Analyses on guidelines of reliability-centered maintenance and the challenges in applying for green hydrogen technologies

Green hydrogen offers a promising pathway for reducing carbon emissions and renewable energy integration. However, its production via water electrolysis faces major reliability, safety, and cost challenges, which are identified by sudden failures of components, associated repair, and maintenance expenses as well as unexpected operational downtime. To improve reliability and safety of hydrogen systems, planned maintenance is critical in mitigating performance degradation, extending lifespan and reducing economic loss. Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) offers a structured approach to optimally integrate corrective and preventive maintenance strategies, aiming to enhance reliability and ensure cost-effective operation. The maintenance task selection decision logic is the noble feature of RCM analysis which varies in different standards and guidelines. Therefore, this study explores the application of maintenance task selection logic step embedded in RCM framework for green hydrogen technologies, with particular interest in electrolyzers by reviewing available standards and guidelines. Besides, this study sheds light on the challenges of applying the existing task selection logic and discusses initiatives from managerial perspective to customize the current RCM to be applied in green hydrogen sector.

Keywords: Green hydrogen, electrolyzer, reliability centered maintenance, preventive maintenance, reliability.