Hazardous Facilities Research Articles

Negative impact of vibration on process pipelines of a compressor station with electrically driven gas pumping units

Relevance. In gas industry, the amount of equipment that has outlived its intended service life is increasing every year. In accordance with the law “On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Facilities,” compressor stations are dangerous objects, the reliable operation of which largely determines the condition of main gas pipelines. Technological pipelines of a compressor station are important objects of this system. They are subject to strict requirements due to the action of static and dynamic loads on them. Reliability of compressor stations is based on the results of a study of the condition of the object and the main factors affecting increased wear of equipment. The solution to wear problem is timely monitoring of equipment, in particular level measurement and determining the causes of pipeline vibrations using vibration diagnostics methods, and frequency and modal analysis methods. Aim. To study the causes of increased dynamic loads on the technological piping that arise during the operation of electric and gas pumping units at a compressor station using vibration monitoring methods. Methods. Vibration monitoring methods to analyze the causes of increased vibration values in the process piping of a compressor station with an electric gas pumping unit. Results and conclusions. The authors have measured vibration in a wide frequency band and assessed the technological condition of the main equipment of the compressor station with EGPA-6.3/8200-56/1.44-R based on the regulatory documentation STO Gazprom 2-2.3-324-2009. The main frequencies of the root-mean-square value of the vibration velocity, at which the highest vibration values were observed, were identified, and a modal analysis was performed using ANSYS software. Based on the results of natural studies and modal analysis, it was concluded about the occurrence of resonant high-frequency oscillations, multiple of the rotor rotation frequency.

Integration of geoelectric methods and remote sensing in assessing the environment state in the area of impact of ecologically hazardous objects

Relevance. The need for comprehensive assessment of environmental components in the zones of ecologically hazardous industrial facilities impact, which enables to operatively identify the spatial structure of technogenic pollution. Aim. Chemical pollution assessment of the geological environment in the zones of industrial objects impact, based on the combined use of remote sensing and ground-based geoelectric methods. Objects. Sources of pollution during the production of mineral fertilizers (phosphogypsum dumps, sulfur storage). Methods. The author has developed a complex of methods, consisting of multispectral space imaging (Sentinel-2 satellite images) and ground-based geoelectric researches: water surface resistivity measurements, natural electric field potential imaging, vertical electrical sounding. According to satellite image data (vegetation indices NDVI, NBR, SWVI), technogenic geosystems modifications are distinguished, characterizing different levels of chemical pollution (TM-1, TM-2 and natural geosystem). Within the modification zones, geoelectrical studies are carried out to assess the depth of contamination. Results. In the zone of phosphogypsum dumps impact, two technogenic modifications were distinguished, with a total area of 83.3 hectares, characterized by a statistically significant decrease in the values of vegetation indices compared to the average level. Based on the results of vertical electrical sounding, it was established that the depth of contamination in the TM-1 zone reaches up to 20 m, in the TM-2 zone – up to 2.5 m. The migration of contaminated substances from the dumps occurs with surface drain. In the zone of impact of the sulfur storage, the area of pollution, specified with vegetation indices, covers two hectares. According to the results of the natural electric field method and vertical electrical sounding, the flow of pollution from the sulfur storage site penetrates into groundwater, which is discharged in the TM-1 zone, causing the death of vegetation. In the TM-2 zone, contamination is registered only in the ground aquifer. The developed set of methods enables to quickly and relatively comprehensively diagnose the state of the undergoing technogenic impacts geological environment.

