Hydrogen fuel station explodes in Norway
Investigations continue over the triggering of an explosion that shut down two highwaysA large explosion at a hydrogen fuel station in Scandinavia has cast a pall over the emerging zero-emissions fossil fuel alternative.
Used for filling the tanks of hydrogen fuel-cell EVs, the hydrogen filling station located in Sandvika, Norway exploded, resulting in a 500-metre safety zone around the site.
Although there were no reports of injuries due to the explosion (it was an unmanned fuel station), local police confirmed that two people were hospitalised due to injuries caused by car airbags triggered by the shock wave of the explosion.
Reports and photos from social media showed thick white smoke billowing from the Uno-X station in Norway.
Authorities closed two adjacent freeways as emergency services attempted to put out resultant fires.
Uno-X has closed all three of its hydrogen filling stations as a precautionary measure.
"I heard a big bang. We were on the beach at Henie Onstad Art Center just across the bay and heard a horrible bang. Then white smoke overturned from the station," Monica Lid told Norwegian news site NRK.no.
Another witness, Kathrine Andreassen, explained that her car began to shake.
"It was pretty hot. We saw three other cars on the road where the pressure from the explosion had triggered their airbag," she said.
As hydrogen fuel-cell advocates such as Toyota, Hyundai, Honda and Audi continue to spruik the zero-emissions technology, the events that led up to the explosion will be carefully dissected by all stakeholders.
The chief of Uno-X filling stations, Jens Haugland, told NRK it has experts helping authorities at the site of the explosion and fires.
"We as a business have a crisis and emergency plan for all serious incidents at our stations. We have specifically practiced on hydrogen scenarios, as a natural consequence of the routines we have.
"At the other two stations we have hydrogen in addition to gasoline and diesel. The hydro-lock part we have closed. That's because we don't know what has happened yet," Haugland said.
There are currently only a couple of private hydrogen filling stations in Australia but the first public fuel station will open in Canberra in late 2019.
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