Summary
On 28 September 2019, a cargo tank containing styrene monomer on board the Cayman Islands registered chemical tanker Stolt Groenland ruptured due to runaway polymerisation. The catastrophic rupture released a large quantity of vapour to the atmosphere, and it subsequently ignited.
Fire-fighting efforts by the emergency services took over six hours
and involved more than 700 personnel and 117 units of fire trucks, pumps and
fire tugs.
·
the styrene monomer
was affected by other heated cargo tanks
·
heat transfer from
other cargoes was not fully appreciated
·
the styrene monomer
temperature was not monitored
Recommendations
A recommendation (2021/122) has been made to
Stolt Tankers B.V. aimed at ensuring the wider marine chemical sector benefits
from the lessons learned from the Stolt Focus incident and research initiatives
that were carried out as a result of this accident.
The Internantional Chamber of Shipping and
INTERTANKO have been recommended (2021/118 and 2021/119) to promulgate our
report to their members.
Recommendations (2021/117, 2021/120 and
2021/121) have also been made to the Cayman Island Shipping Registry , the
Chemical Distribution Institute and Plastics Europe (Styrene Producers
Association). These are intended to assist in ensuring that the guidance
provided in certificates of inhibitor and styrene monomer handling guides is
consistent and achievable given the limitations of equipment and testing
facilities on board ships.
Full report at,
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