Andy Fisher, Senior Inspection Engineer at TÜV Rheinland, will be looking at risk-based inspection and repurposing of pressure equipment for hydrogen duty at Hazardex Live 2025.

Pressure Equipment such as vessels, tanks and piping systems require in-service inspection to ensure they are suitable for continued operation and for regulatory compliance. To ensure effective inspection takes place, each item of pressure equipment needs a Written Scheme of Examination (WSE) in place. These WSEs define exactly how the inspection should be performed, including the type/location of Non-destructive testing and frequency of examination. The aim is to ensure the integrity of equipment throughout their asset lifecycle and identify how the item may deteriorate in-service – and detect degradation before failure occurs.

Risk Based Inspection (RBI) is a process for identifying how equipment will can deteriorate in-service, the likelihood and degradation rates and the most appropriate examination techniques – the output is a better WSE. RBI can be used for existing in-service equipment or for new or modified equipment. Different material/design combinations can be assessed at an early stage to help select the most appropriate configuration for long term asset integrity. This presentation will look at how TÜV Rheinland used RBI and its experience in completing RBI assessments for repurposing of pressure equipment to hydrogen duty and the lessons learnt.