Integrity Management of Ethanol Pipelines

Future biofuel mix may contain ethanol from cellulosic materials, butanol, and biodiesel from diverse sources. The anticipated variable mix introduces technical and business uncertainties to pipeline companies requiring a flexible risk management framework. The technical issues are outlined in this paper along with approaches to risk management. The bow tie approach is discussed as a method to assess overall risk and communicate it throughout an organization. Direct assessment methods and their applicability to biofuel pipelines are also discussed.