Automated wireless system for monitoring the technical condition of chimneys

The present paper considers the technology of monitoring the technical condition of chimneys in order to identify areas of increased heat losses. The technology involves an automated wireless monitoring system that includes an unmanned aircraft with additional equipment. Aim. To study the operation safety of reinforced concrete chimneys used in hazardous industrial facilities. The presented monitoring technology tackles the task of prompt identification of defects and damages to reduce the risks of potentially hazardous conditions. While developing technology for monitoring the technical condition, special attention is paid to its autonomy and intelligence. At the first stage, sensors, coordinators and remote thermometry system are installed with the transmission of data on the temperature of the chimney trunk to the control center. At the next stage, the outer surface of the chimney is examined using an unmanned aicraft equipped with a thermal imaging camera to verify information about heat losses. The final stage involves creating a thermogram of the object and a scheme of the possible locations of the identified defects in order to plan repair works. In addition, the paper introduces main advantages of the suggested technology.

Applied and expert research on fire and industrial safety of main pipelines

The article provides an analytical assessment of the consequences of violations of industrial and fire safety rules during repair work on the example of main oil pipelines. The issue is urgent due to explosions and fires, as well as staff injuries, which requires an analysis and assessment of the causes of their occurrence and reliability improvement during repair work at hazardous production facilities in Irkutsk region. The factual basis of the study is data on incidents related to the personnel training and repair sites, explosions (pops), the dynamics of the emergency situation and consequences for personnel and the economy. The study concludes that in terms of eliminating explosions and fires and minimizing their consequences, the industrial and fire safety system has not been properly developed for repair and other works at hazardous production facilities.

Estimation of reliability and safety level for hazardous production facilities

Estimation of reliability and safety level for hazardous production facilities

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN OF HAZARDOUS PRODUCTION FACILITIES

The risk-oriented approach to industrial safety allows for the operation of hazardous production facilities in the cracks presence. There is a problem of assessing the critical size of cracks by non-destructive methods, which are currently not widely tested and standardized. Changing operating conditions and damage accumulation can transfer cracks into the category of developing cracks, and this can lead to catastrophic consequences. From this point of view, close proximity of objects containing explosive substances, as it is the case at processing plants, pumping stations, production platforms, poses a danger. Visualization of hazardous objects and their location areas warns the personnel about the need to comply with increased safety measures. This is aimed at using industrial design, which defines the principles of warning of hazardous objects by using color signs. A common trend in the coating usage is their multifunctionality. In this regard, the present research attempts to combine color warning signs with the possibility of their usage in composite coatings designed for corrosion protection, as well as showing the changes in temperature conditions of processes.

Forecast of emergency situations with the spillage of liquid rocket fuel components in the territory for the disposal of chemically hazardous substances

Introduction. Liquid fuel includes two main components – fuel and oxidizer. Common liquid rocket fuels components are highly toxic compounds – heptyl (asymmetric dimethylhydrazine) and amyl (nitrogen tetraoxide). The calculation of emergency scenarios with the spill of liquid rocket fuel components on the terrain is intended for operational forecasting of the scale of pollution, optimization of work in the zone of chemical contamination and the development of a system for providing medical care to the population in case of an extreme situation. Material and methods. The article presents scenarios of emergency situations with the spill of liquid rocket fuel components on the territory of chemically hazardous facilities and during transportation. Results. The calculation of the distribution of approximate concentrations at spills in an open area of nitrogen tetroxide (NT) and asymmetric dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) is investigated. The received scenarios of emergency situations indicate the possibility of distribution of toxic concentrations: at the level of CL50 within 1 km at the UDMH spill from 0.5 to 10 tons, NT – from 0.1 to 5 tons; at the level of 1/10 CL50 – threshold toxodose (concentration) at a distance of 0.5–0.7 km at the UDMH spill 0.5–1.0 t, and NT – up to 1 t. Limitations. When studying emergency scenarios with the spillage of liquid rocket fuel components in the territory, an assessment was made of the distribution of approximate concentrations of components according to the regulatory document on the methodology for predicting the extent of contamination of highly toxic substances in accidents (destruction) at chemically hazardous facilities and transportation. Conclusion. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the population living within a radius of more than 2 km from the accident site may suffer from the spread of liquid rocket fuel components, which depends on the volume of the spill, the type of emergency hazardous chemicals and the wind direction in the chemical damage zone.

