Editorial comment
It has been over a year now since the devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate (AN) at the port of Beirut in Lebanon. Physical reconstruction may have been completed, yet many key questions remain unanswered, such as how the AN ignited and who exactly in the Lebanese political class holds responsibility for the disaster. The prospect of imminent closure for the victims seems remote, given the strength of official obfuscation and the country’s socio-economic collapse over the past few years.
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It has been over a year now since the devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate (AN) at the port of Beirut in Lebanon. Physical reconstruction may have been completed, yet many key questions remain unanswered, such as how the AN ignited and who exactly in the Lebanese political class holds responsibility for the disaster. The prospect of imminent closure for the victims seems remote, given the strength of official obfuscation and the country’s socio-economic collapse over the past few years.
The global repercussions of the blast are reflected in the fact that the UN and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have jointly organised a seminar for December 2021 that will consider the lessons learned from Beirut. Part of the justification for the seminar is that ‘action is still needed to address risks management of AN…’
Despite this ominous note, the explosion and its effects thankfully do not seem to have tarnished the fertilizer industry’s reputation. A tragic, but avoidable, failure to follow basic storage procedures – the AN had been left inside a warehouse for almost 7 years, and was reportedly stored next to fireworks and jugs of kerosene and acid – as well as a negligent government were key causes of what was clearly an accident waiting to happen.
Without these (or sheer bad luck), it is eminently possible to stockpile AN safely, as it has been for decades in countries around the world. In a presentation at World Fertilizer’s Ammonia 2021 conference this month, Ron Peddie (a consultant with 42 years’ experience in the chemical industry, including advising on legislation and regulation) makes the point that there is no feasible substitute for AN and that the industry must continue to assert that it can handle and use AN safely. Failure to articulate that position convincingly may lead to overly restrictive regulations.
In a section of this issue of World Fertilizer dedicated to plant safety that starts from pg. 67, articles by Mike Schmidt and René Braun of Bluefield Process Safety and Grandperspective GmbH respectively are a reminder of the importance of being a good neighbour, whether it be ensuring the safe manufacture, storage or transport of chemical products. The former makes the case that the industry must be responsible for chemical products ‘beyond the fence line’, while Grandperspective GmbH’s contribution demonstrates how remote sensing technology is being used at the Chemelot industrial park in the Netherlands to reduce the risk of a gas leak and protect local students and entrepreneurs. The fertilizer industry must not rest on its laurels when it comes to its social licence to operate, and any corporate ESG policy worthy of the name should entail a sincere commitment to both local and global stewardship.
Before I finish, if you are attending the CRU Sustainable Fertilizer Production Technology Forum online between 20 – 23 September then do pop by our booth, download a copy of our 2022 media pack and say hello. Fingers crossed it won’t be too long until we’re doing this face to face again!
