IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v214y2025ics1364032125001820.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A comprehensive review of hydrogen safety through a metadata analysis framework

Author

Listed:
  • Kumar, Laveet
  • Sleiti, Ahmad K.

Abstract

Hydrogen is widely recognized as a promising clean energy carrier, but its highly flammable and explosive nature presents significant safety challenges in its production, storage, transportation, and usage. Addressing these challenges is critical for the successful integration of hydrogen into global energy systems, aligning with the United Nations' sustainable development goals, to support the transition to a low-carbon future. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of hydrogen safety through a metadata analysis framework, focusing on risks, challenges, mitigation strategies, and regulations for safe handling. Previous reviews have largely addressed general hydrogen safety concerns, but none have systematically evaluated the issue from a data-driven perspective. This review fills that gap by analyzing research trends, root causes of hydrogen's unsafe handling such as its low molecular density, broad flammability range, and high permeability, and exploring solutions such as chemical additives and gaseous inhibitors to improve safety. Utilizing bibliometric techniques and scientific mapping tools, this study synthesizes extensive research spanning from 2000 to 2024, visualizing the evolution of hydrogen safety research and identifying critical areas for future inquiry. The findings contribute valuable insights into the safe deployment of hydrogen technologies, offering recommendations for future research and regulatory advancements to mitigate risks and ensure hydrogen's role in a sustainable energy future.

