Feb/March 2022 | Volume 18 | Issue 01
LOOKING TO THE FUTURES
FUTURE FUELS AND FUTURE STORAGE
API STANDARD 2350 5TH EDITION
VTTI talks to us exclusively following its acquisition of IL&FS Prime Terminals
A closer look at the energy transition and demand, and its impact on the storage sector in Europe
Midstream consultant Earl Crochet examines the changes in the latest edition of API 2350
Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential.
Expanding horizons Building a better future for the bulk liquids storage and logistics industry Today, at Exolum we are building on 95 years of expertise to deliver innovative and viable solutions to the bulk liquid storage and logistics industry that meet the challenges of tomorrow, and meeting the varied needs of our many clients.
Europe’s leading bulk liquid logistics provider
To find out more visit exolum.com
UP FRONT CONTENTS
CONTENTS Feb/March 2022 | Volume 18 | Issue 01
UP FRONT
27
04 Contributors 06 Comment
TERMINAL NEWS 08 Europe 12
The Americas
18 Africa & the Middle East 20 Asia Pacific 25 Incident report 26 Tank terminal update
30
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 27 Looking to the futures Siavash Alishahpour tells Tank Storage Magazine about VTTI Fujairah’s plans for growth 30 Pioneering terminalling in the Middle East Fujairah Oil Terminal, shortlisted for the Terminal Innovation Award at the Tank Storage Global Awards, explains the innovative services it offers 32 Connections and changes Sandra De Mey from North Sea Port on the importance of relationships with customers and colleagues
MARKET ANALYSIS
32
35 Is net-zero a reality in the Middle East? Firm Norton Rose Fulbright looks at the possibilities for the energy transition in the Middle East 38 Planning for the energy transition FETSA’s Ravi Bhatiani looks at the contribution of the tank storage industry 40 Future fuels and future storage Channoil’s Mark Waddington looks at the energy transition, demand developments and their impact on the storage sector in Europe
40
PAGE 01
UP FRONT CONTENTS
TECHNICAL FEATURES 42 Re-Gen Robotics: the by-word for safety in tank cleaning
51
43 Technical news: global industry updates 47 Industry 4.0: The basis for future flexible business models Accenture’s Eduard Smits explains the benefits of digitalising a business 49 Under pressure Owen Stephens, safety relief valve specialist for Nacional Safety Valves UK, discusses the importance of correctly sizing, selecting and maintaining a safety relief valve 51
Testing fluorine-free firefighting foams Dr Niall Ramsden and Dr Eleanor Lister look at the efforts of Lastfire Group members
54 Intracontinental hydrogen supply chain development and integration Jeannette Baljeu, a member of the executive of the Province of Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands, tells Tank Storage Magazine about the challenges and possibilities 56 Optimising hazard identification, control and suppression activities Sharé Mason-Bailly and Stefano Armani from SA Fire Protection look at the options
58
58 Why install lightning protection on a process control plant? Understanding the differences between different types of lightning protection with Lightning Master 60 The three lines of environmental defence Shirley Miles from Adler and Allan, discusses how partnering with a trusted environmental protection provider can ensure standards are implemented correctly 62 Rimfire protection issues Cornelis Jan Kallemein and Maarten van Abeelen from the Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond have uncovered a problem with some foam dam constructions on tank floating roofs 64 Understanding rope access HMT’s Manny Williams runs through the basics of industrial rope access
64
66 The future of AST life cycle management Dr Steve Ziola considers non-invasive, in-service leak detection, bottom plate assessment and sludge gauging 68 Protecting secondary containment areas Choosing the right coating and lining systems depends on multiple variables, say Bruce Toews, Johnny Pourciau and Rodney Cressionnie from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine 70 Choosing the right loading arm system A lot of time, thought and effort is needed when identifying a solution that optimises terminal operations, says OPW’s David Morrow
77
NISTM PREVIEW 72 The importance of coating maintenance for floating roofs Anton Martinez and Adam Beers from KTA-Tator cover corrosion and remedies 74 Critical inspections during construction Dr Emerson John explains the value of inspection and test plans (ITP) to the successful completion of a storage tank construction project 77
Paint four tanks for the cost of one Carboline’s Dwayne Lum tells the story of the development of modern tank overcoat systems
STOCEXPO SHOW PREVIEW 80 API Standard 2350 5th Edition – what’s new? Midstream consultant Earl Crochet examines the changes in the latest edition of API 2350 83 StocExpo: Future. Delivered Tank Storage Magazine looks at the latest technological solutions, innovations and products on display at this year’s StocExpo in May
AT THE BACK 92 Advertisers index 92 Social storage: Most liked posts this month PAGE 02
80
MARKET LEADING IN-DEPTH INSIGHT. SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR ONLY €210. EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO TERMINAL INTERVIEWS, MARKET ANALYSIS, COUNTRY BRIEFINGS AND THE LATEST INNOVATIONS COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THE INDEPENDENT TANK TERMINAL MAP PROVIDING DETAILED INFORMATION ON OVER 1,500 STORAGE FACILITIES
SUBSCRIBE TODAY Margaret@tankstoragemag.com www.tankstoragemag.com
Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential.
UP FRONT CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTORS Feb/March 2022 | Volume 18 | Issue 01
PUBLISHER
CEO EASYFAIRS UK & GLOBAL
Margaret Dunn +44 (0)20 3551 5721 margaret@tankstoragemag.com
Matt Benyon +44 (0)20 3196 4310 matt.benyon@easyfairs.com
DEPUTY EDITOR Helen Tunnicliffe +44 (0)20 3196 4402 helen@tankstoragemag.com HEAD OF SALES Sophie McKimm +44 (0)20 3196 4356 sophie.mckimm@easyfairs.com
Feb/March 2022 | Volume 18 | Issue 01
LOOKING TO THE FUTURES
FUTURE FUELS AND FUTURE STORAGE
API STANDARD 2350 5TH EDITION
VTTI talks to us exclusively following its acquisition of IL&FS Prime Terminals
A closer look at the energy transition and demand, and its impact on the storage sector in Europe
Midstream consultant Earl Crochet examines the changes in the latest edition of API 2350
SUBSCRIPTION RATES A one-year, 7-issue subscription costs €250. Individual back issues can be purchased at a cost of €45 each. CONNECT WITH US
INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER David Kelly +44 (0)20 3196 4401 david@tankstoragemag.com
@tankstorageinfo
Tank Storage Magazine Front cover courtesy: USA Debusk
SENIOR SALES MANAGER Matthew Barlow +44 (0)20 3198 4380 matthew.barlow@easyfairs.com MARKETING MANAGER Rikki Bhachu +44 (0)20 3196 4282 Rikki.Bhachu@easyfairs.com DATABASE MANAGER Alison Church +44 (0)20 3196 4305 alison.church@easyfairs.com
Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential.
Tank Storage Magazine
CONTACT T +44 (0)20 3196 4300 F +44 (0)20 8892 1929 margaret@tankstoragemag.com www.tankstoragemag.com Easyfairs 2nd Floor, Regal House 70 London Road Twickenham TW1 3QS United Kingdom
model in sub-saharan africa. introducing the independent storage Oiltanking matola explains how it is
as it explores gas storage. is ensuring greater energy security The sharjah national oil corporation
model in sub-saharan africa. introducing the independent storage Oiltanking matola explains how it is
IN A CAPTIVE MARKET AN INTERNATIONAL CONCEPT
NEW GAS CHAPTER SPEARHEADING THE UAE’S
IN A CAPTIVE MARKET AN INTERNATIONAL CONCEPT
ISSN 1750-841X Aug / Sep 2019 | Volume 15 | Issue 04
Tank Storage Magazine, (ISSN 1750-841X) is published seven times a year (in February, March, May, August, September, October and November) by Easyfairs UK Ltd, 2nd Floor, Regal House, 70 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS, UK. The US annual subscription price is $243. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Tank Storage Magazine, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Easyfairs UK Ltd, 2nd Floor, Regal House, 70 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS, UK.
PAGE 04
Reliable Fire Protection Products for the Toughest Challenges ®
Externallyresettable DDV Diaphragm Deluge Valve— compact, epoxycoated, rated for up to 400 psi (27.6 bar) pressure Model MV Medium Velocity Spray Nozzle—fixed water spray nozzle available with corrosionresistant Electroless Nickel PTFE plating
Backed by over 100 years of manufacturing experience Reliable’s Product Technology group has developed a comprehensive portfolio of fire protection equipment supported by an international Technical Services team with over 350 years of combined experience in fire protection. Reliable® delivers the industry’s highest quality fire protection equipment. Reliable® products are designed and assembled in a state-of-the-art
engineering, testing, and manufacturing facility in Liberty, South Carolina, USA.
Model F1-FTR Pilot
Line Detector Learn more about our extensive portfolio of products and solutions including: remote resetting epoxy-coated diaphragm deluge valves, corrosion resistant nozzles and sprinklers, custom-designed and fabricated valve riser skids and weather-proof enclosed valve units. Visit us at reliablesprinkler.com/tankstorage
Manufacturer and Distributor of Fire Protection Equipment
UP FRONT COMMENT
CRISIS AFTER CRISIS
TOWARDS THE end of February practically all remaining COVID-19 restrictions were lifted around Europe – mask mandates were dropped, COVID passports no longer required and nightclubs and large venues re-opened. But there was no collective sigh of relief. The message was over-shadowed by the news that Russian president Vladimir Putin had started the most dangerous ground war since 1945, with a full-blown Russian invasion of Ukraine. As well as triggering a grave humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Putin’s war has also set off an oil and gas crisis worldwide. The price of oil has soared to US$139 a barrel, the highest level for almost 14 years and things are set to get even worse. Russia is the third largest oil producer, behind only the US and Saudi Arabia and is the second largest oil exporter. Even through sanctions are not yet explicitly targeting Russian energy exports, sanctions of banks and other entities will impede Russia’s oil and gas exports. And as it is such an energy giant, any disruption to Russian trade these flows will significantly impact global markets. This crisis underlines the need for energy independence and countries such as
PAGE 06
Germany have already reacted with plans to build its first LNG terminals to wean itself off its dependence on Russian gas. The energy transition is more important than ever. Within this edition we focus on the Middle East and take a look at how even a region that is synonymous with oil and gas is making future fuels a priority. Plus we speak exclusively to VTTI about its acquisition of IL&FS Prime Terminals in Fujairah as well as covering the current storage landscape in Asia, Middle East and the US. Also within this edition we preview some of the most innovative technologies on display at the upcoming StocExpo conference in May and speak to some of the companies shortlisted at this year’s Global Tank Storage Awards. It’s been a tumultuous couple of years since the industry last met at StocExpo 2020, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone again. If you haven’t yet booked your conference pass for this year’s StocExpo conference we recommend you do so
– as no less than 10 different terminal operators will be joining this year’s speaker line-up. Key speakers include Vopak, Oiltanking, Odfjell, VTTI, Alkion, Exolum and many more. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Ukraine and all those impacted by this crisis. With very best wishes
TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE
TERMINAL NEWS: EUROPE Belgium
Germany
OILTANKING STARTS UP OAGT LPG TANK Oiltanking Antwerp Gas Terminal (OAGT) is starting operations at its 135,000 m3 LPG storage tank, one of the largest in Europe. OAGT has designed, engineered and built the tank to supply Borealis’ new worldscale propane dehydrogenation (PDH) production facility in Belgium. Propane will be stored in the tank at -40˚C, and the tank is currently being prepared. ‘This new propane storage tank and associated jetty and pipeline infrastructure is key enabler for the strategic sourcing and supply of propane feedstock for the existing and new Borealis PDH assets in Kallo,’ says
PAGE 08
GERMANY TO FASTTRACK TWO NEW LNG TERMINALS Thomas Van De Velde, Borealis SVP BU Hydrocarbons & Energy. The tank is the second large liquid gas tank successfully constructed at OAGT in recent years, following the 135,000 m3 butane tank commissioned in October 2020. ‘By applying a unique and smart design, including an LPG product heater concept and a cross current exchanger for export pipeline operations, the new hub will achieve significant energy savings compared to industry standards,’ says Douglas Van Der Wiel, SVP Europe, Middle East, Africa at Oiltanking.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz says that Germany will quickly build two LNG terminals in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven as the country seeks to secure its energy supplies in the wake of Russian sanctions. In a policy statement on 27 February 2022, Scholz condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a violation of international law, confirmed that Germany would support Ukraine financially and practically, and backed tough EU economic sanctions on Russia, including its exclusion from the Swift international payment system.
TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE In a previous statement on 24 February 2022, Scholz announced that Germany had suspended the certification of the completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which would have brought Russian gas to Germany, as part of a broad package of sanctions against Russia. The two new LNG terminals announced on 27 February are part of a number of measures to improve energy security, which include increasing the amount of natural gas in storage to 2 billion m3, and building up coal reserves.
ENGINEERED EXCELLENCE Select Control Valves, Regulators, & Storage Tank Products We are a leading manufacturer and worldwide marketer of control valves, regulators, controllers, pressure/vacuum relief vents, and flame and detonation arrestors.
