Event
- Event ID
- 187
- Quality
- Description
In an electricity production plant, hydrogen leaked from a tank supplying the coolant to the generator. The leaked hydrogen iognited and formed a fireball. Possible involvement of sealing oil not confirmed by all sources.
The explosion was in the turbine-generator unit of one of the electric units (800MW each). Only damage to the unit.- 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
- joint/connection (generic)
- Failure mode
- leak & ignition
- Initiating cause
- unknown
- Root CAUSE analysis
The only information provided by the sources on the cause, is that it seems to be a mechanical mishap of the turbine. Not enough to attribute a root cause.
- Root causes
- Unknown
- Date entry in HIAD
- 01/01/2021
Facility
- Application
- Power plant
- Sub-application
- coal-fired power plant
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
turbine, tank
- Process temperature range [C]
- ambient temperature (-50°C to +50°C)
- Location type
- Confined
- Location
- industrial area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Post-event summary
only damage to one of the 4 turbine-generator units.
- Emergency action
Tens of firemen intervene. The situation was under control within one hour. The 60 workers at the plant at the time were not evacuated from the building.
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Release temperature [°C]
- 25
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
- Explosion type
References
- Sources categories
- ARIA
- Reference & weblink
Event no. 23111 of the French databae ARIA
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/23111/
(accessed May 2026)Herald Tribue news of 10/09/2002
https://eu.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/09/10/turbine-explosion-ca…
(accessed May 2026)
