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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion at a power generator

Event

Event ID
602
Quality
Description

An error in taking turbine generator off-line resulted in the destruction of the turbine and the release of hydrogen coolant, followed by ignition and explosion.

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
H2 coolant system
Failure mode
rupture & ignition
Initiating cause
material degradation (vibrations)
Root causes
Unknown
Date entry in HIAD
28/01/2026

Facility

Application
Power plant
Sub-application
unspecified power plant
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Process temperature range [C]
Above ambient temperature (50°C to 100°C)
Location type
Confined
Location
unknown
Operational condition

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
20.000.000

In-depth data

Release temperature [°C]
25
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)