Hydrogen Safety & Engineering Consultancy

Oil & gas rigour.
Applied to industrial
hydrogen systems.

Hydrogen Systems Engineering Limited brings petroleum engineering expertise and regulatory knowledge to the industrial hydrogen transition. We help facilities adopt hydrogen safely, compliantly, and with lasting confidence.

Explore our services → Speak to us
5
Technical disciplines
2
Markets — UK & Nigeria
UK/EU
Compliance framework
SC866248
Registered in Scotland
Aligned with
DSEAR 2002ATEX / IEC 60079PSSR 2000 COMAH 2015COSHH 2002ISO 22734 API 941BS EN 13480EU TaxonomyIEC 61511 SIL
About HSEL

Where oil & gas safety culture meets hydrogen

Hydrogen Systems Engineering Limited was incorporated in Scotland in November 2025.

We founded HSEL on a specific conviction: the industrial hydrogen transition needs engineers who already understand what it means to manage high-pressure systems, explosive atmospheres, and safety-critical infrastructure in regulated environments. That is the world we come from.

Our associate team brings together chartered process safety engineers, a metallurgical engineer, and a senior corrosion specialist, covering the full technical scope of industrial hydrogen systems from HAZOP and DSEAR risk assessment to materials compatibility, hydrogen embrittlement, and corrosion damage mechanisms.

We operate across two markets: the United Kingdom, engaging with industrial clusters and the DESNZ hydrogen strategy; and Nigeria, where we are supporting the development of safety and regulatory foundations for a hydrogen industry currently without them.

SIC 71121
Engineering Design
Hydrogen system design, FEED studies, P&IDs, materials selection, and retrofit engineering for industrial hydrogen process systems.
SIC 71122
Technical Consulting
HAZOP, LOPA, QRA, DSEAR risk assessment, ATEX compliance, COMAH safety case support, and independent technical advisory.
SIC 72190
Applied R&D
Grant-funded research in partnership with industrial operators and UK universities, including Innovate UK co-application support and hydrogen reliability data methodology.
What we do

Our services

Six integrated service lines covering the full technical lifecycle of an industrial hydrogen transition, from initial feasibility through to operational safety assurance.

01
Hydrogen Readiness Assessment
Our proprietary fixed-price entry product. A structured 4 to 6 week evaluation of an industrial facility's readiness to adopt or transition to hydrogen systems, fully mapped to UK and EU compliance requirements.
DSEARATEXPSSRCOMAHFixed fee
02
Process Safety & HAZOP
Full HAZOP facilitation, LOPA, DSEAR risk assessment, and QRA for hydrogen process systems. Led by chartered process safety engineers with COMAH-scale experience across UK industrial sites.
HAZOPLOPAQRAIEC 61882
03
Materials Integrity & Corrosion
Hydrogen embrittlement assessment, HIC and SCC evaluation, API 941 Nelson curve analysis, and materials compatibility review for hydrogen service environments. A capability that is rare in the hydrogen consultancy market.
API 941BS EN 13480EmbrittlementHIC
04
Engineering Design & FEED
Front-End Engineering Design for hydrogen system retrofit and new-build projects. Process flow diagrams, P&IDs, system integration, PRV and ESD sizing, and commissioning documentation.
FEEDP&IDESDRetrofit
05
Innovate UK Grant Support
We identify funding opportunities, build industrial and academic consortia, and lead technical writing for Innovate UK Smart Grant applications, particularly for hydrogen safety and reliability research projects.
Innovate UKISCFNZIPSME
06
Nigeria Hydrogen Advisory
Regulatory framework development, hydrogen safety training, and technical advisory for Nigerian industrial operators, regulators, and policy bodies navigating the Energy Transition Plan hydrogen pathway.
NNRAETP 2024NigeriaPolicy
Industrial hydrogen process system — pressure vessels, pipework, and control systems
Why it matters

The skills gap the hydrogen industry cannot afford to ignore

⚠️
No hydrogen-specific failure rate database exists
Every DSEAR risk assessment and COMAH safety report is currently built on inadequate data. HSEL is working to close this gap.
📋
Regulations lag behind deployment
LH2 standards, QRA methodology, and codes for novel applications are all behind the pace of industrial adoption in both the UK and Nigeria.
🔬
Materials knowledge is underestimated
Hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking cause some of the most serious failures in hydrogen service. Most consultancies lack in-house materials expertise.
The team

Built for this specific challenge

Our founding team combines petroleum engineering, process safety, metallurgy, and corrosion expertise. Together we cover the full technical scope of industrial hydrogen systems safety and integrity assessment.

