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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion in an ammonia plant

Event

Event ID
610
Quality
Description

Hydrogen embrittlement caused a fracture in a weld, from which hydrogen was released.

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
pipe (weld)
Failure mode
leak & ignition
Initiating cause
H2-driven material degradation
Root causes
Unknown
Date entry in HIAD
28/01/2026

Facility

Application
Chemical industry
Sub-application
Ammonia production
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Location type
Open
Location
unknown
Operational condition
UNKNOWN

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
3.250.000

In-depth data

Probable IGNITION SOURCE
Explosion type

References

Sources categories
Zalosh
Reference & weblink

Table II - Industrial Incidetns 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)