Improving monitoring network design to detect leaks at hazardous facilities: Lessons from a CO2 storage site

Exploring the challenges posed by uncertainties in numerical modeling for hazardous material storage, this study introduces methodologies to improve monitoring networks for detecting subsurface leakages. The proposed approaches were applied to the Korea CO2 Storage Environmental Management (K-COSEM) test site, undergoing calibration, validation and uncertainty analysis through hydraulic and controlled-CO2 release tests. The calibration phase involved inter-well tracer and multi-well pumping tests, leveraging the Parameter ESTimation (PEST) model to determine the aquifer flow and solute transport properties of the K-COSEM site. To tackle uncertainties with limited observation data, we adopted Latin Hypercube simulation. Our uncertainty analysis confirmed model accuracy in simulating observed CO2 breakthrough curves. We also explored a probabilistic method to identify the environmental change point (EnCP) through correlation analysis with the distance from the CO2 injection well, revealing a linear trend and pinpointed potential preferential flow pathways by assessing detection probabilities. Evaluating CO2 detection capabilities was crucial for optimizing monitoring well placement, highlighting strategic well selection based on detection probabilities. This study advances managing uncertainties in hydrogeological modeling, underscoring the importance of sophisticated models in designing monitoring networks for hazardous leak detection in complex subsurface conditions.

Leak Event Diagnosis for Power Plants: Generative Anomaly Detection Using Prototypical Networks.

Anomaly detection systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated high performance and efficiency in a wide range of applications such as power plants and smart factories. However, due to the inherent reliance of AI systems on the quality of training data, they still demonstrate poor performance in certain environments. Especially in hazardous facilities with constrained data collection, deploying these systems remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose Generative Anomaly Detection using Prototypical Networks (GAD-PN) designed to detect anomalies using only a limited number of normal samples. GAD-PN is a structure that integrates CycleGAN with Prototypical Networks (PNs), learning from metadata similar to the target environment. This approach enables the collection of data that are difficult to gather in real-world environments by using simulation or demonstration models, thus providing opportunities to learn a variety of environmental parameters under ideal and normal conditions. During the inference phase, PNs can classify normal and leak samples using only a small number of normal data from the target environment by prototypes that represent normal and abnormal features. We also complement the challenge of collecting anomaly data by generating anomaly data from normal data using CycleGAN trained on anomaly features. It can also be adapted to various environments that have similar anomalous scenarios, regardless of differences in environmental parameters. To validate the proposed structure, data were collected specifically targeting pipe leakage scenarios, which are significant problems in environments such as power plants. In addition, acoustic ultrasound signals were collected from the pipe nozzles in three different environments. As a result, the proposed model achieved a leak detection accuracy of over 90% in all environments, even with only a small number of normal data. This performance shows an average improvement of approximately 30% compared with traditional unsupervised learning models trained with a limited dataset.

ANALYSIS OF THE DESTRUCTION OF UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE ENERGY FACILITIES AS A RESULT OF RUSSIAN MILITARY OPERATIONS