AJA
Adagba John Agama
Founder & Technical Director
MSc Petroleum Eng · RGU
PS
[Name]
Process Safety Lead
CEng MIChemE
PS
[Name]
Process Safety Engineer
CEng IMechE
ME
[Name]
Metallurgical Engineer
Materials Integrity
CE
[Name]
Senior Corrosion Engineer
HIC · SCC · H₂ Service
Where we operate

Two markets. One integrated capability.

HSEL is positioned at the intersection of the UK's industrial hydrogen buildout and Nigeria's emerging hydrogen economy, combining regulatory rigour from the UK with ground-level access and expertise in Nigeria.

Hydrogen facility with London skyline — UK market
United Kingdom
🇬🇧
The UK is mid-transition, with over £9 billion committed to hydrogen through 2030 and industrial clusters at Teesside, Humber, and HyNet North West actively switching facilities. HSEL serves industrial operators navigating DSEAR, ATEX, PSSR, and COMAH compliance in this live transition.
  • 🏭Industrial Hydrogen Readiness Assessments for UK chemical, food, and refinery sectors
  • ⚠️HAZOP and DSEAR risk assessment for hydrogen retrofit projects
  • 🔬Innovate UK co-application support for hydrogen reliability research
  • 🔩Materials integrity and corrosion advisory for hydrogen system conversion
Hydrogen storage facility with Nigerian flag — Nigeria market
Nigeria
🇳🇬
Nigeria's 2024 Energy Transition Plan targets 36 GW of hydrogen by 2060. The opportunity is real, but Nigeria currently has no hydrogen-specific safety regulatory framework. HSEL is actively working to build the foundations before the infrastructure arrives.
  • 📋Advisory on hydrogen safety regulatory framework development
  • 🎓Hydrogen safety competency training for Nigerian engineers
  • 🏗️Technical assessment for industrial operators exploring hydrogen
  • 🌍Bridge between UK regulatory best practice and Nigerian industrial context
Why HSEL

What makes us different

01
Oil & gas engineering foundation
We transfer pressure systems, explosive atmosphere, and process safety knowledge from oil and gas directly into hydrogen systems engineering. This is not a career change. It is a technical bridge most consultancies have not built.
02
Materials and corrosion depth
Hydrogen embrittlement, HIC, SCC, and SSC are failure modes most hydrogen consultancies handle superficially. Our in-house metallurgical and corrosion specialists provide materials integrity assessment that is genuinely rare in this market.
03
Dual-market insight
HSEL operates across the UK and Nigeria, combining UK regulatory rigour with direct Nigerian regulatory experience through NNRA. No other hydrogen consultancy currently occupies this specific position across both markets.
04
Compliance-led from day one
Every HSEL engagement is structured around the applicable regulatory framework: DSEAR, ATEX, PSSR, COMAH in the UK; Seveso III and IEC standards for EU-linked projects. We do not provide advisory that cannot be traced to a specific regulatory or technical standard.
05
Inherently safer design
The HySafe 2024 Research Priorities Workshop ranked inherently safer design as the number one gap in global hydrogen safety. HSEL embeds this principle at the earliest stage of every project, not as an afterthought.
06
Research and data commitment
We are actively developing the UK's first industrial hydrogen reliability data methodology in partnership with industrial sites and universities. Better failure rate data means better QRA, safer facilities, and more credible safety cases for every client we work with.
Knowledge resources

Publications

HSEL publishes openly on hydrogen safety, industrial transition, and Nigerian energy policy. All documents are free to download and share.

Briefing Note
What Nigeria Needs to Do Now to Build a Safe Hydrogen Industry
A strategic assessment for policymakers, regulators, and industrial operators. Five specific actions Nigeria should take before significant hydrogen infrastructure is built, drawing on UK DSEAR and COMAH frameworks, EU Seveso III, and the HySafe 2024 Research Priorities Workshop.
HSEL-BRIEF-NGA-001 · April 2025 · Open distribution
Download →
Template
Industrial Hydrogen Readiness Assessment — UK/EU Compliance Template v1.0
A comprehensive, compliance-mapped assessment template covering DSEAR, ATEX, PSSR, COMAH, EU Taxonomy, and ISO standards. Used by HSEL on all industrial client engagements.
HSEL-TMPL-HRA-001 · April 2025 · Authorised use
Request →
Get in touch

Let us talk hydrogen

Whether you are an industrial operator planning a hydrogen transition, an engineering firm seeking specialist support, a university looking for an industry research partner, or a Nigerian regulatory body building a hydrogen safety framework, we would like to hear from you.

✉️
info@hsel.tech
🌐
www.hsel.tech
📍
United Kingdom & Nigeria

Hydrogen Systems Engineering Limited

Registered in Scotland · Company No. SC866248

59 Baker Street, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB25 1US

SIC 71121 · 71122 · 72190

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