The Chemical Engineer

april 2020 Issue 946
The Chemical Engineer

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
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reflecting on the disaster, a decaDe on

PLUS INDUSTRY REACTS TO CORONAVIRUS / LESSONS FROM LAC-MÉGANTIC / LOWDOWN ON BLOWDOWN
cover946 DG.indd 1 19/03/2020 17:38

Hazards30
In association with the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center
POSTPONED
New dates
30 November–2 December 2020, Manchester, UK
In exercising our duty of care to members, customers and staff, and following UK Government recommendations
regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have postponed our annual process safety conference, originally planned
for 18–20 May 2020.
Hazards 30 will now take place on 30 November–2 December 2020, still at Manchester Central.
Conference programme
The conference programme will remain unchanged where possible, offering a wealth of presentations from your
industry peers sharing process safety knowledge and experience.
Join us to learn valuable lessons from past incidents and near misses, discover new approaches, reflect on good
practice, and ensure you’re doing everything you can to prevent major accident hazards from becoming major
accidents.
Also on offer
Poster presentations Trade exhibition
Inspirational plenary speakers Social and networking opportunities
Panel discussion Workshop sessions
Session themes
Human Factors Natural Hazards Process Safety Management
Dust Hazards DSEAR/ATEX Safety Culture
Lessons Forgotten Hydrogen Hazards Fire and Gas Detection
LOPA Risk Management Inherent Safety
Modelling and Experimental Emergency Planning Regulation
Flammability Environmental Protection Asset Integrity
Safety Leadership Chemical Hazards
Find out more and register at www.icheme.org/hazards30
Celebratin
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Hazards30 Postponed
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PM
Contents, Issue 946
april 2020
US Coast Guard
20 13
42 measurement
Sûreté du Québec/Wikipedia
28 50 Jonathan Pearce on how new tem-

perature measurement techniques
can improve process efficiency
46 valves
Rory Stanley looks at line blinding
systems for total isolation
50 volunteer spotlight
Roberto Moreno-Atanasio on volun-
teering as Editor of IChemE’s
journal ChERD
52 ICHEme
News Features Rob Best on developing a better
filter for membership applications
3 guest Editor’s comment 20 safety
Stephen Richardson on IChemE and On its 10th anniversary, Geoff 55 icheme
Maitland looks back at the devastating Claudia Flavell-While provides an
the effect of the coronavirus
Deepwater Horizon oil spill update on learned society activities
4 News: in numbers 28 safety 56 obituary: RONALD HUGHES
Seven years on from Lac-Mégantic,
6 News: in brief
Gabor Posta asks have the right
8 News: in depth lessons been learned and applied? Regulars
Industry reacts to keep staff safe and 33 safety 57 letters
plants running during pandemic; Chris Best on the role that blowdown
Vale knew dam was unstable well systems play in plant design and safety 58 book review
ahead of fatal collapse; Rio Tinto
37 safety 60 NEWS: IChemE
pledges US$1bn on emissions; A new Ramin Abhari on his latest graphic
view of chemical engineering novel for LPB about lab safety 62 events and courses
14 News: round-up 38 hydrogen 63 Careers
Tim Harwood shares the latest on the
18 News: R&D UK’s H21 hydrogen heating project 64 Residue
APRIL 2020 | The Chemical Engineer | page 1
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APRIL 2020 | The Chemical Engineer | page 2 02/08/2017 18:47
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Editor’s comment
Providing Help, Staying Safe

stephen richardson, icheme president
A
S The Chemical Engineer goes to print, the impact of happens through this magazine and on the IChemE website.
the COVID-19 pandemic is such that we find ourselves You will all by now be aware that public gatherings have been
in a period that will leave its mark on many facets of discouraged across the world and, following the advice of national
our daily lives, both personally and corporately. In the face of governments, we have taken the decision to postpone the upcoming
such hardship, I wanted to offer the community a reminder of Hazards 30 conference until later in 2020. The event will now take
IChemE’s benevolent fund. place on 30 November–2 December and further information can be
Those automatically eligible for help from the fund are found at www.icheme.org/hazards30.
current or former IChemE members and their dependants. Other events are likely to be similarly impacted and further
However, the trustees can also extend support to those who have updates will be published on the IChemE website. We have also
worked in the chemical engineering environment and for whom made significant changes to our upcoming training course calen-
the cause of their distress can be attributed to this environment. dar, with some courses being cancelled, others being rescheduled
The eligibility criteria are essentially based upon a need that and many being delivered virtually. To support members and the
arises unexpectedly causing hardship and which can gener- wider chemical engineering community, we will be offering an
ally, but not necessarily, mean that financial support is sought. expanded range of online training courses this year. More details
This can be in the form of one-off grants, ongoing payments or will be shared with all members shortly.
loans. The fund can also help with counselling and advice. For more information about upcoming courses please visit
www.icheme.org/courses.
I would also like to use this opportunity to reassure our mem-
I would like to use this opportunity to reassure bers that the Institution is working hard to ensure continuity across
our members that the Institution is working the range of services that we provide. In particular I want to thank
hard to ensure continuity across the range those members who are already working with IChemE staff to pos-
of services that we provide itively and proactively manage our responses to these difficult
circumstances.
If, during this challenging time, you are fortunate enough In the meantime, my thoughts and best wishes are with all
to be in a position to help others, please consider making a members across the community. Please stay safe.
donation to the fund. For more information please visit
www.benevolentface.org; those seeking assistance should
in the first instance contact Sharon-Claire Sandhu at
[email protected].
From my recent visits to IChemE’s community of volunteers and
employers, I am very much aware of the increasing restrictions placed
on offices and work sites to reduce the spread of illness. Indeed, the
Institution’s staff are not exempt from the current difficulties and We welcome reader feedback and comment. To share your views,
this week mitigation measures have been instigated, including clos- please email: [email protected]
ing all offices and asking staff to work from home. Please bear this
in mind if you are attempting to contact the teams in the coming Statements and opinions expressed in The Chemical Engineer
months. I would therefore ask that you engage electronically and are the responsibility of the editor. Unless described as such,
avoid paper transactions wherever possible. The staff and I will aim they do not represent the views or policies of the Institution of
to keep you informed of any change to key information as and when it Chemical Engineers.
catalyst946 DG.indd 3 19/03/2020 17:34

News
IN NUMBERS Focus on research impact creating
unhealthy research culture
A survey by the Wellcome Trust has highlighted issues with research culture
– such as the pressure to prioritise quantity over quality – and the impact
this is having on researchers. The survey involved 4,267 participants, with
the majority from the UK, and included 94 in-depth interviews. It found that
lev radin / Shutterstock.com
while 84% of people are proud to work in research, 65% said that the
focus on impact and quantity is unsustainable long-term, and only 14%
agree that current metrics have a positive impact on research culture.
71% said that the research culture promotes quantity over quality, and
32% also said their workplace values speed of results over quality.
Creativity is being stifled due to an emphasis on research impact, according
to 75% of participants, and 23% of junior researchers and students felt
pressured by supervisors to produce a particular result.
High levels of competition have created unkind and aggressive conditions

with 43% reporting bullying or harassment. Only 37% felt comfortable
speaking up about it, with others being afraid of consequences such as
career repercussions. 33% felt that leaders turn a blind eye to it.
Only 45% were able to effectively balance different roles of the job, such
as research, teaching, and administration duties. 96% said that wellbeing
‘Greta effect’ encourages is fundamental to an effective working environment, but only 44% said
young people to consider that their workplace offers adequate wellbeing support.
science careers
perpetrators of bullying or harrassment,
A YouGov poll commissioned by as witnessed and experienced by researchers
the Royal Society of Chemistry Survey, n=1,804 – research community, UK and international
of 1,000 15–18 year olds
has found that 77% have been 65%
60% Experienced
59%
60%
influenced by activist Greta Witnessed
55%
Thunberg, and 23% would
50%
46%
like to pursue a career in climate 45% 44%
change science after being 40%

inspired by Thunberg’s “listen to 35%
the science” message. 58% of 27% 30%
30%
respondents said that they think 25%

20%
the climate crisis was the biggest
15%
problem facing the world today.
10%
The RSC has said that educators 5% 2% 2%
must capitalise on these interests 0%
Supervisor Other senior A peer Prefer not to say
to increase the number of people or manager colleague
studying STEM subjects. Source: Wellcome
numbers946 DG.indd 4 19/03/2020 19:01

Nicole Macheroux-Denault / Shutterstock.com news in numbers
BASF to increase number of women

in leadership roles
In 2015, BASF announced a target to increase the
number of women in leadership roles in all countries where
the company operates, from 19% to 22–24% by
2021. As of the end of 2019, the proportion of female
managers was 23%. BASF has now set a new goal to
increase this to 30% by 2030. “We want to better
incorporate women and their abilities in the leadership
Another decade before scrubbers to be team of BASF. As a research-driven company, we know
installed on South African coal plant the value of diverse ways of thinking and working. Different
perspectives result in innovative ideas and solutions for
According to South Africa’s News24, flue gas our customers,” said Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the
desulfurisation (FGD) technology will not be installed Board of Executive Directors of BASF.
on new coal plant Medupi (pictured above) for at least
another ten years. The technology is expected to cost
R30bn (US$1.73bn), however public utility
Eskom is already R450bn in debt, partially due to
the spiralling costs of Medupi and sister station Kusile.
In 2010, Eskom signed a loan agreement with the
World Bank to install the technology. The agreement
was amended for the seventh time in December 2019.
The first unit should have been fitted with FGD by March
2018, with all six units being fitted by December
2021. When construction began in 2007, emission
standards were not in place, so the technology now
needs to be retrofitted. However, News24 reports that
Eskom had opportunity to consider installing the FGD
technology along with the units as far back as 2014. ExxonMobil outlines
When operating at full capacity without the FGD, it is long-term
estimated that Medupi will cause the deaths of 90 growth strategy
people per year from pollution-related illnesses. ExxonMobil has announced its long-
term growth strategy, which includes
planning capital expenditures
of US$30bn–35bn/y
SABIC increases Clariant stake up to 2025. It is aiming for an
SABIC has increased its stake in speciality chemicals investment level of US$33bn
company Clariant to 31.5% from 24.9%. for 2020, depending on progress
SABIC is Clariant’s largest stakeholder after it first of individual projects. Key projects
purchased its stake in 2018 in a deal worth around that support the growth plans
US$2.36bn. SABIC’s decision to increase its stake include in Guyana where
comes after it lost US$400m on its investment with production is expected to reach
an impairment charge. The new share is almost 1/3 750,000 bbl/d by 2025,
of Clariant, at which point SABIC would be required to and in the Permian Basin, where
make an offer for the whole company; however, SABIC production volumes are on track to
has said that it is not interested in a takeover. exceed 1m boe/d by 2024.
numbers946 DG.indd 5 19/03/2020 19:02

NEWS IN BRIEF
SANTOS
CO2 capture: at the Moomba processing facility in the air reservoir, reports local newspaper TOT
Cooper basin, South Australia, operated by Santos Barcelona. It has published pictures of
local buildings damaged by the blast and
vehicle windows shot through by debris.
Fire at South Korea

facility injures 56
A FIRE has occurred at Lotte Chemical’s
naphtha cracker in Seosan, South Korea,
injuring at least 56 people.
According to South Korean news
agency Yonhap, the fire broke out at
02:59 local time on 4 March and was
extinguished at 05:12. It occurred at the
naphtha cracker in Daesan petrochemi-
cal complex in Seosan, 120 km south of
Seoul, while naphtha was being com-
pressed. The exact cause of the fire is still
unknown. Yonhap reported that at least
Santos and BP sign CCS agreement 56 people were injured, and two are in a
serious condition.
SANTOS and BP have entered a non-binding agreement to support the Moomba Lotte Chemical has suspended nine
carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Australia. of 13 facilities. According to Independent
BP could invest A$20m (US$13.3m) in support of the CCS project, subject to a final Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS),
investment decision by the end of the year. this includes suspension of a 150,000 t/y
Santos is in the front-end engineering design (FEED) stage for the Moomba CCS pro- butadiene plant, and a 250,000 t/y
ject. It would aim to capture 1.7m t/y of CO2 from the Moomba natural gas processing monoethylene glycol unit.
plant. The captured CO2 would be stored in geological formations in the Cooper Basin According to ICIS, the cracker pro-
that previously held oil and gas. The basin has a CO2 storage capacity of 20m t/y for 50 duces 1.1m t/y of ethylene and 540,000
years and could be used for other industries. t/y of propylene.
Kevin Gallagher, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Santos, said: “Aus-
tralia needs low-cost, large-scale abatement to maintain our position as a leading energy
exporter and manufacturer of energy-intensive materials such as steel and cement, as BPE joins On Line
well as to enable new industries such as hydrogen.”
Emil Ismayilov, Managing Director Exploration and Production Australia at BP, said:
Group
“We believe CCS has an important role to play in meeting the objectives of the Paris UK ENGINEERING consultancy BPE has
Agreement. It can achieve deep emissions reductions in existing power infrastructure and been bought by On Line Group, an inte-
energy-intensive industries that rely on the use of fossil fuels.” grated engineering services firm based in
Lincolnshire.
BPE, headquartered in Hampshire, will
continue to operate as a specialised tech-
One dead in Spain check with the company regarding the nology-focussed chemical and process
chemical plant types of products that have exploded.

The company provides blending and
engineering consultancy, On Line Group
said. It added that the acquisition will add
explosion chemical delivery services. capability in feasibility studies, concept
In the immediate aftermath, a gov- and front-end designs; and will allow
AN explosion at a small chemicals plant ernment spokesperson said there was the combined firms to expand offerings
in Barcelona, Spain has killed one and no health risk to local residents, Reuters across sectors and the UK.
injured 13 others, according to reports. reports. Steve Laird, On Line Group Finance
The explosion occurred on 10 March Antonio Cabeza, chief of the Barce- Director, said: “On Line Group has been
at a plant run by Proquibasa. Local offi- lona Fire Department said the explosion looking for opportunities to diver-
cials are quoted as saying they needed to occurred during pressure testing of an sify into new sectors and increase our
NIB946 DG.indd 6 19/03/2020 18:45

NEWS IN BRIEF
geographical spread across the UK. BPE year, with production starting in 2022.
and On Line Group are a good match,
sharing the same core values and pro-
The new adiponitrile plant will be inte-
grated with INVISTA’s existing 215,000
Online only
viding excellent growth opportunities for t/y hexamethylenediamine plant and
both businesses.” 150,000 t/y nylon 6,6 polymer plant. Jack Welch dies aged 84
The financial terms of the deal have
On 1 March, Former General Elec-
not been disclosed.
Asahi to sell beer tric CEO Jack Welch, an American
chemical engineer and one of the
Fluor wins contract for and cider brands to most influential business leaders
Chinese adiponitrile appease consumer of his generation, died aged 84. He

has featured in our series, Chemical
plant agency Engineers who Changed the World.
ASAHI announced last year its intentions https://bit.ly/3b5Em6v

FLUOR has been awarded a contract to to acquire Carlton & United Breweries
provide engineering, procurement and (CUB) and has now offered to divest beer
construction for INVISTA’s new adiponi- and cider brands in a bid to appease com- Chemeng in Australia
trile plant in Shanghai, China. petition regulators. Now ready to read, IChemE’s Chem-
The US$1.2bn plant will be located at CUB owns brands such as Stella Artois ical Engineering Impact in Australia
the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park and and Beck’s, and has rights to Strongbow. report demonstrates how the dis-
will produce 400,000 t/y of adiponitrile, Asahi would have acquired these brands cipline is making real change for a
which is used to make nylon. as part of the A$16bn (US$9.3bn) deal better future in Australia, such as
Mark Fields, Group President of Fluor’s made in July 2019. A preliminary report through the development of mem-
Energy & Chemicals business, said: by the Australian Competition and Con- branes for carbon capture, or solar
“We look forward to supporting INVIS- sumer Commission (ACCC) in December powered technology for desalinating
TA’s efforts to expeditiously increase expressed concern that Asahi would own ocean water.
production of adiponitrile with their com- brands that accounted for two-thirds of
https://bit.ly/2Wqs98g
pany’s most advanced technology to meet Australian cider sales if the acquisition of
growing demand within China and CUB went ahead. A consultation has been
globally.” opened by the ACCC following Asahi’s
Hydrogen gas turbines
Construction is expected to start this offer to divest the brands.
In our latest article on engineer-
ing the hydrogen economy, Andy
LunaseeStudios / Shutterstock.com
Brown and Mike Welch look at the

journey towards developing a 100%
hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine.
https://bit.ly/2QvgiSz
Training goes online

As part of IChemE’s response to
Covid-19, many of its most popu-
lar training courses will be delivered
virtually in the coming months,
including HAZOP training, Layer of
Protection Analysis, and Fundamentals
of Process Safety.
Contact [email protected] for
more details, or visit the IChemE
courses webpage for information
about upcoming courses.
Reassuringly expensive: asahi offers https://bit.ly/2UjzvaZ
to divest beer and cider brands
NIB946 DG.indd 7 19/03/2020 18:45

NEWS in depth
coronavirus
Industry pushes to keep staff

safe and plants running
Companies and markets react to spreading pandemic
AS coronavirus spreads across the protocols, plans for staff illness/quaran- “Our responsibility and our focus is to
world, companies are working to keep tine, and secure your operations.” ensure the plants that we run, which
staff safe, maintain operations and deal She went on to say: “we know too well produce products essential to everyday
with markets in flux. that nonroutine operations pose addi- life including the healthcare system,
Staff health is being prioritised and tional risk of process safety incident. remain operational, with the safety of
while many employers are sending As facilities adjust to shortages in staff, our employees the number one priority.”
office-based staff home to help limit the changes in supply chain, and other BP shared details of the guidance
spread of infection, companies are having disruptions they must keep PSM [process it has issued for high-occupancy or
to adopt fresh measures to safeguard safety management] at the forefront of congested sites including onshore facil-
operational staff who need to be onsite. the operations”. ities and offshore platforms. Measures
include screening the health of all people
arriving on site; separating shift and
companies are having to Mitigation measures day workers; managing shift handovers
adopt fresh measures to Chemical company Ineos announced a using rigorous social distancing and “no
safeguard operational series of measures to keep people and touch” practices; and measures to take
staff who need to be onsite plants safe. CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: in the event of a confirmed case of infec-
“This includes changes to working tion. This involves reducing entry and
Kristen Kulinowski, Interim Executive of patterns for our staff globally, a ban on exit of staff; limiting deliveries to essen-
the US Chemical Safety Board, tweeted: all non-essential travel, changes to our tial cargo such as potable water; and
“In this time of unprecedented disrup- site cleaning regimes, the postpone- halting activities other than essential
tion, facilities must take extra care to ment of non-essential work at sites and measures including emergency repair
prevent a process safety incident. Now the cancellation or postponement of all and maintenance.
is the time to review your emergency events involving groups. The Minerals Council of South Africa
has declared that mining is particularly
vulnerable to the spread of coronavi-
YT HUI / Shutterstock.com
rus, noting that miners travel and work

in close proximity and there could be
a high degree of exposure to the virus
through contact with one another
and the machinery used. The council
announced a 10-point action plan that
involves identifying employees most at
risk through intensified health screen-
ing for HIV and TB. In the face of the
pandemic, it has also offered to extend
its services beyond members to all
mining firms in the country.
Of course, despite measures, opera-
tions have been affected, with Bayer and
reaction: office staff in Rio Tinto among the many reporting
hong kong take precautions plants and projects have been affected.
NIDvirus DG.indd 8 19/03/2020 19:08

NEWS in depth
Twitter/ @Brewdog
Following two members of staff falling
ill, the UK’s Sellafield nuclear process-
ing site announced it was taking the
protective measure of shutting down its
Magnox reprocessing plant as it expects
the number of staff that will have to
self-isolate will grow.
A spokesperson explained that it was
a conservative decision to shut down the
site’s only remaining reprocessing plant
but that it was easier and preferable to
shut it down in a controlled manner than
suddenly having to halt operations when
fewer staff are available.
“This approach will enable the best
opportunity for an effective re-start
when circumstances permit,” Sellafield
said in a statement. and other producers could increase the Fortunes will of course vary by
Elsewhere, impacts on suppliers and surplus of supply to at least 8m bbl/d. sector; those supplying the automo-
the supply chain are affecting opera- The price shock led the leaders of the tive sector have watched as carmakers
tions. Evonik announced that a force International Energy Agency (IEA) and shut production across Europe, while
majeure declared by its contract manu- the Organization of Petroleum Export- demand climbs for cleaning products
facturer has shut down production of its ing Countries (OPEC) to issue a rare and healthcare supplies.
animal feed ThreAMINO and the result- joint statement noting that developing
ing shortage of supply would be felt nations that are dependent on oil and
across all regions. gas production could see income from Switching output
oil and gas fall by 50–85% in 2020. Others are tailoring operations to fight
They said this will have major social the spread of the virus. Spirit maker
Market forces and economic consequences, notably Pernod Ricard is helping overcome
Others are affected by the virus’ result on for public sector spending on the likes shortages of sanitiser by supplying
market forces. For example, restrictions of healthcare and education, so under- alcohol to producers. It has donated
on travel are likely to restrict demand for scored the importance of market 70,000 L to France’s Laboratoire Cooper
jet fuel. stability and minimising the impact on and said its subsidiaries around the
Mark Williams, Principal Analyst, vulnerable economies. world would take similar action. The
refining, at Wood Mackenzie, said: Oil companies are responding by UK’s Brewdog announced its distillery
“Refiners are also likely to lower jet cutting expenditure. Among them, would be used to produce sanitiser and
[fuel] yields and blend more jet fuel ExxonMobil announced it would that it would be giving it away to those
into the distillate pool to accommo- significantly reduce capital and operat- who need it. Meanwhile Louis Vuitton
date lower jet [fuel] demand, adding ing expenses in the short term but gave owner LVMH has said it will retool
further pressure to already weak distil- no figures. Marathon Oil cut capital production lines in its perfume factories
late cracks.” spending for 2020 by at least U$500m to produce sanitising gels that will be
Meanwhile, the oil industry is suffer- to US$1.9bn. The Hill reports that the donated to hospitals.
ing from a rare combination of forces as US Government is considering offering Then there’s the need to ensure there
the pandemic has repressed demand for assistance to industry. are enough ventilators to help those who
oil while a rift with Russia over supply How the oil price will affect down- do fall ill. This has prompted the UK
strategy has led Saudi Arabia to flood stream users remains to be seen. While Government to issue a call for business
the market with cheap crude. Since chemicals firms could see earnings to come forward that can support the
January the price of oil has halved with rise on extended low feedstock costs, design and manufacture of ventilators,
Brent crude falling to below US$30/bbl. this will be balanced out by impacts on or supply components including pumps,
Traders are predicting that demand supply and demand for their products. valves, sensors and industrial automa-
for oil could fall by at least 5m bbl/d in If the low price persists, those chemi- tion components.
April or around 5% of global demand, FT cals firms such as Dow that have bet big The Government is asking those who
reports. Meanwhile, a battle for market on new US plants fed by cheap shale gas can help to provide more information at:
share between Saudi Arabia, Russia could see their cost advantage erased. https://bit.ly/2Qs865t AD
NIDvirus DG.indd 9 19/03/2020 19:08

