and later sent to manufacturer plant for repair.- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Unignited Hydrogen Release
- Nature of the consequences
- leak no ignition
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- Component involved
- joint/connection (neck)
- Failure mode
- leak, no ignition
- Initiating cause
- unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown
- Date entry in HIAD
- 30/12/2025
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen transport and distribution
- Sub-application
- CGH2 tube trailer
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- Process temperature range [C]
- ambient temperature (-50°C to +50°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- medium to high pressure (10 to 50 MPa)
- Location type
- Open
- Location
- populated area
- Operational condition
- Pre-event occurrences
The PHMSA reports that the starting point of the journey was a metal component manufacturer, the destination was a hydrogen producer. Based on this, it appears that the trip was probably a return trip. However, the trailer was still transporting more than half of the nominal capacity. If the starting and the arriving points would be swapped, the trip would make more sense.
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
Trailer technical specification (in SI):
Nominal pressure = 275 bar
Total capacity = 1,156 kg
Configuration = 8 tubes, organised in 2x2 plus 2x2 arraysFor one single tube:
Nominal content of one tube= 135 kg
Content in one tube before leak = 87 kg
Content in one tube after leak = 66 kg
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Post-event summary
A limited amount og hydrogen was lost.
Lesson Learnt
- Corrective Measures
According to PHMSA report, pending manufacturer’s findings, the hydrogen supplier will:
(1) maintain clear en-route leak-response protocols;
(2) evaluate a brief post-pickup observation and targeted leak check where practical;
(3) review the pre-trip checklist to capture pressure/valve status and consider a first-stop pressure confirmation;
(4) coordinate with the tanks manufacturer on any inspection and apply recommended checks as appropriate;
(5) submit a supplemental PHMSA incident form if the final inspection identifies a specific failure/cause or changes the reported facts.
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Released amount (kg)
- 21
- Release temperature [°C]
- 25
- Release pressure [MPa]
- 27.5
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- PHMSA
- Reference & weblink
Incident I-2025100048 of the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration PHMSA:
https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/analytics/saw.dll?Portalpages&PortalPath=%…
(accessed September 2024)My Wabash Valley news
https://www.mywabashvalley.com/news/local-news/breaking-hydrogen-leak-i…
(accessed December 2025)WCIA news on Youtube.com
https://www.google.com/search?q=2025%2C+September+5%2C+hydrogen+trailer…
(accessed December 2025)