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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Fire at a generator of a power plant

Event

Event ID
256
Quality
Description

A hydrogen leak occurred on the a coolant pipe of an electrical generator located in the turbine building, at 200 m from the reactor. Because of the welding works ongoing at that moment on the pipe, the hydrogen ignited and an explosion and a fire followed the leak, with one fatality and a severe injury. The fire brigade of the plant were able to extinguish the fire.
There has not been any radioactive release, because the accident occurred in the non-nuclear area of the plant.
According to the source (ARIA) the investigation attributed to a human error the cause of the incident.

Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Macro-region
Europe
Country
Ukraine
Date
Component involved
H2 coolant system
Failure mode
leak & ignition
Initiating cause
unknown
Root CAUSE analysis

Soldering work was ongoing on the pipe when the incident occurred. Authorities pointed out a human error. However, with the scarce information available, the cause could be equally well be attributed to wrong (maintenance, purge) procedures.

Root causes
Date entry in HIAD
28/02/2009

Facility

Application
Power plant
Sub-application
Nuclear power plant
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected

cooling system, turbine-compressor unit, turbine bulding

Process temperature range [C]
Above ambient temperature (50°C to 100°C)
Location type
Confined
Location
industrial area
Operational condition
Pre-event occurrences

The nuclear reactor was stopped and under maintenance. Soldering work was ongoing on the affected pipe.

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
1
Number of injured persons
2
Post-event summary

There has not been any radioactive release, because the accident occurred in the non-nuclear area of the plant.

Emergency action

Plant staff extinguished the fire rapidly

Lesson Learnt

Lesson Learnt

The ARIA report does not mention any lesson learnt, only the probable classification of the accident to a human error. The event description does not provide enough details to draw specific conclusion. Nevertheless, soldering/welding a hydrogen-containing component requires always the preliminary evacuation of the hydrogen, what does not seems that has happened in this case.
In alternative to a human error, this event could also hint at lack of adequate procedures, their or inadequate communication.

In-depth data

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Release temperature [°C]
25
Probable IGNITION SOURCE
Explosion type
Deflagration

References

Sources categories
ARIA
Reference & weblink

Event description in the French database ARIA
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/4501/
(accessed December 2020)