Canadian Biomass’ Post

Tarragona Petrochemical Plant Fire: Industry Disruption and Safety Concerns On the evening of November 22 (last Wednesday), a notable fire broke out in the ethylene tank area of the northern petrochemical facility in Tarragona, Spain, operated by Repsol. This unforeseen incident may have far-reaching effects on Repsol itself as well as the neighboring facilities of Covestro and Dow Chemical in the same industrial park.   Repsol’s industrial complex in Tarragona covers multiple sectors, ranging from the production of various petroleum products to industrial and transportation fuels, making it a large-scale operation. The cause of the fire is still unclear, but the company claimed that the ignition originated from a storage tank in the cooling area of the olefin plant, leading to an ethylene leak and subsequent ignition. The occurrence of this event prompts us to reflect on whether the petrochemical industry places sufficient emphasis on safety management while striving to improve production efficiency.   Fortunately, firefighters from the company and the professional fire brigade at the industrial park responded quickly and successfully controlled the fire, avoiding casualties. This accident has raised a high level of alertness among other companies in Tarragona. Covestro and Dow Chemical quickly halted production, including multiple grades of PO and polyols production. Covestro has four production sites in Spain, one of which is located in the Tarragona industrial park where the fire occurred. This site includes an MDI facility, a hydrochloric acid hub, and infrastructures for serving other companies within the park. Dow Chemical produces a variety of products including olefins, ethylene derivatives, pyrolysis products, and octenes at its Tarragona complex.   This fire has had a significant impact on the Spanish chemical industry, testing the crisis response capabilities of various companies and causing a production stagnation in Tarragona industrial park. As one of the leading chemical companies in Spain, Covestro’s production halt will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the entire supply chain, further affecting the supply of chemical products in the international market.   Dow Chemical’s expansion plans at its Tarragona facility and the construction of Pack Studios demonstrate their confidence in the future market. Pack Studios, equipped with state-of-the-art film production and testing capabilities, is aimed at primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging applications. Pack Studios Tarragona will drive world-leading innovations in food and industrial packaging sectors, while also providing innovative adhesive solutions for global label customers. However, the recent unforeseen fire incident serves as a reminder that safety remains the utmost concern, even in highly modern petrochemical plants...... More info pls click https://lnkd.in/gt3sw268

The swag is nice, but the labor, foreman, and operators who attended the management leadership meeting last Wednesday are top-notch.💥 We appreciate everybody's attendance and participation. Great to have everyone in the same room to discuss high-level principles and accountability. We are proud of our team's work and strive to make sure we are doing all that we can to work safely, put people in positions to succeed and learn no matter how big or small the job. #oilfield #maintenance #hawkins #construction #energy #drilling #renewableenergy #leaseservice #innovation #oilgas #production #oilandgas #safety #environment #renewables #technology #sustainability

It’s the season for new beginnings— and nothing’s better than starting the year with a goal for safer processes.   📜 As Green-Jakobsen strives to drive safety performance beyond the maritime industry, we’re delighted to share a brief case story about our collaboration with Ørsted and their employees and external workers who take care of the technical maintenance and daily operation of their biomass powerhouses.   With our personalized solutions, we’ve helped the crew at Ørsted to proactively address potential causes of incidents before they become critical. Green-Jakobsen remains committed to providing clients, such as Ørsted, with the tools and expertise needed to enhance safety behaviour and build a safer pathway for operations.   We did this through:   🎯 A risk assessment course that addressed the understanding of risk and hazard, along with an efficient way to conduct risk assessments.   🎯A toolbox talk course that equipped staff with the behaviours required to support effective toolbox talks.   Don't wait until incidents reach your doorstep—let Green-Jakobsen help you build strong and proactive processes and mindsets, thereby ensuring a safer work environment for your operations.      Ready to take the next step towards a safer work environment? Our team at Green-Jakobsen is here to guide you through the process.   #GreenJakobsen #Orsted #HumanPerformance #SafetyMindset #ToolboxTalk #RiskAssessment

