(Oslo, June 17, 2019) Nel ASA (Nel, OSE:NEL) announces new findings from safety consultancy Gexcon regarding the incident at the Kjørbo hydrogen station on June 10, 2019.
The preliminary Gexcon investigation shows that the incident started with a hydrogen leakage from the high-pressure storage unit and that a ‘cloud’ of hydrogen ignited. The investigations continue in order to identify the root cause of the leak as well as the source of the ignition.
“Based on further investigations, we can say with certainty that the leak started in the high-pressure storage unit, and we are now carrying out investigations to understand the detailed mechanisms of the leakage as well as what caused the ignition,” says Geirmund Vislie, Vice President Consulting of Gexcon.
Together with the authorities, Nel and Gexcon are conducting an off-site examination of the high-pressure storage unit, which comprises of both tanks and components from third-party suppliers and various components designed by Nel. Various tests and analysis have been initiated and will continue until the parties have a clear understanding of exactly where and how the leak started. Further investigations and data simulations will also look into the source of the ignition.
The low-pressure steel and composite storages were neither the source of the leak, nor the source of the ignition. No tanks ruptured in the incident.
Please see attached illustration of the site, including the highlighted high-pressure storage, which is now the main focus of the investigation.
“We can now conclude that Nel’s core technologies were not the source of the leakage. However, we are still searching for what ignited the hydrogen. We are grateful for all the parties that are working hard day and night to uncover the root cause of the incident, and are happy to see that good progress is being made,” says Jon André Løkke, CEO of Nel.
Nel has published a dedicated status update and Q&A site to address the incident at the Kjørbo hydrogen station. The site can be accessed on www.nelhydrogen.com, and will updated as new information becomes available.
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For additional information, please contact:
Bjørn Simonsen, VP IR & CC | bjorn.simonsen(at)nelhydrogen.com
About Nel ASA | www.nelhydrogen.com
Nel is a global, dedicated hydrogen company, delivering optimal solutions to produce, store and distribute hydrogen from renewable energy. We serve industries, energy and gas companies with leading hydrogen technology. Since its origins in 1927, Nel has a proud history of development and continual improvement of hydrogen plants. Our hydrogen solutions cover the entire value chain from hydrogen production technologies to manufacturing of hydrogen fueling stations, providing all fuel cell electric vehicles with the same fast fueling and long range as conventional vehicles today.
