Hydrogen project safety and readiness services
Clean hydrogen projects face unique risks that traditional oil and gas approaches do not fully address. Hydrogen’s wide flammability range (4-75% in air), low ignition energy, and invisible flame behavior require specialized safety frameworks from design through startup. Fidelis provides that capability through embedded project support grounded in real work at ACES Delta and strengthened by membership in the Center for Hydrogen Safety.
In 2025 we supported the world’s largest hydrogen electrolysis and storage facility, ACES Delta in Utah. Later that year we became a member of the Center for Hydrogen Safety.
Kelli Whiteneck
Vice President
Center for Hydrogen Safety member
Fidelis Associates is a proud member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Center for Hydrogen Safety. CHS membership ensures our teams stay current with evolving hydrogen safety standards, incident learnings, and industry-wide best practices for safe deployment of hydrogen systems.
Hydrogen Project Readiness Index
Know where you’re exposed. Before your stakeholders do.
HPRI is the industry’s only hydrogen-specific project readiness assessment platform. Built for project teams who need to identify gaps, defend their safety basis, and hit gates on time — HPRI evaluates readiness across 10 critical domains using 250 structured questions with dual-scale scoring to give you a clear, evidence-based view of where you stand.
H2 Energy Community
Connecting the hydrogen community.
A central hub for hydrogen industry professionals to stay informed, get connected, and accelerate the hydrogen economy. Access curated industry news, upcoming events, technical resources, a business directory, and community forums — all in one place.
Unlike firms that focus only on technology or only on procedures, we sit at the intersection of design, safety, and execution. We work beside your teams — EPC, owner, and operator — to make sure hydrogen projects are not only built, but ready to run: safely, compliantly, and on schedule.
What we do on hydrogen projects
We design for hydrogen’s realities
Hydrogen is not just another fuel. Its flammability range, leak behavior, and low ignition energy require different assumptions for spacing, safeguards, and materials. We help teams turn those properties into practical design decisions on P&IDs, layouts, operating envelopes, and protective systems so the final design reflects real hydrogen behavior, not generic gas assumptions.
We strengthen process safety and PSM
Hydrogen projects need a strong process safety backbone. We reinforce PHA and LOPA follow-through, procedure completeness, MOC discipline, and emergency response alignment, supported by documentation that meets internal, owner, and regulatory expectations. Our focus is operational clarity: ownership of critical procedures, control-room authority, and alignment across all parties.
We guide commissioning and startup
Commissioning and startup are where hydrogen projects transition from design to live operation. We support CSU leaders with readiness checks, sequencing, SIMOPS coordination, and day-to-day decision support as systems energize. We maintain alignment between construction, vendors, and operators while reinforcing safety expectations, leak-response requirements, and schedule discipline.
We align stakeholders and governance
Hydrogen assets often involve an EPC, the future operator, and the owner, each with overlapping authority. We define ownership for PSSR, permit-to-work systems, SIS overrides, document control, and operations readiness so nothing falls between parties. This structure reduces friction, prevents gaps, and ensures the asset is prepared to run safely and reliably.
How Fidelis supports hydrogen projects
Operational Readiness & PSM Review
We review existing PSM elements, ORR findings, CSU plans, and operating procedures to identify gaps that could impact safety, compliance, or schedule. Then we help your team prioritize and close those gaps before hydrogen is introduced so readiness is real, not assumed.
PSSR Facilitation & Procedure Ownership
We support or lead Pre-Startup Safety Reviews to confirm that systems, documentation, and safeguards are complete, accurate, and truly ready. In multi-party environments, we clarify ownership and ensure procedures are controlled, current, and fit for how the plant will actually run.
Commissioning, Startup & SIMOPS Support
We provide CSU support in the field — planning sequences, integrating vendor activities, coordinating SIMOPS, and guiding execution as systems are energized. We reinforce permit-to-work discipline, isolation practices, and leak response expectations so startup stays safe and controlled.
Technical Reviews & Engineering Support
We perform practical technical reviews of electrolyzer and separator systems, safety instrumented functions, venting and relief schemes, tagging and interlocks, and control room governance — working with your engineering team to resolve issues before they become startup problems.
Example outcomes from hydrogen engagements
ACES Delta — World’s Largest Green Hydrogen Hub
Fidelis supported the world’s largest green hydrogen electrolysis and storage facility in Delta, Utah. Scope included operations readiness review, PSSR ownership clarification across EPC and owner teams, CSU and SIMOPS improvements, document-control structure, and development of hydrogen-specific leak detection, occupancy, and safety policies.
Hydrogen Safety Program Development
Guidance on hydrogen-specific risk controls including materials selection, venting strategy, leak detection, ignition control, and emergency response requirements. We integrate these controls into existing site safety programs so expectations are consistent and enforceable across all operating scenarios.
Operator & CSU Team Readiness
Development and alignment of procedures, training content, and qualification paths so teams are prepared to operate live hydrogen systems safely and confidently. This includes startup sequencing, abnormal response expectations, and role clarity across operations and maintenance functions.
Why companies choose Fidelis for hydrogen
- We bring real execution experience from the world’s largest green hydrogen facility (ACES Delta), not just conceptual guidance.
- As a Center for Hydrogen Safety member, our teams stay current with evolving hydrogen safety standards and incident learnings.
- Our support across PSM, PSSR, and CSU is designed to meet internal standards, owner expectations, and regulatory scrutiny.
- We collaborate across EPCs, owners, and operators to clarify roles, prevent gaps, and keep execution aligned throughout the project.
- We apply a disciplined, reliability-focused approach proven in oil, gas, and chemicals — adapted specifically for hydrogen’s unique properties.
Result
Fidelis Associates served as a key partner during HF Sinclair improvement journey.
“I had the opportunity to work closely with Tim Weber during a critical phase of developing and aligning our site’s maintenance and planning processes at HF Sinclair. Tim brought a level of clarity and professionalism that immediately elevated the conversation. He provided more than just frameworks or recommendations; his coaching and collaborative style helped the entire team step up.
Tim has a unique ability to cut through complexity, ask the right questions, and guide people toward practical, lasting solutions. He was instrumental in helping us align cross-functionally and sharpen our planning processes, with a strong focus on accountability, ownership, and results.
He doesn’t just consult. He coaches. He listens, challenges, and brings a presence that motivates people to improve. Tim was a key partner during our improvement journey, and his impact is still reflected in how we approach maintenance execution today.
I would gladly work with Fidelis Associates again and highly recommend them to any organization looking to strengthen leadership alignment, improve systems, and drive real operational performance.”
Jeff Randich
Maintenance Manager at HF Sinclair
Result
Fidelis embedded with our team and helped us close critical readiness gaps before startup.
“Fidelis brought a structured approach to our operational readiness that we couldn’t achieve internally. Their team didn’t just assess our gaps — they embedded with our people and helped us close them before startup.
The combination of deep process safety knowledge and hands-on field execution is what sets them apart. They understand both the regulatory requirements and the operational reality of getting a complex facility online safely.”
Project Director
Capital Projects, Fortune 500 Petrochemical Operator
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about hydrogen safety consulting and project readiness services.
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Traditional consultants deliver strategies for your team to implement. We take accountability by being part of the implementation process.
Tim Weber
Vice President