Problem statement. Due to Russia's ongoing terrorist attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, the energy system was damaged, resulting in blackouts and rolling blackouts across the country. The destruction of power capacities resulted in the unstable operation of certain critical infrastructure units for electricity generation at thermal, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants and the introduction of forced hourly blackout schedules. Seizure of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, occupation and full control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant (TPP). Complete destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station (HPP), partial destruction of the Dnipro HPP, Dniester HPP and Kaniv HPP. During the hostilities, Kryvyi Rih and Prydniprovia TPPs were damaged, Luhansk TPP (90–100 %), Vuhlehirsk TPP (90–100 %), Zmiiv TPP (up to 90 %) were completely destroyed, Burshtyn TPP (80–90 %) and Ladyzhyn TPP (70–95 %) were almost completely destroyed. The purpose of the article is to identify and analyse the damage to Ukrainian TPPs, HPPs and NPPs caused by the Russian military actions against Ukraine and to determine possible consequences for the nuclear fuel cycle of our country and possible prospects for the transition to new nuclear reactors of European and global fuel cell manufacturers, to improve equipment and stabilise the energy market in the context of military operations. Conclusion. In the course of the analysis of potential hazards at radiation hazardous facilities (RHF) in Ukraine, it was determined that the main threat is accidents at RHF with release of radiation into the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere. In the light of recent events regarding the military seizure of the Chornobyl NPP and Zaporizhzhya NPP, measurements using standard methods of research, screening and monitoring are not possible, and access of IAEA representatives is limited, which is why the latest measurement methods should be used with the use of autonomous remote-controlled ground, surface and air drones in automatic object or sample measurement of radiation parameters at RNS. It is the use of autonomous vehicles (drones) that is currently the most pressing issue of radiation safety not only in the nuclear power industry but also in the entire nuclear fuel cycle as part of the environmental safety of Ukraine. In case of seizure of a nuclear facility or limited access to it, research methods should be changed. If the facility is partially seized or access is available, then express methods of radiation contamination registration or sampling can be used and the method of laboratory research can be used in the future. However, if a nuclear power plant or a facility that is part of the nuclear fuel cycle of Ukraine is captured and access to it is impossible, then only methods of remote measurement of the radiation situation at and around nuclear facilities using ground and airborne autonomous vehicles remain. For further research, it is necessary to identify technical possibilities for using Ukraine's own mineral resources and switching from Soviet RBMK-1000, VVER-440 and VVER-1000 reactors with fuel elements supplied to us from the Russian Federation to newer types of European and American reactors with appropriate fuel elements.

Определение стоимости обслуживания опасного производственного объекта профессиональными аварийно-спасательными формированиями

The existing methodologies to determine the costs of service for a hazardous production facility provided by emergency and rescue units have been analyzed. The issues hampering the calculations were identified, and the criteria to be incorporated into the calculation procedure, considering the identified shortcomings, have been proposed. Throughout the study, the following problems were resolved: The analysis of accidents at hazardous production facilities, federal laws in the sphere of industrial safety, and the existing methodologies to determine the cost of service for a hazardous production facility provided by emergency and rescue services or units; Identification of issues hampering the calculations; Proposing criteria incorporated into the procedure of calculation of costs of service for a hazardous production facility provided by emergency and rescue services or units. The authors refer to the statistics on emergencies at hazardous production facilities and focus on the fact that similar accidents cause devastating consequences requiring emergency and rescue operations. When operating a hazardous production facility, its operating company is required to enter into servicing agreements with professional emergency and rescue services or professional emergency and rescue units. Maintaining a servicing agreement with professional services is more cost-efficient compared with maintaining an in-house emergency and rescue unit. At the same time, the issue of determining a justified cost of the agreement with professional emergency and rescue services (units) for servicing a hazardous production facility becomes crucial. The article analyzes the Rules of calculation of costs of service for mining facilities provided by professional emergency and rescue services (units) and the Norms of minimum equipping of emergency and rescue units. The procedure of calculation of expenses on maintenance of personnel of professional services and the respective operational costs have been analyzed. It has been demonstrated that the calculated service cost is significantly higher than the service costs specified for tenders. The criteria incorporated into the cost calculation procedure for servicing a hazardous production facility by emergency and rescue services or units have been developed.

