LNG can explode, says GL
Risk factors surrounding LNG transportation There was some confusion as to the safety of LNG transportation during Germanischer Lloyd's press dinner in London last night when the German classification seemed to make a U-turn on the generally accepted view that there is no risk of LNG exploding.During a presentation in which GL outlined its involvement in a study with the Port of Hamburg to assess the technical feasibility of LNG storage and bunkering stations, journalists sought clarification on the risk factors surrounding LNG transportation.Recalling how the shipping industry, including classification societies, went to great lengths to demonstrate that LNG was not as dangerous as people feared following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, one journalist pressed GL on whether its view contradicts with the industry's widely-held belief that there is not a risk of LNG exploding, even in a collision.GL said that 'LNG vessels have an extremely good safety record but this does not mean that there will be no collisions in the future.... If a collision does take place we will have a large scale fire, but there is a chance that we may also have an explosion. There is a chance and I expect no expert would deny that.'Source: IMAREST
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