HYDROGEN
Filtration’s role in industrial hydrogen operational resilience
Wolfgang Bongartz, global product manager Industrial Gases at Donaldson, looks into why efficient filtration solutions are essential for the production of green hydrogen
W
hile green hydrogen has an important role to play in tackling the climate crisis, its
production requires extremely high purity levels as even minor contamination can directly impact system performance and efficiency. This means that reliable and efficient filtration solutions, incorporating advanced technologies, are the key to developing viable, large-scale facilities to take the power source further into the mainstream.
X-HEAD One of the most important steps in producing green hydrogen is removing the oxygen from the input gas to isolate the hydrogen. Deoxidisers are the specialised components designed for this purpose, and it is therefore crucial to ensure this aspect of production harnesses the best available technology. In addition to using a high-quality deoxidiser, hydrogen producers should also pay close attention to the heat-regenerated adsorption dryers used in the purification process. These units can filter and dry highly humid gas while helping prevent the unwanted consumption of hydrogen or purge gases during the process, minimising waste. For hydrogen producers, this could translate to low operating costs as well as simplified maintenance. Industrial hydrogen deployments often take place in hazardous or regulated zones where operational resilience is paramount. For example, moisture ingress combined with pressure fluctuations can accelerate seal degradation, increasing leak probability and ignition risk in confined or ATEX-classified areas.
WHY IS FILTRATION NEEDED? While much attention in the industry is given to the storage and distribution of hydrogen, alongside associated safety protocols, the role of filtration is often under appreciated. Hydrogen filtration is vital to providing system uptime, as well as supporting compliance and safety. The mitigation of explosion risk afforded by appropriate and well-maintained system filtration are important considerations
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as hydrogen transitions from niche to mainstream; therefore, a comprehensive risk analysis performed is recommended. Hydrogen systems, especially those in high- pressure or corrosive environments, require filtration solutions that can handle specific challenges such as:
• Material compatibility with H2 and other gases (e.g., HCl, CO2 traces)
• High-pressure resistance and ATEX compliance • Purity control to help protect sensitive downstream components. Without effective filtration, contaminants
like particulates, moisture or lubricants can compromise instrumentation, reduce system efficiency and lead to unexpected downtime. In hazardous zones, these failures can disrupt operations. While each specific application will have slightly different requirements for effective hydrogen filtration, generally speaking, proper filtration between any transitions or transport can provide multiple benefits for an industrial process, including fire/explosion mitigation. As hydrogen scales into more diverse and
decentralised industrial uses, all sectors must focus on balancing system performance with operational risks, especially for installations that rely on intermittent operation or remote access constraints. However, in this innovative and fast- moving sector, many appropriate hydrogen-specific standards do not yet exist or are still under development for new applications, making proactive risk analysis, mitigation and due diligence vital. While standards are evolving, filtration engineers can work with operators on options to support extending asset life. Plant engineers can work together with experienced filtration partners to help design filtration systems to handle hazardous elements, including hydrogen.
FILTRATION SYSTEM ENERGY EFFICIENCY Efficient filtration plays a key role not only in optimising hydrogen purity and system reliability,
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Summer 2026
but also in improving overall energy efficiency. Poor gas quality, including moisture, particles or oil contamination, can increase pressure drop, reduce heat transfer efficiency and accelerate wear of critical components such as compressors, valves and catalysts. This can result in high energy consumption and frequent maintenance cycles. By contrast, high-performance filtration and drying systems are designed to help maintain stable operating conditions, minimise pressure losses and protect downstream equipment, supporting optimal efficiency points. In hydrogen production, particularly in electrolysis systems operating under intermittent renewable energy input, maintaining consistent gas quality is essential to avoid energy-intensive restarts and process inefficiencies. Advanced filtration solutions can support your efforts to maintain low operational energy demand, supporting both cost efficiency and sustainability objectives.
LONG-TERM RELIABILITY Effective filtration of industrial hydrogen can help mitigate explosion and fire risks by removing moisture, particulates and oxygen, and preserving hydrogen purity essential for system integrity. By helping prevent contamination- induced failures, such as leak-triggered ignition or catalyst poisoning in fuel cells, robust filters support operational continuity and provide numerous other benefits. Effective filtration will therefore be increasingly recognised as a vital supporting element to help mitigate risk and to provide a foundation of reliable and energy-efficient hydrogen generation and use. Filtration suppliers can support plant engineers’ efforts to design systems that combine material compatibility, purity control and long-term reliability in hazardous hydrogen environments.
Donaldson
www.donaldson.com
www.essmag.co.uk
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