2014 Spring Meeting & 10th Global Congress on Process Safety

(113a) Köln Ethylene Pipeline and Acrylonitrile Tank Fire

On March 17, 2008, an ethylene pipeline began to leak during preventative maintenance activities.  During the resulting jet fire, a nearby acrylonitrile tank also caught fire.  This paper will discuss the incident, the emergency response, root cause, external impact, and interaction with the community.