CASE STUDY

QRA Study for FACT Udyogamandal Complex – Ammonia Plant

Introduction

The Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), established in 1943, is India’s first large-scale fertilizer unit. Located at Udyogamandal, Kochi, this facility has a nameplate capacity of 1035 MTPD (metric tons per day) for ammonia production.

Ammonia Plant Overview

The ammonia plant initially utilized naphtha for steam reforming and as a fuel. Through its recent revamp, the plant now operates with LNG feed, naphtha feed, and mixed feed options. LNG or naphtha fuels the feed preheaters and primary reformer.

Ammonia is synthesized from a gas mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in a 3:1 ratio. This synthesis gas also contains trace amounts of inert gases like argon and methane. The sources of key components include:

  • Hydrogen (H₂): Derived from demineralized water and hydrocarbons in natural gas.
  • Nitrogen (N₂): Sourced from atmospheric air.
  • Carbon dioxide (CO₂): Originates from hydrocarbons in natural gas.

Ammonia Plant Revamp

The revamp has resulted in addition of new pieces of equipment and modification of some of the process parameters in the desulphurization and reforming sections

Scope of Work

Based on the facts at hand, the evaluation will take into account the potential risks that could arise while the project is being operated. The scope of work is to carry out Quantitative Risk Assessment Study for Ammonia Plant of FACT Udyogamandal Complex , and the study covers the different components and equipment associated with these facilities

Objectives of the QRA Study

The main objectives of this study are to determine the potential risk levels for employees in the event of an unintended release of hazardous materials from facilities that are losing containment and to demonstrate that individual risks are within commonly recognized limits. The following are QRA’s objectives

The image is an infographic titled Objectives of the QRA Study, featuring a circular design at the center with the title in bold text. Surrounding the circle are five key objectives, each represented by icons and text in a clockwise arrangement: Risk Identification with a magnifying glass and warning symbol, Impact Analysis with a magnifying glass and bar chart, Failure Analysis with a gear icon, Cost Quantification with a dollar sign and upward graph, and Risk Mitigation with a shield icon. The layout uses vibrant colors and connecting arrows for visual flow, all on a white background with a purple border.
Objectives of the QRA Study
  • Risk Identification – Analyze potential risks and significant incidents involving loss of containment (LOC).
  • Impact Analysis – Physical impact calculations for failure case scenarios, such as heat radiation distance estimates for jet fires, pool fires, flammable gas dispersions, and overpressure explosions
  • Failure Analysis – Calculate failure frequencies and Modeling mortality rates and societal vulnerability
  • Cost Quantification – Quantifying the potential human and social costs
  • Risk Mitigation – Conduct a risk assessment to verify that risk can be mitigated in accordance with the ALARP principle based on the risk acceptance criteria set forth by the UK HSE.Suggest risk-reduction strategies to guarantee that all hazards are inside the Acceptable area or ALARP.

Risk Assessment Methodology

The approach was to conduct a site-specific analysis, using the commercially available Process Hazards Analysis Software Tool (Phast) and Software for the Assessment of Fire, Explosion and Toxic Impacts (Safeti), Phast and Safeti have been selected for this analysis because they are well established, have been validated and are widely used in the Oil, Gas and Chemical Industries

The image depicts a flowchart illustrating the Risk Assessment Methodology. It begins with Hazard and Scenario Selection at the top, branching into two parallel processes: Frequency and Probability Determination (including likelihood and event/outcome analysis) on the left, and Consequence Modelling (with consequence evaluation) on the right. Both processes feed into Risk Assessment and subsequently Risk Evaluation. The final stage is Risk Control Measures and Risk Mitigation Plan, which loops back to earlier stages, emphasizing an iterative and interconnected approach to risk assessment. The diagram uses bold text within rectangular boxes, connected by red arrows, set against a simple and structured layout.
Risk Assessment Methodology

Major findings of the Study

Risk to People

The main objective of this QRA study is to quantify and assess risk from process hazards associated with FACT Udyogamandal Complex – Ammonia Plant. Potential scenarios have been developed, evaluated, and the possibility and ramifications of any accidental releases from the facility have been provided in order to achieve the assessment’s aim. Furthermore, suitable recommendations have been given as a risk-mitigating approach in accordance with the assessment’s results.

The results of the QRA study are listed below:

  • Location Specific Individual Risk
    • The likelihood that a person will become a victim of an accident within one year if they remain continuously and unprotected in a specific location. At various sites surrounding a specific facility, the individual risk varies.
  • Individual Risk for the people
    • The Individual Risk (IR) gives a measure of the risk that will apply to each location for an individual depending on the occupancy of that area but independent of the population. All the Risk Ranking locations considered for the study, come under the ALARP region assuming that they are present continuously
  • Societal Risk
    • The relationship between the frequency and the number of individuals in a given population experiencing a given level of harm as a result of specific hazards is provided by the Societal Risk. The study concludes that the societal risk for the entire population under consideration is largely contained within the ALARP region.

Conclusion for the QRA Study

The Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) for the Ammonia Plant at the FACT Udyogamandal Complex successfully identified and evaluated the potential risks associated with the facility’s operations. The study demonstrated that the individual and societal risks for the facility fall within the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) region, ensuring compliance with established safety criteria.

Key findings revealed that while the risks are acceptable under current operational practices, implementing additional risk reduction measures can further enhance safety levels and minimize potential impacts on employees and surrounding communities. The use of advanced tools such as PHAST and Safeti ensured a robust and comprehensive risk assessment, providing actionable insights for future safety planning.

This QRA underscores the commitment of FACT to maintaining high safety standards and adopting proactive measures to mitigate risks, safeguarding both personnel and the environment.