SAFE-2-X – Every P2X Plant Has The Right to Be Safe!

WELCOME TO SAFE-2-X PLATFORM

Dear visitor,

We are thrilled to welcome you to our online knowledge database dedicated to the Power-to-X industry, where you can explore a diverse array of resources tailored to your interests.

Here, you’ll discover:

Insights into best safety practices for Power-to-X projects
Explanations of safety requirements outlined in the Seveso-III directive
Lists of European and international standards applicable to specific projects and plants
Strategies for obtaining CE-marking for your plant upon construction completion
Understanding the applicability and benefits of third-party verification
Hundreds of generic safety philosophies, studies, performance standards, and assurance activities
Generic processes, procedures, and various templates for plant maintenance and operation
Explanation of GHG accounting in Power-to-X projects and calculation tools

And much more.

We hope you find the information valuable and informative. Feel free to explore and reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Stay safe!

The Safe-2-X Team

INTRODUCING SAFETY

The safety and technical compliance regulatory framework for current European Power-to-X projects primarily relies on specific European Directives and their interpretation by member states. Within this framework, several key directives are instrumental in ensuring safety and technical compliance, including the Seveso III Directive, Machinery Directive, CE Marking Directive, ATEX Directive, Renewable Energy Directive, Pressure Equipment Directive, Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, Low Voltage Directive, REACH, and RoHS Directive, among others.

Additionally, the aforementioned European Directives extensively utilize European Norms and reference numerous ISO standards. However, they leave significant gaps in the design aspects of equipment, systems, and plant infrastructure. This issue stems from the fact that these norms and standards were developed for various industries in general, without deeply integrating P2X-specific considerations—a knowledge gap attributable to the relative novelty of the P2X industry.

For instance, the Seveso III Directive is pivotal in establishing safety protocols through its Safety Case (or Safety Report) requirements. These requirements introduce safety management system and as a consequence, barrier management systems and performance standards. However, current or forthcoming developments in European Power-to-X projects often do not follow the Safety Case framework, as they typically stay below the lower-tier thresholds defined in the directive. This is often because of the directive’s stipulated present volumes of Methanol (500 tonnes) or Hydrogen (5 tonnes), and the fact that storage of these substances is frequently arranged offsite from the plant.

At the same time even in more mature industries, such as Oil & Gas, the practice of strictly adhering to standards and codes for complex plant construction has shifted towards the development of Design and Operation Performance Standards. This change reflects a recognition that asset owners are often better positioned than regulators to determine the specific processes and actions needed within their businesses to meet regulatory objectives. Click on the icon to learn about the safety management and barrier management systems . Discover how they establish a framework for developing design and operational performance standards. This framework is based on a deep understanding of safety-critical activities and elements.

SAFETY LIBRARY

To address the challenges outlined in the preceding section and simplify access to safe design for all the Power-to-X industry members, the Safe-2-X team has provided:

Lists of standards and regulatory requirements governing Power-to-X developments,
Pre-designed safety studies for various plant configurations,
Design philosophies,
Performance standards,
Various processes and procedures,
And more.

To streamline the search process, please log in to the Member Area and provide more details about your Power-to-X plant configuration by filling out the information in Edit Profile under My Account. This selection will also help focus on the relevant processes and procedures, and unlock available templates.

Click on the icon to select and refine the configuration of the green hydrogen plant, which can be split into the following components:

Control building,
Source of renewable energy,
Source of demineralized water,
Electrolysers,
(Optional) Compressors,
Header and flare
(Optional) Waste water treatment
Balance of Plant
(Optional) On-site storage,
Product export line.

Click on the icon to select and refine the configuration of the green methanol plant, which can be split into the following components:

Control building,
Source of renewable energy,
Source of CO2
Source of demineralized water,
Electrolysers,
Compressors,
Methanol synthesis
Methanol distillation
Header and flare
Balance of Plant
(Optional) Waste water treatment
(Optional) On-site storage,
Product export line.

Click on the icon to select and refine the configuration of the green ammonia plant, which can be split into the following components:

Control building,
Source of renewable energy,
Source of N2
Source of demineralized water,
Electrolysers,
Compressors,
Ammonia synthesis
Ammonia purification
Header and flare
Balance of Plant
(Optional) Waste water treatment
(Optional) On-site storage,
Product export line.

GHG ACCOUNTING CALCULATOR

For the final product of a Power-to-X plant, such as hydrogen or methanol, to be considered ‘green,’ it must fulfill the requirements outlined in the EU Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) for Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RNFBO). This implies the requirement for RNFBO to achieve GHG savings of at least 70% compared to the fossil fuel comparator, as described in RED II and its associated Delegated Acts.

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is defined as the systematic analysis of the potential environmental impacts of products or services throughout their entire life cycle. LCA can be conducted for both asset and product life cycles. The LCA method is utilized for the RFNBO emissions accounting product.

Total RFNBO life cycle emissions can be calculated using the formula: E(total) = e(input) +e(processing) +e(transportation & distribution) +e(use) -e(CCS)

Click on the icon to access the calculation tool (only available in the Member Area) provided by SAFE-2X that allows you to assess GHG emissions from RNFBO production and document RED II compliance by comparing RNFBO-associated emissions with the fossil fuel comparator.

CE-MARKING INSIGHT

The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC From The European Parlament And The Council of 17 May 2006 sets the maximum requirements for CE-marked machines to ensure the safety and free movement of goods in the EU. The requirements must not be tightened by national legislation and therefore the EU directive is referred to directly in the Declaration of Conformity, in risk assessments and other documentation. A collection of machines can, under certain conditions, be considered a new machine that requires a combined CE marking. The definition of assemblies of machines means that the assemblies are arranged and controlled so that they function ‘as a whole’ with a view to achieving one and the same result. The definition of assemblies of machines does not cover a complete industrial plant consisting of a number of production units, each of which consisting of a number of machines, or assemblies of machines and other equipment, even if they may be controlled by a common production control facility. Only if the plant (which can be any combination of machines, sub-machines, and other equipment that becomes machines covered by the machinery directive) constitutes a single integrated line, is it covered by the machinery directive as a collection of machines. In connection with the application of the machinery directive, most industrial plants can be divided into sections, each of which can be considered as a collection of machines or as an independent machine. The ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU sets the maximum requirements for the CE-marking of equipment to ensure the safety and free movement of goods in the EU. The requirements must not be tightened by national legislation and therefore the EU directive is referred to directly in the Declaration of Conformity, in risk assessments and other documentation. The PED Directive 2014/68/EU sets the maximum requirements for CE-marked pressure equipment to ensure the safety and free movement of goods in the EU. The requirements must not be tightened by national legislation and therefore the EU directive is referred to directly in the Declaration of Conformity, in risk assessments and other documentation.

The EMC Directive 2014/30/EU sets the maximum requirements for CE-marked equipment to ensure the safety and free movement of goods in the EU. The requirements must not be tightened by national legislation and therefore the EU directive is referred to directly in the Declaration of Conformity, in risk assessments and other documentation. The Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EF sets the maximum requirements for CE-marked equipment to ensure the safety and free movement of goods in the EU. The requirements must not be tightened by national legislation and therefore the EU directive is referred to directly in the Declaration of Conformity, in risk assessments and other documentation. Click on the icon to delve into the CE-marking strategies recommended by SAFE-2-X for European developers. We will also cover a few other topics, such as the selection of a Notified Body (NOBO) for overall plant certification and the benefits of third-party verification scope.