NEWS in depth
environment
Vale knew Brazil dam was unstable

more than a decade before collapse
Report finds minin iant failed to miti ate risks
ACCORDING to the summary of a report Last year, Dam 1 of the Córrego do Feijão The summary includes recommendations
by an independent consulting commit- mine – also known as B1 – located near made to help Vale improve its practices
tee created by Vale, the mining company Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and culture.
knew as far back as 2003 about the safety collapsed. It released a torrent of muddy
issues at a Brazil dam which fatally slurry which buried the surrounding area,
collapsed last year. Additionally, it knew including the site’s administrative area Liquefaction studies
that a collapse of the structure could lead and cafeteria, reaching as far as a nearby According to the summary, as well as a
to a high number of deaths but took insuf- community. As of 28 December 2019, 259 previous technical report, Dam 1 failed
ficient measures to mitigate impacts. people have been confirmed dead, and 11 by static liquefaction. Liquefaction is a
The report was issued by Vale’s people remain missing. process by which materials such as sand
Extraordinary Independent Consulting The report follows an investigation to lose their strength and stiffness and
Committee for Investigation, which was understand the factors involved in the behave more like a liquid.
established following the dam collapse. collapse, including those that are techni- Auditors noted the need to perform
An executive summary is available cal; non-technical, such as organisational, stability analysis of Dam 1 consider-
(https://bit.ly/33ptn57). The full report has cultural, and governance aspects; and, ing the possibility of static liquefaction,
not been released to the public, and Vale which allowed the collapse to reach the as far back as 2003. Every year between
declined to provide The Chemical En ineer scale observed, in terms of loss of life, 2010 and 2013, an external auditor
with a copy. environmental, and material impacts. recommended analysis of the poten-
tial for liquefaction of Dam 1. The last
had been conducted in 2016 by consult-
ing company Geoconsultoria. In 2014,
Geoconsultoria conducted the analysis
by reinterpreting data collected in 2005.
In 2016, following a recom-
mendation to use new data,
Geoconsultoria performed new geotech-
nical and laboratory tests on the dam and
liquefaction studies. Initially the results
were unfavorable, but Geoconsultoria
then employed methodology which the
summary referred to as “questionable”
and the dam gained stability certifi-
cation. Methodology recommended by
Geoconsultoria’s subcontracted consul-
tant would have indicated imminent
failure, says the summary.
Known impacts & risk mitigation

aftermath: Mineral tailings mud The summary states that Vale’s Emer-
after dam rupture in Brumadinho gency Action Plan for Mining Dams
NIDvale DG.indd 10 19/03/2020 18:57

NEWS in depth
(PAEBM) and supporting studies indi- be ineffective for increasing the dam’s writing, nor did he make those reasons
cated that if Dam 1 collapsed its tailings stability in the short term. Furthermore, known to higher levels or the company’s
would reach the site’s administrative evidence suggested the preparatory governance bodies.
structures in about one minute. Other stages of decommissioning could impact Furthermore, information concern-
studies indicated a high number of the dam’s stability. ing dam safety and geotechnical risks
deaths in the event of a collapse, espe- Vale did not discuss provisional rein- was not fully portrayed to higher levels
cially if there was no prior warning. forcement and/or safety measures for the within the company. To directors and
Following external risk analyses in dam or the surrounding area, nor did it advisory committees, reports focussed
2017 which indicated the fragility of Dam discuss moving downstream adminis- on the positive and safety certification
1, Vale sought to increase the dam’s factor trative facilities. was emphasised.
of safety by installing deep horizon- Vale also lacked a secondary line of
tal drains (DHPs) and remining tailings, defence to address geotechnical risks.
to lower the phreatic surface. FS is a Culture and governance aspects Its internal risk management group
measure used in engineering design to The investigation into Vale revealed a reported to the iron ore business area
represent how much greater the resisting culture in which different areas within itself, limiting the group’s ability to
capacity of a structure is compared to the the company operated in “siloed” envi- act as an independent line of defence.
relative assumed load. External consul- ronments. Problems were addressed Furthermore, the group monitored
tants advised the methods Vale selected within business areas which were resis- external companies which conducted
would be inefficient in the short term. tant to exposing issues to the corporate audits and certification of dam safety,
During the installation of the 15th DHP, levels of the company, and there was in addition to being responsible for
a hydraulic fracture occurred in part of no incentive for those at higher levels hiring the same companies for other
the embankment causing water contain- within the company to question deci- services. Evidence suggests Vale may
ing fines to seep from the external slope sions made lower down. have exploited this to gain safety
of the dam. After the incident, Vale ceased For example, in 2016, when Vale’s certification.
DHP installation and moved forward then-Executive Director of Iron Ore,
with decommissioning as its primary Peter Poppinga, decided to cease tailings
method of risk mitigation. External deposition into Dam 1, he did not Recommendations
consultants believed the measure would document the reasons for his decision in The report made a total of 25 recom-
mendations to Vale based on the
investigation, including:
Disposing released tailings • assessing the risk of rupture of

VALE recently announced that it was to begin disposing of the mine tailings from structures similar to Dam 1;
the collapse into the extraction site, Córrego do Feijão mine. Tailings are the • adopting consistent and risk-
waste product of ore processing; a slurry of fine uneconomic rock and chemical based stability criteria;
effluent that is stored in tailings dams. • reviewing the process for
Vale is to dispose of tailings that have already been inspected and released by the obtaining safety certification;
Minas Gerais Military Fire Brigade. It will separate waste – such as metals, rubber, and • improving geotechnical risk
wood – from tailings prior to disposal. assessment methodology;
The measure is part of an Integrated Tailings and Waste Management Plan. Vale • improving the contracting policy
expects it will have removed and disposed of tailings from Ferro-Carvão stream up to for third parties providing dam
the confluence of the Paraopeba River, located near the site of Dam 1, by 2023. The safety services;
Ferro-Carvão stream received the highest discharge of material from Dam 1. • improving cultural aspects; and
According to Vale, disposal of the tailings into the extraction site is essential for • improving, fostering, and
search efforts to continue, and for the recovery of areas affected by the collapse. expanding safety culture.
Previously, it was reported that 9.7m m3 of material flowed from Dam 1 within five
minutes of the collapse. On 18 December 2019, Vale said it had removed 1.3m m3 of The committee notes that it cannot
tailings. Additionally, the company has previously said that it had dredged 130,000 m3 assure that the measures are adequate,
of tailings from the Ferro-Carvão stream. On 13 January, it said it had removed 59,000 effective, and sufficient to avoid or
m3 of tailings from the first 400 m stretch of the Paraopeba after confluence with the minimise risks associated with Vale’s
Ferro-Carvão stream. dams. It also acknowledges that Vale
In January, Vale announced the launch of a recovery project, Zero Milestone, for the may already have implemented, or be
environmental recovery of the area impacted by the collapse of Dam 1 in the process of implementing, the
recommendations. AJ
NIDvale DG.indd 11 19/03/2020 18:57

NEWS in depth
climate crisis
Rio Tinto will spend US$1bn on

reducing emissions
Forms part of plans to reach net zero carbon by 2050
RIO Tinto has announced that it will spend just 16% of the dividend it distributed smelting process due to the degradation
US$1bn over the next five years to reduce in 2019 or just under 5% of its reported of a carbon anode. In 2018, the company
its carbon footprint as part of plans to get EBITDA of US$21.2bn for the same year.” announced that it was developing carbon-
to net zero by 2050. Rio’s climate report, published the free aluminium smelting technology
The US$1bn will be invested in emis- same day as the financing announce- which has now been piloted successfully.
sions reduction projects, R&D, and ment, outlines four areas where the The company is assessing risks to its
enhancing climate change resilience. As company can work to meet its target. The operations as a result of increasing number
part of an ambition to reach net zero emis- report describes how Rio will provide the and intensity of extreme weather events
sions by 2050, the company has also said metals and minerals needed in the tran- due to the climate crisis. It also describes a
that it plans to reduce emissions by 15% sition to a low-carbon economy, such as case study of the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine –
– which equates to 4.8m t CO2e – by 2030 electric vehicles needing more copper than an arid region in Mongolia being impacted
compared to 2018 levels. It is also aiming conventional ones. by increasing desertification – and how it
to reduce the carbon intensity of its oper- One of the ways that Rio will reduce the has implemented measures to recycle and
ations by 30% for the same time period. emissions of its operations is by deploying conserve water.
This will mean that the company will need more renewable power projects. Currently, Jean-Sébastien Jacques, CEO of Rio
carbon-neutral growth up to 2030. 76% of its operations are powered by Tinto, said: “The ambition is clear but the
Julian Kettle, Vice Chairman of Metals renewable energy, but its iron ore business pathway is not…This will require complex
and Mining at Wood Mackenzie, said: “The in Pilbarra, Australia, uses natural gas to trade-offs, which means we all need to
announcement by Rio Tinto regarding its power the mines and processing plants. face up to some challenging decisions and
plans to decarbonise is a small but signif- One of Rio’s planned renewable projects have an honest conversation.
icant step in the right direction. However, is a US$100m solar plant at the Koodaid- Rio has refused to set a target to
changes need to be far bolder at a corporate, eri mine in Pilbara. It is also attempting to reduce scope 3 emissions, which are those
government and societal level. Setting Rio reduce emissions from aluminium produc- produced by its customers. In its report, it
Tinto’s US$1bn in context, this represents tion, which releases emissions during the noted that the production and shipping of
270m t of iron ore in 2019 resulted in 3.2m t
of emissions, compared to 373m t gener-
Calistemon/ Wikimedia
ated by customers processing the iron ore

into steel. The steel industry is responsible
for around 7–9% of global CO2 emissions,
according to the World Steel Association.
Rio has been criticised by activist
investors who say that it hasn’t gone far
enough with its climate goals.
BHP announced a US$400m climate
programme last year, which includes
addressing scope 3 emissions, and also has
a 2050 net zero target. Glencore has said
that it expects its scope 3 emissions
to fall by 30% by 2035, which includes
through the depletion of coal reserves. It
plant: Brockman 4 mine in the is expected to set a long-term emissions
Pilbara region of Western Australia target later this year. APD
NID3and4 DG.indd 12 19/03/2020 18:54

NEWS in depth
the profession
New view of chemical engineering

to help serve society
Sees discipline as three interconnected layers
RESEARCHERS have presented a new view science and engineering to help develop Furthermore, the paper notes the impor-
of chemical and biochemical (C&B) engi- commercially successful technology, and tance of adaption in a rapidly-changing
neering, which sees the discipline as three maintaining existing operations, are society and that C&B engineers should
interconnected layers of activity. They say essentially the definition of industry’s be able to handle different situations and
the view helps to show how well equipped remit. It adds that all industrial practices, respond to emergencies, if needed. It
the field is to tackle current and future including manufacturing, engineering, says courses in process and plant design,
challenges, to serve society. equipment, software, and consulting, combined with or without product design,
Currently, society is facing formida- should aim to achieve sustainable develop- are well suited to meet these types of
ble challenges, including climate change, ment and/or circularity. learning objectives. A key issue concerns
global population growth, and resource including topics within the curriculum to
limitation. These require innovative solu- equip students with the ability to adapt to
tions which chemical and biochemical Research innovative technologies from outside the
engineers could help to provide. Research activities occur at each of the scope of C&B engineering without sacrific-
The multi-layered view, published in different layers highlighted by the authors. ing the core curriculum.
Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Outer-layer research aims to understand
involves an inner layer which deals with the needs of key stakeholders and trans-
fundamental principles – such as ther- late them into development targets. These Addressing challenges
modynamics, reaction kinetics, transport targets can then be realised by develop- “C&B interdisciplinary and multidisci-
phenomena – and their application; a ments in the innermost and middle layers. plinary engineers are in a pivotal position
middle layer that deals with combining Certain concepts would need to to help society shape a sustainable future
science and technology to develop sustain- be incorporated at the inner layers to with zero-waste and minimum energy
able technologies; and, an outer layer enable sustainable survival on earth consumption objectives of circular
which deals with knowledge integration with an acceptable standard of living, for economy,” the authors write.
and collaboration with other disciplines to example, by improving living standards They note that an important immediate
help achieve a more sustainable society. with minimal environmental and health activity is to define the grand challenges
Through this view, the authors high- impacts. To name a few, sustainability, that society now faces and thereby identify
light activities in the practice, research, circular economy, and resource recovery, the main opportunities for C&B engineer-
and education of C&B engineering. would need to be integrated into areas such ing. Lead author and IChemE Fellow Rafiqul
as product development, process design, Gani clarified that the paper is “like a short
and retrofit activities. review-perspective paper on the scope and
Practice significance of C&B engineering.”
The authors write that industry translates IChemE’s principal technical commit-
the discipline of C&B engineering to value, Education tee, the Learned Society Committee,
and offers interesting and challenging The researchers say that C&B engineer- recently identified responsible production,
careers. In the outer layer, value creation ing students need to understand the basic major hazard identification and manage-
is observed through identifying grand concepts of the discipline, as well as the ment, and digitalisation as its first priority
challenges to address to achieve sustain- scope and significance of both the middle topics, as part of IChemE’s mission to
able industrial development and improve and outer layers. In addition, students address the grand challenges. Additionally,
circularity. Drawing on skills from the should gain non-technical skills to help IChemE is working to publish a position
inner layers it can help to ensure sustain- them in areas such as project management, on climate change, ahead of the COP26
able development. as well as the ability to work in multicul- climate conference.
According to the paper, combining tural and diverse environments. ChERD: http://doi.org/dpvt AJ
NID3and4 DG.indd 13 19/03/2020 18:54

NEWS round-up
industry
New European green
hydrogen project
announced
SHELL, Gasunie, and Groningen Sea-
ports have launched the NortH2
project, which aims to build a green
hydrogen facility in The Netherlands environment
which will use wind power to produce
800,000 t/y of hydrogen by 2040.
The facility would use offshore ExxonMobil releases model methane
wind power to produce hydrogen at the
port of Eemshaven in The Netherlands. emissions regulatory framework
It aims to generate 3–4 GW of offshore
wind power before 2030, growing to 10 EXXONMOBIL has released an industry-wide model regulatory framework for methane and
GW for 800,000 t/y of H2 by 2040. It urged stakeholders, policymakers, and governments to develop comprehensive, enhanced
could cut The Netherland’s CO2 emis- rules to reduce methane emissions throughout production.
sions by 7m t/y by using the hydrogen The framework is based on a voluntary methane emissions reduction program estab-
as a method to store sustainable lished by Exxon subsidiary XTO Energy, which ensures compliance to applicable regulations
energy. The hydrogen can then be used and goes beyond regulatory requirements. It involves prioritised replacement of components
for power or for industry. with high-leak potential at production sites, technology enhancements to infrastructure,
A feasibility study is expected to and substantial data gathering and research.
be completed by the end of the year. The newly proposed regulations are more comprehensive than current US federal rules
The project will require the construc- and would apply to new and existing sources.
tion of new offshore windfarms in the According to Exxon, regulations should address and include four primary requirements
North Sea, the development of new to achieve meaningful reductions in methane emissions. Exxon’s framework includes these
electrolysers, and the establishment requirements and discusses specific regulatory practices and controls, as follows:
of a smart transport network to deliver
the hydrogen to customers. Gasunie’s • Leak detection programmes across oil and gas infrastructure – typically fugitive
natural gas infrastructure will be used components occur at valves, screwed connections, flanges, open-ended lines, and
for storage and transport of hydrogen. pump seals
First hydrogen is expected in 2027 if • Minimising venting – such as from new hydraulically fractured wells and during
the outcome of the feasibility study is manual liquid unloading
successful. • Operational equipment controls – for equipment such as pneumatic pumps and
Han Fennema, CEO of Gasunie, controllers, compressors, and storage vessels
said: “The Netherlands has a lead- • Record keeping and reporting to supply enforcement agency – discusses record keeping
ing position in the shift to a hydrogen and reporting as part of a leak detection and repair programme and from different
economy. We have the North Sea for types of equipment, as well as annual reporting of total methane emissions
the production of wind [power], the
ports as logistical hubs, and the indus- Darren Woods, CEO of Exxon, said the company offers this framework to others in the indus-
trial clusters that want to make the try as they consider how to reduce emissions from the sector, and that the company hopes it
switch to green molecules and a suit- will help governments as they develop new regulations.
able transport network. If we want to Exxon says it is on track to reduce its methane emissions by 15%. It previously announced
realise our climate ambitions, we must it aimed to do this by 2020.Other companies, such as Shell and BP, have also set emissions
have large-scale infrastructure in good reductions targets.
time. With these partners, and hope- Additionally, Exxon, Shell, BP, and others are part of the Collaboratory to Advance Meth-
fully even more partners soon, we are ane Science, an industry-led collaborative research consortium working to understand and
helping the market to accelerate the tackle methane emissions. The three energy companies were amongst eight which commit-
transition to renewable energy.” ted to reducing methane emissions from their natural gas assets in 2017, when they signed
a Guiding Principles document.
Newsroundup946 AD.indd 14 19/03/2020 18:43

NEWS round-up
the profession
Engineering capability review raises safety concerns

FATALITIES and accidents at work are likely to increase, and a Among those countries where IChemE has significant pop-
better understanding of engineering capacity and capability is ulations of members, Singapore ranked first on capability in three
needed for engineering to intervene, says a new report from the of the six categories (see graphic). The report cites Malaysia as a
Royal Academy of Engineering. top performing country, noting it ranks 41st in terms of GDP but
Global Engineering Capability Review looks at the ability of 99 19th for the number of its universities within the world’s top 500
countries to conduct key engineering activities in a safe and inno- for engineering.
vative way. It notes that around 1,000 people die every day due to The report draws two key conclusions. Firstly, it notes there is a
an accident at work, and that fatal accidents are on the rise in many need for many countries to strengthen their evidence base by col-
developing economies as more money is spent on new infrastruc- lecting more accurate data on their labour forces and aligning the
ture projects and upgrades. definition and categorisation of the term “engineer”.
The report ranks countries by six measures of capability: knowl- Secondly, it says countries often face problems not in producing
edge; labour force; engineering industry; infrastructure; digital enough engineers but producing high-quality engineers. Among
infrastructure; and safety standards. The RAEng wants the report its recommendations, it says institutions should develop interdis-
to provide a baseline to help policymakers and businesses under- ciplinary engineering curricula and alternative education models
stand engineering strengths within countries so they can identify focussed on project-based learning.
and bridge gaps to safer and more sustainable development. You can read the full report here: https://bit.ly/2vxGzbB
knowledge labour force engineering industry infrastructure digital infrastructure safety standards
1. US 1. Singapore 1. Japan 1. Switzerland 1. Singapore 1. Singapore
2. China 2. Finland 2. Germany 2. Finland 2. Denmark 2. Bahrain
3. Japan 3. Germany 3. Singapore 3. France 3. Netherlands 3. Australia
4. South Korea 4. Hong Kong 4. China 4. Denmark 4. Switzerland 4. Ireland
5. Germany 4. Portugal 5. South Korea 5. Sweden 5. US 5. Netherlands
6. UK 16. Malaysia 18. Ireland 6. Singapore 14. Ireland 9. UK
11. Australia 27. New Zealand 20. UK 16. Australia 25. New Zealand 10. New Zealand
17. Singapore 29. UK 32. Malaysia 18. Ireland 26. UK 54. Malaysia
29. Malaysia 31. Australia 47. Australia 24. UK 34. Australia 77. South Africa
32. Ireland 33. Ireland 49. South Africa 26. New Zealand 37. Malaysia
32. New Zealand N/A. South Africa 62. New Zealand 40. South Africa 54. South Africa
38. South Africa 41. Malaysia
Countries ranked by engineering capability: top five nations, plus rankings of countries where icheme has significant populations of membership
industry
BASF joins forces to plan electric car battery recycling cluster
BASF, Fortum and Nornickel are planning a recycling centre in Fin- plans to build onsite. Fortum’s process, which was developed by the
land that would recover metals from electric car batteries. firm Crisolteq that it bought in January, extends the recovery rate
With the number of electric cars rising dramatically – up 63% in of materials from lithium ion batteries from 50% to over 80%. The
2018 to 5m vehicles – there is the need for more efficient methods process begins by first separating out the plastics, aluminium and
to recover and reuse the valuable elements in their batteries. copper from the batteries. What is left is known as “black mass”
The partners have signed a letter of intent to plan a battery that consists of a mixture of lithium, manganese, cobalt and nickel.
recycling cluster in Harjavalta that would use a low-CO2 hydrome- Fortum says its process involves a chemical precipitation technique
tallurgical process powered by renewable energy. BASF would reuse that allows it to recover the nickel and cobalt that most other recy-
the recovered materials in a battery materials precursor plant it cling techniques are unable to recover.

NEWS round-up
Lancaster University
architect’s impression: lancaster’s
energy future engineering building
Australian plant will

be first to deliver
blended hydrogen
AUSTRALIAN Gas Networks, which
owns distribution networks across the
country, is to construct a facility in
Gladstone, Queensland that will be the
first in Australia capable of delivering
up to 10% blended hydrogen across
the city. The project will cost A$4.2m
(US$2.6m). education
Hydrogen Park (HyP) Gladstone
will produce 20 kg/d of hydrogen using
certified “green” power from the local Lancaster University plans major
power grid. The hydrogen will then
be blended into the gas network. The investment in engineering
facility will include a 175 kW polymer
electrolyte membrane electrolyser, LANCASTER University, UK is to make a major investment as part of plans to expand
water demineralisation system, and engineering at the university. At the heart of its plans is a £17m (US$21.87m) build-
process cooling equipment. Due to the ing, that is to house cutting-edge laboratories and facilities, including a 3D lecture
facility’s modular design it could be theatre.
scaled up to produce hydrogen for a The wider package of Lancaster’s investment will include recruitment of 20 new pro-
wider domestic market or export. fessors and lecturers.
Hydrogen’s entry into the energy The new three-storey, 2,700 m2 engineering building will become a showcase for
landscape in Gladstone – already home modern engineering, Lancaster said. New equipment will include a new distillation column
to Queensland’s and Australia’s east for chemical engineering, laboratories for bioengineering and hydrogen energy technol-
coast liquified natural gas production, ogy, and an integrated advanced manufacturing environment.
processing, and export industry – is The 3D lecture theatre is expected to allow new teaching concepts to be developed that
expected to create jobs and economic would see lecturers showing students around complex virtual images in a 3D environment,
growth. Construction on the project is which is expected to help provide clearer understanding and novel learning experiences.
scheduled to begin in November, and Additionally, the building is to include a flexible working space for guest researchers
operations will start before the close and development space to support start-ups and businesses. Work on the new building is
of 2021. to begin in Q2, and completion is expected in Q3 2021.
“The Gladstone plant can deliver a Martin Alastair, Professor and Group Lead of Chemical Engineering at Lancaster, said:
citywide proof-of-concept to enable “Chemical engineering at Lancaster is under ten years old. Over this short period the
implementation of blended hydrogen undergraduate programme has grown strongly, in terms of numbers of students recruited
gas across regional cities in Australia,” and status within the family of chemical engineering programmes in the UK.
said Ben Wilson, CEO of Australian Gas “The new building will provide a dramatic increase in teaching laboratory space to
Networks. Wilson noted the group also underpin practical learning by the undergraduate cohort. In addition, new research lab-
has hydrogen projects underway in oratories will be able to host the group’s expanding portfolio in hydrogen, catalysis and
South Australia, Victoria, and Western biochemical processes.
Australia. “The building will also include ‘tall’ and collaborative spaces capable of hosting larger
The Queensland Government has rigs and joint projects with industrial partners including SMEs in Lancashire, Cumbria and
provided A$1.78m of funding to the the Northwest, whilst the unique character of engineering at Lancaster facilitates mul-
project through its A$15m Hydrogen ti-disciplinary approaches to chemical engineering research.
Industry Development Fund, which “Overall, Lancaster University has given the future of chemical engineering a very
was established to support hydrogen strong vote of confidence.”
projects in the state. The university’s MEng and BEng (Hons) chemical engineering programmes are IChemE
accredited.