Scholz added that the two new LNG terminals could, in the long-term, be converted for imports of green hydrogen, to facilitate Germany’s plans to become carbon neutral by 2045, as well as long-term energy security and diversity of supply. He did not confirm an exact timescale or a possible size for the terminals. Scholz thanked federal minister for economic affairs Robert Habeck for his efforts in facilitating the development of the terminals.
MODEL 3100 PRESSURE VACUUM VENT Used for the normal venting requirements.
MODEL 8900 TANK EMERGENCY VENT Provide emergency pressure relief beyond that furnished by the normal pressure vent for atmospheric and low pressure tanks, as well as a convenient access for tank cleaning, inspection, and repair.
Austria
OMV STARTS UP SOLAR PLANT TO POWER TANK FARM Austrian oil and chemicals company OMV has started up a 5,590 kWp ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) plant in Lobau, Austria, to provide power to its Lobau tank farm.
MODEL 6A00 FLAME ARRESTOR Allows the flow of gases or vapor of flammable liquids through the enclosure, but prevents the transmission of a flame.
The PV plant, which covers an area of around 6 ha, cost €4.5 million. It will provide 45% of the annual electricity demand of the tank farm, the equivalent consumption of 1,800 households, and is expected to save around 2,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. It is connected directly to the OMV grid.
MODEL 1078 VACU-GARD Pilot-operated valve, specifically designed to reduce blanketing gas losses on low pressure storage tanks.
The solar panels are fitted with solar tracking technology, which allows the panels to follow the position of the sun and increases output by 10% compared to fixed installation. The panels themselves have bifacial modules, which can use light reflected from the back of the panel, increasing output by another 5% compared to single-face solar cells. A number of tank farm and terminal operators are turning to solar power to reduce emissions. In recent months, Exolum commissioned its Mora solar plant, Buckeye contracted Black & Veatch to build a solar project in Waco, Texas, and Vopak opened its Solar Park Eemshaven.
Cashco, Inc. P.O. Box 6 · Ellsworth, KS 67439-0006 Ph. (785) 472-4461 · Fax: (785) 472-3539
CAS-274.indd 1
1/28/22 PAGE 09
10:23 AM
TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE
Austria, Denmark, Germany
PHILLIPS 66, H2 ENERGY TO DEVELOP EUROPE HYDROGEN NETWORK Phillips 66 and H2 Energy Europe have formed a joint venture to develop up to 250 retail green hydrogen refuelling stations in Austria, Denmark and Germany by 2026. H2 Energy is a joint venture between commodity trading firm Trafigura and H2 Energy Holding, a European hydrogen provider with investments in the production, distribution and utilisation of green hydrogen. It was the first company to develop hydrogen fuel cell trucks for commercial users and also created a green hydrogen fuelling network in Switzerland. Phillips 66 also has a hydrogen refuelling network in Switzerland. The two companies will pool expertise and capabilities, including in hydrogen supply, refuelling logistics and vehicle demand, to develop the new network in Austria, Denmark and Germany. H2 Energy will integrate hydrogen production, supply and the refuelling apparatus. The company recently announced plans for 1 GW electrolysis plant in Denmark which will generate 90,000 tpa of green hydrogen from wind energy. Some of the demand for the refuelling network is expected to come from H2 Energy’s ownership in Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, which distributes Hyundai’s commercially available heavy-duty fuel cell electric truck in Europe. The refuelling stations will include existing Jet-branded retail stations and new locations on major transport routes. The network itself will require government support.
Germany
EUROPEAN TERMINALS HIT BY CYBER ATTACK Oiltanking and Mabanaft in Germany, both subsidiaries of Marquard and Bahls, confirmed that they were hit by a cyberattack on 29 January 2022 affecting their IT systems, with reports also suggesting that oil terminals in the AmsterdamRotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) area were also affected. Oiltanking and Mabanaft say they ‘immediately’ enhanced security systems and launched an investigation into the attack. German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Oiltanking’s loading and unloading systems were PAGE 10
TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE paralysed, while Reuters reported that Shell rerouted supplies to other depots. According to Argus Media, at least six terminals, owned by SEA-Tank, Oiltanking and Evos in Antwerp and Ghent in Belgium, and in Amsterdam and Terneuzen in the Netherlands, were affected. As with Oiltanking and Mabanaft in Germany, the cyberattack seems to have affected loading operations. Bloomberg says that an unnamed fuel broker told it that ‘numerous terminals’ were affected. Evos told Bloomberg that it experienced disruptions of IT services at its terminals in Terneuzen in the Netherlands, Ghent in Belgium and in Malta, but did not confirm the cause. The financial news outlet also saw an email from SEA-Tank to a customer saying that it was suffering from an unexpected outage. A broker at Riverlake told Bloomberg that several barges waited for discharging ‘for days.’ German prosecutors are investigating the attack on Oiltanking and Mabanaft. Handelsblatt reports that hackers used Black Cat ransomware, citing an internal management report by the Bundesamts für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI – Federal Office for Information Security) to the companies. None of the companies responded to requests for an update.
Turkey
Poland
ORLEN PALIWA PLANS POLICE LPG TERMINAL
RUBIS SELLS TURKISH TERMINAL TO TRANSPET
Polish fuel distributor Orlen Paliwa has signed a letter of intent to build a new LPG terminal at Port Morski in Police, northern Poland, with the management board of Morski Port Police and Grupa Azoty Polyolefins.
Rubis Terminal Infra has completed the sale of its 650,000 m3 Rubis Terminal Petrol in Istanbul, Turkey, to Turkish energy group Transpet Petrolcülük ve Enerji.
The new terminal will include a tank farm with cryogenic and pressure tanks, and water, rail and road loading infrastructure. LPG will be delivered by sea, while the terminal will also accept butane by rail and road, for onward distribution. The terminal will make use of a wharf built by Grupa Azoty Polyolefins. ‘The project has a chance to provide us with access to the global propane market, creating purchasing conditions comparable to the largest players on the European market,’ says Jakub Opara, member of the management board at Orlen Paliwa, adding that purchasing the greater product volumes would give the company a leading position on the domestic market. improve transport costs and improve Polish energy security.
The petroleum products terminal has a 2.3 km long jetty. It can provide critical import and export infrastructure for Iraqi oil, and can take advantage of the eastern Mediterranean region’s increasing importance as a trading hub. Transpet is now the sole shareholder. Bruno Hayem, CEO of Rubis Terminal says that the sale is in line with the company’s strategy to focus on Western Europe, reduce the volatility of its earnings, and strengthen its portfolio mix towards non-fuel products. Mehmet Ali İslamoğlu, board member of Transpet, adds: ‘We will further develop Rubis Terminal Petrol using our expertise in the sector and bringing added value to our clients, Turkey and the greater region.’
Specialist Training for the Storage Tank Industry Live online, classroom or e-learning • • • •
Gain or renew your 5-year Certificates of Competence* Courses based on EEMUA 159 English, Dutch, German and French language options Select from courses throughout 2022, including:
TankAssessor courses* 28 March - 1 April 2022 – in French – classroom – Près de Paris, FR 4-8 April 2022 – in German – classroom – near Hanover, DE 25-29 April 2022 – in English – live online 13-17 June 2022 – in Dutch – classroom – near Rotterdam, NL
TankInspector courses* 16-19 May 2022 – in English – live online 19-22 September 2022 – in Dutch – live online
Above ground flat bottomed storage tanks A guide to inspection, maintenance and repair
Publication 159 Edition 5
TankIntro courses 26-28 September 2022 – in English – live online Storage Tanks e-learning On-demand – in English and in Dutch
More choices, information and registration at www.eemua.org
PAGE 11
TERMINAL NEWS THE AMERICAS
TERMINAL NEWS: THE AMERICAS US
GHI PLANS WORLD’S LARGEST GREEN HYDROGEN HUB US development company Green Hydrogen International (GHI) has announced plans for what will be the world’s largest green hydrogen production, transport and storage hub in South Texas, US. Hydrogen City will produce over 2.5 billion kg of green hydrogen annually. It will be powered by 60 GW of solar and wind energy, with any excess requirements drawn from the grid in Texas, run by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), during periods of low prices. The project will include the construction of a hydrogen storage facility in the Piedras Pintas Salt Dome.
The green hydrogen will be delivered via pipeline to Corpus Christi and Brownsville for use, and GHI currently negotiating with potential end-users. There are a number of options. The green hydrogen could be used for the production of green ammonia for export to Asia, with Japanese and Korean companies interested, or for fertilisers. GHI believes Corpus Christi could be a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production hub and is in discussion with potential off-takers of green hydrogen as an SAF feedstock. The green hydrogen could be combined with CO2 to produce methane for rocket fuel and GHI is exploring this option in Brownsville. The company also plans to target gas power plants, in which hydrogen can be used as a natural gas substitute. The first phase of construction will consist of 2 GW of production and two storage caverns at Piedras Pintas. It is expected to be operational in 2026. Eventually, more than 50 caverns are planned at the site, providing up to 6 TWh of energy storage.
SUMA, the leading innovator in advancing mixing technology.
Looking for longterm digester efficiency? ■ 60 years of experience in mixing of various substrates ■ Tailored solutions ■ Long-term reliability ■ High operational safety ■ User friendly application
US
TALOS AND HEP TO PURSUE CORPUS CHRISTI CCS US oil and gas company Talos Energy and midstream company Howard Energy Partners (HEP) have entered into an option agreement with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. The Coastal Bend Carbon Management Partnership will aim to provide the Port of Corpus Christi’s customers, which number more than 200, with a turn-key CCS solution to help advance decarbonisation. The first nine months of the project will be an evaluation period, during which the partners will identify and advance CCS project solutions on Port-owned lands. HEP will offer its expertise in transport infrastructure to the partnership, while Talos will provide its subsurface and sequestration capabilities. Talos and HEP have a lease option agreement covering 13,000 acres (5,261 ha) in the Port for evaluation. They initially hope to sequester 1-1.5 million tpa of CO 2 from industrial emissions into saline aquifers with a total storage capacity of 50-100 million tonnes. With a successful proof of concept, and if the market is there, they say they will expand the project to ‘regional hub scale’, storing 6-10 million tpa of CO 2. Current annual regional emissions amount to 20 million tonnes. HEP’s Javelina 60 mile (97 km) midstream system is directly connected to over half of the total regional emissions, making it ideal for gathering.
US
MACQUARIE TO OFFSET MAX MIDSTREAM EMISSIONS SUMA Rührtechnik GmbH Martinszeller Str. 21 | 87477 Sulzberg/Germany E-Mail: info@suma.de | www.suma.de/en SUMA America Inc. (USA) | www.gosuma.com BRASUMA Ltda. (Brasil) | www.brasuma.com
PAGE 12
US company Max Midstream has signed an agreement with Macquarie Group’s Commodities and Global Markets division to offset all of its direct greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon emissions from a project can be offset by tying them to another
TERMINAL NEWS THE AMERICAS project that avoids or removes carbon emissions, for example a forestry project, verified by an independent verification body. The offsets are issued by a registry operator, based on the number of tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) avoided or removed by a project. Offsets are traded and sold, and eventually ‘retired’, which means they are considered consumed and cannot be sold again. Macquarie has retired a number of offsets issued by the Verra registry for Max Midstream sufficient to offset the emissions from all construction activities since Max Midstream’s inception, as well as all emissions associated with crude logistics at the company’s pipeline and terminal operations for the following three years based on the projected throughput. Max Midstream has committed to ensuring that its terminal operations are carbon neutral, and has designed operational efficiency improvements and tank designs to reduce emissions. The deal with Macquarie will allow the company to offer carbon offsetting and lifecycle carbon accounting services to its customers. Crude buyers will be able to offtake carbon neutral crude oil whereby crude is bundled with carbon offsets supplied and retired by Macquarie.
Mexico
MONTERRA SUES MEXICO OVER TUXPAN CLOSURE US-based, Mexican-focussed midstream company Monterra Energy is to take legal action against the Mexican government over the closure of its Tuxpan fuel terminal in Mexico. The terminal, known as Servitux, was granted a 30-year permit by Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) on 4 May 2018. Following several CRE inspections, Monterra, as per the permit conditions, provided notice to the CRE that it would begin storage operations in July 2021. However, on 13 September 2021, the CRE carried out another inspection with armed personnel from Mexico’s National Guard and officials from Mexico’s National Agency for Industrial Security and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbon’s Sector (ASEA), and closed the terminal. Monterra claims that the shutdown is arbitrary and without legal justification. The Mexican government introduced a number of restrictions on private-sector fuel importers aimed at preventing
When managing real pressure is your job…
imports without the participation of state companies Pemex or CFE, and Monterra says that the actions against it were in this context. The company asserts that the government’s actions breach the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), international law, and Mexican law relating to Monterra, and deny due process. Monterra has now issued a Notice of Intent to Submit a Claim to Arbitration to the Mexican government. It is claiming damages of up to US$667 million (€597 million) under NAFTA Chapter 11, which contains mechanisms for US companies to be awarded damages through an international arbitration process if an initial consultation process fails to resolve the issue. The company says that Mexican authorities have so far ignored repeated attempts to resolve the closure, including providing evidence of compliance with legal and regulatory provisions. ‘We have gone above and beyond to resolve the issue cooperatively so we can continue to support Mexico’s energy security and economy, while also providing well-paying jobs,’ says Arturo Vivar, CEO of Monterra. ‘We simply ask that Mexico uphold the rule of law and its treaty commitments.’
