Equipment with calibration is only marked with the symbol: (H2)

Why the Hydrogen Economy Needs a Smarter Explosion-Proof Standard

Current Ex-equipment ratings are costly, over-engineered, and holding back innovation. As the world transitions to hydrogen, we need a new, specific standard: (H2).

The Problem: A Standard Built for a Different Era

For decades, explosion-proof (Ex) equipment has been the cornerstone of safety in the oil and gas industry. Standards evolved from explosive gas subgroups IIA and IIB to include explosive gas subgroups IIC and IIB+H2 to handle the complex, highly volatile gases of advanced petrochemicals and hydrocracking.

This "catch-all" approach made sense. explosive gas subgroup IIC, for example, is the most restrictive category, designed to be safe for the most easily ignited gases, such as acetylene.

But here is the critical flaw: Hydrogen (H2) is also classified under explosive gas subgroup IIC.

This forces any equipment used in a hydrogen environment to be designed for the "worst-case" gas in that group (like acetylene), not for hydrogen itself. While both are highly explosive, their properties are different. This "one-size-fits-all" solution means equipment rated for explosive gas subgroup IIC is massively over-engineered for an environment containing only hydrogen.

The High Cost of Over-Engineering

Using a broad IIC or IIB+H2 rating where only H2 is present is not just inefficient - it's a major technical and economic barrier to the new hydrogen economy. This mismatch creates significant, tangible restrictions:

• Massive Cost Increases: Designing for the extreme parameters of all IIC gases requires more complex engineering, specialized materials, and rigorous testing, driving up capital expenditure.

• Excessive Mass & Size: The design constraints lead to equipment that is significantly larger and heavier. This complicates installation, requires more structural support, and makes modular or skid-based designs impractical.

• Severe Power Limitations: The need to contain a potential IIC-level explosion often forces manufacturers to limit the power of their equipment, creating a bottleneck for high-performance motors, processors, and control systems.

• A Barrier to Industry 4.0: The "smart factory" revolution runs on data. But the bulky, restrictive, and power-limited nature of current Ex-enclosures makes it incredibly difficult to deploy the advanced sensors, IoT devices, and edge computing needed for a truly digital operation.

The Solution: A Specific, Practical Standard - (H2)

As we move toward a global economy fueled by hydrogen, the explosive gas environment is changing. We will no longer be dealing with a complex "soup" of petrochemicals, but in many cases, a single, known gas: hydrogen.

Using an IIC-rated enclosure in a pure H2 environment is like wearing a deep-sea diving suit in a swimming pool. It's safe, but impractical, expensive, and limits what you can do.

We propose a new, dedicated classification under IECEx standards for equipment intended for use only in hydrogen environments.

This equipment would be marked with the symbol: (H2)

This simple change signifies that the equipment is certified as safe for the specific explosive properties of hydrogen—and nothing else.

Unlocking the Hydrogen Future

Adopting an (H2) standard is not just a minor technical adjustment; it is a fundamental enabler for the entire hydrogen industry.

Benefit and why it atters:

• Econommic Viability: Drastically reduces equipment CapEx and OpEx, making green hydrogen projects more competitive and scalable.

• Optimized Design: Allows for lighter, smaller, and more ergonomic equipment that is easier to install, maintain, and integrate.

• Increased Performance: Frees designs from unnecessary power limitations, paving the way for more powerful and efficient hydrogen compressors, electrolyzers, and fuel cells.

• Accelerated Innovation: Enables the full deployment of Industry 4.0 and 5.0. Smart sensors, high-speed data, and AI-driven process controls can finally enter the hazardous area.

It's Time to Build for the Future. The global transition to hydrogen fuel is happening now. We cannot build the energy infrastructure of tomorrow with the over-specified, impractical standards of yesterday. A dedicated (H2) standard is the logical, necessary step to make the hydrogen economy safe, scalable, and smart.

HYDITEX CORPORATION offers design or modernization services for explosion-proof equipment for hydrogen environments only. If necessary, we apply our advanced inventions in this field of protection against explosive effects, in particular to limit the impact of an explosion of a hydrogen-air atmospheres in flameproof enclosures "d". This will significantly reduce the need for unplanned equipment repairs.