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20th March | Free of Charge | Open to all | Online | 08:00 GMT

Overview

20 March 1989 is regarded as Lithuania’s “Chemical Chernobyl”; an industrial catastrophe on a scale unheard of in the then soviet-occupied republic. Poor design and operator error at the state-owned “Azotas” fertiliser plant led to an ammonia storage tank rupturing at its base, smashing through its containment bund, and flooding the facility with 7,000 tonnes of chilled liquid ammonia. The resulting fire spread to a nearby store, initiating the decomposition of large stockpiles of nitrophoska fertiliser.

Whilst officially there were 7 fatalities and 57 injuries, it was only remarkable good fortune that prevented the toll from being much worse. The findings of the official investigations left industry confused with misconceptions of a “phantom rollover” persisting to this day.

This presentation will explain the generally accepted theory of “thermal overload”, reveal the design error that led to the tank’s unexpected failure, and discuss the increasing importance of emergency management as the Soviet Union began to disintegrate. With ammonia set to play a key role in the energy transition, there will only be an increased number of facilities for its storage and transport. The learnings of the Jonava tragedy are therefore as relevant going forward as they ever have been.

Speaker

Ewan Stewart, Chair, IChemE Australia
Ewan is the Chair of IChemE Australia, and immediate past chair of the Queensland Joint Chemical Engineering Committee. He works for Kent Plc in Brisbane, supporting a refining client with a major future fuels upgrade. Ewan has authored technical content for the IChemE Loss Prevention Bulletin and has presented safety case studies at Hazards Australasia. He applies a strong safety focus across his work and is a firm believer in storytelling as a means of getting the safety message across.

Mindaugas Jancaukas, Chemical Engineer and Safety Specialist
Mindaugas is a Lithuanian Chemical Engineer and Safety Specialist who spent almost 25 years at the Jonava chemical complex between 1997 and 2021. Starting as a shift engineer in the Ammonium Nitrate plant, Mindaugas rose to become the company’s head of human health and safety. Leading a team of safety professionals and campaigns, the company achieved zero accidents in 2018 under his tenure.

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the IChemE Safety Centre in full. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

To find out more and to register, please click the link below.

External URL: https://www.icheme.org/training-events/whats-on-events-directory/20-03-2025-revisiting-the-jonava-ammonia-tank-rupture-35-years-on/