5.1.2 Step 2 - EU Directives

The equipment used in the installation must comply with the essential health and safety requirements of all applicable EU Directives.  Compliance confirmed by the CE marking for each applicable Directive (see 3.3, 3.5 and Appendix A4).

For a hydrogen fuel cell installation the applicable Directives are:

ATEX Equipment Directive  Applies to any equipment (electrical or non-electrical) or protective system designed, manufactured or sold for use in a potentially explosive atmosphere.

Pressure Equipment Directive (PED)  Applies to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment with a maximum allowable pressure greater than 0.5 bar above atmospheric over the temperature range it is designed for.

Low Voltage Directive (LVD)  Applies to electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of between 50 and 1,000 V for AC and between 75 and 1,500 V for DC.

Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC)  Applies to commercially available equipment, or combinations of equipment made into a single unit, intended for an end user and liable to generate electromagnetic disturbance, or the performance of which is liable to be affected by such disturbance.

Gas Appliances Directive (GAD)  Applies to appliances burning gaseous fuels used for cooking, heating, hot water production, refrigeration, lighting or washing and having, where applicable, a normal water temperature not exceeding 105oC.  This is not applicable to fuel cells as no fuel is burnt, but the Directive also covers such components as safety, regulating and controlling devices which may fitted in the gas side of a fuel cell or a reformation unit for generating hydrogen.

Machinery Directive  Applies to machinery, interchangeable equipment, safety components, lifting accessories, chains, ropes and webbing, removable mechanical transmission devices and partly completed machinery.  This would not apply to the fuel cell installation itself, but may apply to associated equipment required for operating the installation, e.g. a hoist for lifting gas cylinders.

Prototype equipment does not need to comply with EU Directives and be CE marked. Nonetheless it is recommended that the general principles of the essential health and safety requirements are taken into account in the design of a prototype installation.