EIGAzette 2023 05 – IGC
1 Introduction
In early 2023, Inaki Uriarte of Nippon Gases Europe retired and Rainer Wysotzki took over.
With this change four of the seven companies changed their representative in the IGC in 2022-2023. The other changes were:
- Didier Miniscloux took the place of François de Bussy, Air Liquide;
- Nikos Larass took the place of Christoph Herrmann, Linde, and took over;
- Dirk Reuter took the place of Johann Ringhofer, Messer.
IGC discussion is divided in two main items:
- General themes about IGC itself and the Working Groups;
- Main topics coming from the WGs.
2 General themes
The last topics discussed in the last IGC meetings are:
- Link between IGC and SAC for incidents requiring special attention;
- Expert presence and their expertise in some WG;
The first issue is important because some incidents may require a technical analysis as well as a safety analysis. For this reason some incidents could be comprehensively analyzed if there is a reunion of different expertise. The goal is to generate documents that report a complete analysis of what happened with safety and technical advises.
In general, as already discussed in previous meetings, a better link between the Councils could be pursued. There are, in fact, many themes that involve different competencies and for this items a competition of skills can allow to deal with the themes in a more complete way.
The second issue highlighted some concern about a lack, or a reduction, of competencies in some WG. The topic has been raised, in the last six months, by WG11, WG4 and WG1. Next time the theme will be better focalised with some suggestion.
Some topics covered by the working groups seem to require cross-expertise with other working groups. For now this is addressed using the ADHs but, in perspective, if the number of these issues that require many skills will increase, some other initiatives will be studied.
These are the themes raised in the previous meetings:
- Necessity to recover moments of information exchange between the Councils. It was highlighted how, for some issues, it might be appropriate to have a dedicated exchange between SAC, MGC and IGC as some topic request different competences. (January 2022)
- Consistency between EIGA documents; no action imminent but a point of attention remains. (October 2022)
- Minutes structure: the Council has adopted a new structure of the minutes and the most important topics are now described more accurately by reporting what was discussed during the meeting and not just writing the conclusions. (June 2022)
- Link between IGC and SAC for incidents requiring special attention: it may be considered to make it through a cross-linking group between SAC and IGC. (October 2022)
Not all the points has been solved and some still remain under attention.
3 Emerging themes from the WGs (short summary of the main critical items of the WGs)
3.1 General
IGC is covering eight WGs. The documents and themes of these WGs involve a lot of aspects in gas field. Up to now, 11 new or revised document was produced in 2023 (for the titles, see the chapter “Documents issued” at the end of the document).
The main topics for each WG are:
- WG1, Regulatory workload and competent membership participation;
- WG2, Cylinder corrosion tube trailers 15 years retesting;
- WG3, Safety location of vent distances;
- WG4, Harmonized documents;
- WG6, Documents to be revised;
- WG8, Impact on valves or pipes or fittings;
- WG11, Lack of documents for standardisation activities;
- WG12, Rework of Code of practice;
- WG14, Hydrogen safety production;
- WG18, Knowledge to be found on incidents.
All topics are considered to be under the control, i.e. the working group experts are able to follow up the topics successfully. Some items are considered to have a more important impact on our business.
In the below scheme the main themes that can have an impact on our business are visualised using coulours to highlight the situation.
3.2 WG1- Transport
Main issue: Regulatory workload and competent membership participation.
This group is involved in ADR regulation that, as we know, is quite a wide item. From this descend the high regulatory workload. Some important items are: wall thickness tolerance at ultrasonic testing; fuel cell/fully electric powered trucks for Transportation of Dangerous Goods; BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosion).
Due to the very different items to face, there is a point to check regarding the participation an skills of the group members.
3.3 WG2 - Gas Cylinders and Pressure Vessels
Main issue: Cylinder corrosion tube trailers 15 years retesting.
There has been an agreement with ECMA on the 2% allowance. The paper has been presented but was not adopted by Join Meeting in Bern and by ADR. We are waiting for the results of the joint meeting held in Geneve March 2023. Info paper will be submitted to ADR within few weeks.