MIPC® shortlisted for the Best E-learning/ Online Education Initiative memcom membership excellence awards 2020
MIPC® helps practitioner-level engineers to be where they're needed and on top of the latest industry developments and good practice in primary containment of hazardous substances.
Using a blend of live, online classes, one-to-one sessions with expert tutors, and e-learning, enhanced by a mentor’s support and guidance, EEMUA’s Mechanical Integrity Practitioner Certificate course delivers in-depth training to engineers where they work – to give professionals the flexibility to learn on-site or on-call. A short Induction to suit your schedule from July 2022 adapts coursework to your site/s needs. Learning starts in September 2022. Registration open now. For more information please contact EEMUA online-learning@eemua.org +44 (0)20 7488 0801 www.eemua.org
PAGE 13
TERMINAL NEWS THE AMERICAS estimate of C$12.6 billion to bring the expansion into service by the end of 2022, but in its most recent update now expects mechanical completion by Q3 2023.
Canada
NO MORE PUBLIC MONEY FOR TRANS MOUNTAIN AFTER COSTS SPIRAL The deputy prime minister and finance minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, says that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project will receive no further public money, after Trans Mountain Corporation announced that the project cost had increased from C$12.6 billion (€8.72 billion) to C$21.4 billion. The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project will include 980 km of new pipeline, 193 km of reactivated pipeline, 12 new pump stations, 19 new tanks at existing storage terminals in Burnaby (14), Sumas (1) and Edmonton (4) (for which CB&I won the contract) and three new berths at Westridge Marine Terminal. It will take the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which carries crude and refined products from Alberta to British Columbia, from 300,000 bpd to 890,000 bpd. In February 2020, Trans Mountain approved the project cost
Trans Mountain says that the revised schedule and increased costs are down to a number of factors, including external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of flooding in British Columbia in 2021. ‘Project enhancements’ including an increase in trenchless construction, more agreements with indigenous communities providing enduring economic benefits, the installation of advanced leak detection systems, and new unplanned scope and route changes avoiding culturally and environmentally sensitive areas, have added C$2.3 billion to the cost. Schedule pressures have added C$2.6 billion, financing costs C$1.7 billion and safety measures C$500 million. Freeland says that additional funding will need to come from third-party financing such as public debt markets and financial institutions, as 50% of the pipeline is built and the project is significantly de-risked. The government has consulted BMO Capital Markets and TD Securities, which have both confirmed that such financing
is feasible and that the project is still commercially viable. The Canadian government bought Trans Mountain Corporation and the expansion project in 2018 as it deemed the project in the national interest and important for the resilience of the economy.
US
ENLINK AND TALOS SIGN LOUISIANA CCS MOU US company EnLink Midstream and exploration and production company Talos Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) scheme in Louisiana. The two companies will offer an integrated midstream solution for the permanent storage of CO2, focussed on the Mississippi River corridor from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. The project is strategically located near one of the largest industrial regions in the US, which emits approximately 80 million tpa of CO2. It will use ‘significant’ sections of
For each application the right Floating Roof Seal From primary to multiseal, for ‘white’ storage products or crude oil, for external or internal floating roofs,
with floating roof seals supplied by IMHOF you always solve your sealing problems in the best possible way.
• Storage tanks for ‘white’ products (semi-finished and finished products) will not suffer from rainwater contamination. • Storage tanks for crude oil will not get soiled by parafin wax deposits. • Your emissions are drastically reduced, without the application of vapour balancing and vapour recovery systems. • You will avoid additional emissions, utility costs and operational risks of plant. Primary Seal IM-GL
Double Seal IM-GLS2
Double Seal with wax scraper IM-GLXS2B
Triple Seal with water seal IM-GLS2 + IM-WSA
0049 6108 - 60999 0049 6108 - 78455 info@imhof-tanktechnik.de www.imhof-tanktechnik.de
Ing.-Büro Imhof GmbH Otto-Hahn-Str. 12 63165 Mühlheim/M. Germany
Multiseal with water seal IM-GKSS2W Eff. 99%
PAGE 16
Phone: Fax: E-Mail: Homepage:
• • • • •
Floating Roof Seals Roof Drain Systems Internal Floating Covers Guide Pole Seals and Covers Gasholder Seals
EnLink’s existing pipeline network, and Talos Energy’s newly leased land. Talos has just leased 26,000 acres (10,520 ha) along the Mississippi River industrial corridor, in Iberville, St. James, Assumption and Lafourche parishes in Louisiana to use for CCS projects. The three sites, collectively known as River Bend CCS, have a cumulative storage capacity of 500 million tonnes, and sit above a 3,000’ (914 m) thick saline aquifer column with the porosity and permeabilities which make it ideal for carbon sequestration. Talos also has the right of first refusal on 63,000 additional acres for expansion to meet expected future demand. EnLink has identified pipelines suitable for CCS that link to emissions sources in Geismar, Donaldsonville, Plaquemine and St. Charles. The company has enough redundancy within its extensive network that its existing business will not be affected. By using existing pipelines, River Bend CCS will reduce its environmental impacts and save on costs compared to building new pipelines.
Customised tank mixing solutions
Talos will be the project manager and operator for River Bend CCS, including the injection, storage and monitoring, and will additionally provide its subsurface operating expertise and extensive knowledge of Gulf Coast geology. UK carbon management firm Storegga will also join the project.
Canada
EVERWIND PLANS HYDROGEN SWITCH FOR NUSTAR NOVA SCOTIA TERMINAL Green hydrogen company EverWind Fuels has bought NuStar Energy’s 7.8 million bbl Point Tupper terminal in Nova Scotia, Canada, with a view to developing a green hydrogen facility. EverWind paid US$60 million (€53 million) for the site. The company says that its existing infrastructure, including the deepwater ice-free berth, rail access, and storage facility give flexible options for a green hydrogen facility. The hydrogen will be supplied to local and surrounding markets, while some will be used to produced green ammonia, which is the main component of agricultural fertiliser and is the primary refrigerant for industrial cold storage and Canada’s ice hockey rinks.
Essential advantages with Körting tank mixing systems: • • • • • • • •
low energy input no sealing problems low investment costs no unmixed dead zones wear-resistant operation no maintenance in the tank complete mixing of tank content optimisation with (CFD) Computational Fluid Dynamics
The sale is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022.
+49 511 2129-221
|
sales@koerting.de
|
koerting.de
TERMINAL NEWS AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST
TERMINAL NEWS: AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST Mozambique
TOTALENERGIES BUYS BP MOZAMBIQUE FUEL BUSINESS TotalEnergies has bought BP’s retail network, wholesale fuel business and logistics assets in Mozambique, extending its existing network of 57 service stations. The transaction includes a 50% stake in SAMCOL, the logistics company previously jointly owned by BP and TotalEnergies, which operates the Matola, Beira, and Nacala fuel import terminals, as well as 26 service stations and a portfolio of business customers. ‘This agreement reflects TotalEnergies’ willingness to pursue its investments in Mozambique’s energy sector in order to deploy our multi-energy strategy in the country through retailing of
petroleum products for mobility, the major Mozambique LNG project and accompanying supply of domestic gas, and opportunities under review in the area of renewable energies. Our ambition with all this is to contribute to the country’s sustainable development and give access to energy to as many people as possible,’ says Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.
Ghana
BOST PLANS LPG EXPANSIONS IN GHANA Ghana’s Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) is planning to build LPG tanks at all its existing depots in Ghana. Managing director Edwin Provencal told a stakeholder and media meeting that
the front end engineering and design (FEED) work for the LPG expansion project is almost complete. When complete, the LPG storage facilities will enable BOST to store LPG as part of Ghana’s national strategic reserve. The new tanks will also help to meet growing consumer demand for LPG. Provencal said that the company has identified LPG products as a growth opportunity. Adding the LPG tanks forms part of BOST’s strategy to develop its network of storage tanks, pipelines, and other bulk transportation infrastructure throughout the country, in order to ‘aggressively’ grow the business. The company is working towards becoming the leading fuel and logistics business operator in the West African sub-region. There is increasing interest in LPG as a transition fuel in Africa, as it is much less polluting than other commonly used domestic fuels.
End-to-end infrastructure services to reduce pollution, remain compliant and respond to emergencies Decommissioning
Tank repair
Hazardous electrical services
Secondary containment installation and maintenance
Emergency response
0800 592 827 adlerandallan.co.uk
PAGE 18
Tank audits and inspections
Fuel infrastructure design, installation and maintenance Tank cleaning and purging
TERMINAL NEWS AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST
Ghana
MATRIX GAS OPENS LPG TERMINAL IN GHANA Matrix Gas (Ghana) has opened its new, fully licensed, 6,000 tonne LPG storage terminal in Tema, Ghana. The company, which is a subsidiary of Matrix Energy Group, says that the new terminal will give it control of its import volumes and the ability to increase trade volumes in Ghana. Matrix Gas (Ghana) has held a Bulk Distribution Company (BDC) License for the importation and distribution of petroleum products in Ghana since June 2020 and until now has traded a ‘significant volume’ of products, including LPG, premium motor spirit
(PMS) and gasoil, through third party storage facilities. The new terminal will boost security of supply of LPG in Ghana and help to meet local demand.
Nigeria
ASIKO BUILDING LNG AND LPG TERMINAL Nigeran company Asiko Energy has begun construction of a dual LPG and LNG terminal in Ijora, Lagos State, Nigeria. The terminal will be the first dual liquefied gas terminal in Nigeria, and is also the first land-based LNG receiving terminal in
Africa. It will have a full containment LNG storage tank and 5,000 tonnes of LPG and propane storage. It will be able to receive, store and distribute LPG, propane, butane and LNG. The terminal will make LPG, which is a much cleaner domestic fuel than many currently in use, more easily accessible in Nigeria. It is also expected to help develop the country’s energy sector. India’s Optech Engneering is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company for the project, while ILF Engineers Nigeria will act as the project management company. Cozym Process Systems (pipeline) and AYF Development are also involved. Asiko recently signed a contract with Nigeria LNG to distribute LNG in Nigeria, making it the only company distributing LPG and LNG in the country.
PAGE 19
TERMINAL NEWS AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST
TERMINAL NEWS: ASIA PACIFIC built vacuum insulated tank. The hydrogen was produced from lignite, with offsets purchased to render it carbon neutral. The eventual plan of the project partners, once the supply chain reaches commercial operations, is to employ carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Japan
FIRST HYDROGEN CARGO ARRIVES AT HY TOUCH KOBE
Kawasaki says that it ‘will continue to test cargo handling and conduct data verification to ensure a successful outcome for the project to achieve our vision of building a global hydrogen supply chain.’
Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ ship the Suiso Frontier has successfully delivered the first cargo of liquefied hydrogen to Hy touch Kobe, the world’s first liquefied hydrogen receiving terminal, in Japan. The Suiso Frontier left the Port of Hastings in Australia on 28 January 2022 and arrived in Kobe on 25 February 2022. It is the world’s first successful demonstration of the maritime transport of liquid hydrogen over long distances. Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) completed construction on Hy touch Kobe in January 2021. The terminal has a spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tank with a capacity of 2,250 m3. The demonstration project to safely produce
liquid hydrogen in Australia’s Latrobe Valley in Victoria, before transporting it to Kobe in Japan, has been developed by the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project, a joint AustralianJapanese initiative. HESC says that its team successfully tested and validated the loading of liquefied hydrogen, cooled to -253˚C at the Hastings hydrogen liquefaction plant, into the Suiso Frontier’s specially
The Australian HESC project partners, known as Hydrogen Engineering Australia (HEA), are KHI, Electric Power Development (J-POWER), Iwatani Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, AGL Energy, and Sumitomo Corporation. The Japanese side of the project is coordinated by the CO2 -Free Hydrogen Supply Chain Technology Association (HySTRA), made up of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, J-POWER, Iwatani, Marubeni, Shell, Eneos Corporation, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line).
THE LATEST NEWS, DEVELOPMENTS AND MARKET TRENDS. DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX EVERY WEEK.
Sign up free today. FIND OUT MORE TODAY Margaret@tankstoragemag.com www.tankstoragemag.com/register_new_user/
PAGE 20
Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential.
TERMINAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC
Philippines
ADNOC LEASES LNG CARRIER TO AG&P FOR BATANGAS TERMINAL
TIGRON ACTUATORS
Atlantic Gulf & Pacific International Holdings (AG&P) is to charter ADNOC Logistics & Services’ (ADNOC L&S) LNG carrier Ish as a floating storage facility (FSU) for its LNG import and regasification terminal in Batangas Bay, in the Philippines. The agreement signed by the two companies is valid for 11 years, with the option to extend this by a further four years. AG&P will use the vessel from Q3 2022 for Philippines LNG (PLNG), the Philippines’ first LNG import terminal. The Ish, which was built in 1995 in Japan and has a capacity of 137,315.444 m3 of LNG, is currently under contract to ADNOC LNG. The new deal will extend the ship’s life by at least 11 years and improve resiliency of supply for PLNG customers.
ROBUST SAFE CERTIFIED Customised valve automation
AG&P received the ‘notice to proceed’ for PLNG from the Philippines Department of Energy in March 2021. The integrated offshore/onshore import terminal will have an initial regasification capacity of 5 million tpa. and will also have capacity for liquid distribution. It will supply power plant, industrial and commercial customers and other consumers. It has already awarded two engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts to CB&I. AG&P subsidiary, GAS Entec will convert the Ish from a carrier to an FSI, while ADNOC L&S will be responsible for the supply, operations and maintenance of the FSU. ‘This agreement builds on our existing partnership with AG&P and demonstrates our continued focus on maximising value from our assets. By providing AG&P with another flexible storage solution for their new LNG terminal, we are able to extend the operational life of this vessel, unlocking incremental value and new opportunities for growth. Furthermore, as the provider of world-class shipping, offshore logistics and onshore services, we are growing our global footprint, delivering cutting-edge technology and services to our partners. Our project with AG&P in the Philippines will contribute to the economic growth of the country by leveraging the potential of clean LNG for power generation,’ says Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC.
AUMA World: Discover your valve automation solution
tigron.auma.com
anzeige_halbe_Seite_tsm_2022.indd 1
www.auma.com
PAGE 21
08.02.2022 10:42:47
TERMINAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC
South Korea
China
POSCO EXPANDING GWANGYANG LNG STORAGE
CHINA APPROVES HANAS FUJIAN LNG TERMINAL
NH Company, a joint venture between Korean steelmaking company Posco and subsidiary Posco Energy, is to build two new 2 million L LNG storage tanks at the Gwangyang LNG terminal in South Korea.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved the construction of Hanas Group’s LNG receiving terminal in the Dongwu Port Area of Meizhou Bay Port in Putian City, Fujian, China.
The project is worth KRW 750 billion (€55.42 million). The project will begin in the first half of 2022 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The new tanks are being built in response to rising LNG demand, for example for hydrogen production, power generation and producing steel. Up to 600 jobs are expected to be created during the construction works.
Hanas Putian LNG will have two LNG tanks each with a capacity of 200,000 m3, as well as a new dedicated LNG berth and associated facilities. The annual receiving capacity of the terminal will be 5.65 million tonnes. The LNG terminal will be connected to CNOOC’s existing West-East Gas Pipeline. Hanas Group will invest CNY 5.23 billion (€729.6 million), including CNY 4.874 billion on construction. It has not given a timeframe for the construction work.
The terminal currently has five tanks with a sixth currently under construction. The new tanks will take the total capacity of the terminal to 1.3 billion L. The South Jeolla regional government hopes to develop a low-carbon industrial cluster and energy hub in the area, and attract related industries such as LNG bunkering.
Algeria
SINOPEC TO BUILD SONATRACH LNG TANK A consortium of two Sinopec Group companies – Sinopec Luoyang Engineering (LPEC) and Sinopec International Petroleum Services (SIPS) – is to build a 150,000 m3 LNG tank for Algerian oil firm Sonatrach. Under the terms of the contract, worth DZD 25 billion (€156.3 million), Sinopec will demolish two existing tanks at Sonatrach’s Skikda complex in northeast Algeria, before constructing the new tank. The project also includes supplying and installing equipment to connect the new tank to the LNG loading system of a new jetty at Skikda which is currently under construction, allowing for efficient LNG vessel movements. The works are expected to take 40 months. ‘The conclusion of this contract will strengthen the LNG export capacities of Sonatrach, which aims to consolidate its position as a regional leader in the production of LNG,’ says the company in a statement.
Australia
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT LYTTON TERMINAL WORKS The Queensland state government in Australia will provide a A$15 million (€9.4 million) loan to the IOR Group to accelerate planned development works at the Port of Brisbane and Lytton Fuel Import Terminal. IOR will fund the rest of the A$50 million scheme, which began on 1 February 2022 and is expected to be completed by June 2023. At Lytton, the works include repurposing an existing 50 million L tank for diesel , building two new tanks for diesel storage and one new tank for biodiesel additive, upgrading a containment bund and the electrical infrastructure, and building new diesel loading pumps and loading bays. At the Port, IOR will build a new section of wharf deck to support a new marine unloading arm, and pipelines connecting the Lytton terminal to the new wharf. The loan will come from the Queensland government’s Building Acceleration Fund. Deputy premier and minister for state development Steven Miles says that the improved facilities will meet the Australian government’s long-term fuel security goal, which applies from 1 July 2022. The works will increase productivity at the port. bringing economic benefits. ‘The Lytton Fuel Import Terminal will add an additional 110 million L of diesel
PAGE 22
storage to the Queensland economy. It will be the largest diesel only import terminal in Queensland and one of the few in Brisbane with the capability to receive international shipments of diesel via LR2 vessel,’ says IOR CEO Stewart Morland, adding: ‘With growing demand for diesel in Brisbane, we’re seeing congestion at many terminal sites. Upon opening, the terminal will open access to third parties and in doing so will help relieve congestion, reduce the time to load, accelerate productivity, and increase competition in the Queensland fuel market.’
Vietnam
JAPEX JOINS VIETNAMESE LNG TERMINAL PROJECT Japan Petroleum Exploration Company (Japex) has bought into a project to build a new LNG terminal in Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park in Hai Phong City, Vietnam. Japex has signed a share purchase agreement with Iteco Joint Stock Company, based in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, and said it will ‘further proceed with the share acquisition procedures’. The LNG terminal will have a 50,000 m3 LNG storage tank and associated jetty facilities capable of handling a throughput volume of up to 650,000 tpa. A planned expansion will add another 30,000 m3 tank. As well as construction, the project includes the procurement, storage, and supply of LNG. Iteco is in negotiations about offtake and distribution. A final investment decision is expected in 2022. The facility is expected to open in 2025.
Pakistan
CNERGYICO PK BUYS MAJORITY STAKE IN PUMA ENERGY Cnergyico Pk, a Pakistani oil refining and marketing company (formerly Byco Petroleum), is to buy a 57.37% stake in Puma Energy Pakistan. Puma has two petroleum storage terminals in Machike and Sindh in the Punjab region of Pakistan, with a total capacity of 10,500 tonnes, and more than 542 retail pumps in the country. Cnergyico says that following the acquisition, it will have the second largest retail fuel network in Pakistan. It also has one of the largest refining capacities in the country.
Providing you with the best safety relief valve solutions Our UK and European stock range is available in semi and full nozzle design, from ½” to 12” Available in a variety of materials:
TYPE 64
+44 (0) 1530 832 832
Carbon steel
Duplex
Stainless steel
Monel
TYPE 3-55
sales@acvalvealliance.com
TYPE 3-51
TYPE 3-50
www.acvalvealliance.com
Providing you with the best tank storage isolation solutions
Sammi's innovative technology and the unique opening-closing mechanism allows one operator to blind pipe lines quickly and safely without any tools or equipment.
+44 (0) 1530 832 832
ZWICK's superior triple offset butterfly valves ensure the highest reliability and are designed for zero leakage shut off where guaranteed critical isolation is essential.
sales@acvalvealliance.com
www.acvalvealliance.com
INCIDENT REPORT
INCIDENT REPORT A summary of the recent explosions, fires and leaks in the tank storage industry 24 February 2021
20 February 2021
26 January 2022
TANJUNG LANGSAT, MALAYSIA
PENNSYLVANIA, US
LOUISIANA, US
United Refining Company
Westlake Chemical South
Lotte Ube Synthetic Rubbers (LUSR)
A tank roof failure at United Refining Company’s (URC’s) Warren site caused petroleum vapour to leak, prompting emergency calls from local residents reporting suspicious odours. The company said the roof failure was due to heavy snows and rains. URC fixed the problem ‘as rapidly as possible’ and reassured its neighbours that the vapour was not harmful to human health.
A suspected vapour explosion in a chemical storage tank at the Westlake Chemical South site near Lake Charles injured six people. Five were hospitalised. The empty ethylene dichloride storage exploded into flames just before 11am local time. A company spokesperson told news website Nola.com the chemical fumes had ignited in the 1 million gallon (3.8 million L) tank. Local residents and schools were given a shelter-in-place order, while the facility was evacuated. The fire was extinguished quickly. An investigation is underway.
An explosion and fire at LUSR’s 50,000 tpa polybutadiene rubber plant, which broke out at around 5.15pm local time, injured three people. Two out of the three storage tanks onsite, as well as connecting pipelines, were damaged in the incident. The site has been shut while an investigation into the cause takes place.
17 February 2021 HOUSTON, US Lyondell Basell Lyondell Basell Industries suffered a spill at the tank farm at its 263,776 bpd refinery in Houston US, according to Reuters. No further details were released, but a source told the newswire that an all-clear for the incident was released to local residents.
Your storage Your storage partnerpartner With a capacity With aofcapacity more than of more 1 million thancubic 1 million cubic meters, Nordic meters, Storage Nordic offers Storage storage offers forstorage for biofuels, renewables biofuels, renewables and various and petroleumvarious petroleumYour storage partner based products. based Our products. terminals Our are terminals strategically are strategically With a capacity of more than million cubic meters,by Nordic located in located Scandinavia in Scandinavia and1operated and by operated our our Storage With astorage capacity of more than 1and million cubic offers for biofuels, renewables various petroleumhighly experienced highly experienced and dedicated and dedicated team, team, based products. Our terminals arestorage strategically located in meters, Nordic Storage offers storage forand ensuring the ensuring safe and the efficient safe and efficient and storage Scandinavia and operated by our highly experienced and biofuels, renewables and various petroleumhandling of handling products. of products.
Your storage partner
dedicated team, ensuring the safe and efficient storage and
based Our terminals are strategically handlingproducts. of products. Contact usContact for our us best forstorage our best offer storage tailored offer tailored located into Scandinavia and by our to your specific your specific needs. Contact us for ourneeds. best storage offeroperated tailored to your specific needs. highly experienced and dedicated team, ensuring theAB safe andABefficient storage and Nordic Storage Nordic Storage handling of45 products. +46 31 53 +46 0031 53 45 00 info@nordicstorage.se info@nordicstorage.se
www.nordicstorage.se www.nordicstorage.se Contact us for our best storage offer tailored to your specific needs.
Nordic Storage AB +46 31 53 45 00 info@nordicstorage.se
PAGE 25
TANK TERMINAL UPDATE
TANK TERMINAL UPDATE: MIDDLE EAST Port of Duqm, Oman
OMAN OIL MARKETING COMPANY (OOMCO) Products: Marine fuel Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) has opened its new marine fuel terminal, offering high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and low sulphur marine gasoil (LSMGO). Bunkers can also be delivered by barge – the 10,000 tonne MT Alpha – which has a pumping rate up to 1,000 m3/hour. Comment: Bunkering services are underpinned by the nearby Duqm refinery, which will have a capacity of 230,000 bpd when fully completed.
Port of Fujairah, UAE
Jask, Iran
IRANIAN OIL COMPANY (NIOC) Products: Crude oil Invesment: US$2 billion (€1.7 billion) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: The Iranian Oil Ministry and National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) have begun exporting Iranian oil from the Jask Terminal on the Gulf of Oman. The initial daily export capacity of 300,000 bbl, will ramp up to 1 million bbl. The crude comes to the terminal from Goreh in Bushehr via a pipeline, which NIOC began operating in May 2021. Comment: Plans for the terminal were announced in 2012, and construction of the crude oil tanks began in 2018.
Jebel Ali Port, UAE
PROSTAR CAPITAL
PETROCHEM MIDDLE EAST
Products: Oil and refined products
Products: Chemical raw materials
Capacity: 7.4 million bbl
Capacity: 40,000 m3
Investment: US$280 million (€239 million)
Invesment: US$80-90 million (€74-83 million)
Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Prostar Capital refinanced Fujairah Oil Terminal (FOT), giving it a US$280 million (€239 million) debt facility, which it will use to connect FOT to Fujairah’s very large crude carrier (VLCC) jetty via Matrix Manifold 2 (MM2), and to the ADCOP pipeline, which delivers Abu Dhabi’s Murban crude to Fujairah and is currently being extended to MM2.
Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: DP World for land at Quay 7 at Jebel Ali Port, next to its dedicated chemical handling berth, to build a new chemical terminal. Petrochem plans to build 2430 stainless steel storage tanks, both large and small. The terminal will also have distillation and processing units, a day tank farm, tanker and truck loading facility, nitrogen generation plant and automatic drum filling machines.
Comment: Prostar Capital says that the work will allow FOT to take advantage of expected growth in crude trading in the region, following the launch of the world’s first Murban Futures contract.
