VIDEO: Why don’t Tanker Ships Explode | Inert Gas System

Even though tankers carry thousands of tons of flammable fuel around the world, you don’t hear of them exploding. Have you ever asked yourself why?

Thanks to Inert gas system, A system of preventing any explosion in the cargo tanks of a tanker by replacing the cargo, as it is pumped out, by an inert gas, sometimes by flue gas from ship boilers. Gas freeing must be carried out subsequently if workers have to enter the empty tanks.

What is Inert Gas,
Gas or a mixture of gases containing insufficient amount of oxygen to support the combustion of hydrocarbons, a gas or a mixture of gases which will not react with the cargo. Inert gas may be produced by boilers (flue gas system), inert gas generators with independent burners, nitrogen generators or other equipment. The inert gas is used onboard gas tankers for various purposes including the drying and inerting of the cargo tanks prior to cooling-down or after heating, the gas freeing and scavenging of the cargo piping, the topping-up of the cargo tanks to prevent the ingress of air when carrying some specific substances and to provide the environmental control of atmosphere around cargo tanks.

Source WARTSILA