Page 14 - Process Safety and the Energy Transition

Bioenergy and e-fuels

Bioenergy is derived from biomass which includes agricultural waste, food waste,
microalgae, and crops. E-fuels (e-methane, e-kerosene) are made from carbon dioxide or
carbon monoxide (typically captured from emissions) and hydrogen from water using
sustainable power sources. Both biofuels and e-fuels are refined into fuels that can be used
to power aviation, marine vessels, rail, and road vehicles.

Decomposition of biomass generates methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
and hydrogen sulfide. Whereas oil refineries have handled flammable and toxic chemicals
for years, handling these hazardous materials is new to agricultural industries
manufacturing biofuels and new industries manufacturing e-fuels. Further, additional risks
such as combustible dust and biological hazards (such as respirable mold spores) can be
involved in these processes.

Selected Process Safety Incidents

Explosion in biomass silo at Koda Energy facility
in Shakopee, Minnesota, April 25, 2013. (CBS
News 2013)

Biomass fire at the Atlantic Power Renewable
Energy Plant in Cadillac, Michigan, September 22, There were 93 accidents
2019. (Renewables Now 2024) at biodiesel production
plants from 2003 to
Explosion in silo that treated biosolids at the 2017 (Moreno, et al.
Wessex Water recycling center in Avonmouth, UK, 2019)
December 2020. Four fatalities, one injury. (BBC
2020)

Explosion and fire at the Archer-Daniels-Midland
ethanol biofuels plant in Decatur Illinois,
September 2023. Eight injuries. (Reuters 2023)

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Process Safety and the Energy Transition
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