Event
- Event ID
- 580
- Quality
- Description
- An explosion occurred caused by a leak of hydrogen from a reactor on a fertilizer plant. The blast hurled the head of a hydrogen gas converter 150m and sent it crashing through reinforced-concrete beams in a warehouse roof. The factory supplied hydrochloric acid, ammonium sulphate and urea to other plants. Damage estimated at approximately, £1 million of 1985.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- Portugal
- Date
- Main component involved?
- Reactor / Oven / Furnace / Test Chamber
- How was it involved?
- Internal Explosion (H2-Air Mixture)
- Initiating cause
- Unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Chemical Industry
- Sub-application
- Fertilisers production
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- Reactors and reaction equipment, warehouse
- Location type
- Unknown
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 8
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- Damage to equipment.
The blast hurled the head of a hydrogen gas converter 150m and sent it crashing through reinforced-concrete beams in a warehouse roof. The factory supplied hydrochloric acid, ammonium sulphate and urea to other plants. Damage estimated at approximately, £1 million. (1985).
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- Not reported
References
- Reference & weblink
Original source lost
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- Unknown
