Did you know that a rupture of a vessel containing CO2 could escalate to create a "Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE)?" 

DNV says, "The probability of this occurring is believed to be extremely low but CO2 system designers should be aware of the potential.”

Do you know the hazardous limit of CO2 in air? (7 per cent, in case you were wondering – compared to 0.07 per cent for hydrogen sulphide).

Did you know that liquid CO2 is an excellent solvent which can break down lubricants and damage seals?

These are some of the points covered in CO2RISKMAN, a guidance for how to handle CO2 in a carbon capture and storage system (between the capture plant and subsurface injection facility), which has been put together by energy consultancy DNV KEMA and is available for download free of charge from www.dnvkema.com/ccs.

The guidance has been written at 4 different levels, ranging from level  1, a concise executive summary, to level 4, a 300 page in-depth knowledge source with separate sections for each link in the chain. The level 4 guidance has chapters for capture facilities, online pipelines, submarine pipelines, wells, offshore injection facilities, intermediate storage, ships used to carry CO2.

The guidance describes possible causes of hazards, escalation routes and possible consequences. It also provides guidance on hazard identification, risk assessment and how to bring risks down to an acceptable level.

The guidance follows a 15 months joint industry research project which began in August 2011, with support from 16 industry and regulator organisations.  The plan is to update the guidance after a few years, when more knowledge is available.