Hydrogen is undoubtely the most talked-about carbon-free energy vector. However, policymakers and citizens that are supporting
hydrogen large scale penetration in the energy sector should not only be aware of the evident benefits but even of potential safety
and climatic risks driven by a long term hydrogen-based economy. HYDRA will start from the evaluation of policies and directives on
hydrogen technologies to derive the actual penetration rate of H2 in the market, and evaluate atmospheric emissions of hydrogen
and other gases linked to production processes or leakages. The project will then model socio-economic and energy scenarios,
considering land use and water consumption, due to the deployment of a hydrogen economy. The possible impact on the
atmosphere will be assessed, considering the interaction of H2 with the oxidizing cycles of CH4, CO, N2O, and O3, and the possible
increase in water vapor concentrations, finally estimating the overall radiative forcing. HYDRA will also assess the possible
contribution of soil in removing H2 from the atmosphere. Climatic projections will simulate possible climate change scenarios caused
by the hydrogen economy, to which HYDRA will respond proposing guidlines and mitigation actions. Finally, since hydrogen-air
mixes are highly imflammable and H2 leakages can represent a serious safety issue along the whole value chain, HYDRA will develop
a remote-control monitoring tool. HYDRA solution will detect and quantify hydrogen leakages to increase the saefty of hydrogenbased
technologies and prevent unecessary emissions to the atmosphere. The monitoring system will also able to detect emissions of
other gases, so that also possible impurities can be taken into account. The monitoring tool will be tested in a facility where a large
scale H2 storage infrastructure will be available. Experimental and modeling activities will also be useful to update the LCA
methodology in assessing the environmental impact of hydrogen technologies.