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This paper aims at a preliminary assessment of accident risk connected to a fuel cells plant fcd with syngas, for clcctric cncrgy production. Thc syngas is obtaincd by hcavy refinery residues gasification within a downstream oil plant: this procedure allows obtaining the gaseous mixture to feed the molten carbonate fuel cell unit (MCFC). The proposed approach was developed according to a multi-step procedure, based on the following partially superimposed phases: process development and plant design; primary risk analysis; plant control system design and secondary risk analysis. In particular, dangerous compounds and critical units were identified, together with related critical events. Among these events, the most conservative accident scenario has been analysed, taking into account its causes, consequences and probability of occurrence. Based on the obtained results, a new plant control system has been …