Scientific Assistant | Technology Assessment group | 2014, 4 months
Partner: Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)
About: During the four month project at PSI I conducted a comparative risk assessment on accidents in energy sector triggered by a natural hazard. I updated the Energy-Related Severe Accident Database (ENSAD) and a quality control & Analysis of NaTech accidents was implemented, so that a concept to better integrate NaTech accidents in ENSAD was established.
The energy sector including its complex and interdependent technical systems is both a critical infrastructure and key resource for the functioning of today’s society and economy. Therefore, the comparative assessment of accident risks is a central component in a comprehensive evaluation of energy security aspects and sustainability performance associated with our current and future energy system. Accidents in the energy sector often affect people’s health and property, the supply of economic goods and services, and degrade ecosystems and their functions. Thus, the protection of critical infrastructure facilities in the energy sector is of paramount importance because a sufficient and continuous energy supply forms the backbone of our modern society and many of its products, which are relying on interrelated and interdependent information and communication technologies. As a consequence, the interest and demand for more and better data on the assessment of severe accidents has considerably risen because they are the basis for improved risk management and informed decision-making to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable energy supply.
Website: https://www.psi.ch/en/ta/risk-assessment
Publication: Comparative Risk Assessment for Fossil Energy Chains: Severe Accidents triggered by Natural Hazards (Spada M. et al, 2015)