Safety guidance to help you adapt your port for ammonia

Ports are crucial to the hydrogen supply chain, so investors, stakeholders, and port authorities need to carefully consider the role their facilities could play. 

But establishing whether your port is suitable to facilitate the safe transport of hydrogen-based energy carriers like ammonia is only the first step. This sector is still evolving, and a lack of regulatory frameworks or clear guidelines to follow mean developing your port for ammonia can be a daunting task.

Ammonia itself is a highly toxic and hazardous substance, so safety needs to be paramount in its storage and transportation. 

Fortunately, countries, like the Netherlands, are beginning to establish best practice guidelines to help you get your stakeholders on board with this growing market – and safely and effectively develop your port to support ammonia.

Guidelines and safety regulations

The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code applies to all facilities receiving seagoing vessels. So, if ammonia production is combined with loading ships, ISPS will apply.

However, so far there are no active developments for specific international guidelines on ammonia storage and handling, however many foreign governments are observing developments like Publicatiereeks Gevaarlijke Stoffen (PGS) 12 in the Netherlands.

The PGS 12 guideline is designed to collate best practices for process, occupational, and environmental safety, and emergency response for ammonia storage and transportation in one standard to prevent major incidents.

It provides guidance to both companies that store and handle ammonia and authorities responsible for permitting and supervision. And PGS 12 covers ammonia transportation from storage and loading to unloading over four key areas of risk:

• Design and construction of facilities
• Safety measures such as safe distances
• Inspection, maintenance, and testing of facilities
• Handling incidents and emergencies

PGS 12 is based on both national Dutch standards and European standards so is highly suitable to be used in many other countries besides the Netherlands, particularly those in Europe.

In the Netherlands, PGS 12 is considered the best guidance available for ammonia storage. And while regional differences such as climate, specific legislation, and seismology mean other countries will have different risk factors for ammonia, the structure, technical aspects, and safety principles of PGS 12 could be suitable for an international standard in the future.

As long as we actively involve and inform the community about any developments as they happen, a standard like PGS 12 could significantly help with the global acceptance level of green chemical storage and handling from a safety perspective. This will help expand the use of alternative fuels and support the reduction of global warming.

What’s included in PGS 12?

PGS 12 is freely available online, and includes guidance on:

Construction and design
How to design and construct storage facilities to withstand the specific properties of ammonia, including its corrosiveness and potential for leakage. Measurements and controls of specific factors like temperature also need to be accounted for during the design and construction of ammonia facilities.

Safety zones
Establishing safety zones around loading and unloading areas to minimise risks to the surrounding environment. This includes minimising risk on your port site, and establishing and mitigating the risk to local communities and the natural environment outside of your site. 

Inspections and maintenance
Conducting regular inspections and maintenance of equipment to prevent leaks and other incidents. This includes, for example, recommendations for inspections of foundation of installations every four to six years and inspections of storage tank walls every year. 

Training and education
Training and education for personnel involved in the loading and storage of ammonia to ensure they’re familiar with safety procedures and emergency measures.

Emergency plans
Developing and regularly practicing emergency plans to respond quickly and effectively to incidents.

Monitoring and detection
Installing systems for continuous monitoring and detection of ammonia leaks to enable prompt intervention in case of an incident.

How PGS addresses quantitative risk assessments

Quantitative risk assessments use probability rates to give expected risk scores to various activities. However, for new technologies, like ammonia installations, this insight is not yet available. 

Probability rates can be addressed using expert judgement, based on common experiences or, in the case of PGS 12, we can look at how to minimise the chances of loss of containment by taking multiple safety measures. 

An example of this is situations with very large potential effect distances. The probability of incidents affecting these distances is extremely low, so when taking inhabitants at this immense distance into account in a quantitative risk assessment, impact is negligible.

Getting stakeholders onboard with ammonia facilities

Stakeholders can be difficult to get on board with even the most tried and tested projects. When you’re considering getting your port involved in the renewable energy supply chain through hydrogen carriers like ammonia, this can be even more complicated.

Safety is key, so following clear guidelines like PGS 12 and demonstrating that you understand and can mitigate the risk of leakages and spills will help move the conversation forward. But perhaps most crucially is having a philosophy of complete transparency.

A Mutual Gains approach will also help you steer the conversation towards the benefits each stakeholder can get from facilitating ammonia storage and transportation. 

This could be a new revenue stream as the energy transition impacts the use and transportation of fossil fuels. Or it could be an opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable society, progress ESG goals, and develop a greener reputation.

Learn more about the safe handling of ammonia

This article was inspired by participant questions in our webinar, handling ammonia in ports – from masterplan to berth design. Watch the full discussion to hear expert insight and real-world examples of how ammonia can be incorporated into the maritime supply chain.