PAGE 26
Comment: The terminal will be Petrochem’s second distribution and storage terminal in Jebel Ali and will be completed by Q3 2023.
Port of Duqm/Ras Markaz, Oman
GENOIL, RAS MADRAKAH PETROLEUM INDUSTRY COMPANY, BEIJING PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING COMPANY Invesment: US$2.4 billion (€2.03 billion) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Genoil, Ras Madrakah and Beijing Petrochemical are building a new 200,000 bpd upgrading refinery in Duqm. The project will include up to nine 500,000 bbl crude oil feedstock storage tanks in Ras Markaz, and an 80 km long, 28” (71 cm) diameter pipe to connect the feedstock tanks to the refinery. Comment: The facility, to be built on a greenfield site, will use Genoil Hydroconversion Upgrader (GHU) technology, which was developed by Genoiol to upgrade sour and heavy crudes and bitumen. It is a catalytic hydroconversion technology.
PROFILE VTTI FUJAIRAH
LOOKING TO THE FUTURES Siavash Alishahpour tells Tank Storage Magazine about VTTI Fujairah’s plans for growth 01
ON 29 MARCH 2021, the new Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Futures Abu Dhabi (IFAD) commodities exchange began to trade Murban Crude futures, a new oil benchmark and the UAE’s flagship crude oil. It joined leading futures contracts including Brent and WTI in the ICE network. One Murban futures contract equates to 1,000 bbl of Murban crude oil delivered from the ADNOC Terminal located in Fujairah, UAE.
‘If one of the best terminals in the neighbourhood becomes available, then the best option is to buy it. This is one of the reasons why we decided to buy IPTF’
With the launch of Murban futures, other terminals in Fujairah began to spy new opportunities for growth, not least Dutch terminal company VTTI, which has long had a presence in Fujairah.
of third-party terminal capacity. VTTI Fujairah has undergone a number of expansions and developments since 2007, and like any business, is always looking for new opportunities.
‘That benchmarking is getting very well established, the trading volume is increasing, and this definitely brings tremendous new opportunities for crude oil storage in Fujairah. This is the opportunity for Fujairah to build and capitalise on its capability for crude oil. We as VTTI are looking into all options,’ says VTTI Fujairah managing director Siavash Alishahpour.
In November 2021, eight months after Murban futures began trading, VTTI bought a 90% stake in IL&FS Prime Terminals FZC (IPTF) in Fujairah, UAE (the remaining 10% remains with the Fujairah Petroleum Company owned by the Fujairah government).
A NEW ACQUISITION VTTI is a relatively young company, celebrating 15 years in business in November 2021, and bought its first terminal in Fujairah in 2007, looking to take advantage of its strategic location in the Gulf region. Fujairah is well-placed for export to Eastern and Western markets and is close to a major international refining hub. The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) has almost 10 million m3
‘When VTTI is looking to expand, we always review all options. In some locations we may prefer to buy an existing asset rather than building new terminal capacity. New build may put pressure on the existing balance of the supply and demand in global hubs. Buying an existing asset allows you to grow without changing the balance in the market. And, if one of the best terminals in the neighbourhood becomes available, then the best option is to buy it. This is one of the reasons why we decided to buy IPTF. Also when we did our due diligence we found a very sound asset, commercially, operationally and technically,’ says Alishahpour.
02
The state-of-the-art IPTF terminal has 14 tanks with a total capacity of 333,484 m3, while it can be potentially expanded to 780,000 m3. VTTI has already merged the two assets. ‘There were a lot of synergies between the two terminals, so merging them made the most sense. Today, the merged asset is almost touching 2 million m3 of tankage with something close to 70 tanks available. It’s a big terminal, and managing that portfolio and the new customers is a priority,’ says Alishahpour. PRODUCTION, TANKS AND OPTIONS The greatest benefit of the merged asset is the flexibility it offers to the business and to customers. VTTI Fujairah can now handle almost all types of petroleum products, including crude oil, condensate, different
PAGE 27
PROFILE VTTI FUJAIRAH grades of naphtha, gasoline, different grades of diesel, fuel oil and jet fuel. The extra tank pits, with new pipelines, pumps and equipment mean that the terminal can handle additional products with better segregation and a greater number of simultaneous operations for customers. This will allow VTTI Fujairah to look at new categories of petroleum products, which is a huge advantage. The original terminal already has a thirdparty processing plant. ‘It’s a crude distillation unit connected to our own tankage and services,’ says Alishahpour. ‘This is what differentiates us from other terminals around us. We are directly connected to the processing unit and produce very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) products. We were producing VLSFO products for bunkering even before IMO 2020 came into force. Fujairah is the right market for these products because it is one of the largest hubs for bunkering. VTTI Fujairah produces exactly the right grade of fuel oil for such bunkering services. This is another differentiating service that we offer our customers.’ FUTUREPROOFING Alishahpour is mindful of the fact that the oil industry is changing and the energy transition will affect the way they do business. At VTTI Fujairah they are already implementing transition strategies. For example, in January 2022, the terminal’s first comparatively small solar power plant started up. VTTI Fujairah is very positive about potential opportunities for solar power because, as Alishahpour points out, solar energy is abundant in the UAE. ‘We started with the offices, air conditioning and lighting, for two reasons really, to learn and monitor the performance. The next stage will be about
04
how we can increase the size in order to take the best advantage of this source of renewable energy. We will not stop there, we will also review how we can play a role in green hydrogen. It’s something we’re thinking about at the moment,’ he says. The energy industry is forming the development path for the expanding use of green hydrogen. As well as producing green hydrogen, VTTI Fujairah may also consider importing green ammonia, which is widely touted as a promising zero-carbon shipping fuel. Given that VTTI Fujairah already produces fuels for bunkering, it is something to consider. Of course, there are other transition fuels such as LNG and various types of biofuels, which must all be weighed up. ‘VTTI, like any other international company, is giving special thought towards sustainability and new energies such as bio, renewable natural gas, the storage of hydrogen carriers and infrastructure to handle captured CO2. We have a dedicated new energies team working on that,’ says Alishahpour.
03
CAPITALISING ON OPPORTUNITIES Exactly where the markets will go and what will happen to demand in the near term is constantly being assessed. The energy transition does not mean that traditional business is dead. ‘We have to have our finger on the pulse because we are a supplier of services in the global energy market, and we need to know where the demand is going. In Fujairah we are sitting in the right place. We can see the growth of the refining capacity and capability around this region and there are additional new refineries coming online. With these new refineries, there is demand for extra tankage. Peak global oil demand is expected by the market experts sometime circa 2030. Also, volumes of international trade continue to grow as refineries around the world rationalise and new flows open up. I believe personally this region is going to play a big role in that growth, particularly in feeding crude to the refineries,’ says Alishahpour. ‘Thanks to the government of Fujairah, FOIZ and the Port of Fujairah providing all necessary infrastructure and offering a very convenient business environment, we are seeing that Fujairah is going to be very stable in that supply, and demand for tanks and terminals which support the supply and demand for petroleum and petroleum products will also be very stable.’ VTTI Fujairah will look at further building and expanding its facilities in Fujairah, although, of course, always bearing in mind the balance in the region. There is land available both next to the original site and on the former IPTF site and Alishahpour says that VTTI is already looking at possible business plans to best take advantage of it. He and his team are currently assessing which business opportunities make the most sense. ‘We have a lot of good plots available for the right time and the right opportunities, and we know how to really develop these plots mechanically, operationally and technically, to capitalise on those potential future opportunities and to continue the excellent customer service on which VTTI’s reputation has been carefully built,’ says Alishahpour. For more information: www.vtti.com/terminal/vtti-ftl-unitedarab-emirates
01 VTTI Fujairah 02 Siavash Alishahpour 03 VTTI Fujairah 04 VTTI Fujairah
PAGE 28
International Operating Conference & Trade Show
2 0 2 2
June 13-15 Houston // TX
Make Plans Now!
TO ATTEND THE LIQUID TERMINAL INDUSTRY’S LARGEST EVENT! • Dynamic keynote speakers • In-depth conference sessions • World class networking • Largest industry trade show • Valuable training workshops
WWW. ILTA.O R G
PROFILE FUJAIRAH OIL TERMINAL
PIONEERING TERMINALLING IN THE MIDDLE EAST Fujairah Oil Terminal, shortlisted for the Terminal Innovation Award at the Tank Storage Global Awards, explains the innovative services it offers 01
OVER THE last decade, Fujairah has seen tremendous evolution from a small costal town in northeast UAE to being the third largest oil storage, petroleum products trading centre and second largest bunkering port in the world. Fujairah offers one stop shop for traders – bunkering, trading and maintaining vessels. The Port of Fujairah system is so commercially designed that all terminals are connected to the common matrix manifold (piping/berth) system and they have two: MM1 and MM2. This allows traders to buy and sell among each other and receive/deliver products through pipelines without the need to chartering a ship. Fujairah is strategically located just outside the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint which reinforces its favour among traders. INDEPENDENT STORAGE FOT is the second largest independent third-party storage terminal in the Port of Fujairah. The facility boasts 1.17 million m3 of capacity in 34 tanks. The terminal consists of three tank farms: tank farm 1 for crude oil, tank farm 2 for fuel oil and gasoil, and tank farm 3 for gasoline. Commissioned in February 2015, it is the first independent crude oil storage terminal in the Middle East. Half of the tankage is designed for crude oil storage. In seven years of operation, FOT
PAGE 30
has handled over 120 million tonnes of crude and petroleum products, leading among competitors by contributing close to 30% of the annual throughput in the Port of Fujairah. Holding 13% of total Fujairah capacity, FOT is one of the busiest terminals not only in Fujairah, but also in the region. The terminal has accomplished over 2.5 million working hours without a lost time incident (LTI). Incident trends are zero in the last two years, despite the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Owned by China’s Sinopec (50%), Australia’s Prostar Capital (40%) and the Government of Fujairah (10%), FOT provides terminalling services of receiving/delivering cargo through the common matrix manifold of the Port of Fujairah, storage, heating and blending. LEADING INNOVATIVE PRACTICES FOT has always challenged the traditional terminalling services, with innovative ideas, systems, and solutions. It has the only Pulse Air blending system in the region for its gas oil and fuel oil tanks. The Pulse Air system can efficiently homogenise complex components. It is the only terminal which has developed and installed piping systems that facilitates injecting white cargoes as components into crude or fuel oil tanks blending, without any risk of
contamination in the system. The terminal has also installed systems such as knock out drums and a centralised venting system for closed loop venting, to minimise vapour exposure to employees as well as the environmental impact. FOT was the first terminal in the port of Fujairah to obtain ISO 50001 certification (Energy Management System) as the company seeks to improve on energy consumption. This has driven the company’s focus on changing lightbulbs to LED, installing variable frequency drives (VFD) on existing pumps and considering these functions for upcoming upgrades or projects, ensuring that there is natural lighting and ventilation in office buildings and installing solar energy for lighting. Energy meters have been installed in pumps to monitor and control power consumption. FOT has invested heavily in an asset integrity management system (AIMS) and carried out a risk-based inspection (RBI) of the entire facility to minimise breakdowns and guarantee uninterrupted operation. Intelligent pigging has been carried out to confirm the integrity of pipelines. DEDICATED SOLUTIONS AND DIGITAL INNOVATIONS FOR SAFETY Dedicated safety software like Intelex, with integrated modules like method statement and risk assessment (MS/RA), permit to work, lockout/tagout (LOTO),
PROFILE FUJAIRAH OIL TERMINAL
02
incident investigation, management of change, safety observations reporting (including behaviour safety aspects), an action tracking tool and a document control system, help FOT to ensure safe operations. Digitalisation of specific safety critical processes, such as daily terminal shift inspections, are taken care of by software tool Capptions, combined with ATEX-approved handheld devices for the field staff to register inspection checklists, escalate anomalies found in the field immediately to their colleagues, and management for devising adequate control measures. To ensure lone-working employees are safe in the Port of Fujairah and at the FOT terminal, a monitoring system is installed to follow the whereabouts of an individual on site by a GPS radio tracking system. In case of an emergency, a ‘man down’ function is available in the equipment. All pig systems are being upgraded with a sequential locking mechanism to ensure avoidance of unintentional migration or release of hydrocarbons. ‘Our good reputation is ultimately down to the consistent hard work by the team,’ says FOT operations manager Puskar Timsina. ‘We work as a family, with members hailing from different races and communities. Safety is the number one priority in all aspects of the business and there is strong commitment from the top management. We offer value to customers by aligning systems and services to meet their needs – safe, efficient and loss-free operation. We position ourselves as a partner to their logistics and supply chain.’
