The explosion at Shell Moerdijk in June last year (see also our earlier post of 13 July) was followed of course by both internal and external investigations not only about the cause and who was to blame, but also about the effects on the environment.
The explosion at Shell Moerdijk in June last year was followed of course by both internal and external investigations not only about the cause and who was to blame, but also about the effects on the environment. It turns out that hardly any harmful substances were emitted into the air, as the intense heat of the fire caused almost complete combustion. Concentrations of contaminants in the water used for firefighting and clean-up turned out to be not higher than the water in the river (Hollandsch Diep) into which it was discharged. Contaminated soil was handled by approved contractors.
To the satisfaction of the authorities Shell has revised the program for starting up the MPSO hydrogenation unit with the new catalyst and has taken measures to prevent a recurrence of the accident.