Two people have been killed and at least nine others injured in a massive explosion at a chemical plant in the port city of Tarragona in Catalonia, northeastern Spain.
More than 20 fire engines, 11 ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the scene after the accident. According to the Associated Press, a government spokesman in the city where the plant is located said a preliminary investigation showed the blast killed a nearby resident. The man died in a building affected by the blast, the local fire department said on twitter.
The Catalan interior minister Miquel Buch said nine workers at the factory were injured, three seriously, and one was missing. Residents posted video of the aftermath, with flames and a large plume of black smoke rising from a large industrial area. "About 30 people are now working urgently in the area around the explosion to cool the nearby storage tanks containing the chemicals," the local government said. "a small number of fires are still burning and workers are cooling and extinguishing the fire." The local defense department advised nearby residents to stay indoors with their doors and Windows closed, saying there was no evidence of toxic gas from the blast. Nearby roads were temporarily closed and trains in the neighbouring tarragona province were suspended.
The accident enterprise is the only manufacturer of ethylene oxide and glycol in Spain and Portugal!
According to the company's website, IQOXE is the only producer of ethylene oxide and glycol in Spain. 50% of this is used to produce ethylene glycol, one of the main raw materials for PET polymer. Ethylene oxide is a compound used in the manufacture of detergents, solvents and other products.
The explosion occurred in a container containing 20 tons of ethylene oxide, said Iqoxe chief executive Michael morans.
Since 2015, tarragona has built a 1,200-hectare "chemical hub" industrial park, the largest of its kind in southern Europe, the Associated Press reported.
North America and Western Europe were the main export regions of ethylene oxide!
The site of the accident is a major export area for ethylene oxide derivatives.
Ethylene oxide is a kind of inflammable and explosive dangerous chemical. Globally, only a small amount of commercial ethylene oxide is transported by road to downstream plants, some by nearby pipelines, and much more by manufacturers' own downstream facilities to produce derivatives. This causes the production of commercial ethylene oxide to form a significant regional, and the demand composition difference between different regions and the development of the uneven distribution of global production of commercial ethylene oxide.
However, the international trade in ethylene oxide derivatives is very active and plays a positive role in balancing the global resources of ethylene oxide. Before 2013, North America and Western Europe were the main export regions for ethylene oxide derivatives, while the fast-growing Asian market, especially China, was the main target region for exporting countries. At present, the Middle East has also joined the ranks of ethylene oxide derivatives exporters, and China's rapid expansion of this capacity has quietly changed the trade pattern of ethylene oxide derivatives, but China's dependence on imports is still difficult to change in a short time. Exporters of ethylene oxide derivatives in North America and Western Europe remain high.
As a result, the accident is likely to drive up the prices of a wide range of domestic chemical products such as ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol and other derivatives for some time.
