New dog old tricks – process safety for the energy transition

Abstract

The energy transition is gathering pace and it’s apparent there is not one solution to replace our traditional means of sourcing energy from fossil fuels. The energy transition embraces renewable power generation, whether in the form of solar, wind, hydro or using waste materials and plant feedstocks such as biomass to produce fuels of the future. There is a colourful range of hydrogen solutions in grey, blue or green available, with blue requiring a carbon capture and storage solution. The solutions being considered for the energy landscape are on a scale not seen before. All of these new energy solutions have one thing in common, they present known hazards, but the application and simple scale of their use is significantly greater than when they are produced or consumed today. When we discuss renewable energy, it is perceived that generally it is safer than sourcing and processing conventional energy forms. Conventional fuels have a long history of process safety and have been well regulated for more than 20 years as major hazard facilities. The expectations of communities and regulators are that renewable energy will be delivered reliably and safely and to the same standard as conventional energy forms. We call this process safety equivalency. We will examine a few areas as examples of some of the early problems being addressed and solved today.