Целесообразность создания пилотной площадки по отработке безопасной эксплуатации технико- технологических средств для освоения длительнозамерзающих акваторий арктических морей

The Russian sector of the Arctic shelf to the east of the Kara Sea has been very poorly studied by seismic exploration and drilling. It is conditioned by several causes, one of which is the short ice-free period in combination with the remoteness from the shore bases, which significantly hampers operations making them extremely expensive and resource-consuming. The development of natural resources in conditions specific to the Kara Sea and to the east of it is restricted by the depths of the use of ice-resistant platforms and remoteness from the shore bases for subsea production systems. Various experts consider the perspective solutions of the implementation of subsea manned and unmanned drilling and production systems as concepts. At the same time, the existing technologies and the deep drilling technique are creatively reconsidered; the conclusion regarding the inapplicability of the currently used solutions for subsea wellhead drilling has been made. A specific focus has been made on the safety of the future oil and gas production facilities in the Arctic, considering both the operation of highly hazardous and complex manned underwater engineering facilities and the current strained geopolitical situation and the threats of terrorism. It is supposed that testing of perspective engineering solutions and technologies will be more efficient not only in conditions of plant testing laboratories and centers but also at the test site with maximally realistic conditions of the future operation. The analysis of potential test sites in accordance with selected criteria has chosen the Murmansk gas field in the southeast part of the Barents Sea as a prospective facility. Due to the large scale and complexity of the long-term challenge (20–30 years), a conclusion is made about the role of the state as an initiator and coordinator of the project involving the oil and gas companies concerned (Rosneft, Gazprom), scientific centers, and equipment manufacturers.

Опасность и риск: смысл и толкование терминов

The article provides an analysis of the use of «Hazard» and «Risk» terms and associated phrases in legal and regulatory-technical documents and safety practices; their possible interpretations are identified. Most often, such problems arise during the classification of productions and facilities in accordance with their level of hazard, when various documents and articles use such terms as hazard degree, risk degree, risk level, etc. When using the «Risk» term as a connotation of the «Hazard» term, the probabilistic nature of potential undesirable events is considered; at the same time, the notion «Hazard» rather refers to the sources of hazard and possible consequences of undesirable events. Possible representations of risk as a fundamentally dualistic parameter for a single indicator in order to rank hazardous facilities in accordance with their hazard degree, which caused the use of terms such as hazard degree, hazard level, hazard class, risk index, risk level, etc., have been discussed. This is achieved by using different ranking methods, risk matrices, and risk graphs. Therefore, the «Risk» notion requires additional definitions (for example, «explosion risk index»). Often, the «Risk» term in phrases means probability; however, a certain undesirable event (explosion risk, risk of injuries to personnel, risk of harm to the legitimate interests of citizens) is specified.

Analysis of promising directions for improving the methodological part of the biological monitoring system at potentially hazardous chemical facilities (analytical review)

Analysis of promising directions for improving the methodological part of the biological monitoring system at potentially hazardous chemical facilities (analytical review)

A study on fire risk and its mitigation in gravure printing press

The gravure printing process is widely utilized for large-scale, high-quality, multi-colored printing tasks executed at high press speeds. This includes a diverse range of products such as art books, greeting cards, currency, stamps, wallpaper, magazines, and more. This thesis addresses the fire risks associated with gravure printing, acknowledging the use of highly flammable materials and the potential for static charge-related incidents. Despite its prevalence, there is limited research on fire prevention and control in gravure printing. The study employs field observations, stakeholder interviews, and an extensive review of literature on fire risk and control in printing press operations in India. It analyzes the causes of fires using the fire triangle model, emphasizing the role of heat, combustible materials, and oxygen in fire incidents within the printing press environment. The thesis categorizes preventive measures into fire prevention and fire suppression actions, focusing on reducing fire load, static charge mitigation, and implementing firefighting systems. It observes that poor housekeeping, lack of awareness, and inadequate emergency control plans contribute significantly to fire hazards in press facilities. Additionally, the research identifies key factors such as high press temperatures, low humidity, improper storage, and inadequacies in firefighting systems as potential causes of fires. It emphasizes the need for optimal environmental conditions, proper storage practices, and effective firefighting infrastructure within press facilities. The study concludes with comprehensive guidelines for loss prevention and control, including management programs, housekeeping, operator training, pre-emergency planning, preventive maintenance, and plant security. It also addresses safety measures specific to gravure printing presses, such as automatic sprinkler systems, fire hydrant system, carbon dioxide flooding systems, and portable fire extinguishers. In summary, this thesis provides valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of fire risks in gravure printing presses and recommends a holistic approach for effective fire prevention and control.