NEWS round-up
industry
Teesside industry evolves its CCS pitch and pushes plans

to host net zero cluster
A CONSORTIUM operated by BP is pitching for the UK Government 2030 as it seeks to achieve its legally-binding target for the UK to be
to support the development of a net zero cluster in Teesside that net zero by 2050. The OGCI has said with Government support the
could capture up to 6m t/y of industrial emissions. Teesside project could start up in the middle of the 2020s.
The project is an expansion of the Clean Gas Project announced In September, Drax, Equinor and National Grid Ventures
in 2018 to construct a new gas-fired power plant along with full launched a campaign called Zero Carbon Humber, lobbying Govern-
chain CCS technology to bury the CO2 produced under the North ment to support the region’s development of CCS and the hydrogen
Sea. This has now grown to include a transportation and storage economy. The HyNet project in northwest England is also vying to
system to gather CO2 from other industries in the region including be the UK’s first net zero carbon industrial cluster.
fertiliser, bioethanol, hydrogen and waste-to-energy plants. The Commenting on the potential of the Teesside project, Tees Valley
project has been renamed Net Zero Teesside. Mayor Ben Houchen said the project could drive around £500m in
The consortium consists of Eni, Equinor, Shell, and Total – local investment and safeguard and create 5,500 jobs.
with BP as operator. Alongside the widening of scope for this Meanwhile, the budget failed to pledge significant investment
project, MoUs have been signed with three operators in the region – in hydrogen following calls from industry through the Hydrogen
CF Fertiliser, BOC, and Sembcorp Utilities – to evaluate the techni- Taskforce for government to commit £1bn for large-scale deploy-
cal and commercial case for capturing CO2. ment. In February, the government pledged £90m for a suite of
The region is a major process industry hub producing chemi- decarbonisation efforts including five demonstration phase hydro-
cals, plastics, metals, fertilisers and industrial gases, and the fourth gen projects. This included funding engineering studies for the
largest emitter of CO2 in the UK, according to Government fig- Acorn CCS and hydrogen project at St Fergus gas terminal in Scot-
ures. It produces 3.1m t/y, compared to 4.3m t/y for Grangemouth, land; and £7.5m for the Low Carbon Hydrogen plant at Essar Oil
8.2m t/y for South Wales, and 12.4m t/y for Humberside. UK’s Stanlow refinery, as part of the HyNet project.
Andy Lane, Managing Director of Net Zero Teesside, said the Led by Progressive Energy, the project will use Johnson Mat-
region is uniquely positioned to become the UK’s first decarbon- they’s low carbon hydrogen (LCH) technology, which includes
ised cluster. carbon capture, and will be capable of producing 3 TWh of hydro-
The Government announced in its budget in March that it would gen. The plant will have a 95% CO2 capture rate and will capture
spend £800m (US$1bn) establishing two CCS clusters in the UK by 600,000 t/y.
industry
BP leaves three trade associations due to mismatch on climate
BP HAS announced that it will leave the American Fuel and Pet- only partially aligned on climate policy and that it has communi-
rochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), the Western States Petroleum cated these differences to the organisations. All associations in BP’s
Association (WSPA) and the Western Energy Alliance (WEA), as review have been informed of BP’s expectations regarding climate
their climate policies were not aligned with BP’s and could not be positions and transparency. It has said that this is an ongoing pro-
reconciled. cess and that another review will take place in around two years.
In February, BP announced that it aims to be net zero by 2050 BP CEO Bernard Looney said: “Trade associations have long
and that part of these plans would include setting new expectations demonstrated how we can make progress through collaboration,
for its relationships with trade organisations. After a six-month particularly in areas such as safety, standards and training. This
review of 30 trade associations, BP decided to leave the AFPM and approach should also be brought to bear on the defining challenge
WSPA over differences on policy positions regarding carbon pricing, that faces us all – supporting the rapid transition to a low carbon
and is leaving the WEA due to differences around methane regula- future. By working together, we can achieve so much more.”
tions. BP will continue to be a member of the American Petroleum Chet Thompson, President of AFPM, said he was disappointed
Institute (API), which actively campaigns against climate action. with BP’s decision, and felt its report does not accurately reflect
However, it said that the API is one of five organisations which are AFPM’s position and commitment to finding solutions.

NEWS Research & Development
Jeff Fitlow, Rice University

carbon black catalysis
into graphene:
Researchers at Rice CPI and Oxford partner
University watch
the flash process to scale up biocatalysis
technology
TECHNOLOGY innovation centre CPI and
the University of Oxford, UK, have part-
nered to scale up technology that could
facilitate biocatalysis methods and enable
safer, more economically viable and more
sustainable production of fine chemicals.
Biocatalysis allows for safer and more
sustainable chemical processing. Enzymes
are used in place of metal-based catalysts
materials (which are often toxic), and flammable
organic solvents are replaced with water.
Additionally, enzyme catalysts produce
Green process converts almost any highly pure chemical products and min-
imise the need for expensive purification.
carbon source into graphene This makes biocatalysis of particular inter-
est for the production of pharmaceuticals,
RESEARCHERS at Rice University, US, have discovered a green process which can flavourings, and fragrances.
quickly and cheaply produce graphene from almost any carbon source. It could However, many biocatalytic reactions
facilitate a reduction in the environmental impact of concrete and other building require the constant feed of the cofac-
materials. tor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
Graphene is the strongest known material and a tiny amount can significantly enhance (NADH). It is a critical but expensive com-
the properties of materials such as plastics, paints, composites, wood composites, con- ponent of many biocatalytic reactions, and
crete, metals, and lubricant. However, it is expensive to manufacture, so has limited its requirement has hindered industrial
industrial applications.The process discovered at Rice employs flash Joule heating, which adoption of biocatalytic technology.
passes an electric current through a conductor to produce heat. Using a custom reactor, The partners are collaborating to scale
the Rice researchers can produce graphene in 10 ms. The carbon source is placed between up Oxford’s HydRegen technology – novel
two electrodes and 200 V is applied in a short electrical pulse, heating the material to NADH recycling technology which could
more than 3,000 K (2726.9°C). Non-carbon elements sublime and the remaining carbon help to facilitate industrial biocataly-
atoms reconstruct into carbon. sis – to enable evaluation in an industrial
In the flash process, the heat is concentrated in the carbon source. Though the inter- setting. HydRegen employs specialised
nal temperature exceeds 3,000 K, the external walls of the quartz tubes are less than enzymes immobilised onto carbon beads,
60°C following the flash process, and all the excess energy comes out as light in a very which, in the presence of hydrogen, read-
bright flash. The source material can be anything with carbon content, such as food waste, ily recycle NADH consumed in the reaction.
plastic waste, petroleum coke, coal, wood clippings, and biochar. As the enzymes are immobilised, they can
The flash process would be much cheaper than the conventional process, whilst help- be easily recovered from the final product,
ing to manage waste. According to the researchers, bulk composites of graphene with enabling a more sustainable and cost-
plastic, metals, plywood, concrete, and other building materials would be a major mar- effective process.
ket for flash graphene. They are already testing graphene-enhanced concrete and plastic. CPI adapted Oxford’s bacterial growth
James Tour, Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Nanoengineering at protocol to scale up enzyme production
Rice, said: “Essentially, we’re trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and meth- to 10-fold higher biomass than previously
ane that waste food would have emitted in landfills. We are converting those carbons into reported, optimising the bacterial feed
graphene and adding that graphene to concrete, thereby lowering the amount of carbon strategy to raise the optical density at 600
dioxide generated in concrete manufacture. It’s a win-win environmental scenario using nm (OD600) from 5 units to 125 units; OD
graphene.” Currently the researchers are working to increase production from a few grams measures the density of materials such as
per hour to a few tonnes per hour. microbial cell concentration in a bioreactor.
Nature: http://doi.org/dpmf Further work aims to increase the
enzyme yield obtained from cultures.
R&D946 DG.indd 18 19/03/2020 19:04

NEWS Research & Development
process
Replacing petroleum with wood in chemicals production

AN interdisciplinary team of researchers has calculated how
woodstock: Paper mills produce wood waste which
wood could replace petroleum in the chemical industry, based
could be used in biorefineries to make chemicals
on their process that converts wood waste into chemicals.
The team of bio-engineers and economists from KU Leuven,
Belgium, looked at the technological requirements and the eco-
nomic feasibility of a biorefinery that uses wood as a feedstock. The
future of biorefineries will depend not just on feedstock availability,
but also on how profitable they are and if they can compete with
the petrochemical industry.
The KU Leuven researchers developed a process in 2015 to use
waste from the paper industry to make chemicals. The reactor
simultaneously converts wood into paper pulp and lignin-derived
products. Paper pulp from the wood can be used to produce
biofuels or insulation foam, while lignin oil produced from the
wood can be processed into products such as phenol, propylene,
and components to create ink. They worked with a Belgian-Japanese ink company and found that
Based on that process, they have now calculated how it could a plant that uses wood components to make ink would be profita-
be used in a biorefinery. The Science paper describing the work dis- ble after a few years.
cusses a new type of biorefinery that can convert 78% of birch wood The team is now working on scaling up their process and hopes
into xylochemicals. The biorefinery can also produce bioethanol and to build a wood refinery in Belgium. They are collaborating with
lignin oil, as well as phenol and propylene, which can be used for waste processors and landscape managers to use their waste wood
bioplastics. They can also use residual products for printing ink. as a feedstock. They are also talking with business partners who can
“What’s so special about this study is that we calculated the process the cellulose pulp and lignin oil.
economic viability of a switch from petroleum to wood,” said Sels. Science http://doi.org/dpw3
batteries
Stretchable battery for wearable electronics
RESEARCHERS at Stanford University, US, have developed a soft significantly as compared to conventional electrode materials,
and stretchable battery that could be used to power wearable elec- which have capacity ranging from 2–4 mAh/cm2.
tronics. They claim it is one of the first demonstrations of an The battery is based on a supramolecular lithium-ion conduc-
intrinsically stretchable lithium-ion battery. tor (SLIC). The macromolecule contains a soft segment based on
Wearable electronics can be used for purposes such as data col- the ion-conducting polymer poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene
lection, live monitoring and feedback, and communication. The glycol)-poly(propylene glycol) (PPG-PEG-PPG). Hydrogen-bond-
emergence of wearable electronics which bring batteries in close ing motifs in the backbone of the macromolecule interact with each
contact with human skin has exacerbated the need for battery mate- other to impart high mechanical strength. When the material is
rials that are robust, highly ionically conductive, and stretchable. stretched, the polymer can mechanically dissipate stress by break-
The researchers developed a solid and stretchy polymer that can ing the reversible hydrogen bonds, while maintaining ion-transport
act as an electrolyte. In lab tests, the stretchable battery maintained pathways.
constant power even when it was squeezed, folded, or stretched. According to David Mackanic, Graduate Research Fellow and
The batteries – typically with an active material area of 1 cm2 – had lead author of the study, the group is now working to increase the
a capacity of 1.1 mAh/cm2 and could function even when stretched battery’s energy density; build larger versions; and, in future, run
up to 70% strain. The capacity of the battery is high compared experiments to demonstrate the battery’s performance outside of
to most stretchable batteries and is similar to commercially- the lab.
available flexible batteries. Additionally, it is not reduced Nature Communications: http://doi.org/ggd6dj
R&D946 DG.indd 19 19/03/2020 19:04

feature safety
DEEPWATER
HORIZON
As it Happened
of U.S.
e (DoD)
does
te DoD
DVIDS/US Coast Guard
deepwater horizon DG1 final.indd 20 19/03/2020 17:51

feature safety
Geo aitland looks back

on the Gulf of e ico oilspill
ten ears a o this month
2
0 April 2010 was to be a special day for the rig and crew
of Deepwater Horizon, Transocean’s semi-submersible
offshore drilling rig contracted by BP to drill a 20,000 feet
exploration well into the Macondo reservoir, situated 4 miles
below the ocean surface in the Gulf of Mexico, 41 miles off the SE
coast of Louisiana. The drilling had been taking place in one mile
of deep water for some 4 months and the project was six weeks
behind schedule – due to a series of delays arising from drilling
through some quite sensitive and weak rock formations that
required careful and circumspect drilling. However, today was
the day when, having reached the target zone, the well was to be
completed and left in a safe state of readiness for future produc-
tion. The Deepwater Horizon, costing about US$1M a day to use,
could finally be moved away to drill elsewhere with the Macondo
well temporarily capped, ready to be re-entered and moved into
production mode at a future date. This would bring to the surface
the potential 50m barrels (bbl) of high-quality oil (worth about
US$5bn) formed and trapped in the reservoir over geological
time. Mission almost accomplished.
to celebrate the rig’s excellent safety record

of seven years without a lost-time incident,
BP...and Transocean executives were making
a special visit to the rig to present
awards and congratulate the crew
Not only was this the day for completion and moving on, but to
celebrate the rig’s excellent safety record of seven years without a
lost-time incident, BP Vice President of Drilling, Patrick O’Bryan,
along with other BP and Transocean executives, were making
a special visit to the rig to present awards and congratulate the
crew. They arrived at around 14:30, and were given a full tour of
the rig, meeting the crew, discussing safety issues along the way
and being assured that the final stages of drilling and preparing to
seal off the well were going fine. Night was beginning to fall, and
at 19:00 in a conference room below deck the VIPs met with crew
representatives to congratulate them on their superb seven-year
safety record. Job done, they went up to meet the rig captain on the
bridge. They were in the middle of trying out the drilling simula-
tion tool used for training when suddenly the rig began to shake.
The Captain opened a door and they could see drilling mud from
the rig pouring down onto the support vessel Bankston, moored
alongside. They quickly closed the door, only to hear a hissing
fight: Fire boat response crews battle the sound followed by a loud noise which sounded like an explosion.
blazing remnants of Deepwater Horizon The eep ater ori on tragedy was unfolding before their eyes.

feature safety
Build-up to the disaster…a catalogue of problems reasons”. All that needed to be done now was to place a steel tube
To understand what was happening, we need to rewind a little. The (a “production casing”) into this final section of the hole and to
drilling of the Macondo well from the seabed, some 5,000 ft below pump cement into the annulus between it and the formation rock
the ocean surface, had proved troublesome. The drillpipe had got to make sure that the hydrocarbons were sealed into the formation
stuck in the wellbore, there were numerous “lost circulation” until BP and its partners were ready to produce them.
events (where the drilling mud leaks out of the well through cracks The drilling mud in the wellbore would not then be needed
in the rock) and “kicks” due to gas at unexpectedly high pres- to keep the oil and gas within the rock formation and could be
sures entering the well from the formation. All these caused costly safely replaced by seawater before all valves at the wellhead on
delays, and by 20 April the project was 45 days behind schedule the seafloor were closed. With the drilling rig disconnected from
and over budget by US$58m. So there was some pressure to get this the wellhead, eep ater ori on could sail away to its next desti-
project finished without further delays and cost over-runs. nation to drill another deep sub-sea well, hopefully without all
the problems it had encountered in getting Macondo (almost) to
its target. The plan was for BP to return at a later stage to re-enter
The lost circulation events...were a warning the well with a production platform and start to produce the 50m
sign that the safe window for drilling, bbl of oil that Macondo held in its bounty. This was a relatively
below the rock fracture pressure whilst routine procedure carried out on hundreds of wells a year. What
staying above the hydrocarbon pressure could possibly go wrong?
in the rock pores, was quickly narrowing
The lost circulation events, whilst being solved by running Crucial decisions and oversights:
viscous lost circulation pills to seal the fractures, were a warning the blowout creeps up
sign that the safe window for drilling, below the rock fracture Well, as it turned out, quite a lot in fact could, and did, go wrong.
pressure whilst staying above the hydrocarbon pressure in the First, several decisions about the design and execution of the
rock pores, was quickly narrowing. A lost circulation event on 9 primary cementing job were made which increased the risk of
April convinced the drilling engineers that with a mud of density problems. It was decided to use a “long string” steel casing reaching
14.5 pounds per gallon (ppg) the risk of further fracturing, major from the payzone all the way back to the surface, rather than an
mud losses and wellbore failure by drilling deeper were unaccept- easier-to-cement liner that was connected just to the casing in
ably high. The well was by now at a depth of 18,360 ft, already the drilled section immediately above. Then, instead of using 21
penetrating the payzone of porous hydrocarbon-containing rock centralisers, considered optimal to keep the long casing centred
that BP hoped to exploit. Although the target depth was 20,200 ft, in the wellbore to ensure that cement was placed uniformly in
BP decided to stop drilling further “for well integrity and safety the casing-formation annulus, avoiding slugs of undisplaced and
unsettable drilling mud remaining in the section to be sealed off,
only six were eventually deployed. This saved about 10 hours in
Wikipedia
mounting centralisers but compromised the chances of uniform

cement placement.
The casing started to be lowered into the well on the morning of
18 April and once in place, by early afternoon the crew was ready to
start the cementing job, carried out by specialist contractor Halli-
burton. The previous lost circulation concerns due to the fragility
of the formation rock had now placed considerable constraints on
the design of the cement slurry and process. The risk of fractur-
ing the formation due to too high a pressure exerted by the slurry,
a combination of hydrostatic (ruled by column height and density)
and circulation (ruled by flowrate), was the number one concern.
So several compromises were made to reduce the stress imposed
on the exposed rock:
• The time taken to condition the thixotropic mud, which

gels as it sits in the well, to a low viscosity state more
easily displaced by the cement, was cut by a factor of eight
compared with normal practice.
sailaway: Deepwater Nautilus, sister rig to the • The pumping rate for the following cement slurry was set
Deepwater Horizon, showing the full design of at a relatively low value (<4 bbl/min), which was far less
the rig (including underwater sections) than is optimal for best mud-displacement.

Transocean feature safety
At the 07:30 meeting the Schlumberger team, on board to carry out

this test, was sent home and the rig crew moved on to the final
phase: temporary abandonment to move eep ater ori on off the
well, ready for it to be finally completed for hydrocarbon produc-
tion in due course by a smaller and less costly rig. BP had made
many changes to this abandonment procedure in the previous two
weeks and it is not clear that the one used on 20 April went through
any formal risk assessment or management of change process.
Key signals of impending disaster ignored

Before replacing much of the drilling mud still in the well with
lighter seawater, it was necessary to fully check that the hydro-
carbons in the payzone were indeed properly sealed off and did not
before the incident: The Deepwater Horizon, a dynami- anymore require the pressure of the 18,360 ft of heavy mud column
cally positioned, semisubmersible drilling unit to keep them in place. This was done with a series of pressure
tests. First was a positive-pressure test, started at noon, in which
the well was pressurised up to 2,500 psi for 30 mins. The pressure
• The volume of cement used (60 bbl, 1 bbl being ~150 L) inside the well remained steady, showing there were no leaks from
was also kept to a bare minimum to keep the height of the within the production casing to the outside. Next came a “nega-
cement column as low as possible – reaching only 500 ft tive-pressure test” which would check the integrity of not only
above the uppermost hydrocarbon zone compared with BPs the casing but also the bottomhole cement job. The crew set up the
normal guideline of 1,000 ft. well to simulate the planned removal of mud from the riser pipe
(over 5,000 ft joining the top of the well to the rig floor) and from
• Critically, the density of the cement slurry could not exceed the top of the well. To do this they ran drillpipe into the well and
the density where drilling mud had caused the last “lost pumped seawater down to displace 3,300 ft of mud from the well to
circulation”, 14.5 ppg. So BP and Halliburton decided to above the blowout preventer (BOP), the complex multi-valve device
use a foam cement where tiny nitrogen gas bubbles were connecting the riser to the top of the well that was the device of
dispersed in a 16.7 ppg cement slurry to reduce its density last-resort for sealing the well. They separated the seawater from
to 14.5 ppg. the mud by a slug of spacer fluid to prevent mixing at the inter-
face. However, in this case, rather than a conventional spacer, they
Whilst mitigating the fracture and lost circulation risk, there are unusually used a heavy, viscous lost-circulation fluid now surplus
potential problems with foam cement if it does not remain stable to requirements not normally used as a spacer or tested for this
until after the cement is set, causing it to be porous and permea- purpose.
ble, with a much lower mechanical strength. Earlier lab testing by Once the mud was displaced above the BOP, the crew closed
Halliburton had revealed unstable behaviour, but it seems these an annular valve on the BOP around the drillpipe to isolate the
results were not fully taken into account before the final design was well from the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the mud and spacer
pumped. So all these factors meant that extra vigilance would have in the riser, and then they opened the top of the drillpipe on the
been expected to check that none of these changes from normal or rig and bled the drillpipe pressure to zero. When the drillpipe was
best practice had compromised the goal of the primary cementing closed again to shut the well in, its pressure built quickly to over
job, to ensure complete sealing off of the high pressure hydrocar- 1,200 psi indicating that under these “underbalanced” conditions,
bon zones delivering “well integrity”, from being achieved. fluids were entering the well from the formation. The test was
On completion of the primary cementing job at 00:40 on repeated three times and each time there was a pressure build up
20 April, the pumps were turned off. On opening a valve on the to about 1,000 psi. Instead of accepting that there was a well integ-
cementing unit, there was no significant flowback, indicating rity problem, and that the primary cementing job had not secured
that cement was not migrating up the annulus. Halliburton and the well, it was suggested that the observed pressure was due to
BP concluded that the job had been pumped as planned and that pressure transmission from the heavy mud in the riser through
zonal isolation in the payzone had been achieved, ensuring well the BOP annular seal (a “bladder effect” of unclear mechanism). It
integrity. was decided to re-run the negative pressure test through the “kill
On the basis of this rather slim and indirect evidence, they line” – an alternative route to send fluids through the BOP into a
decided to dispense with carrying out more rigorous cement eval- shut-in well. The kill line was opened, the pressure bled down to
uation tests, using acoustic well logging tools to establish the zero and no flow or pressure build-up was observed for 30 mins.
full displacement of mud by cement and confirm good bonding However, the drillpipe pressure remained at 1,400 psi, whereas it
between the cement and both the casing and the formation rock. should have been the same as that in the kill line. Nevertheless, the

feature safety
negative pressure test on the kill line was deemed to be correct, with a cement plug, to be set deeper than normal at 8,367 ft – yet
and at 20:00 BP, in consultation with the rig crew, decided that the this would never happen. During the displacement procedure, the
integrity of the well had been confirmed. This was the moment drillers and mud engineers should have been on the lookout for
that the Macondo well was lost. evidence of a “kick”– the unplanned entry of gas or oil into the
From this point forward, events moved on apace. Almost imme- well – if by chance the bottomhole cementing had not done its
diately, the order was given to open the BOP annular preventer job. Inflowing gas can expand over a hundred times as it makes its
valve and to begin displacing the mud and spacer from the riser. journey up the 18,000 ft of well and riser towards the rig, acceler-
Preparations were started for the next stage of sealing off the well, ating to great speed as it does so and pushing the drilling mud up
the well faster and faster as it expands.
There are indicators available if this is happening:
Schematic of the Macondo Well: showing the telescopic casing

