Event
- Event ID
- 1221
- Quality
- Description
- A small fire occurred at the vent stack of an ammonia processing unit in a plant producing fertilisers and other nitrogen-based chemicals.
A safety shutdown procedure of the ammonia processing unit had been activated due to a technical problem not further specified. During the shutdown process, the safety valve opened, and the escaping gas ignited, causing a loud noise. The ignition occurred due to the presence of hydrogen and rust particles.
Flames and smoke were visible from outside the facility. Personnel initiated the emergency procedure. The shutdown of the whole unit the combustion. - 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?
- Prd
- How was it involved?
- Correct Activation
- Initiating cause
- Unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Chemical Industry
- Sub-application
- Ammonia production
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- valve
- Location type
- Open
- Operational condition
- Pre-event occurrences
- The reason for the shutdown of the ammonia unit is not reported.
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Environmental damage
- 0
- Property loss (onsite)
- 0
- Post-event summary
- No injury. No damage beyond the costs of the stop of production.
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas mixture
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2
NH3 - Release duration
- unknown
- Presumed ignition source
- Catalytic reaction
References
- Reference & weblink
Event no.63315 of the French database ARIA <br />
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/63315/<br />
(accessed December 2024)News of InfoNormandie<br />
https://www.infonormandie.com/Incident-industriel-a-Grand-Quevilly-enfl… />
(accessedSeptember 2025)
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ARIA