Waste Lubricant Oil Management: A Review of Technical Aspects and Regulatory Compliance

PT X, one of the largest coal mining companies in Indonesia, is located in Berau District, East Kalimantan. The company's mining activities produce waste lubricant oil, a dominant hazardous waste containing toxic materials that can significantly pollute the environment if not properly managed. Given the critical importance of managing waste lubricant oil, Indonesia has established several regulations for hazardous waste management. This study aims to evaluate both the technical aspects and regulatory compliance of PT X's waste lubricant oil management by comparing existing practices with technical criteria and applicable regulations. The methodology involves assessing the capacity of hazardous waste storage facilities based on the generation of waste lubricant oil, regulatory requirements, and transportation frequency, alongside compliance assessments of packaging, storage, and in situ utilization practices. Results indicate that PT X's storage capacity for waste lubricant oil is adequate and that its internal management practices fully comply with regulations. However, nonconformities were found in the hazardous waste management practices of third-party entities, particularly in packaging and storage. This research highlights the need for improved monitoring and regulation of third-party waste management practices to ensure comprehensive compliance and environmental protection.

О применении федеральных норм и правил, регулирующих организацию работ на опасных производственных объектах горно-металлургической промышленности

The article considers the regulatory and legal control of industrial safety as to the organization of safe work at hazardous production facilities of the mining and metallurgical industry of the Russian Federation. The historical aspects of the development of the regulatory framework of occupational safety in the Russian Federation that earlier divided the requirements for the organization of safe work into occupational safety and industrial safety have been mentioned. The analysis of the systems of regulatory and legal framework of the international and Russian legislations, as well as the industrial practices of occupational safety management implies that the activities to ensure the organization of safe work must be constantly developing. The evaluation of the Russian legislation has demonstrated that the tight links between the legal areas of occupational safety and industrial safety did not consider some aspects of the requirements for industrial safety regulation. General industrial safety requirements provide for the development of regulatory and legal acts such as federal norms and rules that contain more detailed requirements for ensuring the safety of workflows, employees, and other specific types of activities. In order to resolve the issues of the organization of safe work, the Federal norms and rules «Ensuring industrial safety in the organization of work at hazardous production facilities of the mining and metallurgical industry» approved by the Order of Rostechnadzor on November 13, 2020, № 440 (hereinafter FNP), were developed. When developing the Federal norms and rules for industrial safety, the entire range of requirements for the safety of the organization of various jobs has been analyzed; the requirements for the work organization at hazardous production facilities of the mining and metallurgical industry have been formulated. Earlier, these jobs were regulated only by the requirements contained in the regulatory and legal acts of occupational safety. The article refers to the sections of the Federal norms and rules for industrial safety where classification of the types of jobs at hazardous production facilities at the current stage are explained as the basis for further development of legal regulation. Explanations for the following sections are provided: on the work organization during operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment and building construction and repairs; on determining and controlling high-risk jobs; on organizational and engineering measures regulating high-risk jobs; on work permits for high-risk jobs; and on the decision-making when choosing safety tools for the work organization. The current aspects of regulatory and legal control over high-risk jobs contained in the Federal norms and rules for industrial safety will be a significant contribution to the understanding of occupational safety processes as to their use by senior officials of enterprises in order to ensure further reduction of accident rate at enterprises of the mining and metallurgical industry of the Russian Federation.