• the volume of mud in the active mud pits on the rig rises,
structure and the influx of hydrocarbons (black) into the well
the flowmeters show a mis-match between fluids entering
through the faulty cemented annulus around the production
and leaving the well, visual flow checks and cameras will
casing at the bottom of the well. The influx had already pushed
show if fluids are flowing from the well; and
the synthetic oil-based mud (cream) left in the well up past the
• the drillpipe pressure can indicate problems, particularly if
drillpipe (used to inject seawater, blue), through the open BOP and
it rises when the pumps are shut down.
into the riser, moving towards the rig a further 5,000 ft above
the seabed, accelerating as it expanded and flowed upwards. In
In the crucial period after 20:00, all these indications were
just two minutes the mud would erupt onto the rig floor, accom-
happening on the Macondo rig, yet no-one picked them up or acted
panied by oil and most importantly gas, which soon after ignited,
on them.
causing explosions and fire. The hydrocarbons continued to fuel
At 21:00 the drillpipe pressure started to increase at constant
the raging fire for another 36 hours before the rig sank at 10:22
pumprate. At 21:10, as the last of the 400 or so bbl of oil-based
on 22 April
mud, displaced by seawater, arrived at the rig, the mud pumps
were stopped to do a “sheen test” to check that the returning fluid
CHOKE KILL was now the heavy water-based spacer, not oily mud, so that it
BOOST could be dumped overboard as a “used well fluid” – the reason
behind it being used as a spacer in the first place. By 21:14 the
pressure had risen by 250 psi, and continued to do so after the
21:38 pumps were switched on again. The drillers did notice that there
BOP WELLHEAD – 5,054’ was an unexpected difference between the drillpipe and kill line
SEA FLOOR pressures at 21:30 and shut off the pumps to investigate, delaying
the setting of the cement plug. The drillpipe pressure rose by 550
SOBM (MUD) psi in 5 mins and when bled off continued to rise again. This was
SPACER clear evidence of a kick, but was again ignored with no action to
SEAWATER shut in the well using the BOP.
INFLUX
The beginning of the end

At around 21:40, mud and gas began spewing onto the drill
floor. This was the scene observed by the VIPs from the bridge
and was the first time the drillers realised that a kick was
occurring. It was still not too late – there were still the multiple
seals of the BOP that, if activated, could still seal off the well.
The driller closed one annular preventer seal at 21:41, but it had
SHOE – 17,168’ little effect. Gas was already above the BOP and was rocketing
up the riser “like a 550-tonne freight train”, according to one
TOC – 17,260’
member of the Transocean crew. Meanwhile, another crucial-
ly-bad decision had been taken: to route the fluid flow from
FLOAT COLLAR – 18,115’ the riser into the limited size and pressure rating mud-gas
separator rather than over the side of the rig. The separator
SHOE – 18,304’ was overwhelmed, gas spread rapidly over the rig floor, was
probably ignited by the rig pump motors, and the first explo-
sion occurred at 21:49. While this was only a few minutes after

feature safety
Otto Candies/USCG Press/Flickr

the alarms were raised, it was almost an hour since the first
indications of a kick had started to appear – if only they had
been heeded.
Desperate efforts to close the well continued. The variable bore
ram which closes round the drillpipe was activated at 21:46 but
was ineffective; the flowrates by then were probably too high. After
the first explosion the bridge activated the Emergency Discon-
nect System (EDS) which should have closed the blind shear rams
designed to sever the drillpipe, seal the well and disconnect the rig
from the BOP. The EDS did not respond, maybe because by then the
electrical and hydraulic cables to the BOP had been damaged. Yet
the “deadman” automatic shutoff failsafe system should still have
triggered the blind shear rams after all power and connections
were lost, but that failed too. Subsequent investigation detected
low batteries and defective solenoids on the control pods, indicat-
ing poor maintenance of the system.
It was a tragedy that could have been avoided,

for this accident was eminently avoidable.
Like any major accident, it arose when many
failures came together at the same time
BOPs once mud spread onto the rig floor.
Emergency evacuation, though somewhat chaotic with some Similarly the industry was poor in alerting all operators to the
jumping for their lives, did manage to get most people off the rig. dangers and lessons from similar, but less damaging, accidents
Eleven men lost their lives that night, with many serious injuries. such as that on the Montara platform off Northern Territory in
It was a tragedy that could have been avoided, for this accident Australia only a year earlier in August 2009. There was clearly a
was eminently avoidable. Like any major accident, it arose when conflict at times between best practice risk mitigation and savings
many failures came together at the same time; here the multiple of time or money. To avoid such conflicts requires a top-down
barriers built into the drilling process, to prevent the uncontrolled safety culture that rewards those, both employees and contractors,
release of flammable, high pressure hydrocarbons into the well who take the right action to manage risks irrespective of whether
and onto the rig, all failed due to poor decisions, maintenance and this adds extra time or costs.
design and too many mistakes and oversights by BP, Transocean Alongside this, the eep ater ori on incident arose because
and Halliburton collectively. There followed many commissions of regulatory failures. It was clear that the Mineral Manage-
and enquiries into the causes and details of who did what. Many of ment Service (MMS) regulatory system in place at the time was
those precise details remain unknown today. not fit for purpose to address the management of risks involved
in deepwater drilling, or even more routine hydrocarbon recovery
operations. The prescriptive rules-driven checklist system in place
The failures behind the disaster in the US at the time, with inadequate processes, resources and
Yet beneath all the sequence of technical and human failures set expertise to review decisions by operators and their contractors
out above, the root causes of the accident lie in many fundamental was a stark contrast to the goal-oriented safety case regulatory
underlying failures of management, communication and regula- regime in place in the UK and other parts of the world. Here the
tion. The absence of formal decision-making processes, checks responsibility is on the operator to identify all the possible hazards
and balances that agreed procedures were being followed, training associated with drilling and completion of oil and gas wells, to
of both operators and contractors, peer- and expert review of risks evaluate the risks and to present a mitigation plan for how these
and management of change – the list is long. Much of the deci- risks will be managed to reduce them. This is to be done not by
sion-making was compartmentalised, with poor communication some method or to some level prescribed by the regulator, but by
within the companies, between them and across the industry. whatever procedures are required to make them as low as reason-
Transocean failed to pass on the warnings and potential learnings ably practicable – the well-known ALARP principle.
from an almost similar incident on one of their rigs in the North The aftermath of the eep ater ori on disaster led to improve-
Sea just a few months earlier where, as on Macondo, the eep- ment of technical procedures, such as operation and maintenance
ater ori on rig was exposed to just one barrier, the bottomhole of BOPs and the provision of devices to cap wells under worst-
cemented annulus, which if it failed had potentially catastrophic case scenario situations such as the unrestricted flow of oil and
consequences. Fortunately on that rig the crew was able to shut the gas from an open hole on the floor of the ocean (which nobody

feature safety
seemed to have thought of before this accident). It also led to a (as was not the case in the US in 2010);
complete overhaul of offshore oil and gas regulatory procedures in • a clearer command and control structure in the event
the US, moving them much closer to the goal-oriented system in of a spill;
place elsewhere. • robust arrangements to ensure operators’ level of liability
and ability to pay in the event of a spill; and
• intensified R&D to develop improved avoidance, capping,
Lessons for the UK containment, cleanup and impact monitoring of major
That is not to say that having a goal-oriented safety-case system is offshore oil spill incidents.
guaranteed to avoid a disaster like the eep ater ori on incident.
There is a need for continual review and improvement. In 2010, Parallel improvements took place in Norway and within the EU,
a root-and-branch review of the UK offshore regulatory system and the culture now is one of continual improvement and vigilance
was carried out in the light of the eep ater ori on explosion and as some drilling continues to move into even deeper waters and
oilspill. This produced 27 recommendations for how the UK system more challenging environments.
needed to be improved in order to make the chances of a repeat
accident in UK waters as low risk as possible. These covered areas
such as: Phase 2: ecological disaster
20 April 2010 was, of course, only the first phase of the eep a-
• improving well planning and control, based on best ter ori on disaster. The rig was rapidly engulfed by fire, fuelled
engineering principles and practice; by the endless supply of oil and gas gushing up the riser to the
• improving the learning culture and processes for spreading deck. Despite all the efforts of floating firefighters, eep ater
best practice; ori on could not be saved. Its structures began to buckle and
• increased focus on competency and training of the by the morning of 22 April the rig had keeled over and sunk. The
workforce; riser buckled and was torn away from the rig as oil and gas poured
• enhanced workforce engagement and encouraging unabated into the Gulf of Mexico. It rapidly changed the disaster
whistleblowing; from an explosive inferno in which 11 people died and 17 were
• strengthening mechanisms to assure implementation of seriously injured, into an ecological disaster for the ocean and
safety and environmental management systems; coastline of the Gulf – for its marine creatures and wildlife and for
• ensuring the quality and high competence of regulators as the livelihoods of the locals, who depend on the riches and beauty
well as competent and responsible operators; the sea and the coastline have to offer.
• greater integration between the regulatory authorities in the Once the riser was wrenched from the rig, it acted as a giant
UK and the further separation of licensing and regulation hosepipe, jetting huge volumes of oil and gas out into the Gulf of
Mexico, a toxic poison for the fish and other marine life living
in the ocean. This killed and damaged dolphins, endangered sea
DVIDS/US Coast Guard/ John Kepsimelis
turtles, pelicans and other wildlife by polluting the water and

coastline they live on, as well as the beaches and neighbouring
waterways and having a hugely damaging impact on the whole
ecosystem and habitat of the Gulf. The spill directly contaminated
68,000 square miles (180,000 km2) of ocean, and over 1,000 miles
of coastline, from Texas to Florida, was affected. The economic
and human costs have been enormous – BP alone has paid out
US$65bn in fines, compensation, cleanup and legal costs, and the
livelihoods of those living around the Gulf have been disrupted for
a decade.
The long road to stopping the oil spill

At first, some kinks in the buckled riser helped to reduce the flow
from the well but in order to try to cap the well it soon had to
be cut away at various points and the full force of the pressur-
ised reservoir unleashed thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf
every day. With no flowmeters to measure the amount, estimates
of the released hydrocarbons varied: at first BP said it was a few
controlled burn: effort to reduce the amount hundred bbl/d, maybe 1,000. Then it was 5,000 bbl/d. Eventually,
of oil in the water and prevent its spread most experts agreed that up to 60,000 bbl/d was pouring out into

feature safety
DVIDS/US Coast Guard/ Paul Rooney

the ocean, the equivalent of almost four olympic-sized swimming Surrounding the site of the Deepwater Horizon
pools every day. By the time the well was finally capped, some incident: 24 skimming vessels, 20 support vessels
87 days later, almost 5m bbl, or 200m US gallons, of oil had been and three drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico
emptied into the Gulf of Mexico – the largest offshore oilspill ever.
Efforts to stem the flow of oil and cap the well started imme-
diately by trying to activate and repair the existing valves on
the BOP with remote subsea vehicles, but to no avail. This led
to a sequence of trying increasingly complex containment solu-
tions, some of them quite desperate with low chance of success,
requiring “engineering on the fly”, as no customised equipment
was available to cope with this worst-case scenario, a leaking
open well on the seabed one mile beneath the surface. Early on,
chemical dispersants were sprayed into the oil and gas jet emitting
from the remaining part of the riser sprawled on the seabed in an
attempt to emulsify the oil into small droplets to reduce its spread
and aid collection (a technique used at surface and on beaches but
never used on a deep leak before). Whether this helped contain
the environmental impact is uncertain, and there has been much
debate over the extent to which this increased the persistence of
oil within the Gulf waters and perhaps worsened the impact on
marine life and the ecological damage.
The well capping solutions attempted included a massive
steel containment dome (“cofferdam”) which rapidly clogged was given for a “static kill” to pump heavy drilling mud into the
with methane gas hydrates, which sometimes block production well to contain the oil and gas inside the formation by hydro-
pipelines and formed under the particular pressure and tempera- static pressure, followed by a 1.5 km-long cement plug to seal in
ture conditions on the seabed. On 26 May an attempt was made everything. The Macondo well was almost tamed, but not quite
to inject heavy drilling mud into the choke and kill lines on the permanently put to sleep. Five weeks later on 19 September, a relief
BOP (a “top kill”), followed by “junk shots” of potential plugging well started on 2 May finally reached the original well, tapping
debris consisting of golf balls, rubber waste and other detritus, into it at a total depth of 17,977 ft, about 800 ft above the reser-
to overcome the flow and pressure of the emerging oil and gas voir. Cement was pumped into the annulus, forming a final seal
stream, but again to no avail. and preventing further oil and gas from leaving the reservoir. The
It was possible eventually to siphon off some of the oil through US Coast Guard declared Macondo 252 well as effectively dead.
a tube inserted into the broken riser connected to a drill ship. In the The cleanup of the 5m bbl of oil it spilled into the Gulf of Mexico
end the riser pipe was cut off close to the BOP so that better-fit- continued for many years and its legacy is still with us today.
ting caps could be installed. A loose-fitting “top hat” managed to
collect about 15,000 bbl/d to a surface ship and further collection
of up to 10,000 bbl/d from the BOP kill and choke lines was sent Geoff aitland FIChemE is Professor of Ener En ineerin at Imperial
to another surface ship which had no storage, so could only flare Colle e ondon and as President of IChemE e chaired the
the hydrocarbon. Yet this 25,000 bbl/d was still less than half the post acondo independent Go ernment re ie of the ffshore il
amount of leaking hydrocarbon. However, by 10 July BP and other and Gas Re ulator Re ime in
partners had designed and manufactured a much better “capping
stack” which was essentially a scaled-down BOP and could be isit thechemicalen ineer com in April for a series of articles
bolted on top of the original BOP. This could improve collection markin the anni ersar of the eep ater ori on disaster
but also was capable of sealing the well in. On 15 July the valves
were closed and for the first time since the explosion on 20 April,
no oil was flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the Macondo well. further reading
Eighty-five days, 16 hours and 25 mins of ecological disaster. 1. National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
BP carefully monitored the well pressure and the surrounding and Offshore Drilling, Report to the US President, January 2011,
seabed over a period of days to ensure that the pressure buildup https://bit.ly/3aSHtyy
was not causing fractures to the underground formation through 2. Offshore Oil and Gas in the UK – an independent review of
which the contents of the reservoir could empty and find its way to the regulatory regime, December 2011 (The aitland Report),
the ocean floor via fresh faults and leaks. https://bit.ly/33n2QVZ
By early August the experts were satisfied that this was not the 3. Government response to an independent review of the
case and the well was stable again. So on 3 August the go-ahead regulatory regime, https://bit.ly/33meSz2

feature safety
Canadian Press/Shutterstock
Lac-Mégantic: seven years on,
have we learnt the right lessons?
Cross-industry Learning
from High Hazard Sectors
How we choose to learn can determine whether we will
repeat similar situations, says Gabor Posta
I
N 2008, a sharp increase in hydraulic fracturing opposition to pipeline projects meant that there remained a
(“fracking”) sent crude oil production in North America heavy reliance on the transportation via rail, and there was
soaring. Production quickly outgrew existing pipeline significant resistance from rail operators towards retrofitting
capacity and saw record volumes of crude oil being hauled safety features and upgrading their rolling stock.
by rail. The 2013 high-profile crude oil train disaster at Seven years on from the crude oil train accident at Lac-
Lac-Mégantic, Canada – which killed 47 people and destroyed Mégantic, have the right lessons been learned and applied? In
most of the town – was an unfortunate reminder of the this article, we discuss the challenges behind the transporta-
dangers associated with this method of transportation. It tion of crude oil by rail, but more importantly we also identify
led to a permanent change in public perception alongside a and examine some of the universal learning opportunities for
re-examination of the regulatory approach. At the same time, both established and emerging high hazard sectors.
APRIL2020 | The Chemical Engineer | page 28
lacmegantic DG.indd 28 19/03/2020 16:38

feature safety
Figure 1: AcciMap representation of Lac-Mégantic accident
OIL MARKET PERCEIVED DISBENEFITS

PRESSURES OF PIPELINES societal
OVERLY PERMISSIVE CANCELLATION OF government

RAIL LEGISLATION PIPELINE PROJECTS
CROSS-BORDER legislation
INEFFICIENCIES
AND
SHARP INCREASE IN
INCONSISTENCIES
CRUDE-BY-RAIL SHIPMENTS
regulatory
LOBBYING
INSUFFICIENT PUSH UNSAFE
BAKKEN CRUDE
bodies and
AGAINST
TOWARDS FAST IMPLE-
MENTATION OF HIGHER
FREIGHT
ROUTE
OIL VOLATILITY associations
RESTRICTIONS IGNORED
TANK CAR STANDARDS PLANNING
POOR SAFETY
INADEQUATE
STAFF TRAINING CULTURE corporate
POOR INSPECTION INEFFECTIVE SAFETY
AND MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT
LOCOMOTIVE REGIME SYSTEM
MECHANICAL
ISSUES NOT INADEQUATE IDENTIFICATION
TREATED AND MANAGEMENT OF RISKS
SUFFICIENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATIONAL
SERIOUSLY CHANGES ON NETWORK
INCORRECT WIRING INSUFFICIENT

INADEQUATE BRAKE UNSAFE TANK CARS
OF TRAIN ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM CONNECTION
TEST PRIOR TO
FUNCTIONING
EQUIPMENT TO SECURE RELATIVE TO CARGO technical
LEAVING TRAIN PARKED
WITH BRAKES TRAIN ON INCLINE
SIGNIFICANT
ENVIRONMENTAL
DAMAGE
NON- BRAKE TRAIN DERAILMENT

LOSS OF DESTRUCTION OF physical
STANDARD
REPAIR OF
FAILURE ROLLS
DOWN HILL
CRUDE OIL
CONTAINMENT
FIRE/
EXPLOSION
TOWN CENTRE accident
LOCOMOTIVE sequence
47 FATALITIES,
MANY MORE
INJURIES
WHAT WENT WRONG? analysis and visualisation techniques are available to modern-
In the early 2000s, advancements in drilling technology, day safety practitioners. For this article, Rasmussen’s AcciMap
combined with the use of hydraulic fracturing, resulted in a approach was used (see Figure 1). It is a simple but powerful way
surge in oil production. This led to an oil boom with increased of capturing a wide range of causal links for accidents that have
reliance on transportation via rail. Association of American already occurred. The following sections discuss some of the
Railroads data1,2 show that approximately 9,500 rail tank cars of contributing factors to the accident.
crude oil were shipped in the US in 2008, increasing sharply to a
peak of approximately 493,000 rail tank cars in 2014. With such Societal perception and pressures
a rise in hazardous material transportation, why wasn’t safety Societal perception and pressures were the fundamental
and the associated risk being closely and regularly reviewed? starting point to the unfortunate sequence of events that led
Due to the wide range of factors contributing to the Lac- to the Lac-Mégantic accident. Market pressures and changes
Mégantic accident, arguably the systems engineering and meant that a fracking-led oil boom took place, resulting in the
system safety way of thinking is the most suitable approach rapid production of oil from a range of new sources. The profit
for reviewing the accident. A wide range of system safety to be made by refining the crude oil extracted from the Bakken

feature safety
rock formation region meant that the oil was to be transported trains, faults not being taken sufficiently seriously, and
long distances to refineries located across North America. The pressures caused by other sociotechnical categories further up
combination of societal rejection of pipelines and the need for the AcciMap meant that the already unsafe rail tank cars were
transportation along routes where pipelines were not always having their safety eroded even further by incorrect functioning
feasible transportation options meant that there became a very of risk reduction measures. These include both administra-
heavy reliance on transportation of crude oil via rail. tive measures (eg failure to undertake required checks before
leaving the parked train unattended overnight), and engineered
Government legislation measures (eg incorrect wiring between brakes and train electri-
Legislation exacerbated the reliance on rail for crude oil trans- cal system).
portation by bowing to public pressure on pipelines. One of the
most high-profile cases was that of Keystone XL, a planned physical accident sequence
extension to the Keystone Pipeline System in Canada and the US. The physical accident sequence initiated is relatively linear when
Fierce opposition on environmental, political and other grounds compared to some of the entries further up the AcciMap. The
meant that the project was perpetually delayed. This increased complex combination of all the sociotechnical issues described
strain on the rail industry for crude oil transportation was made in earlier paragraphs contributed directly to each step in the
worse by the overly-permissive rail legislation in place regard- accident sequence. The accident began with brake failure when
ing the rolling stock (trains) and the rail infrastructure in place parked on an incline, quickly turning into a runaway train and
– both no longer suitable given the increased volumes and eventually derailing within the town of Lac-Mégantic, in part
volatility of the oil being hauled. due to unsafe freight route planning. The loss of containment
followed by fire and explosion resulted in 47 deaths, the destruc-
Regulatory bodies and industry associations tion of the town centre, and significant environmental damage.
Regulatory bodies and industry associations were continuously
pushing and pulling to find an appropriate balance between the
need for reducing risks whilst ensuring that associated costs STRIVING FOR IMPROVEMENT
were reasonable. A key example of this was the debate around When investigating a major accident, there is an understanda-
the adoption of stricter rail tank car design standards. Upgrad- ble focus on the details of the circumstances, reconstructing a
ing rail tank cars to newer standards had the benefit of providing detailed accident sequence such that specific causal links can
increased protection against some of the more common known be identified and rectified. The official Lac-Mégantic accident
tank car failure modes. However, a range of industry bodies report3 thoroughly undertakes these tasks. However, it is impor-
initially pushed back on the implementation of some of these tant to consider whether there is commonality across many
standards, arguing that the costs to retrofit the existing train high hazard sectors in terms of both accident root causes and
fleet was disproportionate relative to the safety benefit gained. also high-level cross-industry lessons that can be distilled and
learned.
Corporate culture
Corporate culture at the train company, MMA Railway, was a
significant contributor to the accident as found in the official it is important to consider whether there
accident report . The poor safety culture and lack of an appropri-
3 is commonality across many high hazard
ate safety management system meant that the known ongoing sectors in terms of both accident root causes and
maintenance issues with the Lac-Mégantic train’s locomotive also high-level cross-industry lessons
were not treated with sufficient caution and were a symptom that can be distilled and learned
of wider systemic issues within the company. The societal,
legislative and regulatory pressures resulting in poorly- Emerging sectors such as connected and autonomous vehicles do
designed rail tank cars hauling large volumes of crude oil were not traditionally fall under the “high hazard” umbrella. Never-
not offset even partially by MMA Railway’s approach, setting in theless, new accidental and malicious risks related to eg use of
motion the final fatal chain of events. Although system safety artificial intelligence4 may pose novel and unique low frequency,
thinking generally shies away from the use of the Swiss cheese high consequence event types, whilst potentially also still showing
accident causation model (branding it too simplistic), in many some vulnerabilities which have parallels to older malicious attack
ways the MMA Railway corporate culture was the final slice of vectors such as that used to infect Iranian nuclear centrifuges with
unfortunately-aligned cheese in this accident. the Stuxnet computer worm in 2010. Industry groups, research-
ers and intelligence organisations have become increasingly vocal
Technical deficiencies regarding the security deficiencies of industrial control systems5,6
Technical deficiencies were all but inevitable given the corpo- connected to the internet with the advent of the Internet of Things,
rate culture at MMA Railway, and these manifested themselves and it is important that continuous improvements are made in the
in a range of ways. Poor inspection and maintenance of its interface between safety and security.

