Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment
This paper argues that energy systems are becoming increasingly complex, and illustrates how new types of hazards emerge from an ongoing transition towards renewable energy sources. It shows that the energy sector relies heavily on risk assessment methods that are analytic, and that systemic methods...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/24/6523 |
| _version_ | 1827700307217350656 |
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| author | Ben Riemersma Rolf Künneke Genserik Reniers Aad Correljé |
| author_facet | Ben Riemersma Rolf Künneke Genserik Reniers Aad Correljé |
| author_sort | Ben Riemersma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper argues that energy systems are becoming increasingly complex, and illustrates how new types of hazards emerge from an ongoing transition towards renewable energy sources. It shows that the energy sector relies heavily on risk assessment methods that are analytic, and that systemic methods provide important additional insights. A case study of the Dutch gas sector illustrates this by comparing the hazard and operability study (HAZOP, analytic) with the system-theoretic process analysis (STPA, systemic). The contribution is twofold. This paper illustrates how system hazards will remain underestimated by sustained use of only analytic methods, and it highlights the need to study the organization of safety in energy transitions. We conclude that appropriate risk assessment for future energy systems involves both analytic and systemic risk assessments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:10:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-12417913f55d474b8023394a28e4d65d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:10:25Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-12417913f55d474b8023394a28e4d65d2023-11-21T00:12:49ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-12-011324652310.3390/en13246523Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk AssessmentBen Riemersma0Rolf Künneke1Genserik Reniers2Aad Correljé3Department of Values of Technology and Innovation, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BX Delft, The NetherlandsDepartment of Values of Technology and Innovation, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BX Delft, The NetherlandsDepartment of Values of Technology and Innovation, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BX Delft, The NetherlandsDepartment of Values of Technology and Innovation, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BX Delft, The NetherlandsThis paper argues that energy systems are becoming increasingly complex, and illustrates how new types of hazards emerge from an ongoing transition towards renewable energy sources. It shows that the energy sector relies heavily on risk assessment methods that are analytic, and that systemic methods provide important additional insights. A case study of the Dutch gas sector illustrates this by comparing the hazard and operability study (HAZOP, analytic) with the system-theoretic process analysis (STPA, systemic). The contribution is twofold. This paper illustrates how system hazards will remain underestimated by sustained use of only analytic methods, and it highlights the need to study the organization of safety in energy transitions. We conclude that appropriate risk assessment for future energy systems involves both analytic and systemic risk assessments.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/24/6523risk assessmentsafetySTPAHAZOPenergy transitionrenewable energy |
| spellingShingle | Ben Riemersma Rolf Künneke Genserik Reniers Aad Correljé Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment Energies risk assessment safety STPA HAZOP energy transition renewable energy |
| title | Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment |
| title_full | Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment |
| title_fullStr | Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment |
| title_short | Upholding Safety in Future Energy Systems: The Need for Systemic Risk Assessment |
| title_sort | upholding safety in future energy systems the need for systemic risk assessment |
| topic | risk assessment safety STPA HAZOP energy transition renewable energy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/24/6523 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benriemersma upholdingsafetyinfutureenergysystemstheneedforsystemicriskassessment AT rolfkunneke upholdingsafetyinfutureenergysystemstheneedforsystemicriskassessment AT genserikreniers upholdingsafetyinfutureenergysystemstheneedforsystemicriskassessment AT aadcorrelje upholdingsafetyinfutureenergysystemstheneedforsystemicriskassessment |