Event
- Event ID
- 999
- Quality
- Description
- The incident occurred at a reactor vessel of a naphtha hydrotreater unit. The vessel operated at around 25 bar and 140 C. A 1.5-meter crack opened up in the reactor vessel close to welded vessel support, causing the release of hot naphtha and hydrogen, which created a vapour cloud and ignited, leading to an explosion and fire. The explosion caused releases from other parts of the plant, including a nearby diesel hydrotreater, which contributed to the fire.
Eight on-site employees were injured, but there were no fatalities.
Residents of a nearby town were evacuated as a precaution. - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Date
- Main component involved?
- Reactor / Oven / Furnace / Test Chamber
- How was it involved?
- Rupture & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Hc-Air Mixture
- Initiating cause
- Unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
- Root CAUSE analysis
- The INITIATING/direct cause was the opening of crack. Details are missing for an accurate conclusion on the cause.
Facility
- Application
- Petrochemical Industry
- Sub-application
- Hydrotreater
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- reactor vessel
- Location type
- Open
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
- DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS
The refinery started operation in 1967. The plant is located near the river Donau. It receives crude oil from a pipeline and processes it into gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, kerosene, bitumen and sulphur.
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 12
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Currency
- US$
- Property loss (onsite)
- 824000000
- Property loss (offsite)
- 4900000
- Post-event summary
- Some refinery process units were extensively damaged as a result of the explosion and fire, as well as multiple office and maintenance buildings within the refinery site. Windows in a village at least 3km away were broken.
The quantities released: 70 t of hydrocarbon and 0.3 t of hydrogen.
A different source assesses the total damage to 770 M$ corresponding to 879 M$ of 2021. Unclear how this was calculated.
Event Nature
- Release type
- Gas-liquid mixture
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2,
naphta - Actual pressure (MPa)
- 2.5
- Presumed ignition source
- Not reported
- Deflagration
- Yes, cloud formation
- Flame type
- cloud
References
- Reference & weblink
MARSH report, 100 largest losses in the hydrocarbon industry, 27th edition 2022<br />
https://www.marsh.com/cz/en/industries/energy-and-power/insights/100-la… />
(accessed January 2024)From European database eMARS <br />
https://emars.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/emars/accident/view/848b91b1-b27d-11e… />
(accessed December 2020)NordBayern news of 28 November 2018:<br />
https://www.nordbayern.de/region/reaktor-riss-schuld-an-bayernoil-explo… />
(accessed January 2024)Donaukurier video:<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXbByxpY8wc<br />
(accessed Janury 2024)
JRC assessment
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