03
grades of crudes in its storage tanks for its customers. ADNOC’s connection to MM2 of the Port of Fujairah will add to the significance of the crude blending potential in the Fujairah storage hub. FOT has invested US$50 million (€44 million) in a project to connect directly to MM2, and the VLCC berths of the port of Fujairah. This project, known as ‘VLCC Connectivity’, consists of installing pumping and piping systems to provide services for operations of entire range of cargoes (crude oil, fuel oil, gas oil and gasoline). This makes FOT the most connected terminal in the Port of Fujairah, having direct access to both matrices (MM1 and MM2) and the VLCC jetty. This will position FOT as a frontrunner of connectivity, as all new development (terminals or jetties) will be constructed towards the north end of the port near to MM2. ‘The current market is tough and severely affected by the backwardation,’ says Malek Azizeh, FOT commercial director. ‘However, with expansion of ADNOC and their connectivity to MM2, the prospect of new refineries in the vicinity and being able to deliver Fujairah blend crude oil, the future looks lucrative for the crude business. We have invested so heavily in this new project as we want to be very much ready in time to capture the commercial opportunity. Crude shall lead in future Fujairah.’ He adds: ‘Though the market is still unfavourable, we are still fully occupied,
04
thanks to the range we can offer and the service we provide. We have customers who entered to test the waters and have continued storing with us ever since.’ The terminal has quite some ambitions in near future. Acquisition of nearby storage facilities is very much on the cards. Also, studies are being carried out to determine the expansion potential. ‘Right now, my top priority is to complete the VLCC connectivity project safely and within the deadline. The majority of the project work is being carried out in brownfield areas of the operating terminal. Ensuring safety is of paramount importance. However, the potential opportunities that the completion of this project brings in is very exciting. We are also actively looking into acquisition of neighbouring terminals and also possibility for expansion of tankage,’ says FOT managing director Steven Feng. ‘I have a very good team. I believe we have come to be the best terminal in Fujairah. Our next step is to become the best terminal in the region.’
01 Fujairah Oil Terminal 02 Malek Azizeh 03 Puskar Timsina 04 Steven Feng 05 Port of Fujairah
05
INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE The Port of Fujairah itself is expanding rapidly. Terminals are expanding capacities and new refineries have been announced. The ambitious caverns project of ADNOC with storage capacity of 42 million bbl of crude is due for completion in the first quarter of 2023. FOT has blended different PAGE 31
PROFILE WOMEN IN TANKS | SANDRA DE MEY
CONNECTIONS AND CHANGES Sandra De Mey from North Sea Port on the importance of relationships with customers and colleagues TANK STORAGE MAGAZINE’S Women in Tanks series has covered a variety of roles and industries relating to the tank storage industry, and in this edition, we turn to the vital port industry. Sandra De Mey is the commercial manager at North Sea Port (the Dutch-Belgian crossborder port), with responsibility for liquids, chemicals, food (non-containerised) and agri-products. Her role has two main concerns – trade and investment.
01
‘Trade relates to account management, so that means that you have to be very close to your clients to help them to find new trade or to help them overall. The other part is investment. This means trying to seek new companies for North Sea Port. That can be going to conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs and roadshows, and visiting potential clients and so on. That’s my job in a nutshell,’ says De Mey. The commercial department at North Sea Port splits the segments – containers, break bulk, ro-ro, liquids and dry bulk – between a number of staff, but De Mey’s interest and expertise, not to mention her contacts, are in the liquids and agri side of things. De Mey has always lived near the port and isn’t really surprised that she ended up working there. ‘I’m always drawn by water so I’m always in the neighbourhood. Ships and shipping and ports is an intriguing world. There is a dynamic that I like. When I was 21 and had finished my education, I just wanted to go to work. I knew very fast that I wanted to work in the port,’ she says. A FAST LEARNING CURVE De Mey began working for the port in 1991 and describes her one-month traineeship as ‘a hard learning school’. ‘The port zone is a male zone even today, but especially then. I was raised very Catholic, in Catholic schools, and if you’re in a port for one month at 21 you get trained very fast! It formed me into what I am today,’ she says. ‘Every day I had to visit all the vessels that came into the port and welcome them personally. I literally had to go up
PAGE 32
the gangway, say hello to the captain and all the crew and explain the role of the port authority, and ask if they had any questions. I had to give documentation and explain the procedures.’
was secretly doing the SOS code on the walkie-talkie and then they rescued me. I was 21 so I thought I could handle it, but actually if you think about it, it was quite serious!’
Most were welcoming, but there were a couple of hairy moments. One captain took her into his office and locked the door. Thankfully, more experienced colleagues had prepared her for that moment.
De Mey’s colleagues were supportive, teaching her about the port and vessels and ‘sea life’, setting her up for her career, and the training has stood her in good stead.
‘The man who trained me warned me that some crews were like old pirates. He said ‘Sandra, when you go on a vessel you have to do two things. Firstly, you always have to have a walkie-talkie on you, and count your stairs, so you know where you are on the vessel.’ So I did that, and I
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS ‘The thing I enjoy the most about my job is contact with clients. That was always a very strong point here at North Sea Port, and before, when we were still the Port of
PROFILE WOMEN IN TANKS | SANDRA DE MEY
02
‘I’m always drawn by water so I’m always in the neighbourhood. Ships and shipping and ports is an intriguing world. There is a dynamic that I like’ De Mey says that having more women in business is definitely beneficial, and changes the dynamic.
Ghent – to be very close to your clients, so you know what is up with them, what is going well, but also the bad side,’ De Mey says. The most successful relationships, she finds, are the ones which work two ways, as a friendship and as a business relationship. The practice in developing these relationships began during her traineeship and the early days in the port, visiting every ship that arrived. ‘If I went aboard for example on a ship with an Indian crew, they would always invite me for a proper dinner, sitting down with them. I had to learn to eat with my hands as they do, and they would tell me about their families and show pictures of their wives and their children. You build the appreciation from both sides,’ she says. PLAYING THE GAME De Mey doesn’t believe that being a woman has hindered her career, or that she has experienced any outright discrimination, which she distinguishes from occasionally being treated a little differently. ‘I do remember once I was with a male colleague in Odessa for an exhibition and we were there and people were coming by to ask questions about the port and they’d ask all the questions to my male colleague. He didn’t know the figures or facts but I did, so he kept having to ask me and then tell them to the person who asked the question. Sometimes it’s a bit cultural,’ she says. ‘Even ten years ago in many countries they were only used to doing business with men, so if they saw a woman then they thought she would be the secretary or someone to make the coffee. But I don’t mind. Sometimes you just have to play the game.’
‘I hear a lot of women say it should be no different, that we are equal. Yes, we should be equal in pay and seniority but we are different. If you put nine men into a meeting with one woman then you will have a very different meeting than if you have 10 men. Also, if you have nine women and one man your meeting will also be different. Women and men can give a different perspective, and what’s wrong with that?’ She admits that her generation is the first to really have women in senior posts, which has been the cause of some discussion amongst her female peers in the port. ‘We’re in our 50s and in five or six or seven years when we are about 60, do we still see ourselves at an evening reception at a conference? Already there are men of 60 or 65 there, but you don’t see any women of 60 or 65. We were the young ones once, but now we’re older, and there were no women of that age before us. We all have the same thoughts,’ De Mey says. It will be De Mey and her peers who will need to blaze the trail and set the example for those women coming after them. THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY
companies wondering whether to bet on hydrogen, methanol, or something else entirely. ‘Change is good. You have to see change every day. Sometimes we like it and sometimes we don’t like it. Your company cannot stay the same for 30 years with the same mindset, it has to change. I always say it’s my goal to be part of the changes all the time. ‘Change is inevitable, but growth is optional.’ That’s my quote in life. Everything changes around you but it’s up to you if you go with the flow or not,’ she says. The gender balance is already changing. At North Sea Port, the chief financial officer is a woman, and the head of the commercial team is also a woman. As well as being a Women in Tanks ambassador, De Mey is also an ambassador of women in agribusiness, and she says that in every segment of the business, there are more and more women appearing. She even met a crew with two female engineers aboard an orange juice vessel, which she describes as ‘very exceptional.’ ‘A lot of people still think it’s still a male-dominated world but it doesn’t have to be that way. For my part it can be perfectly mixed nowadays. We see woman engineers leading companies, for example, and 10 or 15 years ago that was not the case. I think a mixed world is likely the most perfect one. And the most fun to work in.’
01 On a company visit to Cargill (new investment) 02 Sandra De Mey aboard a cereal vessel 03 Spot De Mey checking out a new tank park
03
In her 30-year career, De Mey has seen a lot of changes, both in the ports and terminals industries themselves and in the personnel. In the ports themselves, there is a clear shift to looking at the circular economy, the use of waste and the energy transition, as well as a focus on what De Mey believes is a climate emergency. ‘Years ago, we said it was five before midnight [midnight being the hypothetical point of no return]. Even at that point I thought it was five after midnight. You can see in the climate already that the signs are not good and now we need to do everything in our power to help,’ she says. At North Sea Port, there is already a lot of production of bioethanol and biodiesel, and De Mey says that hydrogen is a key factor, in combination with renewable electricity. There are new investments, new industries, new hydrogen pipelines below the sea and the land, and existing
PAGE 33
Speakers announced
The StocExpo conference will help the terminal industry prepare for the energy transition, the digital transformation and the next wave of innovation.
Gary Kalmin HG Storage International
Catherine Gras Storengy UK & Germany
Jorge Lanza Exolum
Hero Boonstra VTTI
Oleksandr Siromakha Mabanaft
Leo Brand Vopak
Rutger Van Thiel Alkion Terminals
Ramon Ernst Evos
Øistein Jensen Odfjell
Register using code > 1009 www.stocexpo.com
MARKET ANALYSIS MIDDLE EAST
IS NET-ZERO A REALITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST? Nicholas Kramer, Angela Croker and Rekha Ajoodha from law firm Norton Rose Fulbright look at the possibilities for the energy transition in the Middle East ON 12 DECEMBER 2015, global leaders of 196 countries congregated at COP 21 in Paris to negotiate and resolve the world’s first legally binding treaty on climate change (the Paris Agreement), which sets a goal to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. Underpinning this goal is the energy transition, aptly defined by S&P as ‘a transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based systems of energy production to renewable energy sources’ aimed at reducing energyrelated greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2) in order to limit the increase of global temperature. The switch to lower and/or zero carbon based technologies, the acceleration of carbon capture and energy storage technology, the establishment of carbon markets, the use of carbon offsets and the boom in sustainable finance availability are all key drivers in this transition. THE ENERGY LANDSCAPE IN THE GCC AND BEYOND The Paris Agreement works on a ‘ratchet mechanism’ requiring each party to submit their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) every five years, setting out their plans for climate action, with the first NDCs submitted in 2020. The UAE was the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to sign
01
Country
Target
and ratify the Paris Agreement in 2016. In 2017, the UAE launched its ‘Energy Strategy 2050’ that aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050 and reduce the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%. This strategy contemplates 44% clean energy, 38% gas, 12% clean coal and 6% nuclear energy. In its second NDC, submitted in December 2020, the UAE reiterated its 2050 strategy and is earmarked as the first MENA region to commit to an economy-wide emission reduction target of 23.5% in greenhouse gas emissions for the year 2030, relative to business-as-usual (BAU) scenario emissions. The BAU approximates 310 million tonnes, assuming a moderate annual economic growth rate based on historical growth needs. In an effort to achieve these targets, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy announced new clean energy generation projects focusing on solar and nuclear sources and the Dubai Future Council of Energy unveiled a detailed roadmap to achieve a carbon neutral economy. In early October 2021, the UAE announced the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, making the UAE the first Middle East and North Africa nation to do so. Saudi Arabia, one of the region’s largest economies, swiftly followed suit, later in October 2021, by pledging to reach net-zero by 2060. These plans include the development and installation of 58.7 GW
of renewable power sources (amounting to 30% of the Saudi Arabia’s power mix) and to cut down on 130 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. Additionally, national oil company Saudi Aramco has pledged netzero carbon emissions for scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases across its operations a decade earlier (2050). Table 1 summarises the net-zero targets set by GCC and other Middle Eastern countries. The Middle East Energy Transition reports approximately US$2.8 billion (€2.5 million) of renewable energy project contracts in the first half of 2021, with no contract awards for oil- or gas-fuelled power plants in the MENA region. GREEN HYDROGEN Although the Middle East is typically associated with oil and gas, it is also abundant in renewable energy resources and large areas of land suitable for project development. It also has a strong track-record of investing in clean energy projects through international investment, financial institutions, sovereign funds and government backed entities, placing the region in a prime position to take the reins in the green hydrogen market. Despite the lack of regulatory framework for the licensing and implementation of such projects, CO2 -free hydrogen is of particular interest to policymakers in the region. The UAE environment minister was quoted in
Methods
Saudi Arabia 2060
Renewables, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, direct air capture, hydrogen, low carbon fuels
UAE 2050
Few details other than the country has three of the largest solar power plants in the world and recently inaugurated the region’s first nuclear power plant
Bahrain
Renewables, afforestation, carbon capture
2060
Qatar 2030
National climate change action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 and carbon intensity from LNG facilities by 25%
Oman 2050
Renewable energy with a target of 20% of electricity to be delivered from renewable sources by 2027
Iraq 2030
1-2% reduction in emissions, Mesopotamian Revitalisation project which contemplates afforestation, modernising water administration and generating clean energy
Israel
Few details other than coal will be phased out by 2025
2050
PAGE 35
MARKET ANALYSIS MIDDLE EAST 2020 as saying ‘hydrogen produced by renewables in the very best locations in the UAE could become cost competitive in the next five years.’ By 2050, the strategy consulting arm of PwC, Strategy&, claims the hydrogen market could be worth US$300 billion per annum. With the cost of green hydrogen having already fallen by 50% since 2015 and with a further 30% reduction on the cards by 2025, according to IHS Markit, opportunities for states with large renewables capacities, such as the Gulf states, will be plentiful. Table 2 sets out some of the hydrogen projects underway in the GCC. CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE Notwithstanding the positive steps taken to implement the Paris Agreement, through introducing renewable energy (including hydrogen) into the energy mix and undertaking ‘clean’ hydrocarbons and energy efficiency measures, the net-zero targets are ambitious, given the Middle East’s continued dependence on hydrocarbon combustion for power generation and operation of industrial and refining sectors, where electricity cannot be used in all instances. Analysts also forecast a climb in emissions from the oil and gas industry in the Middle East, through to at least 2040, due to an increased dependence on natural gas and crude oil and global emissions are expected to grow over the pandemic recovery period.