3.4 WG3 Atmospheric Gases, Process & Equipment
Main issue: Safety location of vent distances.
The document “Safe Location of Oxygen and Inert Gas Vents” is under review. The new rules have impact on the new safety vent distances.
3.5 WG4, Special Gases
Main issue: Harmonized documents.
There are some harmonised documents to be finalised.
Including all the Code of Practice of the electronic gases.
3.6 WG6, Cryogenic Vessels
Main issue: Documents to be revised.
There are some documents to be finished:
- TB 26/18 - Cryogenic flexible hoses: SAC request (September 2022). A WG member is currently drafting the document .
- Revision DOC 208/17 - Safety in Storage, Handling and Distribution of Cryogenic Ethylene.
- Installation of indoor carbon dioxide vessels.
- Manufacture and inspection of Liquid Carbon Dioxide Trailers.
- Static, high-pressure, non-insulated carbon dioxide vessels operation and inspection.
3.7 WG8 - Food Gases and CO2,
Main issue: Impact on valves or pipes or fittings;
The item regarding the Materials in contact with food gases could have some impact on the actual fittings used. The AHG 8.4 Food Contact Material has presented and shared in WG8 the new drafted document. Title “Guidelines for assessment of materials in contact with food gases”.
3.8 WG11, Hydrogen Energy
Main issue: Lack of documents for standardisation activities;
The two main themes are:
- Hydrogen quality specification;
- Hydrogen refuelling stations.
For the first, WG11 has proposed revised thresholds for several of the contaminants listed in the H2 quality specification.
For the second point EIGA WG11 has contributed to elaborating this standard published in 2018, now reported in EN 17127.
3.9 WG12, Acetylene
Main issue: Rework of Code of practice;
There are still many documents to be finalized to get a complete picture on acetylene:
Doc 2XX – Safe Filling Of Acetylene Cylinders -> to be merged with DOC 26
Doc 2XX – Blowing Down Acetylene Cylinders
Doc 123 – Code of practice acetylene (with focus on plant design chapters)
Doc 239 – Mechanical Integruty of generator system in acethylene plants.
3.10 WG14, Hydrogen production
Main issue: Hydrogen safety production;
The WG has proposed some improvements in liaison between EIGA’s WG-14 and CGA hosted HyCO Committee. A potential problem with this approach is that CGA’s HyCO committee is USA-centric, and there are some concerns within WG-14 that European aspects may not be fully identified or reflected in these harmonised documents (e.g. PED and NOBO requirements, etc.).
3.11 WG18, Nitrous Oxide
Main issue: Knowledge to be found on incidents.
Edits to Doc 175 and 176 will be entered as PCs into CGA system in the spring of 2023. If CGA requires reasons for change WG-18 will reconvene to develop reasoning based on the incident which drove the change, and allow for any final member comment. Completion of this work and publication of revised documents are dependent on the schedule of PC resolution at CGA.
6. Documents issued in 2023
- Doc 127 / 23 - Bulk Liquid Oxygen, Nitrogen and Argon Storage Systems at Production Sites
- Doc 96 / 23 - Alternatives to Hydraulic Testing of Gas Cylinders
- TB 48 / 23 - DOT Cylinders under ADR and TPED Cylinders in DOT Jurisdiction
- Doc 915 / 23 - Spreadsheet 1 for Data sheets for Failed Gas Cylinders
- Doc 915 / 23 - Spreadsheet 2 for Data sheets for Failed Gas Cylinders
- Doc 27 / 23 - Centrifugal Compressors for Oxygen Service
- Doc241 / 23 - Purification, Compression and Drying of Acetylene
- Doc 196 / 23 - Calcium Carbide Specification, Storage and Handling
- Doc 160 / 23 - Code of Practice - Silane
- BN 14 / 23 - Retest of UN Cylinders
- TP 64 / 23 - ADR 2023 Main Changes linked to Class 2 Transport