Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, handling and storage (ZEWT partnership)

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

1. A comprehensive risk assessment of the introduction of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels, in maritime and inland port areas.
2. Improve knowledge on the risks posed by the introduction of renewable low zero-carbon fuels.
3. A review of existing regulations, standards, and guidelines, for all EU Member States, with recommendations for updates, harmonisation or new regulations as needed.
4. Define operational improvements required to enhance safety in storage, handling and bunkering of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels.
5. Development of a strategy for skills development for port personnel and stakeholders involved in the handling, storage, and bunkering of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels, ensuring safe and efficient operations.

Scope:

The rapid transition to low and zero-carbon solutions in maritime and inland waterborne transport requires port authorities and stakeholders to swiftly adapt to supply large quantities of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels and electricity. However, this shift poses new safety challenges, particularly in port areas where multiple bunkering operations, import/export terminals, and fuel handling and storage activities coexist. The close location of most ports to cities and inhabited areas raises issues of safety on two fronts: the space deficit due to the difficulty of enlarging the port areas in these locations, (leading to e.g. the storage of various fuels in close proximity), and the broader danger to these inhabited areas due to their proximity to the ports and by extension the storage of these fuels. To ensure a safe and efficient energy transition, it is crucial to assess and mitigate the risks associated with the introduction of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels in port areas. As not all ports will be able to store every type of clean fuel in the port or neighbouring area, safety of transport and distribution within the port area (including anchorage) should also be analysed.

Existing EU legislation regarding specifically the safety of port workers is limited. The Directive on the safe loading and unloading of bulk carriers (2001/96/EC) sets out the EU requirements which increase safety procedures for bulk carriers loading and unloading their solid cargo in EU ports. Further instruments such as the Directive on port State control (2009/16/EC) and the Directive on the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector (2009/18/EC, recently amended), while related to safety in the maritime sector, do not apply to the safety of port workers specifically. Broader instruments such as the EU Occupational Safety and Health Framework Directive (89/391/EEC) and the Directive on the Minimum Safety and Health Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment by Workers at Work (2009/104/EC), while applicable to port workers due to their general character, miss the intricacies needed to address the specific risks of workers in this sector. This issue is further exacerbated by the fact that port workers are being exposed to new risks due to the rising use of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels in the maritime sector and the need for safe bunkering and storage of these fuels in port areas.

Given the above it is important to have a clear picture of the current status regarding the storage and bunkering of fuels across EU ports, identify existing and applicable legislation, map gaps and potential risks and make appropriate recommendations for follow-up actions.

Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:

1. Conduct a comprehensive review of the risks associated with the introduction of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels within (inland and sea) the port areas, including distribution, simultaneous bunkering operations, import/export terminals, handling and storage of fuels.
2. Analyse gaps in existing regulations, standards, and guidelines relevant to the safe handling and storage of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels, in maritime and inland TEN-T ports.
3. Identify safety risks not adequately addressed by current rules and risk assessments, including Hazard Identification (HAZID) and Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) taking into account – inter-alia – gas dispersion, fire/explosion impacts and their probabilities using F-N curves.
4. Develop guidelines and recommendations to ensure safe operations (considering environmental and health aspects) per fuel type in port areas, considering varying port sizes, services (including technical-nautical vessels), locations, and geographies, especially for ports located in populated areas including establishing safety zones. International rules, standards and guidelines should be taken into consideration (especially from the IMO and the IHPA where relevant). Relevant environmental Plans required by EU or national legislation such as Air Quality Plans should be considered.
5. Develop standard risk assessment criteria for groups of ports with similar characteristics, operational and weather conditions by researching and establishing standard criteria for risk assessments in port planning and development. This includes defining safety-by-design procedures for new port infrastructures and bunkering operations.
6. Engage with relevant stakeholders, including port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, trade unions and regulatory bodies, to ensure the practicality and effectiveness of the developed guidelines and recommendations.
7. Additionally, a strategy for skills development should be presented, associating social partners and civil society where relevant. This strategy should include the design and implementation of comprehensive training modules tailored to various roles within port operations, focusing on the specific safety protocols and procedures associated with renewable low and zero-carbon fuels.
8. Propose certification and continuous professional development pathways to maintain high safety standards and adapt to evolving technologies and regulations.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.