feature safety
Sûreté du Québec/Wikipedia
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Lac-Mégantic: Ethical lobbying and advocacy
Safety professionals all have a part to play in actively dissem- may have helped avoid the accident
inating lessons, whether with colleagues who work in other
sectors or through professional engineering institutions.
Disseminating inter-sector learning opportunities should be
seen as an additional key indicator of a successful safety culture
within an organisation. Five key high-level learning opportuni-
ties are identified in this article.
Significant rates of change

This should have triggered a review of safety arrangements. The
rate of change of volume of crude oil transportation via rail was
excessive. Increases of over an order of magnitude in any param-
eters within a relatively short timescale should automatically
prompt review of whether a system has been correctly engi-
neered and is being correctly managed at all levels, and whether
any further changes should be made (either in parallel with the
operations continuing or making the decision to halt the activity
pending review) to ensure ongoing safety. Such a sudden surge
in a process parameter (eg temperature) would not be accept-
able in a process plant, and the same logic should be applied to
“process parameters” on a systems level in a broader sense.
Characterisation of properties
From a hazard perspective, this must always be considered. The accident at Lac-Mégantic, had a much larger network of pipe-
volatility of (and therefore the degree of explosion risk posed lines been constructed against public opinion. Some recent
by) Bakken crude oil was severely underestimated through studies have indicated that blocking of pipeline projects does
assuming that it would be similar to more conventional types not decrease crude oil production, and instead shifts the burden
of crude oils, meaning that the safety measures in place (such of transportation onto rail7, increasing the overall risk. Public
as those on older DOT-111 rail tank car designs) were inap- engagement and communications are now more important than
propriate for the hazard posed. The handling of (tangible or ever to mitigate the hurdles posed by the general public towards
intangible) “materials” with such significant unknown proper- sectors involving emotive subjects. This is exacerbated by the
ties via processes with a different design basis should not be current ‘post-truth’ political climate worldwide. Companies and
accepted without checks being undertaken to confirm suita- organisations across all sectors should allocate significant effort
bility. A nuclear decommissioning plant would not feed legacy towards (ethical) lobbying and advocacy to achieve outcomes
waste materials through without conducting a proper material that are objectively beneficial for society.
assay, and machine learning applications should be wary of the
quality of learning datasets (whether of insufficient quality by ALARP demonstration at a holistic level
chance or actively fed bad data by malicious threats). This should be a key consideration for all sectors. There is a
tendency in “as low as reasonably practicable” (ALARP) demon-
Self-regulation strations to focus on a single system being assessed, not
Self regulation is a valuable mechanism when used responsi- adequately considering how system interfaces may affect the
bly, but regulatory bodies being increasingly stretched thin holistic risk profile. Risk reduction to an ALARP level should
has resulted in a general trend over the past decades toward be demonstrated through consideration of eg all levels of an
allowing increased self-regulation across numerous sectors. The AcciMap diagram (especially focussing on societal, organisa-
Lac-Mégantic accident and the recent Boeing 737 MAX accidents tional and regulatory considerations) to provide evidence that
have shown that, whilst conceptually useful, self-regulation residual risks have been balanced appropriately.
should be used very sparingly, and only under the right condi-
tions. This should take full cognisance of the human factors
limitations (such as normalisation of deviance within an organ- SAFETY IS A MINDSET
isation) and the potential conflicts of interest that may arise. It is important that, in the process of striving for improving the
safety performance of this sector, wider endeavours are under-
Ethical lobbying and advocacy taken to apply any learnings (whether specific or high-level) to
Ethical lobbying and advocacy may have helped avoid the other sectors, both established and emerging.

feature safety
High hazard sectors can encompass not only existing estab- therefore more important than ever that all major learning
lished traditional sectors such as nuclear and oil and gas, but opportunities are utilised to their full potential regardless of
also emerging sectors and technologies such as connected and the originating sector.
autonomous vehicles and hydrogen for domestic uses where If you are interested in finding out more, a full conference
the low frequency, high consequence type accidents can still paper at http://bit.ly/32meHn3 expands on the subject.
result in significant numbers of injuries and fatalities, and
where rapid development of the technologies and their imple-
mentation could lead to the repeating of past mistakes in Gabor Posta is a Senior Safety and Reliability Engineer at Arup
unrelated sectors.
When looking to identify lessons, there is also a risk that
overly specific lessons are identified, missing an opportunity REFERENCES
to identify and disseminate the higher-level learning oppor- 1. https://bit.ly/2VMBbwd
tunities across sectors, and thus a concerted effort is needed 2. https://bit.ly/2vzxwqK
from safety specialists across all sectors. Whilst adoption 3. https://bit.ly/2VGYXK0
rates from lessons learned vary by several orders of magni- 4. Brundage, M, et al (2018), The Malicious Use of Artificial
tude across sectors, there are nevertheless significant success Intelligence: Forecasting, Prevention, and Mitigation.
cases (eg the adoption of aviation-style checklists during 5. Kaspersky Lab (2018), Threat Landscape for Industrial Automa-
surgical procedures) even in industries such as healthcare, tion Systems in H2 2017, ICS CERT.
where the adoption rate of new processes is traditionally 6. National Cyber Security Centre, GCHQ (2018), Advisory: Hostile
extremely slow. state actors compromising UK organisations with focus on engineer-
Traditional safety and risk analysis techniques are still ing and industrial control companies.
largely relevant to the modern world. But the current fast 7. Covert, T and Kellogg, R (2017), Crude by rail, option value, and
pace of technological change can sometimes mean that there pipeline investment, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
is a reduced ability to learn from past experience, and it is Working Paper Series – 23855.
New IChemE process safety

training courses
Incident Investigation: Human Failure & Cause Tree Analysis
Improve your process incident investigation skills
Course topics include: the need to search for systemic failures; how to diagnose and address human failure;
collecting evidence and identifying root causes using the Cause Tree Analysis technique.
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Bowtie Analysis & Barrier-Based Risk Assessment

Understand bowties and apply the skills to barrier-based risk management
Course topics include: bowties and risk management; the bowtie model; bowtie development and workshops;
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MB0210_20 BOWTIE HP AD.indd 1 19/03/2020 12:36

feature safety
The Lowdown on Blowdown

Chris Best addresses the role blowdown systems play in plant design
and why they are essential in order to ensure process safety
T
O ensure the safe operations of refineries and petro- vessel’s internal stress is reduced, extending the vessel life at
chemical facilities, emergency vapour depressurising the elevated temperatures.
(blowdown) is a standard practice. Its aim is to reduce
the failure potential of a vessel by reducing the inventory and
therefore pressure within the system. The anatomy of a blowdown system
This is particularly relevant in the event of overheating A typical blowdown system will isolate a section of plant at the
through scenarios such as external pool fires or runaway reac- same design pressure through the use of emergency shutdown
tions. During prolonged heat exposure, metal temperatures valves. The path to depressurise the process inventory is usually
can increase such that stress rupture can occur, even if the routed through a restriction orifice, although a control valve
vessel remains within its maximum allowable accumulation. is sometimes used, to control the peak flowrate to the flare
The act of blowdown during a fire emergency ensures that the stack. This is important, as the flare will have a finite capacity
blowdown DG.indd 33 19/03/2020 17:10

feature safety
and hence this cannot be exceeded without risk of mechanical temperature is defined by the cold case. These two cases are
damage to the flare tip or piping. A typical process train will often influenced by opposing factors, an example of this would
be made up of a series of individual blowdown systems that be the inventory of liquid in the system. For the fire case, the
allow the systematic depressurising to safe inventories levels. greater the volume of liquid, the higher the wetted area and
Blowdown systems are segregated for several reasons, includ- therefore heat input to the system. This generates more vapour
ing allowing staggered blowdown (to minimise flare capacity), to be removed from the system in the allotted timeframe and
targeted blowdown (to allow blowdown of a specific system yields higher peak rates to flare. Conversely, the greater the
where gas detection or fire detection has been activated) and liquid inventory during the cold case, the greater the heat sink
because the plant may have multiple design pressures, hence a during depressurising, resulting in warmer metal tempera-
single blowdown system is not acceptable. tures when compared to lower liquid inventory cases.
Care must be taken to avoid a catch-all sizing basis for both
the fire and cold cases as what is conservative for one may not
Conforming to safety regulations necessarily be conservative for the other.
Blowdown systems are typically sized for the fire scenario,
with guidance from API521 identifying a timeframe of 15
minutes to take the system from initial conditions to 50% of Initial considerations
the design pressure. The basis for this guidance is ensuring The starting conditions for assessing blowdown scenarios
the exposed wall temperature does not exceed the stress to can be subjective, given the guidance available. The timer for
rupture, specifically for carbon steel vessels with a wall thick- the guideline of 15 minutes starts on detection of a fire but
ness of 1” (25.4 mm). even when blowdown is automatically triggered there can be
For installations with multiple, large vessels operating at inherent delays. Often, safety systems will not open the route
high pressures, the peak demand to the disposal system can to blowdown until the system is confirmed to be isolated by the
be an unrealistic sizing basis considering the concurrent rates closure of these ESD valves therefore reducing the time availa-
required to meet the outlined timeframe. Sizing a flare system ble. This can be mitigated by considering the heat input of the
to deal with this transient peak rate is often cost prohibitive fire and starting the blowdown at a more conservative pressure
and the use of staggered blowdown can yield a more cost- and temperature than what would be considered within the
effective solution. In addition, large vessels operating at high band of normal operating conditions.
pressure may have wall thicknesses of greater than 1”, there-
fore the vessel survivability can be explored further to provide
a wider blowdown window, while not exceeding the stresses Care must be taken to avoid a catch-all
that can lead to vessel rupture, in the event of a fire. sizing basis for both the fire and cold cases,
Conversely, systems containing vessels with a wall thick- as what is conservative for one may not
ness below 1” would require further assessment to ensure that necessarily be conservative for the other
the blowdown occurs proportionally faster than the 15 minute
guidance as their internal stresses could reach failure point For cold blowdown cases it is important to review the initial
more quickly. conditions from “normal” operating conditions but also factor
impact of minimum ambient temperatures should any delay to
depressurising occur.
In the majority of scenarios, the peak For systems that contain a pressure differential in normal
blowdown rate is determined by the fire case operations, the isolated settle-out pressure should be assessed
and the minimum design metal temperature for both the fire and cold cases. A common example of this
is defined by the cold case would be compression trains but it is equally applicable
to systems containing stay-put control valves (eg a high-
The secondary functionality of the blowdown system is to pressure separator and manifold within an offshore platform).
allow the system to be de-inventoried as rapidly as possible Calculation of the settle-out conditions will not only provide
should a loss of containment be detected. The auto-refrig- accurate starting conditions but will also ensure an accurate
eration of the liquid phase contributes to low temperature representation of the vapour composition at those conditions.
within the vessel. This auto-refrigeration and subsequent
Joule-Thomson effect of the vapour phase contribute to low
temperatures within the blowdown outlet pipework. This Developing an effective model
scenario is often assessed at minimum ambient temperatures Simulation of blowdown can be carried out within various
to provide worst “cold case” results. programs and they all have their own strengths and weak-
In the majority of scenarios, the peak blowdown rate is nesses. Simple blowdown systems consisting of a single vessel
determined by the fire case and the minimum design metal with nominal lengths of pipework can be modelled easily with
blowdown DG.indd 34 19/03/2020 17:10

feature safety
a high confidence in the results. More complex systems, like

compression trains or gas conditioning packages, can really
Blowdown review in action
test the constraints of the simulations used. Systems that ABB was asked by BP to develop flare system hydraulic
comprise multiple vessels, with different wall thicknesses and models and conduct ice and hydrate assessments for several
geometry, can be particularly problematic. of its production platforms. To develop these models, we
Often, complex systems will be simplified to fit the avail- used our Five-Phase Methodology to ratify some existing
able inputs of the simulation package in use. This approach models and develop new models for all flare systems. For
must be treated with caution as it can mask potential issues. each system, a collaborative workshop was set up at the BP
An example of this would be grouping of vessels with differ- office to review the original flaring scenario defined from
ent phases present as a single simulated entity. As mentioned the flare and blowdown philosophy and identify any new
previously, any liquid would act as a heat sink during the scenarios which could involve multiple feeds in the header
cold case, the model results would therefore return warmer and disposal system. This involved calculations on pressure
temperatures when compared to modelling a vapour-only relief, control valve maximum capacity and blowdown
system. calculations to ratify existing and new models.
Blowdown on existing systems

Over time, modifications may be made to the equipment or specialist analysis. It is therefore essential that the blowdown
controls within the process plant which would directly impact system is regularly reviewed to ensure that the system integ-
the ability to blowdown compliantly. These modifications, rity, the sizing basis and potential loads placed upon it still fit
such as new tie-ins, increases to system inventory or change within the original design envelope.
in composition from an ageing field, will all have an impact on
the blowdown design.
A blowdown system is complex in detail and usually requires Chris Best is Senior Process Engineer at ABB Energy Industries
Online Journal Archive

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any Chemical and Process
Engineering library or
research institution
The IChemE online journal archive provides full access to over 4000 original research papers and more than 70 years
of peer-reviewed research. It is the complete collection; published as the Transactions of the Institution of Chemical
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search with ease across full articles through various terms including: journals, volumes, authors, titles and keywords.
The archive is made up of papers from Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Process Safety and Environmental
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The archive is available via annual subscription or outright purchase.

To purchase or take a look at our brochure, contact: [email protected]
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blowdown DG.indd 35 19/03/2020 17:10

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tce.946.36.indd 2 2020.indd 1 17/03/20203:11
19/03/2020 19:34
PM
feature ?????
Process engineer Ramin Abhari’s latest graphic novel aims

to raise awareness about laboratory safety
I
N March 2016, Thea Ekins-Coward lost her arm in a lab I’m sure my reaction after reading about this accident was
explosion. Thea was a postdoctoral fellow at the University similar to many others who have worked in industrial labs:
of Hawaii where she was researching production of biofuels Hydrogen and oxygen together in a pressurised tank equipped
via microbial fermentation. The experiments her faculty with a digital gauge? The gas mixture was well within its
Principal Investigator had set up involved working with a explosion limits and hydrogen has the lowest known ignition
pressurised tank containing a blend of hydrogen and oxygen. energy. What were they thinking?
The explosion was caused by a spark from a digital pressure Eight years earlier, on 29 Dec 2008, Sheri Sangji, a research
gauge on the tank. assistant at UCLA died from burns suffered while she was
transferring pyrophoric liquid tert-butyllithium (tBuLi) from
one sealed flask to another. The plastic syringe she was using
for this came apart, tBuLi spilled onto her skin and clothes and
caught fire. Sheri was not wearing proper PPE.
Clearly there was a safety problem in academic laboratories.
While researching this topic, I came across the story of Calay
Weber Biery on Reddit. Calay was just a highschool student
when she was badly burned during an experiment her teacher
was conducting. With her permission, I turned her words into
a comic book short story titled Rainbow in Flames, which has
been published in IChemE’s Loss Prevention Bulletin. The target
audience is mainly chemistry teachers and students.
What makes school/college accidents so regretful is the
fact that students have an instinctive trust in their teacher or
faculty adviser. They trust that they are not going to be placed
in an unsafe situation. This is fundamentally different from
corporate/industrial labs, where safety is the stated responsi-
bility of everyone. Please keep that in mind as you read the free
download.
Rainbow in Flames can be downloaded for free at www.icheme.org/

media/13132/rainbowinflameslpb.pdf
Ramin Abhari is a Process Engineer at Renewable Energy Group
rainbowflames DG.indd 37 19/03/2020 18:41

feature hydrogen
H21: The Story So Far

Tim Harwood updates us on the collaborative gas industry programme
to deliver the evidence on converting UK gas networks to 100% hydrogen
C
LIMATE change, and how we tackle it, has become a As a nation, we benefit from a world-class gas grid designed
defining issue for the global community in the last 12 to ensure the continued safe, resilient and reliable supply of
months. energy, whatever the weather.
Greta Thunberg united a generation by calling out world At its peak, the network transports up to five times more
leaders on their inaction. And although the Paris Agreement energy than the electricity networks, and by its nature, acts as
clock was already ticking, when Teresa May last summer a giant storage facility.
committed the UK to reaching Net Zero emissions by 2050, Two years ago, when the so-called “Beast from the East”
the deadline became even more ambitious. left the country under a thick blanket of snow for a week, the
While the UK power sector has made great strides in decar- Northern Gas Networks gas distribution grid alone delivered
bonising, a credible solution for heat is yet to be settled upon. 470 GWh of energy in one single day, and provided 70 GWh of
The UK currently relies on 1,500 terawatt hours (TWh) of storage.
energy to heat buildings, fuel transport and power electric The scale of the challenge to replace it with a cleaner,
generation. Currently, less than 10% of this energy comes from greener alternative pathway is huge. If it cannot be repurposed,
renewable sources. an asset worth £22bn (US$26bn), currently being reinvested
Almost half of the energy consumed in the UK is used for in for another 100 years via the Iron Mains Replacement
heat (760 TWh), with around 57% of this (434 TWh) heating Programme (IMRP), risks eventually becoming stranded.
our homes and hot water. Natural Gas currently heats 83% of Hydrogen represents a credible pathway towards decar-
our homes. bonisation of heat. Zero carbon at the point of use, hydrogen
hydrogen DG xxTWEAKed.indd 38 19/03/2020 18:24

feature hydrogen
could be deployed in our existing gas network, meeting the funding to develop Phase 2 of the safety case, which will
vast energy demand that natural gas currently supports today. begin in Q2.
Repurposing the gas network to transport this clean gas
would not only generate huge carbon savings, but also prevent
disruptive and expensive change for consumers in our homes Background to H21
and highways. The H21 project began in Leeds as a feasibility study, examin-
ing whether converting the gas distribution network of a city
(one of the same size and energy demand as Leeds) was both
Repurposing the gas network to transport technically possible and economically viable.
this clean gas would not only generate In 2016, the Leeds City Gate study proved it was, and the
huge carbon savings, but also prevent carbon savings, if the UK converted wholesale, were calculated
disruptive and expensive change for to be as much as 70% of total heat.
consumers in our homes and highways But without a robust and immoveable safety case to
underpin it, no Government policy decision around hydrogen’s
Leading the work to present Government with the evidence use for domestic heat will materialise.
on which to base policy is H21, a collaborative UK gas industry While the Government undertook the “downstream of the
programme led by Northern Gas Networks, and focussed on meter” work through Hy4Heat – a £25m project looking at
conversion of the network to carry 100% hydrogen. hydrogen’s use in buildings and appliances – H21 shifted from
H21 received £9m of Ofgem Network Innovation Competi- desktop study into heavyweight research and demonstration
tion (NIC) funding in 2017, and a further contribution of £1.3m project to provide the Government with this essential data on
from the other distribution networks to deliver the first phase the network.
of critical safety evidence required. This will aim to show that
a hydrogen network is of no greater risk than the methane
network heating our homes today. A full report is due in Q 3. H21 NIC
The NIC was followed with 2018’s H21 North of England The H21 NIC focussed on delivering the essential critical safety
report, a detailed engineering scenario written in partnership evidence. This was aimed at proving that a 100% hydrogen
with Equinor and Cadent. network was of no greater risk than the natural gas network
This set out how 3.7m homes in the North’s major urban currently heating homes and fuelling industry today.
centres could be converted, and the associated production and Backed by all of the UK GDNs – Northern Gas Networks,
storage infrastructure, as well as CCS, that would be required Cadent, SGN and Wales & West Utilities in collaboration with
to deliver clean heat across the North. the Health & Safety Executive and DNV-GL – Phase 1 has
At the end of 2019, H21 received £6.8m of further NIC centred around two main workstreams since the start of 2018.
phase 1: Various configurations of gas network assets assembled ready for testing at the bespoke facility based at the Health and Safety
Executive’s Science Division, in Buxton, Derbyshire.

feature hydrogen
spadeadam: Views of the H21 test houses, located at the specialist rig at DNV GL, in Spadeadam Cumbria. The houses are surrounded by a ring
main that is filled with hydrogen and released in a controlled manner.
Phase 1a Phase 2
Phase 1A comprises asset collection and background testing on Phase 2 was granted NIC funding of £6.8m at the end of last
a bespoke facility at the Health and Safety Executive’s Science year, and will see another step forward for the evidence base.
Division in Buxton. National Grid and Leeds Beckett University are also joining the
This set of tests covers the huge range of metallic and PE H21 consortium for Phase 2.
assets, valves, joints, fittings and pipes across the UK, ranging The main focus of the work will involve simulating network
in different pressure tiers and diameter. As part of the UK IMRP, operations on a specially-constructed mini network in
a cross section of these assets has been removed from across Spadeadam, continuing to use the site deployed for Phase 1.
the network, and transported to the HSE site in Derbyshire. Network research trials on an unoccupied test site will also
Here, on a specially-built leakage test rig, controlled testing be undertaken, to demonstrate operational and maintenance
with natural gas and 100% hydrogen is providing the essential procedures – an essential prerequisite to live trials – and will
evidence for changes to background leakage levels in a 100% take place on a decommissioned part of the gas network.
hydrogen network. A combined QRA will bring together findings from the
network testing and that of the Hy4Heat programme, currently
Phase 1b exploring hydrogen’s use in buildings and appliances.
Phase 1B involves consequence testing at DNV-GL’s rig at RAF
Spadeadam, in Cumbria.
This phase is measuring the risk associated with background Customer Research
leakage from Phase 1a, such as failure leakage, mains fracture, Phase 2 will also build upon customer research carried out as
third-party damage and operational repairs. Testing will estab- part of Phase 1, working with social sciences teams from Leeds
lish the consequences of leaking hydrogen, such as tracking Beckett University to understand further public perceptions of
and dispersion, in scenarios with different potential sources of hydrogen.
ignition, and comparing them to those of natural gas. With no established evidence for how customers would
In addition to the two key phases, the H21 NIC is also deliv- respond to the prospect of a hydrogen conversion, and its
ering a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) and master testing effects on heating and cooking, the initial research was carried
plan (MTP). The QRA will be used to update the computer-based out to delve into the detail of public awareness of hydrogen as
modelling systems for natural gas to 100% hydrogen appli- an energy source, and unpack any perceived associations or
cations, while the MTP was finalised for both sites’ testing barriers to its use.
regimes, to ensure credibility, and that tests were undertaken The full results of this research will be shared later in Q2, at a
in accordance with agreed methodology. special launch in Leeds, with outline findings showing custom-
Interest in H21 has steadily grown since the Leeds City Gate ers are broadly supportive of hydrogen for heat, providing it
report, and around 100 stakeholders – including Ofgem CEO comes at the right cost and without major disruption.
Jonathan Brearley – visited the Buxton site last July, to see this The social sciences workstream for Phase 2 will focus on
pioneering facility in action. developing resources to enable consumers to make informed
Results from Phase One will be shared in a full report in Q 3. choices on their future energy.