Earthquake Risk Assessment in Seismically Active Areas of Qinghai Province Based on Geographic Big Data

Earthquakes can cause serious damage to buildings, roads and other infrastructure. The large amount of dust and particulate matter generated when these structures collapse and are damaged can quickly enter the air, leading to a decline in air quality. At the same time, earthquakes may cause secondary disasters such as fires and landslides, which will also produce large amounts of soot and particulate matter, which will have a negative impact on air quality. Therefore, earthquake disaster risk assessment studies are carried out to identify potentially hazardous areas and facilities in advance in order to reduce the air pollution problems that may be caused by earthquakes. Existing research on earthquake disaster risk assessment mainly evaluates earthquake risk from the perspective of geology or seismology, but there are few studies based on multidisciplinary assessment that integrates geology, seismology, engineering and social sciences into socioeconomic factors. To this end, based on remote sensing and GIS technology, this paper takes Qinghai Province, a seismically active area, as the research area, and integrates land use data, natural environment data, social environment data and seismic parameter zoning data to construct a comprehensive assessment model for earthquake disaster vulnerability and risk. The results showed that there were 5 very high-risk areas, 7 high-risk areas, 10 medium-risk areas, 11 low-risk areas and 12 very low-risk areas in Qinghai Province. The high-risk areas are mainly distributed in the central and western parts of Qinghai Province, where the earthquake breeding environment is sufficient, the scale of active faults is huge and the adaptability of the carrier is low. The results of an earthquake disaster risk assessment can provide a reference for the government to formulate environmental protection policies. According to the assessment results, the government can formulate targeted measures to strengthen air pollution control and improve air quality.

Transitioning a hydrogen facility from project to operations

Preparing any hazardous facility for transition from project to operations requires a rigorous management process. In the area of hydrogen operations, hazards are heightened and there are limited examples of transitioning a hydrogen facility from project to operations outside of large-scale oil refineries. This paper highlights the unique challenges of managing hydrogen process safety through the project to operate phase while maintaining safety standards that meet or exceed the expectations of the asset owner, regulator and the community in which we operate. Our experience transitioning hydrogen operations started in Queensland which has arguably the toughest engineering and safety standards in Australia. This experience has informed our methodologies and the important points of this paper detail for both owner and regulator, what to expect from the operator and what the operator will need to demonstrate compliance with. Hydrogen operations traditionally were on oil refineries which may have been in local communities, unlike remote upstream gas and oil projects far from the major populations. Refineries are typically close to transportation hubs and end users. Our experience is that hydrogen or hydrogen transport fluids such as ammonia, methylcyclohexane (MCH) and others are more likely to reside near major international ports with close access to both clean energy and available workforce which heightens the environmental, social, governance and community risk management requirements. This paper intends to inform regulators, owners and operators of the unique challenges and aspects of getting a hydrogen facility up and running in a safe and community sensitive way.

Evaluation of the Permeability of Clay-Lime Mixtures for Hazardous Waste Insulation Barriers, Case of Southern Algeria (Adrar)

Containment of hazardous waste is one of the methods that can be used today for its disposal worldwide, especially in landfills. In order to preserve groundwater, landfills are constructed on a natural or reconstituted clay layer of low permeability, known as a passive safety barrier. This paper presents an experimental laboratory study that aims to upgrade local materials for use as a passive barrier in the bottoms of hazardous waste storage facilities (HWSCs). The basic materials are clays from the Adrar region in southern Algeria. An experimental study based on physical-chemical characterization and mechanical tests was performed on 2 samples of clayey soils (AA, Adrar clay, and AB, Bouda clay). Physico-chemical and mechanical characterization of Adrar clay (AA) mixtures with lime was conducted to minimize swelling and improve the studied soil. The permeability criterion allowed the adoption of an optimal mixture of Adrar clay + 6 % lime for a permeability lower than 10–12 m/s. HIGHLIGHTS Ideal solution to protect natural groundwater resources using local materials, clay and lime Large area exceeding 30 km2 of clay sources and including sources of oil pollution Noticeable improvement in clay properties thanks to the addition of lime to reduce swelling The treated clay has a very low permeability value, lower than 10−12 m/s and is ideal for hazardous waste storage centers GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT