Goldilocks and the Three Fuels

As industrial players embrace next-generation fuels, full-scale vapor cloud explosion testing allows for a better understanding of the safety implications of hydrogen, ammonia, and LNG.

Hydrogen, ammonia, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are emerging as key players in the evolving energy sector. Despite their long-standing use in various applications, the proposed scale of production and new use cases for these fuels have significantly altered the way industry must approach their transportation and handling. While extensive research has been conducted on the economic feasibility and impacts of each fuel, there is a notable gap in the comparative analysis of their operational risks. Although the hazards associated with hydrogen, ammonia, and LNG are well-documented, the implications for onsite personnel and asset risk exposure at production facilities remain underexplored.

Drawing inspiration from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which suggests that the middle path is often the optimal choice, this paper examines whether this concept could apply to these three fuels. In the context of fuels, if we consider a highly volatile and flammable chemical on one end of the scale and a less volatile yet toxic chemical on the other, there must be a middle ground that meets the need for safety and utility. Hydrogen is highly explosive, which can lead to high-energy detonation events, and ammonia is highly toxic and can cause widespread acute gas exposure. LNG is often perceived as the safer option, but it still presents significant risks, especially regarding fire risk.

Through full-scale testing and a discussion of facility layouts, this article highlights the unique safety challenges posed by each fuel. The article delves into the hazards found throughout production processes and concludes that, instead of focusing on which fuel is safer, industry should focus on designing, constructing, and operating facilities that minimize risks to a degree that is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), regardless of the fuel being produced...