feature hydrogen
H21 North of England As the country prepares to host COP26 in November, expec-
While the NIC work got under way, back in November 2018, tation for us to take the lead on decarbonisation strategy will
the H21 team published a second major report: H21 North of be high. Until Government policy on hydrogen is set, industry
England. will continue to develop the evidence base to support it through
This was delivered in partnership with global energy giant projects like H21.
Equinor, a leader in the field of carbon capture and storage The H21 Phase 1 results report will be launched to key stake-
(CCS) technology, and Cadent, the UK’s biggest gas network. holders in Q 3.
H21 North of England underpins the safety case, presenting As Phase 2 gets under way, plans are now in development
a conceptual design for converting the existing networks of for Phase 3, involving a live demonstration in an occupied area
the North’s major cities, and the precise requirements of the from 2022. Phase 4 – part conversion of the network – could
production, storage, transmission and CCS needed to deliver begin as early as 2024–25.
clean heat, at scale, across 3.7m homes, between 2028 and 2035. In the meantime, hydrogen’s potential as a decarbonisa-
The blueprint includes a 12.15 GW hydrogen production tion solution is gathering strong support overseas, and public
facility and 8 TWh of inter-seasonal storage, to generate awareness is growing.
carbon savings of 20m t/y by 2035. Learn more about H21 by watching our NIC update film at
www.h21.green
What’s next
Clean energy demonstrator projects are likely to take on Tim Harwood is Head of Programme Management & H21 Project
increasing significance in the UK this year. Director at Northern Gas Networks
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feature measurement
Getting the Measure

of Temperature
Jonathan Pearce explains how new techniques
can impro e process e cienc
K
NOWLEDGE of temperature is essential for measuring and Institutes (NMIs), which in the UK means the National Physical
controlling almost every technological process. In recent Laboratory (NPL). ITS-90 allows temperature measurements to
years, substantial advances have been made in techniques be traced back to the SI unit of temperature, the kelvin. The scale
to measure temperature across a wide range of disciplines appli- has two components: firstly it defines a set of specific tempera-
cable to chemical engineering. ture values, or fixed points, which users can realise, and which
Measuring the temperature of a substance directly is really hard have been established via international consensus. These are
because it is a measure of the average energy of the constituent typically highly-reproducible values like the freezing or melting
particles. A so-called “primary thermometer” is needed, which temperatures of pure materials. Secondly it provides a recipe for
measures some parameter, such as the speed of sound in a gas or interpolating between those fixed points2. A thermometer cali-
the Johnson noise voltage across a resistor (more on this later), which brated in accordance with ITS-90, and whose calibration path can
can be related to temperature through well-understood physics. be traced back to an NMI, permits traceable temperature meas-
Unfortunately, these methods are complicated, time-consuming, urements. This assures the user that the temperature measured is
and not at all practical. one that can be reproduced, both in time (a future measurement
of the same system will be comparable to the earlier measure-
ment) and in space (measurements across different plants around
MEASUREMENT TRACEABILITY the globe will be comparable), because it can be traced back to an
Most of us, then, are forced to use more practical sensors such internationally-validated standard.
as resistance thermometers or thermocouples. These rely on the However, a key drawback of this approach is that when the
temperature dependence of some property of the thermometer, thermometer is placed in a harsh environment – for example, a
such as resistivity or the thermoelectric effect. Since these proper- furnace used to heat treat aerospace components at 1,300°C, a steel
ties are too difficult to relate to temperature directly – the physics manufacturing process at 1,600°C, or the coolant circuit of a nuclear
is just too hard – a calibration is required. Happily, there is a meas- reactor at only a couple of hundred degrees but subject to high
urement infrastructure which makes this possible, and at the heart doses of ionising radiation – the changes to its materials will cause
of it is the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90)1. a progressive, unknown change in the calibration – a so-called
This infrastructure is maintained by National Measurement “calibration drift”. This article will explore some up-and-coming
solutions to overcome this difficulty.
thermocouples: prone
to calibration drift THE REPRODUCIBILITY CRISIS
Imagine if you were presented with two temperature measure-
ments taken by two different people – for the same process – yet
they differ by 30%. Which one can you trust? Now extrapolate that
to all the temperature measurements made in your process.
Recently this reproducibility crisis has been discussed at some
length in the scientific literature3 and there is now growing aware-
ness in industry about how metrology, the science of measurement,
can help4. By relating measurements to reference standards which
have been internationally agreed with known uncertainty, their
equivalence between different practitioners can be assured. In
the case of temperature, using ITS-90 with appropriate traceable
temperature DG.indd 42 19/03/2020 19:13

feature measurement
calibrations (look for calibration labs with ISO 17025 accreditation5)

Figure 1: The concept of traceability. All measurements can be
provides that assurance. In turn, this results in improved efficiency
traced back, via calibrations performed by laboratories with ISO
and reduced wastage – for example through the ability to operate
17025 accreditation (to provide assurance of competence), to an
within a tighter process envelope – and the ability to operate across
NMI. The NMI, in turn, has compared its own calibrations with other
multiple sites with the assurance that all processes are equivalent
NMIs worldwide to ensure equivalence. In this way traceable
(see Figure 1).
measurements can be demonstrated to be equivalent
INTERCOMPARISON OF MEASUREMENT STANDARDS WITH
CALIBRATION DRIFT OTHER NMIS WORLDWIDE TO ENSURE EQUIVALENCE
Calibration drift arises when the sensor is changed by factors such
as chemical contamination (eg from hydrocarbons in the exhaust
of a jet engine, or silicon processing and semiconductor manufac-
turing), or high temperature damage (eg during casting of single
crystal nickel alloy gas turbine components, growing large crystals
of quartz for the manufacture of optical fibres, or cement manufac- NPL
turing). This in turn changes the relationship between the sensor
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS AT NPL:
output (such as resistance or voltage) and temperature, ie a change THOUSANDS OF TRACEABLE CALIBRATIONS PER YEAR
to the calibration. The practical effect of this is a progressive loss of
knowledge of the temperature, as the error becomes progressively
larger. This is particularly problematic for thermocouples, which
are typically used in much harsher environments than other ther-
mometer types.
HUNDREDS OF CALIBRATION LABORATORIES:
Dual-wall thermocouples MILLIONS OF TRACEABLE CALIBRATIONS PER YEAR
For temperatures up to about 1,200°C, commonly-used thermocou-
ples include the mineral insulated, metal-sheathed (MI) Type K and
Type N thermocouples. The swaged, flexible format of these types
makes it simple to incorporate them into processes, but they are
subject to calibration drift, especially at high temperature because
INDUSTRY AND OTHER USERS:
the thermocouple wires can be contaminated by the outer sheath. BILLIONS OF TRACEABLE MEASUREMENT PER YEAR
Recently, Cambridge University developed a new variation of
this type of thermocouple, which uses a dual outer wall consist-
ing of two layers6. The outer layer is of the usual material (typically
stainless steel), while the inner layer is of a material which helps to which changed the calibration significantly, as well as aggravat-
reduce the effect of contamination of the thermocouple wires from ing calibration drift. By the time this was discovered, use of the
the outer wall at high temperatures, where diffusion of the ther- Type S thermocouple had become widespread, so a new iron-free
mocouple materials causes cross-contamination throughout the thermocouple, the Type R, was prepared using Pt-13%Rh to match
unit. The stability of this dual-wall thermocouple has been shown the existing temperature versus voltage characteristics of the
to be 5–10 times better than that of the conventional format. These iron-bearing Pt-10%Rh alloy. This expedient continues to this day.
thermocouples have been licensed to UK thermocouple manufac- Similarly, the Pt-30%Rh versus Pt-6%Rh thermocouple (Type B)
turer CCPI Europe, and will soon be commercially available. was first made available in Germany by Degussa in 1953 to access
higher temperatures, but it is not known (at least not to me) how
Optimised Pt-Rh thermocouples they arrived at this formulation.
Thermocouples based on platinum and rhodium (Pt-Rh) are the So there is an opportunity to optimise the composition of Pt-Rh
workhorse of thermometry above about 1,200°C where other types thermocouples, and at NPL we’ve made a concerted effort to deter-
degrade too quickly. However, the commercially-available Types mine wire compositions which give the lowest calibration drift. By
R, S and B all contain wires whose alloy compositions are quirks testing a large number of wires of different composition using a
of history. In 1885 an ad hoc thermocouple consisting of Pt-10%Rh new generation of high accuracy high temperature calibration tech-
versus Pt wires (now referred to as Type S) was first investigated niques2, a new optimal pair of wires has been identified, yielding
by Le Chatelier, who needed a stable thermocouple to reliably the Pt-40%Rh versus Pt-6%Rh thermocouple. Although new, this
control cement manufacturing. Use of this type of thermocouple thermocouple is readily constructed using commercially-available
snowballed, and by 1900 it had become popular. However, it was wires, and work is ongoing at several NMIs to produce a stand-
eventually discovered that in Britain the wires were inadvert- ardised relationship between voltage and temperature, which will
ently contaminated with iron, which came from the rhodium, and facilitate off-the-shelf use and accurate calibration.

feature measurement
Figure 2: (Top-bottom) The plot illustrates the melting and freezing

Self-validating thermocouples
One way of mitigating against in situ thermocouple drift is to use a
plateaus, as measured during warming and cooling through the
miniature “fixed point” which is mounted over the measurement
melting and freezing temperature of the metal ingot within the
junction (ie the tip) of the thermocouple. The fixed point comprises
fixed-point cell; self-validating thermocouple, consisting of a
a graphite crucible which contains an ingot of metal with a known
small fixed-point cell mounted over the tip of a thermocouple; the
melting temperature. When the thermocouple is in the process,
fixed-point cell.
as the process temperature passes through the melting temper-
ature of the ingot, there will be a “hesitation”, or plateau, in the
10440 thermocouple reading as the latent heat of the metal causes the
THERMOCOUPLE OUTPUT/ μV
ingot temperature to remain constant during melting (see Figure 2).

10430 As the temperature at this point is known, the thermocouple can
be traceably recalibrated in process. This is a true self-validating
10420 thermocouple. We have developed this concept to the point where
MELT
PLATEAU it is ready for use in process: so far it has been used in aerospace
10410 heat treatment applications, within a very tight process control
FREEZE PLATEAU envelope, and on-board instrumentation for an Earth observa-
10400 tion satellite7. The technique is widely applicable to other processes
as well.
10390
THE FUTURE: PRACTICAL PRIMARY THERMOMETERS
10380 As discussed, commonly-used thermometers rely on the meas-
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 urement of a temperature-dependent property that is linked to
TIME/MINUTES temperature through calibration, but can exhibit calibration drift in
harsh environments. This limitation has led to an interest in prac-
tical primary thermometry. So, by measuring a property that can be
linked to temperature directly through well-understood physics,
independent of any calibration or temperature scale, it follows that
the measurement can also be immune to any calibration drift (since
a calibration is not needed in the first place, and any change in the
sensor material is accounted for in the measurement).
One such property is the “Johnson noise”, which is the miniscule
voltage arising from the random thermal jiggling motion of elec-
trons in a resistor. This thermal motion becomes more vigorous as
the temperature increases, and the Johnson noise voltage is related
to the temperature by Nyquist’s relation8 (see Figure 3). Nyquist’s
relation also contains the resistance of the sensor, which must also
be measured continuously. In this way, all properties of the sensor
which are affected by the harsh environment are measured, and so
the thermometer can be used to measure the temperature reliably,
independent of any calibration and independent of the degradation
of the sensor.
Measuring the extremely small Johnson noise signal with
adequate precision in the presence of other, much larger, external
noise sources has, until recently, been the preserve of very large
experiments at NMIs for measurement standards applications9.
Many attempts have been made in the past to develop a practi-
cal Johnson noise thermometer, but so far none has reached the
market. Now, a collaboration between NPL and Metrosol, a UK
measurement electronics specialist, has resulted in one which has
the required immunity to external electrical interference (it passed
even the most stringent heavy industrial immunity standard test,
IEC 61000-4-310). Importantly, it has the required accuracy, about
± 0.5°C, for the required timescale (this uncertainty can be achieved
in a few seconds)8.

feature measurement
Johnson noise thermometry is one type of primary thermom-

Figure 3: The Johnson noise thermometer. The random ther-
etry, but there are others, such as acoustic thermometry which
mally-driven ‘jiggling’ of electrons gives rise to a net charge
involves measuring the speed of sound in a gas and using well-
imbalance, which causes measurable voltage fluctuations as a
understood physics to deduce the temperature. These are in various
function of time, the so-called Johnson noise. This noise is independ-
stages of maturity, but it is conceivable that in the longer term
ent of frequency, ie white noise. The ‘Nyquist equation’ is shown,
we may all be measuring temperature directly, and many of the
which demonstrates the relationship between the Johnson noise
problems outlined here will be consigned to the history books.
voltage, the resistance, and the temperature. If the Johnson noise
voltage and the resistance are measured, the temperature can be
determined absolutely, even if the probe degrades due to harsh
CONCLUSION environments. The picture shows the new Metrosol/NPL practical
Measuring temperature is an important part of many processes,
Johnson noise thermometer.
but if the absolute temperature is of interest (rather than
some reproducible temperature that adequately represents the
process), care must be taken to ensure that it is right. Several
improvements are about to come onto the market which will
V
help with thermometry for harsh environments.
Further down the line, for some applications, calibration
and in-process calibration drift will become a thing of the past
with the introduction of practical primary thermometers, and
the practical Johnson noise thermometer looks likely to be
the first of a new generation of temperature sensors. Trials of
developments described here are already under way in some
applications such as gas furnaces used for forging of high value
components, and furnaces used for casting and heat treatment
of aerospace components. More generally, any process operat-
ing at temperatures up to around 1,800°C can benefit from the
developments outlined here; those where reliable thermometry
is needed for long periods are particularly suitable. The benefits
VT = 4kTR∆f
are not restricted to thermometry in harsh environments, 2
however. Applications where large numbers of remote sensors
are used, such as in the oil and gas industry, could benefit from
the reduction or elimination of the need for frequent, costly VT : JOHNSON NOISE VOLTAGE
k : BOLTZMANN CONSTANT
recalibrations.
onathan Pearce is a Principal Research cientist at the ational Ph sical

R : RESISTANCE OF SENSOR
aborator ∆f : FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH
REFERENCES
1. H Preston-Thomas, Metrologia 27, 3-10 (1990)
2. JV Pearce, ature Ph sics 13, 104 (2017)
3. M Baker, Nature 533, 452 (2016)
4. M Sené, I Gilmore, JT Janssen, Nature 547, 397 (2017)
5. ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for the competence of
testing and calibration laboratories
6. M Scervini and C Rae, Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and
Power 135, 091601 (2013)
7. JV Pearce et al, Meas Sci Tech 30, 124003 (2019)
8. P Bramley, D Cruickshank, JV Pearce, International Journal of
Thermoph sics 38, 25 (2017)
9. JF Qu et al, Meas Sci Tech 30, 112001 (2019)
10. IEC 61000-4-3:2006 Electroma netic compatibilit (E C) Part
Testin and measurement techni ues Radiated radio fre uenc
electroma netic field immunit test

feature valves
Stopping the Flow

Rory Stanley explains developments in line blinding
systems for total isolation
L
INE blinding – or placing a solid steel gasketed plate Class VI valves allows for 12 drops per minute for liquids and
between two flanges in a pipeline – is a well-established 24 bubbles per minute for gas tests. These leakage rates do
maintenance and safety procedure in the chemical, not seem too extreme at first glance. However, many isolation
petrochemical and refining industries. The plate completely valves are Class IV or V that allow even greater leakage rates.
covers the bore, and is capable of withstanding the maximum The tragic consequences for the chemical industry range from
pressure of the pipe with no leakage beyond the plate. Absolute cross contamination and pollution, to fires and explosions that
closure or total isolation is achieved. can lead to fatalities, injuries and plant damage.
The main uses of spectacle blinds or line blinding systems
(see Figures 1 and 2) are in tank farms, loading terminals or on
main process lines in chemical or petrochemical plants. Given Valve Leakage can lead to Valve Failure
the flammable, toxic or explosive nature of media in many This is one part of the story. Let’s consider a common plant
applications, maintenance can only be safely carried out if the activity - maintenance on a section of a process line (Figures 3 and
line is absolutely closed off. While it is still a commonly-held 4). You don’t want to shut down the entire facility, so you decide
belief that the use of isolation valves is sufficient to create to block off and depressurise just the section you’re working on.
positive flow shutoff, this is not always the case. Just upstream is a double block and bleed (DB&B) valve – a ball
valve with self-relieving seals and a bleed valve to vent the cavity,
for example. You close the ball valve and open the bleed valve.
Valves leak by Design? Now you can de-pressurise the line downstream and open it up to
Valves do leak. In fact, they leak by design. The standards that work on it. You may think that the valve gives you double positive
cover seat leakage for control valves (ANSI/FCI/70-2 1976(R1982)) isolation, it is after all described as a “double block”, but it doesn’t
allow 27 bubbles per minute, or 4 mL per minute for a 6” – and that could be dangerous.
(DN150) valve. Likewise the API standard 598 for metal-seated In the above ball valve example, API 6D defines this as a double
block and bleed valve, not a double positive isolation (DPI) and
bleed valve. Under normal conditions there is pressure on the
upstream seal, which (along with an internal spring) keeps it
Figure 1 and 2 (l–R): Sliding type Line Blinding System; Swing type
energised. There’s no pressure on the downstream side, so the
Line Blinding System
only thing energising the seal on the upstream side is a spring. The
bleed valves are open, and the cavity in the ball is at atmospheric
pressure. But it’s not uncommon for a valve that’s been in service
for a while to leak a bit.
The upstream seal is leaking a little, but this should not be a
problem because the leakage will be carried away by the bleed
connection – except when the bleed valve is not working, either
because one or both of the bleed valves is closed, or because there’s
a clog in the bleed line. The pressure in the valve cavity can then
possibly reach as high as 200 psi (1,379 kPa), which overcomes the
spring on the downstream seal and forces it off its seat, discharg-
ing fluid downstream to where people may be working. This is
clearly not a double positive isolation and bleed valve and the
Fetterolf Corporation
unfortunate worker downstream has no reason to suspect that the

valve has failed.
So valves are designed to allow some small amount of leakage,
but this can lead to valve failure in some cases.
valves DG.indd 46 19/03/2020 19:17

feature valves
Figure 3: A DB&B valve is closed. Is it safe to work downstream in Figure 5: Line Blind and
this scenario? Gate valve in combination.
DPI is achieved
UPSTREAM DOWNSTREAM
Figure 4: The DB&B valve is closed but has failed and it is not safe to
work downstream. DPI is required Figure 6 and 7 (left to right) 36” Paddle Blind – not easy to
install, due to its size, weight and pipeline distortion; Dangerous
consequences – workers have given up and not installed the last
six bolts
UPSTREAM DOWNSTREAM
DB&B does not achieve Double Positive Isolation

Many people take the term “double block & bleed” (DB&B) to
mean the same as “double positive isolation” (DPI). While this
may seem like a small matter, it means that some users may
think they’ve achieved total isolation when they haven’t. Many
users have taken “double block and bleed” as a generic term,
and tend to use it when they really mean (and the applicable
specification, API 6D, Specification for Pipeline Valves, requires)
use of double independent isolation, often referred to as “DPI”. using cheater bars (which incidentally can cause damage to the
The job of double positive isolation is to stop process fluid pipeline and dent storage tanks); the plate is heavy and tricky
from getting into an area where work is being done. This can to remove, and in some cases noxious or dangerous media are
be achieved by combining an in-line isolation valve and a line still in the line. Figures 6 and 7 show a traditional paddle blind
blind system as shown in Figure 5. Both the in-line valve and where due to its size (36”), pipeline misalignment, and rusting
the blind would be closed, then the bleed port would be opened. bolting, the workers have left the blind only partially installed.
If any fluid leaked past the first valve the bleed would drain
it off before it pressurised the cavity - the space between the
upstream and downstream valves – and at the same time would Line Blinding Systems Come of Age
act as a tell-tale to indicate the leakage. If the bleed connection In 1975 Fetterolf introduced the first jacking bolt-free, fast
were to be plugged, the downstream line blinding system would acting line blinding system that removed many of the listed
keep process fluid from getting past it. disadvantages of line blinding. Modern line blinding mecha-
nisms feature an assembly that incorporates a spectacle blind
and a mechanism to change its position from open to close or
Blinding Approaches – Old and New vice versa without removing bolts, spreading the line, or using
With such a clear-cut situation, one would imagine that line special equipment (eg a crane). They can be operated by one
blinds would be used in almost every area where toxic or flam- person from one side of the valve and be changed in less than 60
mable media needs to be isolated for maintenance or emergency seconds. Even a large 36” line can be blinded in under a minute,
circumstances. This is often not the case, and for good reason. using a pendulum counterweight attached to the line blinding
Ask any maintenance team what their least preferred job in system (see Figure 8).
the plant is and often the reply is changing manual old-style The ability to ensure plant and personnel safety in a quick and
blinding plates, paddles, or figure-of-8 blinds. convenient way came at a cost. But over the past 35 years the
The reasons are numerous – a 10” line requires three or four cost has come down dramatically; line blind valves have been
workers for up to four hours; the pipeline needs to be spread substantially developed (with high temperature and pressure
valves DG.indd 47 19/03/2020 19:17

feature valves
figure 8: Blinding system with a pendulum
Counter-weight design for fast action
figure 9: (l–R) Blind Valve with

filter; Rupture Disc Blind Valve
n
tio
or a
orp
fC
rol
t te
Fe
versions as well as a diverse set of sealing mechanisms suitable

for different media), and it has become a standard requirement
in many refinery and petrochemical applications.
Limitations & opportunities

The majority of line blinds sold into the chemical and refinery
industries are in the ASME 150# to ASME 300# range, which
in use: Blinding system
if manufactured according to the ASME BP&V Code can be
on an oil tanker
delivered in sizes up to 60” (DN 1500). Table 1 gives a compar-
ison between blinding methods. For safety, ease of handling,
and time to operate, fast-acting line blind systems win hands and whilst they also have their advantages, the best option
down. Standard and DB&B valves are also shown in the table to achieve double positive isolation is to use a combination of
valve and a fast acting line blinding system.
Fast acting line blinds offer a safe approach to blinding, but
also the added benefit of increasing productivity as process line
Table 1: Valve and Line Blinding Systems Comparison
downtime is minimised. Other opportunities to use blinding
systems by replacing the blind plate with a filter or a rupture
positive isolation non-proven isolation
disc (see Figure 9) have given blinding systems a new role in
Standard
Blind plate
Spreading Fast acting
valve (ball or DB&B valve
many chemical plants and add yet more functionality to a
line blind line blind
gate valve) simple and effective product.
Ease of use * ** *** *** ***
Safety for
blinding
**** **** **** ** ** Conclusion
Although block valves can stop flow, the way in which they
Leak proof **** **** **** ** ***
achieve this varies, and hence when specifying a valve for
Handling
speed
* ** **** **** **** isolation service, don’t inadvertently use a double block and
Purchase bleed valve when you really need a double positive isolation and
$ $$ $$ $$ $$$
cost bleed type arrangement to achieve total isolation. Line blinding
Productivity in combination with the appropriate valve will enhance safety
-1 1 3 2 2
increase
and in many cases improve plant efficiency.
Payback Immediate < 1 year < 1 year 1-2 years 1-2 years
Rory Stanley is CEO of Fetterolf Corporation, SchuF Group
valves DG.indd 48 19/03/2020 19:17

