Preparing for LNG by Rail Tank Car: A Readiness Review (2022) / Chapter Skim
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5 Natural gas production in the United States has increased dramatically since the beginning of the twenty-first century, owing to advances in extraction technology. Consisting of methane and other hydrocarbon gases, extracted natural gas is processed to meet a minimum standard for methane content for transportation by pipeline.1 A network of gas transmission pipelines spans the continental United States to undergird the long-distance transportation from upstream extraction and processing sites to local utilities, manufacturers, and other end users.2 The pipeline network is especially critical for natural gas shipments because of its efficiency in transporting pressurized gases when compared with other modes.
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6 PREPARING FOR LNG BY RAIL TANK CAR to meet surges in the demand for heating fuel during winter months. For decades, LNG has been imported into the United States as a peak-shaving fuel, especially in New England, where the transmission pipeline network is limited.
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INTRODUCTION 7 Association of American Railroads (AAR) petitioned PHMSA to amend the HMR to authorize LNG's transportation in DOT-113C120W and DOT113C140W cryogenic tank cars.8 These tank cars, which are fabricated with inner and outer tanks for thermal insulation and impact protection, had already been approved by PHMSA to ship other cryogenic liquids such as argon, ethylene, nitrogen, and oxygen.
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8 PREPARING FOR LNG BY RAIL TANK CAR tank car.12 In the notice, PHMSA pointed to the importance of completing the planned tank car testing and analyses and responding to a mandate in Executive Order 13990 calling for agencies to review recent actions that could be obstacles to federal policies promoting public health and safety, the environment, and climate change mitigation. In this latest NPRM, the agency proposed that it would consider further regulatory action during the suspension, possibly to include maintaining the final rule or modifying it to authorize only ad hoc movements of LNG as had been done before the 2020 final rule.
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INTRODUCTION 9 study in two phases to produce two reports. The first phase would provide near-term feedback regarding the work and plans of the Task Force.
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10 PREPARING FOR LNG BY RAIL TANK CAR Phase 2 The committee will engage in information gathering and analysis to conduct an in-depth study of topics relevant to ensuring the safe movement of LNG by rail if allowed by special permit or regulatory authorization. At a minimum, the committee will examine • The experience of transporting LNG in bulk shipments by other modes, including by water and truck, to identify basic principles applied for safety assurance that can inform measures taken by government and industry to ensure the safe movement of LNG by rail; • What is known about the effectiveness of special regulatory and industry measures intended to ensure the safe transportation of other relevant bulk rail shipments of hazardous materials, especially any routing, speed, and other operational controls applied to high-hazard flammable trains and accompanying enhanced track inspection regimes; and • The applicability to bulk rail transportation of LNG of current emergency response plans, protocols, and guides for responding to LNG transportation incidents, such as in PHMSA's Emergency Response Guidebook.
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INTRODUCTION 11 orientation where the pressure relief valve will vent liquid, evaluating an LNG fireball and tank fragmentation in the event of overheating and highpressure release to prepare emergency response personnel, and assessing the potential for cryogenic damage cascading to adjacent tanks by evaluating the topography surrounding the rail tracks that could support pool formation. For reasons that are explained more fully in this report, these recommendations stemmed from concern over the high heat flux that can be created from an LNG pool fire and the potential for releases of cryogenic LNG to cause embrittlement of the outer tank steel.
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12 PREPARING FOR LNG BY RAIL TANK CAR Thus, with the future role of rail in transporting LNG being uncertain, the second phase of the study is intended to inform the decisions that lie ahead for PHMSA and FRA as they consider additional steps to ensure safety. The committee set out to identify those areas where additional investigation, analysis, and monitoring may be warranted so that industry and regulators can better assess and manage LNG's risks in rail transportation.
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