Port of Tallinn Ltd (AS Tallinna Sadam), the port authority in Estonia, is considering the possibility of placing a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) receiving terminal at a location in either Muuga Harbour or Paldiski South Harbour. The purpose of the LNG terminal is to receive liquefied natural gas from ships, store the liquid in storage tanks, vaporise the LNG, and then deliver the natural gas into a high pressure distribution pipeline or to a local major gas consumer.
This project contains an initial risk assessment for the six possible location alternatives. As a part of the assessment, suggestions are given for the overall selection of technology for the terminal with regard to the existing facilities in the harbours and other site specific conditions.
Scope of the analysis
The present analysis assesses the risk to persons imposed by positioning the LNG terminal in one the possible locations in the two harbours. The analysis covers evaluation of potential major accidents including possible domino effects.
Accident types covered are major accidents associated with the equipment; accidents to employees associated with failures of process equipment and operating incidents; and environmental accidents stemming from the equipment.
Not included are work accidents such as falls, traffic accidents, and electrical accidents which are not a result of process incidents and disturbances or process equipment failures.
Ramboll's approach to the study
The study is split into the following major parts:
- Site descriptions, providing details of the different location alternatives with relation to parameters that may influence the possibility for siting an LNG terminal.
- LNG technology description and evaluation, providing information on LNG technology options and relevant design parameters. LNG technology options are evaluated against site specific conditions, in order to choose the best and safest technology for the LNG terminal.
- Hazard scenario identification, description and evaluation, providing the first part of the initial risk analysis. This includes identification, description and evaluation of possible hazard scenarios at the LNG terminal, including possible domino effects. Both frequencies and the potential magnitude consequences of hazard scenarios are evaluated.
- Risk analysis and assessment, providing the second part of the initial risk analysis and risk assessment. This includes evaluation of the risk at the different location alternatives in the two harbours, and an assessment of the risk against risk acceptance criteria.