Bring IChemE trainers to your
organisation
“
“ The course couldn’t have been run any better in my opinion.
In-company course attendee
The Institution of Chemical Engineers’ in-company training service can bring our
training expertise directly to your organisation.
We offer a range of training courses in process safety, process operations, personal
development, commercial and project management and sustainability which can be
delivered to your organisation at a time and place to suit you.
Any course from our catalogue can be delivered to your team in-house.
Alternatively, you can request a customised course which meets your
requirements. Our expert course leaders will take the time to understand your
training requirements so that we can provide a solution that fulfils your objectives.
If you have a team of people to train, an IChemE in-company course is ideal. Our
unrivalled industry knowledge makes us the clear choice to help you deliver your
training requirements to your team.
www.icheme.org/incompany
TCE946
TCE INCompany 2FP AD 2020.indd 1

tce.946.49.indd 18/03/20203:11
19/03/2020 10:10
PM
viewpoint volunteer spotlight
Roberto
Moreno-
Atanasio
AMIChemE
Shining a light on the valuable work of IChemE volunteers
R
OBERTO, you volunteer as the Editor of the IChemE Why do you volunteer?
journal Chemical Engineering Research and Design I find it very rewarding to be able to use my chemical
(ChERD). Tell us a little about yourself. engineering knowledge to help improve and select manu-
I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle in scripts for publication. After all, knowledge dissemination is
Australia. My path into chemical engineering began with the key to advancing fields of research. In addition, volunteer-
physics. I was driven towards mathematical applications and ing on an editorial board is very well considered in university
creativity. I was really considering studying an engineering circles as a measure of international reputation.
discipline in my home city of Seville in Spain. But at the time,
Seville was very restricted in the engineering degrees it offered What skills or qualities are required for your volunteering role?
so I decided to study physics. After my first degree, I started to First of all, dedication, as being an editor is not a weekend
do research in computer simulations in the area of heteroge- hobby. The second skill is impartiality and detachment as we
neous catalysis. Therefore, when I saw an advertisement for a need to consider the reviewers’ comments from an external
PhD at the Chemical Engineering Department at the University point of view. Finally, multi-disciplinary knowledge is very
of Surrey in the UK I had to apply for it. important to understand how research papers could impact
the field.
And after your studies, what have been the key steps along
the path of your career? What has been the most rewarding part of your
In 2002, I became a research assistant while finishing my volunteering experience?
PhD studies. I later became a postdoctoral researcher at the Seeing interesting papers published and to help the papers
University of Leeds in 2003. I was there until I became a lecturer that have good technical content improve their style so they
at the University of Newcastle in 2009. are more readable. From a personal point of view, interacting
with Eva Sorensen, our Editor-in-Chief, IChemE’s Managing
How long have you been volunteering for ChERD? Editor Catherine Cliffe,
I have been the Editor for almost three years now.
volunteer946 DG.indd 50 19/03/2020 17:19

viewpoint volunteer spotlight
and Milena Prevost our Journal Manager at Elsevier, has
IChemE Also available

been a great experience too.
in-company
HAZOP &
What is your proudest achievement in your
professional life?
To have developed my own research group with around
LOPA training
ten PhD students with their research focus on computer
simulation of particle processing. From a more technical
point of view, I like to work towards end-user benefits.
I feel especially proud that in collaboration with a PhD
student and a colleague, I have developed a computer IChemE is a market leader in process safety
model of an industrial-scale gravity separator, which is
used in many countries to concentrate valuable metals,
training. All our courses are peer-reviewed
such as iron and rare earths. and designed to help you and your
organisation improve process safety and
And what is your proudest achievement in your reduce risk.
personal life?
Having met my wife and being happy for 16 years of
marriage is what I feel most proud of. HAZOP Leadership and Management
What would we find you doing outside of work on
6–8 October, 3–5 November &
the weekend?
7–9 December, UK
One of my main hobbies is growing bromeliads, which Learn how to effectively lead, manage and
by the way, involves plenty of chemical engineering, organise a HAZOP study team.
especially for setting up automatic water systems and www.icheme.org/hazop-leadership
fertilisation. I also enjoy reading, particularly history,
psychology and gardening. HAZOP Study for Team Leaders and
What is your advice for others who might be
Team Members
considering volunteering for IChemE? 3–5 November, UK | 8–10 September,
The experience is very rewarding from a personal and Australia
a professional point of view. In addition, this volun-
Maximise your effectiveness in HAZOP study
teering position has helped me to understand how
teams.
important it is to contribute to the review process.
Without reviewers and editors that volunteer their
www.icheme.org/hazop-team
time, no one would be able to publish peer-reviewed Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
papers.
22–23 September, 20–21 October & 10–11
December, UK | 19–20 October, South
This the sixth article in a series that highlights the Africa | 20–21 October, New Zealand
variety of work done by IChemE member volunteers. Learn the methodology and detailed application.
To read more, visit the series hub at
www.icheme.org/lopa
https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/
tags/volunteer-spotlight
You can also view our range of online safety
courses at www.icheme.org/online-training
For more information contact [email protected]

IChe
m
E
Safet
MB0210_20
ISC
re
y
n
Ce

HAZOP APR HP VAD.indd 1 18/03/2020 16:04
volunteer946 DG.indd 51 19/03/2020 17:19

feature icheme
Individual Case Procedure

Rob Best explains how volunteers are developing a
better filter for membership applications
I
CHEME is undertaking a series of projects that aim as they find the existing process for assessing their case
to improve member services, service delivery and the confusing and excessively demanding. To address this, we have
sustainability of IChemE. developed a new Individual Case Procedure (ICP) which we plan
One of these is an overarching project called Programme to launch later this year.
SMART which, as IChemE’s Vice President of Qualifications Early in the development of the new process, in 2017,
Ainslie Just discussed in the last issue, aims to deliver sustain- IChemE reviewed its existing assessment of non-accredited
able membership growth (p54, issue 945). qualifications and how this compared with other professional
This issue, I’m going to provide an update on one of the engineering institutions. We also spoke to potential members,
projects in the “Flexible Pathways to Membership” area of and to members who have been through the process, to learn
Programme SMART. about their concerns.
Flexible Pathways is focussed on Stage 1 of the applica- The feedback we received from individuals and companies
tion process which deals with the educational base for IChemE made it clear that there was a great deal of frustration among
membership. At Stage 1, applicants with a full set of accredited those without accredited degrees. For example, some had
qualifications are exempt from further qualification require- good degrees in chemical engineering (though not accredited
ments and are able to proceed immediately to Stage 2 (Initial by IChemE) and, despite practising as chemical engineers for
Professional Development). Those without are required to many years, found the hurdles to membership of their profes-
undergo an individual assessment, wherein lies the difficulty, sional body far too daunting, so didn’t apply.
ICP DG xxTWEAK FIT.indd 52 19/03/2020 16:43

feature icheme
Stages for individual case procedure: icp application assessment process
1 2 3 4
Candidate technical biography icp panel review candidate meets educa-
submits application assessment TECHNICAL BIOGRAPHY tional base requirements
VIA ONLINE TECHNICAL BIOGRAPHY (TB) REVIEW OUTCOME CANDIDATE
PORTAL AT (TB) IS SUBMITTED GOES TO ICP PANEL PROCEEDS TO
WWW.ICHEME.ORG AND ASSESSED BY FOR RATIFICATION STANDARD ROUTE
ICP REVIEWERS
IF EDUCATIONAL BASE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET AT TB PHASE CANDIDATE

IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A TECHNICAL REPORT QUESTIONNAIRE (TRQ)
5 6 7 8
trq assessment trq meets requirements TRQI meets requirements candidate meets educa-
TRQ IS SUBMITTED CANDIDATE PROCEEDS OUTCOME GOES tional base requirements
AND ASSESSED BY TO TECHNICAL REPORT TO ICP PANEL FOR CANDIDATE
ICP REVIEWERS QUESTIONNAIRE RATIFICATION PROCEEDS TO
INTERVIEW (TRQI) STANDARD ROUTE
On the other hand, to date we routinely ask anyone without a To remedy this, our new process will provide a more flexible
full set of accredited qualifications to produce a 5,000-word and transparent process which will review and assess knowl-
Technical Report, regardless of whether they have a chemical edge and understanding at an individual level. Above all, the
engineering qualification or not. To use an engineering analogy, process is designed to ensure that IChemE applies consistent
the filter we’re using is not selective enough. For Chartered standards for membership by assessing individuals against the
Membership, we require either an accredited MEng or a combi- same standards of achievement as those used for accrediting
nation of an accredited BEng(Hons) with an accredited MSc: degree programmes.
people with either of these are exempt from the current Tech-
nical Report. It seems very unfair then that as things stand, a
person with an accredited BEng(Hons) chemical engineering New process
and no MSc but with 20 years of experience designing process A task group with representatives from the Professional
plants must follow exactly the same route as a newly-quali- Formation Forum (PFF) and the Education and Accreditation
fied chemistry graduate and submit a 5,000-word Technical Forum (EAF) has developed a two-phase approach to ICP based
Report. It is perverse that we give no recognition for a good and on the Learning Outcomes IChemE uses to assess university
appropriate qualification. qualifications for accreditation (see Figure 1). The process has
been tested and refined by three pilot studies involving 42
candidates.
we found a significant number of people
practising chemical engineering but with
degrees in other subjects...had similar issues So, how does it work?
with providing evidence that their knowledge The starting point is for all candidates who apply through the
and understanding meet our requirements new ICP process to be in IChemE membership at the appro-
priate grade (Associate or Affiliate Member) before they apply,
Furthermore, we found a significant number of people practis- and they must remain in membership throughout the process.
ing chemical engineering but with degrees in other subjects, We are recruiting volunteer ICP reviewers to peer review
such as chemistry, other engineering disciplines, and math- all ICP applications. ICP reviewers will be Chartered or
ematics, who had similar issues with providing evidence that Fellow members of IChemE and will receive training so that
their knowledge and understanding meet our requirements. we maintain standards and ensure consistency. We have

feature icheme
established a new Individual Case Procedure Panel to oversee

the process, and Fenella Nordquist FIChemE, IChemE academic
programme assessor for 25 years, has been appointed as its
first Chair. The ICP Panel will comprise a representative group
of reviewers and will report to the EAF.
Technical Biography
On entering the ICP process, the applicant will submit a Tech-
nical Biography (TB). This will involve completing a form that
ensures a consistent format for all the relevant information
needed to assess the applicant’s educational base. The candidate
will provide summary information on academic qualifications,
evidence of work-based learning and transcripts of qualifica-
tions, all to demonstrate how specified learning outcomes have
going digital: interviews will
been met.
be undertaken virtually
If ICP reviewers assess from the TB that the successful, the candidate will then be able to proceed to Stages
applicant has met all the learning outcome 2 and 3 of the application process when they are ready to, as for
requirements, the candidate will be allowed standard applicants.
to go straight to a standard application for
Chartered Membership
Where are we now?
If ICP reviewers assess from the TB that the applicant has met ICP will be a more accessible and flexible replacement to the
all the learning outcome requirements, the candidate will be current Technical Report route. It will provide a transpar-
allowed to go straight to a standard application for Chartered ent, focussed route for those without suitable accredited
Membership (Stages 2 and 3) as and when they are ready. This qualifications.
is the same route as a member who has IChemE-accredited We are currently recruiting ICP reviewers and developing a
degrees that fully meet the requirements. training package for them. An invitation-only soft launch will
If the reviewers believe that the requirements may be met start in April. We then go fully live with the new ICP process on
but that more detailed evidence is needed for some or all of IChemE’s website before the end of the year.
them, the candidate will be asked to complete a Techni- If you think that ICP is relevant to you or to any of your
cal Report Questionnaire (TRQ ). The TRQ will ask for further colleagues, then please do pass the message on, noting:
evidence against specific gaps identified in the TB review, as
explained below. • applicants need to be in Associate or Affiliate
On the other hand, if the reviewers find that the require- membership;
ments are not met, then the candidate may be asked to • applicants who do not have qualification transcripts
undertake further learning or experience to fill specific gaps should try to obtain these from their university, bearing
that have been identified and return to the process once this in mind that these can take a while to come through;
has been completed. and
• as always, applicants need to keep a record of their
work-based experience for this and the subsequent
Technical Report Questionnaire stages of membership.
The TRQ is effectively a short answer paper where the appli-
cant is asked to submit more detailed evidence of what they To close, I’d like to thank the continued hard work of the
have done either in the workplace or in formal education. The many volunteers and IChemE staff who helped to develop the
questions are based on the learning outcomes of an accred- new process. I believe that this will help make IChemE a more
ited chemical engineering degree. The applicant is required to welcoming and accessible organisation for a range of practising
provide the evidence against specific learning outcomes iden- chemical engineers who previously had difficulty applying.
tified as gaps from the TB submission.
The TRQ will be assessed and, once the reviewers agree that
it is satisfactory, two reviewers will interview the appli- Rob Best FIChemE is Chair of the Education and Accreditation Forum
cant on their TRQ submission by teleconference (Skype etc). If (EAF) and Chair of the ICP Task and Finish Group

feature icheme
Learned Society Update

Claudia Flavell-While updates on the progress of
IChemE’s learned society activities
M
EMBERS of the Learned Society Committee have been The climate change task group will be led by Mark Apsey,
meeting with the special interest groups to help shape chair of the IChemE Energy Centre, and will report to the Learned
a joint vision for the key topics. Their discussions will Society Committee. The core group will consist of representatives
feed into a document proposing next steps for IChemE and useful from the four energy centre special interest groups (clean energy,
materials it might develop in the next few years. This will form nuclear technology, oil and gas and sustainability). In addition,
the basis of how IChemE will deliver its Strategy 2024 goal of being there will be representatives from the Environment SIG, Water SIG
a vibrant learned society that materially delivers against the and regions of IChemE membership including Australia, Malaysia,
global grand challenges. New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa and the UK providing
Another strand of LSC activity is considering the additional input.
international reach of SIGs. An initial survey among tech- We have asked representatives of the groups to provide a single
nical leads in Singapore and Malaysia showed that their point of contact but with an expectation that they will seek the
engagement with the global SIGs varies. The LSC is considering views of their members. If you wish to contribute, please contact
how it might take this work forward, to help members from all either your regional board (if outside the UK) or a special interest
locations access and contribute to SIG activity. group that you are part of.
Jim Carrick, the LSC’s subject area lead for safety and risk, has It is important to also point out that when a task group has a
resigned from the LSC for personal reasons. The LSC is looking at developed statement, we will be taking it out and engaging with
how it might fill the vacancy. the wider membership to ensure that we have your support and
buy-in for the proposed approaches.
IChemE and Climate Change

In recent months there has been significant discussion among Other policy work
IChemE’s members about climate change. Specifically, IChemE’s IChemE participates in the Royal Academy of Engineering’s
position and the role of chemical engineering in climate change National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), a group that provides
mitigation. The Learned Society Committee has asked the IChemE policymakers with engineering expertise and represents all 39
Energy Centre to lead a task group that will consult with members professional engineering institutions in the UK.
and draft a new IChemE position statement on climate change to Recently, NEPC has established a working group that will
be published ahead of the UNFCCC COP26 conference. deliver a project on decarbonisation. The project will publish a
series of papers over the next 18 months that will inform the UK
Government and policymakers on different aspects of the transi-
our members work in some of the most tion to net zero from an engineering perspective. This will include
energy-intensive and climate-impacting practical, pragmatic solutions that can be implemented in the
industries across all sectors short- to medium-term. Details of the project will be published in
April 2020 in the form of a launch paper.
The position statement will present IChemE’s view on climate change IChemE has published a selection of career profiles of chemical
and what the Institution and its members can and will commit to do engineers working in the bio-industries. The work was a recom-
to mitigate the impact, including supporting the transition to a net mendation by the IChemE BioFutures programme, which aimed
zero carbon future. We recognise that chemical engineering is a key to help chemical engineering graduates prepare for the greater
part of the solution as our members work in some of the most energy- diversity of roles requiring chemical engineers in future. Chemical
intensive and climate-impacting industries across all sectors. Engineering Careers in the Bioeconomy is available at icheme.org/
However, we cannot deliver the necessary change in isola- biocareers
tion. Therefore, it is important to consider who we will work
with and what our recommendations to policy- and decision-
makers will be. Claudia Flavell-While is Director of Learned Society at IChemE
learnedsociety DG xxtweak fit.indd 55 19/03/2020 16:58

obituary ronald hughes
Ronald Hughes
1928–2020
R
ONALD Hughes was a well-known academic in the
field of catalysis. He was Professor of Chemical Engi-
neering at the University of Salford, UK from 1968,
where he became Head of Department until his partial retire-
ment in 1992, when he went on to work part-time until 2002.
Ronald, an only child, was born to Welsh parents in
Lowestoft in Suffolk, where his father was a merchant sailor.
He studied chemistry at the University of Leeds where he
graduated in 1953. He worked in industry for six years for the
UK Atomic Energy Authority before settling at UMIST (now
part of the University of Manchester) where he got his PhD in
1967. Another doctorate in science followed from the Univer-
sity of Leeds ten years later.
His initial research focussed on investigating the kinetics
of catalytic systems, a complex subject that was then under
development and is still studied today. He studied the kinetics
of many relevant reactions in industry and rapidly realised
that catalysts would often undergo deactivation and would
need to be regenerated or replaced to recover production
rates. This was an important subject that had a significant
economic impact on industry. In the early 70s, Ronald was
already studying methods for catalyst regeneration, especially
of coked catalysts. At the same time he was examining the
complex mechanics of catalyst deactivation in a way that could
be understood by academic researchers and industry. This led
to him writing, what was considered by his peers, a seminal
book entitled Deactivation of Catalysts that was published
in 1984 and instantly became a worldwide success amongst
the catalyst community, translated into many languages. He
helped develop complex computer programs which were so he had published a number of papers on the subject and had
large they needed to be exported to large shared computing established a solid reputation in this field too. This pioneer-
facilities like the University of Manchester regional computing work on membrane and membrane reactors was invaluable
ing centre where they would typically run for days. He also for the petrochemical industry. Some results are still being
studied the processes of catalyst coking and the nature of coke researched today, such as the removal of carbon dioxide from
deposits and was one of the first scientists in the world to gas streams.
use neutron attenuation techniques to study coke deposits in Ronald was a member of IChemE and became a Fellow
chemical reactors, which involved collaborating with physi- in 1976.
cists working in nuclear facilities. His passion for his field was such that he was still writing
Pollution problems are now high on today’s global agenda. papers until 2012, when he was 84 years old and some ten
Ronald worried about this early on and wrote papers in the years after his official retirement.
early 70s about the removal of contaminants from industrial Ronald died on 7 February peacefully at home in Stockport,
gas waste and the removal of nitrogen oxides and oxidation of aged 91. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sylvia, and two
carbon monoxide. children and two grandchildren.
In the 1980s, despite having a worldwide reputation for his
work on catalyst deactivation and regeneration he moved into
a new emerging field of membrane reactors, and by the 1990s Roz Hughes and Jesus Santamaria
hughesobituary DG.indd 56 19/03/2020 18:05

The Chemical Engineer letters
SEND YOUR FEEDBACK TO [email protected], @TCEMAGAZINE, FACEBOOK.COM/TCEMAGAZINE
environmental vandalism? So the so-called saving ended up losing a platform costing

Your editorial (p3, issue 944) described the devastation of fires US$700m and lost production.
scourging many parts of Australia, and in the same issue you Therefore my plea to the engineers is: stop cutting corners to
stated: “With bushfires devastating large areas of Australia, there reduce project costs by so-called value engineering and stop giving
are calls for engineers to help reduce risks and come forward with a bad name to engineering when such projects lead to problems.
expertise and ideas”. Engineers should stand firm with their design and defend it
In addition to assisting as engineers we must also act and rather than succumb to such pressures.
speak out as lay persons within our community. The fact is that Mohan Karmarkar CEng FIChemE, UK
we Australians have, as a community, contributed to much of this
devastation ourselves. energy mix
Earlier this present century, the electrical grid known as I read News In Numbers (p4, issue 942/3) with some disbe-
Transgrid was taken to court and fined for having cleared a lief. On the one hand you present a nice chart from The
60 m wide area beneath high voltage power transmission lines. The Production Gap: 2019 Report presenting the production gap between
company argued that high voltage electricity lines and trees and producers’ expectations for fossil fuels and targets consistent
shrubs were not ideal bedfellows, and so had attempted to create with 2 and 1.5oC global warming. On the same page, BHP is
a more effective fire break. The New South Wales Government briefing investors that oil production could increase from
however described this as an act of “environmental vandalism”, 110m boe today to 170m boe by 2026. This all came alongside the
and hence the fine. calamitous fires in Australia!
The argument in Australia is that many ground- The Chemical Engineer has well highlighted the role chemical
dwelling animals use fallen trees and deadwood as their habitat. engineers have to change the face our energy mix, and the same
However, as a result of the fires, they no longer have a habitat, that News in Numbers highlighted the success with the Japan CCS (JCSS)
is, if there are any of them left. project. At the recent launch of their CCS guide in their Energy
The Transgrid prosecution and fine is far from isolated. and Environment Series, the Royal Society of Chemistry noted
Farmers are fined for making firebreaks that are “too wide”, and that we have to move from the 44 current CCS projects to deliver
persons who collect firewood from National Parks are also guilty thousands over the next decade; a very tall order, but potentially
of “environmental vandalism”. achievable if Government policies promoting these technologies
Indigenous peoples and early farming settlers in Australia are promulgated.
recognised the danger inherent in untamed undergrowth, and Unfortunately, it appears that some of our major producers still
practised controlled burning. It is only relatively recently that have to wake up to their obligations!
city-dwellers have imposed their environmental views which have David Simmonds CEng FIChemE, UK
in part been responsible for the devastation.
The problem is multifaceted – it is not just global warming, understanding autism
and the last thing that we need is an automatic kneejerk reaction Kudos to the anonymous contributor who shared her experience as
from our senior politicians. As engineers within a lay society, we an autistic chemical engineer (p20, issue 945).
have more than just our specific expertise to assist in arriving at I am personally very touched by her story. She should never
sensible conclusions for action. have had to suffer the bullying she endured. Thankfully, I am
John Mann, Australia very glad that her diagnosis and openness to communicate her
condition to her employer helped to improve her work experience
value engineering greatly.
I read with interest the article “Solid States” (p38, issue 945) by At age 3, my son was diagnosed to be on the spectrum and I
Grant Wellwood. In particular, I found that I was in total agree- am struggling to help him overcome his condition daily. It stresses
ment with the author on his statement on value engineering, (p41 you out physically, emotionally and financially. I am very glad
box-out). the author was courageous enough to bring her experience to the
In my experience the so-called value engineering exercise surface so that many more people understand the condition and
is most of the time an exercise in making the project cheap so can help autistic people to be the best they can be. I pray that my
that it gets financial backing and consequently results in subop- son does not have to endure the unnecessary hardship she experi-
timal project. enced. I ask that we all be more understanding and helpful.
I remember the case of an oil platform that had been subjected Clarence Liew, Singapore
to such value engineering exercise that saved US$300m by
reducing the support structure but then during installation ended
up sinking when towed to the site. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters.
letters946v2.indd 57 19/03/2020 18:36