Suggested Citation

  • Kumar, Laveet & Sleiti, Ahmad K., 2025. "A comprehensive review of hydrogen safety through a metadata analysis framework," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:214:y:2025:i:c:s1364032125001820
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115509
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032125001820
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2025.115509?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aria, Massimo & Cuccurullo, Corrado, 2017. "bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 959-975.
    2. Devinder Mahajan & Kun Tan & T. Venkatesh & Pradheep Kileti & Clive R. Clayton, 2022. "Hydrogen Blending in Gas Pipeline Networks—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-32, May.
    3. Kumar, Laveet & Sleiti, Ahmad K., 2024. "Systematic review on ammonia as a sustainable fuel for combustion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    4. Joongoo Jeon & Sung Joong Kim, 2020. "Recent Progress in Hydrogen Flammability Prediction for the Safe Energy Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-44, November.
    5. Utgikar, Vivek P. & Thiesen, Todd, 2005. "Safety of compressed hydrogen fuel tanks: Leakage from stationary vehicles," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 315-320.
    6. Hanley, Emma S. & Deane, JP & Gallachóir, BP Ó, 2018. "The role of hydrogen in low carbon energy futures–A review of existing perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3027-3045.
    7. Muhammad Aziz, 2021. "Liquid Hydrogen: A Review on Liquefaction, Storage, Transportation, and Safety," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-29, September.
    8. Ali Ekhtiari & Damian Flynn & Eoin Syron, 2020. "Investigation of the Multi-Point Injection of Green Hydrogen from Curtailed Renewable Power into a Gas Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-21, November.
    9. Zhang, Tongtong & Uratani, Joao & Huang, Yixuan & Xu, Lejin & Griffiths, Steve & Ding, Yulong, 2023. "Hydrogen liquefaction and storage: Recent progress and perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    10. Marcella Calabrese & Maria Portarapillo & Alessandra Di Nardo & Virginia Venezia & Maria Turco & Giuseppina Luciani & Almerinda Di Benedetto, 2024. "Hydrogen Safety Challenges: A Comprehensive Review on Production, Storage, Transport, Utilization, and CFD-Based Consequence and Risk Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-26, March.
    11. Andrea Diem & Stefan C. Wolter, 2011. "The Use of Bibliometrics to Measure Research Performance in Education Sciences," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0066, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW), revised May 2013.
    12. Iren A. Makaryan & Igor V. Sedov & Eugene A. Salgansky & Artem V. Arutyunov & Vladimir S. Arutyunov, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review on the Prospects of Using Hydrogen–Methane Blends: Challenges and Opportunities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-27, March.
    13. Lv, Hong & Shen, Yahao & Zheng, Tao & Zhou, Wei & Ming, Pingwen & Zhang, Cunman, 2023. "Numerical study of hydrogen leakage, diffusion, and combustion in an outdoor parking space under different parking configurations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    14. Jacek Jaworski & Paweł Kułaga & Tomasz Blacharski, 2020. "Study of the Effect of Addition of Hydrogen to Natural Gas on Diaphragm Gas Meters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, June.
    15. Mazloomi, Kaveh & Gomes, Chandima, 2012. "Hydrogen as an energy carrier: Prospects and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 3024-3033.
    16. Rodríguez-Soler, Rocío & Uribe-Toril, Juan & De Pablo Valenciano, Jaime, 2020. "Worldwide trends in the scientific production on rural depopulation, a bibliometric analysis using bibliometrix R-tool," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Philip Y. L. Wong & Kinson C. C. Lo & Joseph H. K. Lai & Tiffany T. Y. Wong, 2025. "Proactive Regulation for Hydrogen Supply Chains: Enhancing Logistics Frameworks in Australia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-25, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kumar, Laveet & Sleiti, Ahmad K., 2024. "Systematic review on ammonia as a sustainable fuel for combustion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    2. Shuangqing Sheng & Wei Song & Hua Lian & Lei Ning, 2022. "Review of Urban Land Management Based on Bibliometrics," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-25, November.
    3. Ju-Yeol Ryu & Sungho Park & Changhyeong Lee & Seonghyeon Hwang & Jongwoong Lim, 2023. "Techno-Economic Analysis of Hydrogen–Natural Gas Blended Fuels for 400 MW Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCPPs)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Zhang, Rui & Cao, Xuewen & Zhang, Xingwang & Yang, Jian & Bian, Jiang, 2024. "Co-benefits of the liquid hydrogen economy and LNG economy: Advances in LNG integrating LH2 production processes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    5. Im, Jingyeong & Kwon, Taeho & Lee, Seungho & Kim, Donghan & Cho, Hyungtae & Won, Wangyun & Gu, Boram, 2025. "Unveiling the impact of internal structure on boil-off gas generation in moving liquid hydrogen (LH2) transport trailer," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    6. Zubi, Ghassan & Kuhn, Maximilian & Makridis, Sofoklis & Coutinho, Savio & Dorasamy, Stanley, 2025. "Aviation sector decarbonization within the hydrogen economy – A UAE case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    7. Cao, Qiang & Chen, Yuji & Wang, Zhiping & Wang, Miaomiao & Wang, Pengcheng & Ge, Lichun & Li, Peng & Zhao, Qinyu & Wang, Bo & Gan, Zhihua, 2025. "Improving the cooling efficiency of cryo-compressed hydrogen based on the temperature-distributed method in regenerative refrigerators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    8. Qiao, Yan & Jiang, Wenquan & Li, Yang & Dong, Xiaoxiao & Yang, Fan, 2024. "Design and analysis of steam methane reforming hydrogen liquefaction and waste heat recovery system based on liquefied natural gas cold energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    9. Lingjie Tang & Chang’an Zhang, 2023. "Global Research on International Students’ Intercultural Adaptation in a Foreign Context: A Visualized Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Landscape," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    10. Büşra Ayan & Elif Güner & Semen Son-Turan, 2022. "Blockchain Technology and Sustainability in Supply Chains and a Closer Look at Different Industries: A Mixed Method Approach," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-39, December.
    11. Giulio Fusco, 2021. "Twenty Years of Common Agricultural Policy in Europe: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-15, September.
    12. Huichen Gao & Shijuan Wang, 2022. "The Intellectual Structure of Research on Rural-to-Urban Migrants: A Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-19, August.
    13. Bo Liu & Wei Song & Qian Sun, 2022. "Status, Trend, and Prospect of Global Farmland Abandonment Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-30, November.
    14. Wu, Tianzhao & Xiao, Fei, 2025. "Aluminum composites for rapid green hydrogen generation and their reaction rate enhancement mechanisms," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    15. Yue, Meiling & Lambert, Hugo & Pahon, Elodie & Roche, Robin & Jemei, Samir & Hissel, Daniel, 2021. "Hydrogen energy systems: A critical review of technologies, applications, trends and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    16. Zhang, Tongtong & Uratani, Joao & Huang, Yixuan & Xu, Lejin & Griffiths, Steve & Ding, Yulong, 2023. "Hydrogen liquefaction and storage: Recent progress and perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    17. Yaïci, Wahiba & Longo, Michela, 2025. "Performance analysis of domestic boilers fuelled with hydrogen-enriched natural gas blends and pure hydrogen," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    18. Kayikci, Yasanur & Ali, Md. Ramjan & Khan, Sharfuddin Ahmed & Ikpehai, Augustine, 2025. "Examining dynamics of hydrogen supply chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    19. Moaaz Kabil & Setiawan Priatmoko & Róbert Magda & Lóránt Dénes Dávid, 2021. "Blue Economy and Coastal Tourism: A Comprehensive Visualization Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-25, March.
    20. Chen, Shuhang & Qiu, Changxu & Shen, Yunwei & Tao, Xuan & Gan, Zhihua, 2024. "Thermodynamic and economic analysis of new coupling processes with large-scale hydrogen liquefaction process and liquid air energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:214:y:2025:i:c:s1364032125001820. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.