Welcome to the website of the LNG Safety Program. Here you find a summary of all the work done under this Program including access to the deliverables that have been produced over the 2-year period, and information on the participating organizations. Our goal is to make up-to-date information on safety and LNG available for everyone.

The Dutch LNG Safety Program was made possible with the support of TKI Gas, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Ministry of Security and Justice and the support of our partners of the National LNG Platform.

Origin

At the start of the Safety Program, all parties involved from both public and private origin brought their safety concerns to the table, as well as their requirements and needs for further rapid market development. Both public and private parties offered an investment of almost 1,5M Euro, to be used for research and dissemination.

A Steering Group consisting of high ranking representatives from involved ministries, industry and emergency response organizations, has been overseeing the execution of the Program and its implementation in day to day practice. It has been a truly fruitful cooperation between many institutes, bodies, companies and individuals.

The Safety Program allows a rapid further development of LNG, a major key to decarbonize heavy duty road and ship transport.

Project rational

It was quickly recognized that the lack of detailed knowledge about how to manage LNG safety matters was one of those important stumbling blocks. LNG as a fuel was not known in Dutch Codes and Regulations and obtaining an environmental permit for a LNG refueling station became a very lengthy and costly exercise.

By signing an ‘LNG Safety Deal’ between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment and the National LNG Platform, the start has been given for an intense cooperation between relevant public and private parties to embark on a two year LNG Safety Program (2014 – 2015).

Emergency response organizations have been fully incorporated into the program to ensure their readiness if ever an incident might occur.

Focus

Around 2012 it became apparent that LNG could represent an interesting new fuel to help reducing environmental emissions from traffic substantially. It also was expected that LNG represents an interesting cost reduction opportunity for all the Dutch hauling and shipping firms.

In order to rapidly develop this new market, the Dutch National Government through the ministry of Economic Affairs and the National LNG Platform, signed in the spring of 2013 a ‘Green Deal’. The main goal: to help removing jointly, possible stumbling blocks identified along the road to a full market deployment. The focus of the sub-program on Safety: to generate the necessary fundamental know-how on safety & LNG, allowing an adjustment of the Codes and Regulations for the introduction of LNG.