02
Project
A possible solution for carbon abatement in the industrial and refining sectors is carbon capture and storage/sequestration (CCS). As indicated in the above table, some GCC countries are already undertaking R&D initiatives centred around CCS with the KACST-Technology Innovation Center on Carbon Capture and Sequestration in Saudi Arabia, the Qatar Carbonate and Carbon Storage Research Center in Qatar and the Sitra Carbon Capture System in Bahrain. In Abu Dhabi, Masdar and ADNOC launched the Middle East’s first Joint Venture for carbon capture usage and storage and a sum of US$150 million from Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE has been allocated to support CCS research. However, the CCS industry is still in its infancy, when compared to early adopters (such as North America, Europe and China), due to the lack of regulatory framework, precedent and investor appetite in this industry in the Middle East. On the other hand, investment could grow if there is an increased demand in the market for products made from the recycled gases – for example, recycled greenhouse gases could be used to make synthetic fuels for export in the petrochemical, refining, cement, fertiliser and power sectors.
direct investor pressure for clarity on long-term investment strategies for a 1.5°C world, as well as zero-emission targets, in response to the Paris Agreement and commitments set forth in NDCs. It is expected that renewables, led by solar, will, in the short term, continue to dominate the strategy for curbing energy emissions in the Middle East. However, the region remains heavily dependent on hydrocarbon combustion for power generation and operation of industrial and refining sectors, making the net zero targets somewhat ambitious. Whilst it remains to be seen how the Middle East countries will implement their respective net zero strategies, green and other low-carbon hydrogen and the implementation of CCS initiatives are exciting developments, creating optimism in the market that these measures will be key to achieving the carbon emission reduction targets. For more information: Nicholas Kramer and Angela Croker are both partners and Rekha Ajoodha is an associate at Norton Rose Fulbright. www.nortonrosefulbright.com
CONCLUSION The Middle East, an oil and gas producing region that is fiscally dependent on these hydrocarbons, is facing a unique and intense period of change, as it navigates the contraction of global oil-and-gas demand, due to, among other things,
01 Net-zero targets set by GCC and other Middle Eastern countries. Source: S&P Global Platts Analytics 02 GCC hydrogen projects
Jurisdiction Description
Green Hydrogen MoU Dubai
An MoU has been entered into between Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and EDF Energy setting out their intention to cooperate on R&D projects exploring the production of green hydrogen, powered by carbon-free nuclear energy
Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Abu Dhabi An MoU signed by Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi Alliance Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and ADQ to establish the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance which intend to establish Abu Dhabi as a leader of low-carbon green and blue hydrogen in emerging international markets. The partners will also work together to build a substantial green hydrogen economy in the UAE NEOM Green Saudi Arabia Ammonia
ACWA Power and Air Products have formed a joint venture for the development of a US$5 billion green hydrogen-based ammonia plant which is one of the world’s largest green hydrogen projects to be located in the NEOM development in Saudi Arabia. It will include the integration of over 4 GW renewable power from solar, wind and storage; produce 650 tonnes per day of hydrogen by electrolysis using Thyssenkrupp technology; produce nitrogen by air separation using Air Products technology; and produce 1.2 million tonnes per year of green ammonia using Haldor Topsoe technology. It is due to come online in Q1 2025
Hyport Duqm Green H2 Oman Project
A project to be undertaken by ACWA Power, Air Products and NEOM (as JV partners) and Thyssenkrupp and Haldor Topsoe (as technology partners) for the development of a green hydrogen plant in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, Oman, in cooperation with the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ). The facility’s electrolyser capacity is estimated between 250-500 MW in the first phase of development.
PAGE 36
The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip
Why Should i join The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip?
Why Should i join The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip?
We offer you privileged access and visibility to senior decision makers in the tank storage industry through We offer you privileged andinclude: visibility to senior decision makers in the tank storage industry through our events, publications and meetings. Specificaccess benefits
Why Should i join The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip? our events, publications and meetings. Specific benefits include:
Why Should i join The Supplier pArTnerShip? We offer you privileged access and visibility to senior makers in theour tank storage industry through Why Should i joindecision The FeTSA FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip? neTWorking: One complimentary ticket to attend Annual FETSA Conference and neTWorking: One complimentary ticket to attend our Annual FETSA Conference and our events, publications and meetings. Specific benefits include: We offer you privileged access andvisibility visibility to senior decision makers in theinspeakers tank storage industry through WHY SHOULD I JOIN SUPPLIER PARTNERSHIP? Dinner exclusively dedicated toTHE FETSA members, conference and high level offer you privileged access and toFETSA senior decision makers the tank storage industry through WHO SHOULD JOIN? WeAGM
AGM Dinner exclusively dedicated to FETSA members, conference speakers and high lev our events, publications and meetings. Specific benefits include: events, publications meetings. Specific benefits include: stakeholders from theand EU political environment. First option makers for sponsorship We off er you privileged access and visibility to senior decision in theoption tank opportunities storage industry opportunitie The FETSA Supplier Partnership is our stakeholders from the EU political environment. First for sponsorship open to companies that do business neTWorking: around the Annual Conference andand related events. One complimentary ticket to attend our Annual FETSA Conference and through our events, publications meetings. Specifi c benefi ts include: around the Annual andticket related events.our Annual FETSA Conference and neTWorking: OneConference complimentary to attend with tank storage companies or have neTWorking: One complimentary ticket to attend our Annual FETSA Conference an AGM Dinner exclusively dedicated to FETSA members, conference speakers and high level AGM Dinner exclusively dedicated to FETSA members, conference speakers and high level an affinity with the tank storage sector. NETWORKING: One complimentary ticketto toFETSA attend our Annual FETSA Conference AGM Dinner exclusively dedicated members, conference speakers and high EU political environment. First option for sponsorship opportunities stakeholders from the EU political environment. First option for sponsorship opportunities This includes, but is not limited to: stakeholders from the and AGM Dinner exclusively dedicated to FETSA members, conference speakers and stakeholders from the EU political environment. First option for sponsorship opportun ViSiBiliTy: Name and logo with summary of services offered will feature on a dedicated around the Annual Conference and relatedwill events. ViSiBiliTy: NameConference and level logo with summary ofthe services offered feature onoption a dedicated around the Annual and related events. high stakeholders from EU political environment. First for sponsorship Technical equipment providers around thewebsite Annual Conference and related events. Supplier Partnership pageSupplier of our Partnership website and will be included in our communication tools page of our and will be included in our communication tools opportunities around the Annual Conference and related events. Companies safety website, suchthe asmonthly the FETSA website, the monthly newsletter and the annual suchproviding as the FETSA newsletter and the annual management reportmanagement report ViSiBiliTy: Name and logo with summary of services offered will feature on a dedicated services which are circulated to senior industry executives. You willoff bearticle entitled to draft an article which are circulated to senior industry executives. You will be entitled to draft an VISIBILITY: Name andof logo summary services will feature on a tools Supplier Partnership page our with website and willof be included communication ViSiBiliTy: Name and logo with summary ofpartnership services offered will feature oninered aour dedicated Fire fighting/protection in a quarterly supplier newsletter. ViSiBiliTy: Name and logo with summary of services offered will feature a dedicated in a quarterly supplier partnership dedicated Supplier Partnership pagenewsletter of our website andannual will bemanagement included inon our such asnewsletter. the FETSA website, the monthly and the report companies Supplier Partnership page of our website and willofsuch be included in our communication tools Supplier Partnership page our website and will be included in our communication communication tools as the FETSA website, the monthly newsletter and the tools which are circulated to senior industry executives. You will be entitled to draft an article suchequipment as the FETSA website, monthly newsletter and the annual management report Loading manufacturers suchthe as the FETSA website, the monthly newsletter and the annual management report annual management report which are circulated to senior industry executives. in a quarterly supplier partnership newsletter. FeTSA knoWledge exChAnge: Possibility to organise industry seminars on relevan You will be entitled to draft an article in a quarterly supplier partnership newsletter. which are circulated to senior industry executives. You will be entitled to draft an article which are circulated to senior industry executives. You will be entitled to draft an article Companies providing auditing and
FeTSA knoWledge exChAnge: Possibility to organise industry seminars on relevant
Should join? topics and/or with the approval of the relevant chair/secretariat to present new/emerging management systems in a quarterly supplier partnership newsletter. in aWho quarterly supplier partnership newsletter. topics and/or with the approval of the relevant chair/secretariat to present new/emerging technologies and legislation to ourPossibility committees/task forces. FeTSA knoWledge exChAnge: to organise industry seminars on relevant Tank farm and Partnership is open to companies FETSA KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE: to organise industry seminars on Theconstruction FETSA Supplier that do business with tankPossibility storage companies technologies and legislation to our committees/task forces. topics and/or with the approval of the relevant chair/secretariat to present new/emerging maintenance companies topics and/or approval of the relevant chair/secretariat to present new/ or have an affinity with the tank storage sector.relevant This technologies includes, butand iswith notthe limited legislation toto: our committees/task forces. TheSurveying FETSA Supplier that do business with tank companies emerging technologies and legislation to ourstorage committees/task forces. industry seminars on relev FeTSA knoWledge exChAnge: Possibility to organise companiesPartnership is open to companies
Who Should join?
FeTSA knoWledge exChAnge: Possibility to organise industry seminars on relevant and/or with approval of or have an affinity with the tank pArT storage Thistopics includes, but is the not limited to:theinrelevant oF sector. our CommuniTy: Use of FETSA meeting rooms Brusselschair/secretariat at preferential to present new/emerg Port authorities topics and/or with the approval of the relevant chair/secretariat to present new/emerging technologies and tologo our committees/task OFFETSA OUR COMMUNITY: Use oflegislation FETSA meeting rooms in Brussels pricesPART (subject to availability). You can use the FETSA on your websiteatandforces. printed pArT oF our CommuniTy: Use of meeting rooms in Brussels at preferential (Tank) Cleaning companies pArT oF our Use of FETSA meeting rooms forces. in Brussels at preferential andCommuniTy: legislation to our committees/task Technical equipmenttechnologies providers Surveying companies preferential (subject availability). You use the FETSApartnership. logo on your materials in orderprices to state that to you are part of thecan FETSA supplier prices (subject to availability). You(subject can use the FETSAYou logo website printed prices to availability). canon useyour the FETSA logoand on your website and printed Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I) website and printed materials in order to state that you are part of the FETSA materials in order to state that you are part of the FETSA supplier partnership. Companies providing safety services Port authorities materials in order to state that you are part of the FETSA supplier partnership. control automation services supplier partnership.
Technical equipment providers Surveying companies pArT oF our CommuniTy: Use of FETSA meeting rooms in Brussels at preferential Database providers Fire fighting/protection companies
(Tank) Cleaning companies
inSighT: You will receive ourat exclusive members only and annual managem prices (subject availability). You can use logo on your website andnewsletter printed pArT oF our CommuniTy: Use of to FETSA meeting inthe Brussels preferential INSIGHT: Yourooms will receive ourFETSA exclusive members only newsletter and annual Magazines andproviding other industry Companies safety services Port authorities report soreport you are kept informed about the partnership. challenges we face in EU policy. inSighT: YouElectrical will receive our exclusive members only newsletter and annual management Loading equipment manufacturers & Instrumentation (E&I) management so you are kept informed about the challenges we face in EU policy. materials in order to state that you are part of the FETSA supplier prices (subject to availability). You can FETSA on your website and printed and annual management publications inSighT: Youuse willthe receive ourlogo exclusive members only newsletter report so you are kept informed about the challenges we face in EU policy. control automation services in order to state that you are part of the FETSAabout supplier partnership. Firematerials fighting/protection companies (Tank) Cleaningwe companies report so you are kept informed the challenges face in EU policy. Companies providing auditing
PRICE
• • • •
and management systems
Loading manufacturers Annual fee ofequipment EUR 2500 (excl. VAT.)
