The 2026 edition of the code no longer relies on cross-referencing NFPA 55. This code now has full scope over all requirements related to hydrogen storage, use, and handling. This is a result of the NFPA Standards Council clarifying that the scope of the technical committee responsible for revising this code must be referred to by the technical committee responsible for revising NFPA 55 for any material on gaseous and liquid hydrogen storage and use. There has been a continuing effort to align this code with the NFPA extract policy. This effort has resulted in updates to the majority of extracted material within the code to no longer utilize brackets to modify extracted text.
Primarily in Chapter 8, but also with updates in Chapter 3, clarification has been provided to support the appropriate and consistent uses of the terms
- emergency shutdown system (ESS) and
- emergency shutdown device (ESD)
Chapter 9 is no longer reserved and now addresses explosion control for buildings and hydrogen equipment enclosures where hydrogen exceeds the maximum allowable quantities or where needed in accordance with a hazard analysis. Additionally, an annex has been added to provide information on overpressure, external overpressure, and fireball sizes that result from deflagration venting of hydrogen/hydrogen mixtures.
Chapters 10 and 11 on hydrogen fueling have been updated to address the transfer of hydrogen across all station types and vehicle sizes.
The scope of the code now addresses mixtures of gaseous hydrogen and fuel gases with a minimum hydrogen concentration of 95 percent by volume. Chapter 14 for combustion applications has been updated to address hazards to facilities that utilize hydrogen-enriched fuels.