What the new european standard means for metallic industrial valves in hydrogen service for operators, EPCs & manufacturers
Why It Matters
- Creates a common technical framework for hydrogen valve specification and qualification.
- Improves comparability between operators, EPCs and suppliers.
- Supports more consistent testing, qualification and documentation requirements.
- Complements existing valve standards without replacing engineering responsibility.
- Helps reduce technical clarification effort during specification, procurement and qualification.
AS-Schneider contributed practical engineering experience to the development of EN 18191 through its participation in CEN/TC 69 WG 19.
Hydrogen projects place demanding requirements on industrial valves. Until now, material requirements, qualification expectations and documentation practices have often varied between operators, EPCs and suppliers.
EN 18191 addresses this gap by introducing a dedicated European application standard for metallic industrial valves used in hydrogen applications, covering additional requirements for materials, design, manufacturing, qualification, testing and documentation.
For AS-Schneider, EN 18191 is more than another technical standard. As an active participant in CEN/TC 69 WG 19, the working group responsible for hydrogen valve standardisation, AS-Schneider contributed practical engineering experience to its development.
EN 18191 provides a common framework for aligning application data, qualification expectations and documentation requirements. It complements existing valve standards and supports more consistent specification, assessment and communication.
At the time of writing, EN 18191 has completed its final technical voting stage and is progressing through the remaining CEN procedures towards publication. Until final national editions are published, projects should verify the applicable document status and contractual reference.
Why Europe needed a hydrogen valve standard
Hydrogen service places specific demands on industrial valves. Pressure, temperature, fluid composition, cyclic loading, material condition and sealing performance all influence suitability.
Historically, these requirements have often been addressed through:
- Internal operator specifications
- EPC-specific engineering requirements
- Project-specific qualification programmes
- Manufacturer-specific testing and documentation concepts
Although technically valid, differing assumptions, qualification categories and documentation requirements make components harder to compare across projects and suppliers.
A valve described as suitable for hydrogen in one project may have been assessed against different conditions from a valve used in another. The term “hydrogen compatible” alone provides little technical value.
EN 18191 creates a shared basis by adding hydrogen-specific provisions to the established framework of industrial valve standards.
AS-Schneider engineering perspective
From AS-Schneider’s experience, incomplete application data and differing qualification expectations are frequent sources of technical clarification during procurement.
Specifications may identify hydrogen as the process medium without defining pressure cycles, temperature limits, hydrogen concentration or required service life. Qualification and documentation expectations may also remain unclear until late in procurement.
EN 18191 cannot eliminate technical clarification but helps align expectations earlier through a common technical language.
How EN 18191 addresses different hydrogen applications
Not all hydrogen services involve the same technical risks. A manually operated valve in a low-pressure hydrogen blend pipeline faces different requirements than an emergency shutdown valve in a high-pressure hydrogen compression station.
To reflect these differences, EN 18191 introduces a risk-based approach using Test Categories (TC). Depending on the application, valves may fall into different testing and inspection levels ranging from TC1 to TC3. The selected category is determined by factors such as:
- Hydrogen phase (gaseous or liquid)
- Installation environment
- Valve size and pressure class
- Operating mode
- Safety relevance of the valve function
Higher categories require increased testing and verification activities. For example, applications involving liquid hydrogen, high-pressure hydrogen compression or safety-critical shut-down functions may require more extensive qualification and inspection than less demanding services.
What EN 18191 covers
EN 18191 defines additional requirements and recommendations for industrial metallic valves used with hydrogen, including material selection, design, manufacturing, qualification, testing, documentation and final assessment.
The standard addresses low-temperature service, hydrogen environmental embrittlement and hydrogen-induced cracking, high-temperature hydrogen attack and cyclic loading, including combinations of these mechanisms.
Materials and valve design
Material suitability cannot be determined by designation alone. It depends on the interaction between:
- Material grade and properties
- Manufacturing condition
- Heat treatment
- Pressure and temperature
- Hydrogen environment
- Static and cyclic loading
- Expected service life
EN 18191 provides a structured basis for assessing materials and valve designs against the intended service.
The standard does not provide a universal list of suitable materials. Material selection remains an engineering decision based on actual operating and design conditions.
Manufacturing, inspection and final assessment
Hydrogen-specific design assumptions must be reflected in manufacturing, inspection and final assessment. Depending on the application and qualification concept, evidence may include:
- Material certificates and traceability records
- Manufacturing and heat-treatment information
- Inspection results
- Test reports
- Records of deviations and technical approvals
The objective is a consistent and traceable link between design, materials, manufacturing and documentation.
Qualification and testing
Qualification is central to EN 18191. The applicable program depends on valve design, service conditions and qualification category.
Depending on the application, qualification may include:
- Pressure or pneumatic testing
- Seat and shell leakage testing
- Fugitive-emission testing
- Low-temperature or cryogenic testing
- Cyclic testing
- Additional application-specific qualification activities
EN 18191 does not require every valve to undergo every possible test. The required program should reflect the intended service and the technical risks to be addressed.
AS-Schneider engineering perspective
Long before EN 18191, AS-Schneider qualified valves for hydrogen and hydrogen-blend applications against internal, customer-specific and project-specific requirements.