On Sept. 18, 2023, we met in Ottawa to discuss enhanced adoption of process safety management, focusing on two critical drivers: inherently safer design and safety culture. The participants identified key issues, trends and opportunities to strengthen safety across the wood pellet sector. Wood Pellet Association of Canada, BC Forest Safety, Obex Risk, WorkSafeBC, Canadian Biomass, Dalhousie University https://lnkd.in/eyQ43e_G

Investing in an alarm management program can reduce operational downtime, increase efficiency, and lower overall risk. Uncover the key benefits for process industries like chemical plants, oil & gas facilities, and pipelines in an article by Sarah Manelick for the latest Hydrocarbon Processing: https://lnkd.in/eqCiMJFu

HYEX Safety at public meeting about first ammonia fuel bunkering terminal Ammonia Fuel Bunkering Network (AFBN) is a consortium led by AZANE Fuel Solutions working to develop the first bunkering terminal for (green) ammonia in the world. Key partners include Yara Clean Ammonia, along with Saga Fjord Base and Ocean Hyway Cluster in Florø, where the first terminal is planned. HYEX Safety has worked to ensure a best possible level of safety at the terminal and to support the permitting process with a risk assessment (QRA) to establish risk contours. Gas bunkering terminals are generally defined as Major Accident Facilities, often with demanding permitting processes. Upon reviewing the application, the Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) has sent the risk contours from the HYEX QRA for public hearing, which is required before a permit to start construction can be issued. Yesterday, the 30-day public hearing ended, and earlier this week the AFBN held a public information meeting in Florø, also streamed to subscribers of newspaper Firdaposten. After AFBN-partners presented their plans a Q&A session followed where risk contours and safety were obvious topics. HYEX explained how the refrigerated storage (-33 °C), which is much safer than pressurised storage at ambient temperature, would ensure an excellent level of safety. No spills of liquid ammonia may happen outside transfer operations, unless there is a catastrophic failure of both the barge and the storage tank, e.g. due to a major ship collision. While there may be liquid releases due to hose failures during transfer operations, these have a very low likelihood and will be quickly detected and stopped, limiting inner consideration zone (red contour – to be fenced) and middle consideration zone (yellow – limit for residential areas) to around 100 m or less. The outer consideration zone (green – limit for schools, hospitals etc.) with an estimated fatality rate once per 10 million years, is defined by the catastrophic ship collision scenario, still this outer zone is kept within the industrial area at Fjord Base or over sea, and well clear of residential areas. The coming weeks will be interesting, if a permit to build is received, a decision to start construction could be made early next year and the terminal could be in operation 2025. To handle the chicken-and-egg challenge, Yara Clean Ammonia is about to start 24 MW green ammonia production in Porsgrunn, expected to be largest in the world in these early days. And two weeks ago, consortium member Amon Maritime/Viridis Bulk Carriers, placed the first order in the world for a maritime ammonia engine with Wärtsilä. #greenshipping #ammonia #hydrogensafety

Summary of the risk assessment performed by our partner HYEX Safety for the planned ammonia bunkering terminal in Florø, Norway below. Very interesting and promising findings!

Safeguarding Tomorrow, Today. Pioneering Safety and Sustainability in Oil & Gas #SafetyFirst #ESGLeadership This National Safety Day, let's pledge to prioritize safety at the heart of our operations, especially within the dynamic environment of manufacturing. At Parveen Industries Private Limited., "Focus on Safety Leadership for ESG Excellence" isn't just a theme; it's our commitment to integrating safety deeply into our culture, ensuring a sustainable future for all. By fostering a safety-first mindset, we not only protect our teams but also reinforce our dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. Together, we can create a safer, greener, and more responsible manufacturing ecosystem. #UpstreamSafety #EcoLeadership #OilandGasIndustry #GlobalLeadership #GlobalBusiness

Explore the intricacies of Flaring in our latest blog post. Gain insights into combustion processes and regulatory standards and discover how ESC Spectrum's top-tier flare monitoring solutions can optimize your operations. #flaring #regulatorycompliance #flares #refinery #petrochemical #industryexpertise