MARINE | Risks of LNG In association with Waves Group
Need to focus on ` risk of transfer Liquid natural gas (LNG) plays an important role in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kenneth English, (left), LNG Specialist, Consultant Marine Engineer, Waves Group, and Paul Coates, (below) Fire Expert, Marine Fire and Hazmat Consultant, Waves Group, stress that the attendant handling requirements and hazards need to be taken very seriously and require investment
43
Vessels will need to be aware of Isolated vapour pockets, as any significant change in stability can lead to a situation whereby the gas at the top of the tanks has no path to vent, this could increase pressure in the tank to the point of rupture.
In November 2020, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) agreed the next stage in meeting their 2030 Green House Gas ambitions, allowing LNG to be the viable fuel to bridge the energy transition as the world moves towards a carbon free future. As operators embrace LNG as a fuel, it is imperative that the risks and hazards of handling and transferring LNG are fully understood. LNG needs to be kept at below -162ºC to stay in liquid form and once allowed to warm up to a gas, it will expand by 600 times. LNG needs to be scrupulously handled when being transferred from ship to shore or vice versa and from ship to ship under routine operational conditions. If it is handled incorrectly flash fires, brittle fracture and tank ruptures can occur. LNG bunkers are now available, or will soon be available, in all major hub ports. As LNG is introduced into mainstream shipping operations new risks and hazards will emerge.
CRYOGENIC TEMPERATURE To practicably transport LNG, it needs to be kept in a liquid The Marine Insurer Nordic & Asia Special Edition | April 2021
