this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2025
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It does not leak like crazy. I know because I have experience engineering and operating high pressure electrolysis, storage, and fueling systems for hydrogen. Even when it does leak, what's nice about hydrogen is that it's not toxic to humans or pollutive to the environment, unlike ammonia or fossil fuels. Hydrogen leaks are easily mitigated with proven detection and ventilation techniques.
I thought hydrogen could leak through containers? On account of being so small?
Hydrogen will leak through a latex balloon, but it is not going to leak through the steel wall of a pressure vessel. The leak risk occurs at the various fitting connections in a hydrogen system, which is overcome by using the proper fittings.
instead of pouring it into your beer mug (or natural gas container) hoping it stays contained, you design a container that won't leak.
@CrimeDad @thedeadwalking4242 It leaks like crazy and it is a GHG 11x worse than CO2.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment/_data/file/1067144/atmospheric-implications-of-increased-hydrogen-use.pdf
The GHG "problem" of H2 is that it competes with methane for breakdown of methane in atmosphere. If we use/leak less methane, then problem solved.
That is an interesting article, but the authors are clear that they don't know what to expect for hydrogen leakage in a developed hydrogen economy. Sure, hydrogen might be a greenhouse gas, but you can't really compare it to carbon dioxide because that's a waste product that we actively dispose of to the atmosphere. You can't really compare it to methane either because it's naturally abundant and the LEL is much higher. Relatively leaky valves and fittings are unfortunately acceptable in natural gas service. In other words, hydrogen leakage is barely tolerable, so we have no choice but to employ technology and techniques to prevent it.