The value of the new standard is not simply additional testing. It lies in a more consistent basis for determining which qualification evidence is relevant and how that evidence is communicated between operators, EPCs and manufacturers.
What EN 18191 does not replace
Compliance with EN 18191 does not automatically mean that a valve is suitable for every hydrogen application.
Project teams remain responsible for:
- Defining complete operating and design conditions
- Identifying relevant damage mechanisms
- Assessing application-specific risks
- Selecting appropriate materials and sealing systems
- Choosing the valve design
- Determining the qualification category
- Defining required tests and documentation
- Considering installation, operation and maintenance
EN 18191 improves consistency but does not replace engineering judgement or project responsibility.
Where EN 18191 fits into the standards landscape
EN 18191 forms part of a wider European framework for hydrogen equipment.
| Standard | Scope |
|---|---|
| EN 18191 | Additional requirements for metallic industrial valves used in hydrogen applications |
| EN 16668 | General requirements for metallic industrial valves as pressure accessories |
| EN 13480-11 | Additional requirements for metallic industrial piping used in hydrogen applications |
| EN 13445-15 | Additional requirements for unfired pressure vessels used in hydrogen applications |
EN 18191 supplements general valve requirements with hydrogen-specific provisions and should be applied together with relevant product standards, design codes, regulatory requirements and project specifications.
Referencing EN 18191 alone is therefore not a complete valve specification.
Applying EN 18191 in practice
The value of EN 18191 depends on how clearly the intended application is defined. Project teams should treat the standard not as a generic product label, but as a framework for defining, assessing and documenting valve suitability.
Define the operating conditions
A robust specification should include:
- Hydrogen purity and composition
- Operating and design pressure
- Minimum and maximum temperature
- Static and cyclic loads
- Expected operating cycles
- Environmental conditions
- Intended service life
- Foreseeable upset conditions
The information should be detailed enough for suppliers to assess materials, valve design, sealing concepts and qualification requirements.
Make material requirements application-specific
Terms such as “materials suitable for hydrogen” or “hydrogen-compatible materials” should not replace a technical material assessment.
Where relevant, specifications should define:
- Permitted or restricted materials
- Material properties to be verified
- Manufacturing or heat-treatment conditions
- Additional material testing
- Required material certificates and traceability
Material requirements should relate directly to the intended service.
Align qualification with the actual service
Qualification should demonstrate performance under conditions relevant to the application.
The objective is not to maximise testing, but to select qualification activities appropriate for pressure, temperature, hydrogen environment, operating cycles, sealing concepts and emission requirements.
A valve for liquid hydrogen service may require a different qualification approach from a valve used in a gaseous hydrogen pipeline. Likewise, a frequently cycled valve may require different fatigue-related evidence than a rarely operated isolation valve.
To avoid unnecessary complexity, operator expectations, EPC specifications and supplier concepts should be aligned early in the project.
Define responsibilities and documentation
Specifications should establish responsibility for:
- Providing application data
- Approving materials and technical deviations
- Reviewing qualification evidence
- Witnessing tests
- Accepting documentation
- Maintaining final technical records
Clear responsibilities support a more efficient engineering and procurement process.
AS-Schneider’s contribution
As an active participant in CEN/TC 69 WG 19, AS-Schneider contributed practical experience from valve engineering, manufacturing, testing and qualification to EN 18191.
This builds on earlier internal engineering requirements for hydrogen and hydrogen-blend applications, covering:
- Material assessment
- Valve and sealing concepts
- Manufacturing requirements
- Qualification strategies
- Testing
- Technical documentation
This combination of standardization work and practical engineering experience enables AS-Schneider to support customers in understanding EN 18191 and applying it to real project requirements.
Typical areas of support include:
- Reviewing hydrogen valve specifications
- Interpreting EN 18191 requirements and interfaces
- Assessing operating conditions and material requirements
- Selecting suitable valve concepts
- Defining qualification and testing strategies
- Establishing project-specific documentation concepts
- Supporting technical clarification between operators, EPCs and suppliers
For AS-Schneider, EN 18191 is not a product label. It is an engineering framework that can improve consistency, transparency and technical communication throughout the project lifecycle.
Key takeaways
- EN 18191 provides a common European basis for metallic industrial valves in hydrogen applications.
- It supplements existing valve standards with hydrogen-specific requirements for materials, design, manufacturing, qualification, testing and documentation.
- It is being developed within CEN/TC 69 WG 19, with AS-Schneider actively contributing practical engineering experience.
- EN 18191 improves comparability but does not replace application-specific engineering.
- Valve suitability still depends on complete operating data, material selection and a relevant qualification concept.
- AS-Schneider supports operators, EPCs and engineering teams in translating the standard into sound project decisions.
Frequently asked questions
EN 18191 is the European application standard defining additional requirements for metallic industrial valves used in hydrogen service.
EN 18191 has been developed within CEN/TC 69 “Industrial Valves”, Working Group 19 for hydrogen valve standardization. AS-Schneider has actively participated in this work.
No. EN 18191 complements relevant valve standards with additional hydrogen-specific requirements.
No. Suitability must still be assessed against actual operating conditions, material requirements, valve design and qualification concepts.
Applying EN 18191 with confidence
Whether you are developing a new hydrogen project or reviewing an existing valve specification, our expert Konrad Nawal can help you apply EN 18191 consistently and in line with your project requirements.