book review
Origins of the Royal Academy

of Engineering
PETER COLLINS Summary
ISBN: 978-1-909327-46-7; DETAILS THE INTRIGUING AND COMPELLING
ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING; 2019; £30 STORY BEHIND THE FORMATION OF THE
ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING, AND IN
DOING SO HIGHLIGHTS THE HISTORICAL
L
AST November, as I proudly signed my name in the COMPLEXITY AND CHALLENGE ASSOCIATED
Fellows’ Signature Book at the Royal Academy of Engi- WITH ESTABLISHING AND DEVELOPING
neering (RAEng) as one of the 2019 intake, I knew that I ENGINEERING AS A PROFESSION IN THE UK
was joining an august body, but had little idea about the story
behind its relatively recent formation. That story is revealed in
Peter Collins’ authoritative and compelling book, Origins of the and digital world.
Royal Academy of Engineering. So, I was interested to learn that we’ve been trying to
It’s not simply the history of a British institution – it organise ourselves since 1771, when John Smeaton founded the
provides the reader with an insight into the challenges and Society of Civil Engineers. Furthermore, that the duplication,
complexity associated with providing direction to the engi- complexity, and inconsistency that has been the overriding
neering profession and discipline in the UK that is as relevant characteristic of attempts to define and organise engineering
today as it was in 1976 when the then Fellowship of Engi- in the UK started as early as 1818 – when the Institution of Civil
neering was established. It’s a tale of surprisingly diverse and Engineers was established.
prominent characters, from Prince Philip to Tony Benn, and of Inevitably the question arises about whether this matters or
the power of persistence and patience in the face of multiple not. I believe that British economic and societal wellbeing are
vested interests. critically dependent on a healthy, vibrant engineering capa-
bility, and by implication a well-regulated and well-respected
profession. In the post-war years, our apparent inability to
Anybody involved in the activities of effectively organise ourselves became an increasing concern to
the various UK engineering institutions the Government and others in authority.
would find this an invaluable insight into the Vested self-interests, institutional legacy, acrimony, and
context and tradition that still informs tedious bureaucracy characterised the interactions of the multi-
how our profession is organised today and tude of organisations, committees, institutions and societies,
how to effectively influence its future that each claimed some interest or stake in the definition and
organisation of the engineering profession. For example, one
Anybody involved in the activities of the various UK engineer- of the most significant and pressing problems in the post-war
ing institutions would find this an invaluable insight into the years was perceived to be establishing a common set of stan-
context and tradition that still informs how our profession is dards and grades for engineering qualifications. This would
organised today and how to effectively influence its future. For be the pre-cursor to the current Chartered and Incorporated
the simply curious, it’s a fascinating account of how and why Engineer and the UK Standard for Professional Engineering
our current institutional structures arose in the form that they Competence (UK-SPEC) that underpins it. It’s fascinating to
exist today. understand how complex a problem this was, and gratifying to
If pushed, I self-identify as a process control engineer – a see how robustly it was handled, but surely it shouldn’t have
discipline that sits across many of our engineering institutions taken close to 20 years to accomplish?
but struggles to find a true home in any of them. On first reading, it seems incredible and ridiculous that a
I’ve never understood why as engineers we are forced by our community that self-identifies as being objective, analytical
institutional structures to conform to a rigid set of narrowly systems thinkers could have created and be represented by such
defined disciplinary descriptions that are largely anachronistic, a complex and dysfunctional ecosystem. However, I’m sure that
and of little direct relevance to an increasingly interdisciplinary anybody involved in professional activity today will see echoes
bookreview DG.indd 58 19/03/2020 17:25

book review
of this past in the way that things still happen. the lack of a single authoritative voice for engineering within
Underpinning all these concerns was, and continues to be, the UK establishment, and the second being the perceived need
the widely-held perception that engineering is somehow of for an institution to represent and recognise excellence in the
lower status and reputation than other professions, and the profession. I tend to believe the former is the more important
pure and applied sciences. (Then) Prime Minister Edward Heath function that it serves, but have to acknowledge that its author-
went so far as to say that “the problem with you engineers is ity comes primarily through the Fellowship. This remains a
your image, you are not gentlemen!” work in progress, but I sense a growing amount of cooperation
I’m not sure that I fully agree that status is a pre-cursor to and collaboration across the engineering institutions today, and
reputation; I tend to believe that the causal relationship is in the there’s no doubt that the RAEng’s role in promoting the role of
other direction and that status and respect need to be earned. and coordinating and providing policy advice on behalf of engi-
Nonetheless, I’m sure that I’m not the only engineer who looks neering as a whole is now well established.
at other professions like doctor and lawyer a little enviously, This book, covering the Academy’s history, will be of interest
and I don’t really understand why we don’t seem to command to anybody curious about how engineering in the UK came
the same level of public respect and esteem. to be organised as it is. The rigour and detail of the research
It will come as no surprise that the culmination of the book undertaken by Peter Collins, and in particular the detailed
is the formation of the Fellowship of Engineering in 1976 – it referencing, will be of huge value to scholars and historians. It
didn’t become the Royal Academy of Engineering until 1991 – could be a little distracting to the casual reader, but this is more
developing from a contentious idea to a fully functional organi- than compensated for by the use of vignettes on the key person-
sation. This was after decades of wrangling and procrastination; alities involved, which really help to bring the story to life.
under threat of a Government-run public enquiry into the Overall, anybody involved in the advancement of the art and
organisation of the engineering profession; and with a flurry of science of the engineering discipline will find this book inspira-
activity, in large part driven by the Founding President Christo- tional, in terms of what can be accomplished by a few dedicated
pher Hinton, and with encouragement from Prince Philip. people, and a comfort in the knowledge that others have trodden
It’s a testament to the persistence and individual effort of similar, at times frustrating, paths.
those involved, and a lesson to us all about how much can be
accomplished with patience and good timing.
Ultimately, the Royal Academy of Engineering was established Review by Christopher Hamlin CEng FIChemE, Co-Founder & Lead
as an attempt to address two specific concerns. The first being Advisor, HancockHamlin
EDITORIAL Statements and opinions expressed in The Chemical Engineer are the responsibility of
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Institution of Chemical Engineers. The Editor and the Institution do not accept liability
Managing Editor: Delyth Griffiths, [email protected], +44 (0)1788 534424
for any incorrect information written by the authors of articles.
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bookreview DG.indd 59 19/03/2020 17:25

news icheme
honours
Canada awards Lister
for his contributions to
nuclear and safety
L–R: Alessandro Patti (Group Supervisor), Elizabeth Roberts, Kristianto DEREK LISTER has been appointed a
Gozali, Georgina Vickers, Lefteris Tsiakkis, Mattis Francois, Malcolm Wilkin- Member of the Order of Canada for his
son (Sustainability SIG) and Anton Kiss (Design Project Lead) make a difference contributions to nuclear energy research
and improvements to occupational safety.
prizes Lister is an IChemE member, Profes-
sor Emeritus in Chemical Engineering, and
Research Chair in Nuclear Engineering at
Manchester Uni students win IChemE University of New Brunswick (UNB). He is
a leader in corrosion and water chemis-
prize for designing greener process try of nuclear systems, and established the
Centre for Nuclear Energy Research (CNER)
A TEAM of students from University of Manchester, UK, has won IChemE’s at UNB’s Fredericton campus.
Macnab-Lacey Prize for their design of a more sustainable process to produce dimethyl Lister said: “The Order is exception-
carbonate. ally prestigious and my induction was
The prize, now in its ninth year and awarded annually, is run by IChemE’s Sustain- totally unexpected. I am delighted to be
ability Special Interest Group (SIG) and is open to all student teams from accredited so honoured for work in science and engi-
chemical engineering departments across the world. It is awarded annually to the neering and I find it especially gratifying
student design project that best shows how chemical engineering practice can contrib- in the context of nuclear technologies as
ute to a more sustainable world. the world moves to alternatives to fossil
The Manchester team won for their project “Greenhouse Gas to Green Solvent: Sus- fuels.”
tainable Production of Dimethyl Carbonate from Carbon Dioxide”. Dimethyl carbonate The Queen established the honour in
(DMC) has a range of uses including as a solvent and methylating agent. It is pro- 1967. It recognises outstanding achieve-
duced at industrial scale through a number of routes including transesterification. This ment, dedication to the community and
involves reacting ethylene oxide with carbon dioxide to produce ethylene carbonate, service to the nation.
which is followed by the transesterification of ethylene carbonate with methanol into Lister studied chemical engineering
DMC and ethylene glycol. in Manchester, UK, before going on to
The team offered an alternative design that involves three stages: synthesising urea work in the UK atomic industry and later
from ammonia and carbon dioxide; then reacting the urea with ethylene glycol to pro- joined Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL)
duce ethylene carbonate; which in turn is reacted with methanol to produce DMC. The at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratory in
team designed individual unit operations to optimise the process. Ontario. His work focussed on Canada’s
The team’s members are Elizabeth Roberts, Kristianto Gozali, Georgina Vickers, CANDU pressurised heavy-water reactor
Lefteris Tsiakkis, Mattis Francois, Kyrie Hobson and Brenda Wiputeri. and the chemistry and corrosion of high-
Commenting on the design, Malcolm Wilkinson, Chair of the Sustainability SIG, temperature water cooling systems.
explained that the overall process allows the ammonia byproduct of the second reaction He has published extensively in this
to be recycled into the first, while the ethylene glycol byproduct of the final reaction field. His work has helped model the
is recycled to the second. He noted that as well as eliminating byproduct wastes, the production and transport of corrosion
design also avoids the use of toxic and highly flammable ethylene oxide. products around reactor circuits and how
“The Manchester entry thoughtfully considered process options and location at the to manage the resulting risk of radiation
outset and design decisions were all guided by the desire to have minimal environ- exposure to workers.
mental impact, economic viability, and stability within the community impacted by the Lister is a member of the Advisory
plant. There was excellent complementary use of sustainability metrics – emissions, Council to Canada’s Nuclear Waste Man-
energy and raw materials usage – and safety,” Wilkinson said. agement Organization, which is working
“The combination of technical design and continuous assessment in terms of to select a site to store Canada’s used
sustainability measures resulted in a convincing design.” nuclear fuel.
The winners were presented with their certificates in January at the University of He will receive his award at a formal
Manchester and share a cash prize of £750 (US$975). ceremony at Canada’s Government House
– Rideau Hall – later this year.
icheme946 DG.indd 60 19/03/2020 18:34

news icheme
events
Steve Rae to give Trevor Kletz lecture

PIPER Alpha survivor Steve Rae will share the story of how
rae: never feel that you
his survival has led to a lifelong drive to improve safety
can’t make a difference
culture in the oil and gas industry, in a lecture at the annual
IChemE Hazards 30 conference.
Rae, Executive Director at Step Change in Safety, was one of the
survivors of the Piper Alpha oil platform explosion in the North Sea
on 6 July 1988 that killed 167 people.
His career in the industry began in the early 1980s working as
an Offshore Technician on many North Sea installations, includ-
ing Piper Alpha. Having survived the tragic incident, Rae chose to
Oil & Gas UK

continue working in the industry where he went on to become an
accomplished executive.
At the conference, Rae will deliver the Trevor Kletz Lecture –
created to honour the memory of the pioneer of process safety.
Rae will share his survival story and explain why he dubs the Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester, UK.
incident a “predictable surprise”. Trish Kerin, Director, IChemE Safety Centre, said: “Steve Rae’s
Rae said: “Through my career I have come to realise that our personal determination to improve our process safety practices
ability to deliver safe operations is intrinsically linked to the val- across industries around the world in order to help stop incidents
ues, beliefs, behaviours and work practices that we, our work like Piper Alpha from ever happening again is what makes him an
colleagues, supervisors and managers choose to adopt. As such everyday hero. I’m looking forward to learning from his unique
it’s by personal choice that we either chose to intervene or chose insights in the Trevor Kletz Lecture.”
to look the other way. I encourage everyone working in pro- The programme will also feature a panel discussion by leading
cess safety to make your choices like the lives of your loved ones industry experts, focussed on the process safety lessons learned
depend on them; and never feel that you can’t make a difference.” over the 60 years since the Hazards series began. Joining Rae and
Rae was a member of the UK Step Change in Safety Leader- Kerin on the panel are top industry leaders, including Maureen
ship Team from 2007–2011 and chaired Statoil’s Aiming High Wood from the Major Accident Hazards Bureau (MAHB), a special
Group in Brazil from 2014–2015. He also held a number of high- unit in Italy dedicated to assisting the European Commission in its
profile positions, including Operations Manager at Noble Drilling, efforts to prevent potential major industrial accidents.
Vice President International Drilling Operations at Seawell, and Jo Nettleton, Deputy Director, Radioactive Substances and
Vice President QHSE at Archer – The well company. Installations Regulation at the Environment Agency, UK, and
Hazards 30 – IChemE’s annual process safety conference – has Margaret Donnan, Chair of the IChemE Safety Centre Advisory
been rescheduled to take place on 30 November–2 December at Board, Australia, will also give keynote speeches.
members groups
Members gather to celebrate Irish success
More than 160 people gathered in Cork on 5 March to attend 164 people attended the event, including IChemE’s Honorary
the All Ireland Members Group annual dinner. Treasurer Iain Martin and IChemE CEO Jon Prichard.
Guest speaker Brian Nation of Irish Distillers Pernod Denis Ring, Chair of the All Ireland Members Group, said:
Ricard discussed the growth of Irish Whiskey, led by the “The event is a fantastic, informal gathering of friends and
success of Jameson over the last 20 years. He also spoke colleagues and an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous
about the key contribution made by process engineers to the success of chemical engineering on the island of Ireland.”
business and noted that investment in new process technol- The event, which was held at the Maryborough Hotel,
ogies is having a profound and positive influence on plant was sponsored by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, PM Group,
efficiency and sustainability goals. Janssen and DPS.
icheme946 DG.indd 61 19/03/2020 18:34

The Chemical Engineer events & courses
FOR FULL LISTS VISIT WWW.ICHEME.ORG/EVENTS AND WWW.ICHEME.ORG/COURSES
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus), IChemE is closely monitoring the advice given by the relevant national governments. The Insti-
tution has already taken a number of precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of employees, members and visitors, and to minimise
the impact on operations. Welfare remains our top priority. Many physical IChemE training courses and member events have been postponed and
others will be delivered virtually. A further update will be published in The Chemical Engineer next month and shared with members via email.
For the latest information about upcoming training courses, please visit www.icheme.org/courses
Our on-demand online training library remains available at https://icheme.myshopify.com/collections/online-training-courses
SIG AND MG WEBINARS EVENTS Production and Consumption published

by Elsevier on behalf of IChemE. The
27 March conference will provide a platform for high-
Recent advances in the simulation of bubbly CHEMENGDAYUK 2020 quality papers on sustainable production
and consumption, aiming to explore
flows in stirred tanks and bubble columns POSTPONED – DATES TBC, Bradford, UK multidimensional interactions between
with CFS and PBM Research staff and students from technology, the environment, economy,
www.icheme.org/bubbly UK universities and industrial collaborators will society and policy. Please visit the event
discuss developments and innovations in their website for an update on the
31 March fields of work. A new date will be announced for
conference date/location.
Operation of a Carbon Capture and Storage ChemEngDayUK shortly. Please visit the
www.icheme.org/spc20
Network – A Primer event website for more details.
www.icheme.org/carboncapture www.chemengdayuk.co.uk
IChemE Malaysia Awards 2020 –
6 April HAZARDS 30 Open for Entry
Technology Development for Improving NEW DATES: 30 November–2 December 19 October, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Palm Oil Mill Processing The IChemE Malaysia Awards celebrates
www.icheme.org/improving-pop Manchester, UK excellence and innovation in various fields in
Hazards 30 is IChemE’s annual process
14 April chemical engineering. Submit an entry now to
safety conference, the leading event of its
be apart of this prestigious event.
Diversity and Inclusion: A Business Issue kind in Europe. It will explore every major
www.icheme.org/malaysiaawards
www.icheme.org/diversity-inclusion aspect of process safety, sharing good practice,
new techniques and approaches, and
23 April lessons learned from past incidents and GLOBAL AWARDS 2020
Get Chartered near-misses. Hazards is an international,
www.icheme.org/get-chartered-MK industry-focussed event, and attracts 12 November, Manchester, UK
practitioners from all over the world. Recognising the best in chemical engineering
24 April across 21 categories, the IChemE Global
www.icheme.org/career/events/hazards-30
Back To Basics – Ensuring Control Awards are free to enter and open to all.
Theory Is Put Into Practice 2nd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE New categories for 2020 are Best Consultancy,
www.icheme.org/back-to-basics Process Automation and Digitalisation,
PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION and Public Engagement. The deadline for
1 May TBC 2020 entries is Friday 26 June.
Functional Safety Management Of Installed SIS In collaboration with the journal Sustainable www.icheme.org/globalawards
www.icheme.org/functional-safety
4 May
Vaccines Manufacture & Innovation AUSTRALASIA COURSES
Centre Harwell
www.icheme.org/vaccines-manufacture www.icheme.org/process-safety-aus
Bulk Solids Handling for Chemical Engineers
12 May Managing Human Factors – Module 1
2 June, Melbourne, Australia
Application of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Technologies for Sustainable Processes and
www.icheme.org/bulk-solids-handling 15–16 August, Perth, Australia
www.icheme.org/human-factors-
Waste Valorisation Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) module-one
www.icheme.org/CO2-technologies 15–16 June, Brisbane, Australia
27 May www.icheme.org/lopa-aus Process Safety Leadership and Culture
Alarm Chattering 11 August, Auckland, New Zealand
www.icheme.org/alarm-chattering Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) www.icheme.org/safety-leadership
29 May 18–19 June, Perth, Australia
www.icheme.org/lopa-aus Practical Distillation Technology
Freeze Drying in the Food Industry: From
R&D to Commercial Manufacturing 11–13 August, Melbourne, Australia
Process Safety Leadership and Culture www.icheme.org/distillation
www.icheme.org/freeze-drying
24 June, Melbourne, Australia
12 June www.icheme.org/safety-leadership
Fundamentals of Process Safety
The Use of Robotics In The Nuclear Industry 24–28 August, Hamilton, New Zealand
www.icheme.org/robotics Consequence Modelling Techniques www.icheme.org/process-safety-nz
26 June 28–30 July, Brisbane, Australia HAZOP Study for Team Leaders
Latest Developments Of Biorefinery In The www.icheme.org/consequence-modelling
and Team Members
Biomanufacturing Industry Fundamentals of Process Safety
www.icheme.org/ 8–10 September, Brisbane, Australia
developments-of-biorefinery 13–17 July, Brisbane, australia www.icheme.org/hazop-team-australia
diary 946 DG.indd 62 19/03/2020 17:59

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tce.946.63.indd 2 19/03/2020 3:11 PM

RESIDuE the STUFF LEFT OVER AT THE END
ipedia
Cas a Ros ada/ Wik
How silly is a silly w

alk?
Let there be light
To celebrate 50
years since the
The Ministry of Monty Py thon
Silly Walks aired sketch
nd that , two researchers
research has fou Dartmouth Colle from
From frogs. New ge, US, decided
Fluorescent light. de rs is wi de sp read, silliness of the wa to quantif y the
precise
laman
ore sce nc e am ong frogs and sa lig ht.
lks.
flu ans glow under UV The sketch involv
t it’s no t cle ar why the amphibi cer tai n es the Minister of
Silly Walks, played
bu more with John Cleese, assess
usually associated ing the silliness by
Biofluorescence is ort ed in of the walk of Mr Pude
ly only been rep (M ichael Palin).
and had previous Pudey wants to y
marine animals, m decided to tak
e a leap ship to develop his
apply for a resear
ch fellow-
amander. Th e tea silly walk, which
one species of sal frogs and sal am anders, Pudey’s walk not the Minister grants
despite
test 32 species of being particularly
in the dark and hts up wh en ex posed The gait analysis
silly.
t every species lig showed that Cleese
and confirmed tha about 110 degrees flexed his knees tho
during the walk, ugh
to UV. m which is an ex tre
nce could help the compared to a typ me angle
t the biofluoresce ical ma ximum of
They suggest tha or wa rn 60 degrees in a no
pick out a mate, Cleese also flexes rmal walk.
er, help females his knees at all the
identify each oth wa nt to jum p to the tedious leg work wrong times. Aft
er some
wever, they do n’t analysing the wa
off predators. Ho will be needed be
fore frame rate, they we lk from a video
with a low
ion , so further work re able to crunch
wrong conclus tion.
the numbers and
show that
y light on the situa his walk was 6.7
they can shed an times sillier than
a normal walk.
Pudey’s walk was
only 3.3 times sillie
promising. r but was still
However, at a live
performance in 198
walk was only 0, Cleese’s
4.7 times sillier
suggesting that sil tha n normal,
liness decreases wi
th time.
Pictured lef t: Monty
Python’s “Ministr y
Comparison of two of Silly Walks”.
complete gait cycles
one of Mr Pudey an of the Minister,
d the mean cur ve for
patholog y. (Data people without
source: Motion &
Laboratory, Lucile Gait Analysis
Packard Children’s
Stanford). Lef t kn Hospital at
ee flexion in the
sagittal plan of
motion normalised
to a single gait cyc
cycles of the Minis le. (Two gait
ter are from the tel
which premiered 15 evi sed sketch,
Sept 1970, and the
per formance in Lo live stage
s Angeles, US in Sep
source: the 1982 con t 198 0 [video
cer t film Monty Py
the Holly wood Bowl] thon Live at
. Gait cycle of Mr Pu
the original sketch). dey is from
Chart created by Eri
Nathaniel Dominy. n Butler and
residue946 DG.indd 64 19/03/2020 19:05

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What is the conference Hazards30 about?

What is the conference Hazards30 about?

What are some of the session themes that will be covered at Hazards30?

What are some of the session themes that will be covered at Hazards30?

april 2020 Issue 946

reflecting on the disaster, a decaDe on

cover946 DG.indd 1 19/03/2020 17:38

Find out more and register at www.icheme.org/hazards30

28 50 Jonathan Pearce on how new tem-

APRIL 2020 | The Chemical Engineer | page 1

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D.S.E.A.R COMPLIANT FIRE RATED Study our Advanced

Loss Prevention Bulletin

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Providing Help, Staying Safe

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High levels of competition have created unkind and aggressive conditions

change science after being 40%

respondents said that they think 25%

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BASF to increase number of women

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Fire at South Korea

chemical plant types of products that have exploded.

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Chinese adiponitrile appease consumer of his generation, died aged 84. He

plant agency Engineers who Changed the World.

ASAHI announced last year its intentions https://bit.ly/3b5Em6v

Brown and Mike Welch look at the

Training goes online

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Industry pushes to keep staff

rus, noting that miners travel and work

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Vale knew Brazil dam was unstable

Known impacts & risk mitigation

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Disposing released tailings • assessing the risk of rupture of

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Rio Tinto will spend US$1bn on

ated by customers processing the iron ore

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New view of chemical engineering

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