Who we are

Never waste a good crisis
In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which precipitated unprecedented declines in oil prices and widespread economic uncertainty, Olav Roald Hansen took decisive action. With 27 years of experience in research and development, as well as consulting in the safety and risk sector, Olav opted to part ways with his employer and embark on an entrepreneurial journey. He was joined by his son, Eirik Søreide Hansen, an aspiring Chemical Process Engineer from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Eirik's academic focus on hydrogen production from ethanol was temporarily halted due to the university's closure, providing an opportune moment to redirect his efforts toward this new venture. In the fall of 2023, Britt Elin Salt joined the company, bringing with her extensive experience from previous jobs within process, management and technical safety at both onshore and offshore major accident industries, with a special focus on hydrogen and ammonia since 2020.

HYEX Safety - Hydrogen first
As efforts intensify globally to meet climate goals and transition away from fossil fuels, hydrogen and its carriers, such as ammonia, are increasingly seen as pivotal components in decarbonising various sectors. However, the explosive nature of hydrogen and the toxicity of ammonia necessitate a nuanced understanding of the associated risks. A single adverse incident involving these energy carriers could potentially tarnish their reputation, thereby stalling broader adoption. HYEX Safety concentrates primarily on conducting rigorous safety and risk assessments related to hydrogen and its carriers. The firm also specialises in executing complex Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies where high levels of precision are imperative. These services encompass incident investigation, evaluative studies for problem identification and design improvement, as well as planning and interpreting experimental data.

Quality
We know our craft, with decades of experience from the field. We familiarise ourselves with your situation and targets, and we provide you with knowledge about the safety of your projects.
Creativity
We frequently discover additional problems while performing a risk analysis. In these cases, we go wide and look for a cost-efficient solution to the new problems as well.
Reliability
You can trust us. We seek a good dialogue with you throughout the project, evaluating solutions together. You know the situation best. We strive to be flexible and adjust to your needs.

Our tools

CFD -faster, better and beyond!
Contrary to common misconceptions that deem Computational Fluid Dynamics as primarily a research domain fraught with exorbitant costs and reliability concerns, HYEX Safety has innovatively optimised this tool. Throughout his career, Olav has emphasised the ability to swiftly prepare and execute simulations, generating precise and often groundbreaking results, beyond the stated application/validity range of the software (relevant for hydrogen is e.g. the modelling of DDT and detonation, tank burst and LH2-dispersion).

Our golden CFD principles:
box Computational tasks should be defined within a matter of minutes or, at most, a few hours.
box Simulations ought to be completed within a brief time frame, ideally a few hours or, at most, by the following day.
box Utilised CFD tools must adhere to guidelines underpinned by empirical validation and avoid reliance on arbitrary parameters.
box Persist in pushing the boundaries of what is considered achievable.

For workshops focusing on interactive design screening, HYEX Safety has developed a suite of proprietary consequence screening models for hydrogen and ammonia projects. These models provide instant predictions on variables such as outflow rate, dispersion distances, gas accumulation, fire radiation, and blast outcomes. They serve as invaluable tools during workshops and can form the foundation of comprehensive risk assessment studies. When a detailed 3D layout is critical, more accurate CFD predictions are performed using the FLACS software.

CFD-simulation of LH2-release experiment at the DNV Spadeadam test site. Photo: Teknisk Ukeblad.

Olav Roald Hansen
Founder
olav@hyexsafe.com
(+47) 91 17 17 87

Eirik Søreide Hansen
Co-founder & Safety consultant
eirik@hyexsafe.com
(+47) 91 18 36 78

Britt Elin Salt
Principal consultant
britt@hyexsafe.com
(+47) 48 11 88 45

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