[SMM brief Review] follow-up to Noni Power Plant accident: full text of Q & A report on No3 accident in Norilsk Thermal Power Plant

SMM6: on May 29th, 2020, accidental damage to the diesel storage tank led to the leakage of 21 kilotons of fuel from the No. 3 Thermal Power Plant (HPP-3) near Kayerkan in the city of (Norilsk) in Norilsk. The accident was caused by the sudden sinking of the support column in the basement of the tank. HPP-3 is located in remote areas and no local communities are affected. HHP-3 is operated by Norilsk-Taymyr Energy, a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, (NTEC). "Click to view the original message:" cleaning up the accidental diesel leakage from Norilsk Nickel Thermal Power Plant is in progress. "

According to SMM, the accident only involved power plants and was not directly related to Nornickel's mines and smelters; in addition, the power plant used natural gas as its main source of energy, and the diesel stocks involved in the accident were used only for emergency use.

SMM compiled a Q & A report on the No3 accident at Norilsk Thermal Power Plant ("Qalonga re the accident in Norilsk Heat and Power Plant # 3").

1. Who owns the No. 3 thermal power station? Who does it serve?

The third heating Power Plant (HPP-3) is operated by Norilsk Taymir Energy Company (NTEC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel. HPP-3 mainly serves the local municipality of Norilsk Industrial Zone and provides some electricity for Norilsk Nickel's industrial facilities. HPP-3 consumes natural gas and uses diesel only in emergencies. Every HPP in Norilsk has a fuel depot for a rainy day. The power capacity of HPP-3 is 400 MWt, and the heat capacity is 1049 GKal / h.

2. What happened to HPP 3?

Due to the unsealing of the diesel storage facility in HPP-3, about 21kt's fuel leaked into the soil and into the Ambarnaya River through a nearby stream. According to the assessment of Mr. Radionova, head of Rosprirodnadzor, the government's environmental watchdog, about 15kt's fuel leaked into the water and the rest of the 6kt was immersed in the soil. The size of the oil spill in the river is estimated at 2 square kilometers.

3. Does it have an impact on the local community or local residents?

HPP-3 is located in remote areas, so no local communities are affected. The Ambarnaya River is not used for navigation or industrial fishing. There are no residents near the Ambarnaya River. However, the company intends to negotiate with local residents living in the area.

4. What caused the accident?

According to a preliminary assessment, the accident was caused by the melting of permafrost caused by an unusually hot summer in Norilsk, which led to the sinking of support columns in the basement of the fuel depot. Due to unusually mild temperatures over the past few years (the Arctic region is located above the polar circle), the permafrost may have partially melted, causing the support column, which supports a single platform with a reservoir, to sink. This causes damage to the platform, which triggers dynamic impact on the storage tank and fuel leakage. As part of the 2018 mandatory industrial safety expertise, the reservoir was reviewed by an independent safety professional consultant and no safety violations were found. A full investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the accident.

5. Is there a threat of oil spill further spreading into the water near Lake Piasino?

The oil spill spread to the Daldykan River and then further to the Ambarnya River, where special containment buckets were installed (5Mel 6 km above Lake Piasino), preventing its further spread. According to our current assessment, the pollution of Lake Piasino has been avoided.

6. What actions has the company taken so far?

An emergency steering group chaired by Mayor Norilsk has been set up to eliminate the consequences of the accident. The team is composed of local and regional authorities, senior Norilsk Nickel management, law enforcement agencies and government departments as well as agencies. An action plan has been developed and integrated into implementation in close cooperation with federal and regional agencies.

B has declared an emergency at the federal level.

C Norilsk Nickel mobilized a total of 250 personnel and 72 equipment projects to clean up.

D as of 3 June, a total of 262 tons of diesel oil had been collected near HHP-3. A total of 800 cubic metres of contaminated soil have been removed; about 80 tons of fuel has been collected from the oil spill into the Ambarnaya River.

E the contaminated soil has been replaced by fresh soil and the ground has been treated with absorbent chemicals. All contaminated soil has been transported to temporary storage facilities with waterproof covers to prevent oil from leaking into the environment.

F Norilsk Nickel and Rosprirodnadzor, the government's environmental regulator, completed an air inspection of the Norilsk-Piasino water body to identify the oil spill.

In response to the oil spill in the water, G has brought a special team from the Murmansk Maritime Rescue Bureau (a special department of the Ministry of Transportation). The department has rich experience in cleaning up the oil spill and has solved more than 50 accidents.

H installed containment buckets at the mouth of the Ambarnaya River, which helped to prevent the leakage from spreading further.

I the government consumer regulator (Rospotrebnadzor) has not found any violation of the allowable limit of hazardous substances in the source of drinking water in Norilsk.

J Rosprirodnadzor has brought other laboratories to Norilsk to test water samples. 15 samples have been collected every day, and the number will increase.

K has launched the monitoring of aquatic wildlife.

L Norilsk Nickel (Nililsk Nickel) is liquidating its accident.

7. What is the utilization plan for contaminated soil and fuel to spill into the water?

Water fuel leakage: the collected leaks are placed in a special tank for temporary storage; the tank will be transported to remove water and the remaining fuel can be used for further use. The company plans to buy a fuel tank with a total capacity of 16kt and put it by the river.

Contaminated soil: all contaminated soil will be removed and placed in a position with a waterproof base (concrete base); after that, the soil will be re-cultivated and oil products will be removed.

8. How long will it take to clean up the area and water body?

According to the preliminary assessment of the maritime rescue team, it will take two weeks to clean up the oil spill and replace the contaminated ground.

9. How much will it cost the company to clean up everything?

Direct operating costs for eliminating the consequences of accidents are currently being assessed.

10. What kind of fines does the company expect to incur as a result?

The Procuratorate has launched a criminal investigation. Rosprirodnadzor, the government's environmental watchdog, has launched an environmental impact analysis. The amount of the fine will be determined by the government after a comprehensive investigation into the accident. The fine will be calculated according to Rosprirodnadzor's method. At present, the company is focusing on dealing with the consequences of the accident and limiting the environmental impact.

11. When is the environmental damage assessment expected to be completed?

The government's environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, hopes to complete the assessment within the next 20 days. The agency has brought in more laboratories to test water samples. 15 samples have been collected every day, and the number will increase.

12. What measures does the company plan to take to prevent similar accidents?

At present, comprehensive improvements have been made to the risk assessment of hazardous industrial facilities. Upon completion, a comprehensive audit of all hazardous industrial facilities will be conducted according to the supporting columns sunk into the permafrost. Special attention will be paid to potential environmental risks, including those arising from the proximity of these facilities to nearby waters.

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