Green HAZOP analysis: incorporating green engineering into design, assessment and implementation of chemical processes

Abstract

The expression ‘sustainable development’ has become a catchphrase in chemical engineering design and operation. There have been several successful attempts for the inherently safer design of processes. There is still a need of guidance tools for design, assessment and implementation of processes using green engineering criteria. Green HAZOP presents a systematic tool based on HAZOP analysis for the incorporation of green engineering criteria within detailed design, commissioning and operation stages. It is aimed at discovering how deviations from the green design intent can occur during the different phases of a project realisation in equipment, actions or materials, and whether the consequences of these deviations can result in a non-green or non-sustainable process. A comprehensive industrial example about Bhopal's pesticide plant and the dramatic accident is presented in text.