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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Power cut at a refinery causes a oil and hydrogen fire

Event

Event ID
793
Quality
Description
The utility production facilities (electricity, water, air, and steam) at a refinery were isolated from the power grid and switched to two turbine generators in anticipation of a storm. However, at 9:50 p.m., both turbine generators shut down at the same time. Deprived of the necessary water and air, the boilers and all the production units entered a safe state.
1. The effluents drained from the stopped units were sent to detention ponds.
2. The gases were directed to the flare stack.

A leak with burning hydrogen and petrol occurred in one of the units.
The facility was restarted over the course of several days, but efforts were plagued by incidents due in particular to thermal fluctuations (pump breakage, water leak, steam leak, clogs, boiler with a punctured heating source).
The burning leak, which was quickly brought under control, may have been caused by differential thermal stresses applied to the tightening bolts of the two companion flanges and significant pressure fluctuations that occurred when the units transitioned to a safe state. The temperature difference caused by the cooling inertia of the connected facilities and the thickness of the ring joint facilitated the loss of hydrogen.
The cascade shutdown of the turbine generators was due to the control system, which failed because of an improperly connected electronic circuit board and a lack of pressure in the hydraulic circuit.
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Fire (No additional details provided)
Macro-region
Europe
Country
France
Date
Main component involved?
Flange (Bolts)
How was it involved?
Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Hc-Air Mixture
Initiating cause
Loss Of Tightness (Thermal Stress/Cycling)
Root causes
Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING cause of the hydrogen leak was probably the failure of ha flanges join, subjected to thermal and pressure fluctuations occurred during the shutdown of the production units.
The unplanned shutdown was caused by the failure of the emergency auxiliary systems was caused by an improperly connected electronic circuit board and a lack of pressure in the hydraulic circuit.

Facility

Application
Petrochemical Industry
Sub-application
Generic refinery process
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected
unspecified production unit of a refinery
Location type
Open
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational condition
Pre-event occurrences
In preparation to a storm, the site electricity supply had been switched from the power grid to two turbine generators.

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0

Event Nature

Release type
gas mixture
Involved substances (% vol)
H2,
petrol
Presumed ignition source
Not reported

References

Reference & weblink

ARIA data base <br />
event no. 44185

JRC assessment