Database providers
Electrical (E&I) inSighT: You will receive & ourInstrumentation exclusive members only newsletter and annual manage Tank farm construction and Magazines and other industry publications Billed annually at the start of the subscription period (1 January). control automation services report so you are kept informed about the challenges we face in EU policy. priCe maintenance companies priCe providing auditing inSighT: Youtowill receive exclusive members only annual management AllCompanies applications for Supplier Partnership are subject approval theour FETSA Executive Committee, andnewsletter subject to theand terms and conditions set · Annual fee of EUR 2500 (excl. VAT.) out in the Supplier Partnership Agreement. and management systemsreport· Annual Database providers feeare of EUR (excl. VAT.) so you kept2500 informed about the challenges we face in EU policy.
priCe
Competition law must be respected.
· Billed annually atatthe period (1 January). · Billed annually thestart startof ofthe the subscription subscription period January). Tank farm construction Magazines (1and other industry publications · Annual fee of EUR and 2500 (excl. VAT.) · All applications for Supplier Partnership are subject to approval FETSA Executive Committee, · All applications for Supplier Partnership are subject to approval thethe FETSA Executive Committee, maintenance companies priCe
· Billed annually at the startand of thesubject subscription period (1 January). FETSA CONFERENCE and theANNUAL terms andconditions conditions set Supplier Partnership Agreement. subject toto the terms and setout outininthe the Supplier Partnership Agreement. · Annual fee of EUR 2500 (excl. VAT.) ·SAVE Competition law must berespected. respected. THE DATE · All applications for Supplier Partnership are subject to approval the FETSA Executive Committee, · Competition law must be priCe and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Supplier Partnership · Billed15-16 annuallyJune at the 2022 start of l Brussels subscription period (1 Agreement. January).
· Annual fee of EUR 2500 (excl. VAT.)
· Competition law must· All be applications respected. for Supplier Partnership are subject to approval the FETSA Executive Committee,
and to the termsperiod and conditions set out in the Supplier Partnership Agreement. · Billed the start ofsubject the (1 January). Contact Ravi annually Bhatiani,atrb@fetsa.eu for subscription further information Contact Ravi Bhatiani, rb@fetsa.eu for further information.
· Competition must be respected. · All applications for Supplier Partnership are subject to approval theinformation. FETSA Executive Committee, Contact Ravilaw Bhatiani, rb@fetsa.eu for further
FETSA and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Supplier Partnership Agreement. Rue Abbé Cuypers 3 | b 1040 Brussels, FETSA Belgium | Tel. +32 2741 68 33 | www.fetsa.eu Rue Abbé Cuypers 3 | B 1040 Brussels, Belgium FETSA · Competition law must be respected.
Federation of European Tank Storage Associations
MARKET ANALYSIS FETSA
PLANNING FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION FETSA’s Ravi Bhatiani looks at the contribution of the tank storage industry
THE FEDERATION of European obligations, the importance and function Tank Storage Associations (FETSA) of liquid storage within European supply represents European national tank chains will remain constant. storage associations and independent private storage companies operating INVESTMENT IN THE ENERGY bulk liquid storage terminals. FETSA TRANSITION We have reviewed key metrics within our743 sector to showcase data relating to terminals, transport represents 141 companies operating terminals across Europe. Increasingly modes, storage capacity, product mix, workers and pipeline data. These figures are composed of FETSA members are ready to support storage assets are being used in new the EU and national governments in the the national figures submitted by our ‘full’ (national association) as well as data from our ‘associate’ ways such as flow batteries, or storage energy association transition by ensuring thatFETSA existing (company) members based in countries where no national exists. In 2020, for waste that can be then re-used in the infrastructure can be used for both terminals have moved (in and out) 140 percent of European oil consumption. This demonstrates circular economy. traditional and alternative fuel sources; by
Key figures 2020: EU data
the importance of our sector in energy and chemical logistics. liquid products will evolve to adaptingWhilst infrastructure to accommodate Looking to the future, whilst liquid meet our climate obligations, the importance and function of liquid storage within European alternative liquids and gases; by supply products will evolve to meet climate chains will remain constant.
01 5 700
Investment next 5 years (million EUR)
125 768 943
Storage capacity 31 December 2020 (m3)
108 855 244 Oils & Fuels 743
Number of terminals
13 431 391 Chemicals 3 482 308 Other
7 443 766
37 430
80 081
537 735
Number of trucks per year
Number of barges per year
Number of seagoing vessels per year
Number of wagons per year
maintaining and developing supply chain efficiency; and by storing reserves for energy resilience. FETSA members expect to invest €5.7 billion in new infrastructure, infrastructure renewal and so on over the next five years. This is a huge figure and it will help to ensure that the infrastructure remains safe, innovative, and secure, and can store both existing as well as new liquid products. This figure also shows that the tank storage industry is capital intensive, notably because it requires expensive infrastructure, cutting edge technology and highly trained specialised personnel in order to meet ongoing safety and environmental standards. The spending timeframe is characterised by uncertainty, transition and potential disruption. In fact, this figure was €5.3 billion in 2018. This shows that the energy transition, automation, safety commitments and emissions reductions are drivers of expenditure in the sector and large investments are necessary to ensure policy goals can be achieved across all these areas, particularly related to the energy transition. This is one important reason why we at FETSA are working with European authorities and government representatives to ensure a sustainable, safe, innovative and climate neutral future for the new (and next) generation of energy carriers and critical industrial inputs. For more information: This article was written by Ravi Bhatiani, executive director at FETSA. www.fetsa.eu
46 531
Number of FTE (including long term subcontractors)
PAGE 38 4
44 694 946 Pipeline traffic (Ktonne per km)
01 Key figures 2020: EU data
11th & 12th May 2022 The NEC, Birmingham, UK PRE-REGISTER FOR FREE ENTRY!
CHEMUK2022 The Supply Chain Expo & Speaker Programme for the UK’s Chemical Industry
FREE ENTRY
WHEN ERED PRE-REGIST
2 Packed Days 350+ Leading Exhibitors Latest Plant & Equipment Chemicals & Materials Sourcing Supply Chain Networking 100+ Expert Speakers Panel Sessions & Keynotes NEW FOR 2022 Bio-Innovation Zone
Headline Media Partner
Supporting Partners include:
11TH & 12TH MAY 2022 REGISTER FREE AT WWW.CHEMICALUKEXPO.COM
MARKET ANALYSIS CHANNOIL
FUTURE FUELS AND FUTURE STORAGE Channoil’s Mark Waddington looks at the energy transition, demand developments and their impact on the storage sector in Europe
THE WORLD is on a pathway to the most significant energy transition since the emergence of fossil fuels as a major global energy source. The evidence for climate change is no longer under serious dispute, the major question now, is how quickly the mitigating actions need to take place. There will be a repositioning in the tank storage sector and there will be localised casualties. Increasingly, investment is going to be driven by the requirements to be sustainable and green. The effects – driven by evolving demand – are expected to be highly regional, and this will determine storage demand. We anticipate an important phase for the tank storage sector as the decarbonisation journey accelerates but with a regional imbalance in the growth trends. Clearly, demand for conventional fossil fuels will decline, but at what pace? And what alternatives will the storage sector have for maintaining revenues? ROAD TRANSPORT FUEL The latest round of EU legislation attempts to make room for a range of fuel and energy solutions. There is a strong incentive for electric vehicles (EVs) over gasoline and diesel vehicles, but growth of biofuels also continues to be encouraged. Legislators are taking what they call a ‘ratcheting’ approach, whereby the mandates are increased stepwise as new
PAGE 40
technologies emerge, which in turn make it easier to hit higher targets. Gasoline consumption will continue to fall in advanced economies as the passenger car fleet turns to battery power. Passenger road transport applications are among the easiest to electrify, and the rapid growth of EV sales is expected to continue. We recently examined transport fuel demand evolution in Germany to 2030 and beyond. We saw that a trebling of EVs in the passenger vehicle fleet from around 5 million to 15 million brought about a 15% decline in fossil gasoline demand by 2030. This may well be a conservative estimate, as nearly 700,000 new EVs were registered in Germany in 2021 alone. However, these levels of EV registration are sufficient for Germany to hit their stated 25% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target by 2030. What we conclude from this is that further increases in the targets will be brought in as soon as they look achievable, which will depress gasoline and diesel demand further. Additionally, biofuels mandates are increasing and there is a shift away from crop-based fuels to non-crop sources. And this in only the picture to 2030. The decline in conventional fossil fuel demand beyond 2030 can be expected to steepen. And the EU as a trade bloc is not alone in increasing its targets.
Passenger diesel car demand is already on a downward trend, although this is compensated by truck and bus diesel demand, in the short term. Hydrogen refuelling stations are already being built for power trains based on fuel cell technology. Today, such the hydrogen available is not green – it is made from fossil fuel derivatives. But, as demand increases, the required economies of scale for green hydrogen will be more easily reached. Availability of green hydrogen capacity is limited by the amount of spare green energy available. The German motor industry is investing heavily in hydrogen power trains. Hydrogen may also be a serious candidate for extractive industries. EVOLVING FUEL USAGE Each transport sector has its own specific fuel types, and the evolving alternatives are also tailored to each sector. The table below illustrates the likely evolution of options by application. For most, there is no easy solution, and it is widely expected that a combination of options will be Aviation carries the greatest challenge of any sector, as the energy efficiency per unit weight of fossil fuels is extremely difficult to replace. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology pathways are well under way, with bioethanol to jet emerging as one alternative. For the storage sector, product segregation will be the main challenge, as will high quality tracking of hydrocarbon origin.
MARKET ANALYSIS CHANNOIL
01
Application
Today
Aviation Jet
2030s
Towards 2050
Jet + offsets / Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) SAF Electric
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) Jet + offsets / CCUS Electric
Sea
Fuel oil Marine gasoil LNG Methanol LPG
Fuel oil Marine gasoil Renewable diesel Biofuels LNG Blue ammonia Blue hydrogen
Green ammonia Green methanol Renewable diesel Biofuels LNG Blue ammonia Blue hydrogen
Passenger car
Gasoline Crop ethanol
Gasoline Advanced ethanol Battery / hybrid
Electric
Diesel (car and van)
Diesel FAME Renewable diesel
Diesel Advanced biodiesel Renewable diesel
Electric
Diesel (truck and bus)
Diesel FAME Renewable diesel
Diesel Advanced biodiesel Renewable diesel
CNG Electric Fuel cell
Powergen
Ammonia CO2 Blue hydrogen
Ammonia CO2 Green hydrogen
Energy storage
Battery Cryogenic
The shipping sector appears complex, but this is largely driven by the fact that this sector is currently using some of the dirtiest fuels. Alternative low carbon fuels seem to be attracting considerable interest. The front-runners in the discussion are e-methanol and ammonia, especially when produced via electrolysis using wind and solar power. Also, a B30 fuel oil with 70% very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and 30% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), is proving successful in trials. The storage sector needs to consider all of them as an important part of the future fuel mix. Ammonia will also play a role as a means of transporting green hydrogen: hydrogen can be readily converted into ammonia and vice versa, and ammonia is far easier to ship than hydrogen. Ammonia is hazardous but the handling protocols are well understood. FUTURE FOR THE SECTOR So, the tank storage industry must adapt and invest for the future and seek out new storage contracts for the storage of emerging and alternative
fuels and embrace innovation, adapting the terminals infrastructure to maximise flexibility. Terminals may need to cast their nets wider than transition fuels and consider sectors including Petrochemicals, food storage or environmental recycling of liquids. Moving from the traditional oil storage terminal model, where there may be a limited number of different products and little in the way of product, to a multi-product, frequent product change terminal, requires a different strategy and operating plan. The terminal infrastructure also needs to be adapted to embrace the required flexibility to cope with multiple products, with simultaneous tank, rail, pipeline and truck operations. This will require investments in additional pipelines and pumps, along with automated control and monitoring systems so that individual tanks can be filled and emptied with a wider variety of liquid products. It is quite possible that energy transition may lead to a surplus of tanks and terminals, so ‘survival of the fittest’ will also likely be a major consideration to CEO’s considering their strategic plan over the next decade and beyond.
For more information: Mark Waddington is the director and senior consultant at Channoil Energy. He will give a presentation on this topic at StocExpo 2022, which will be held from 23-35 May 2022 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. www.channoilenergy.com www.stocexpo.com
01 Future fuel options by sector. Source: Channoil
PAGE 41
ADVERTORIAL RE-GEN ROBOTICS
RE-GEN ROBOTICS: THE BY-WORD FOR SAFETY IN TANK CLEANING Intelligent tank cleaning solutions for companies that prioritise safety THE FOUNDATIONS for a new era in tank cleaning safety were laid in 2019 and in less than three years Re-Gen Robotics has already forged its reputation as the go-to company for 100% nonperson entry tank cleaning solutions. With an ambitious, young, pioneering team driving the company’s success, they have singlehandedly disrupted the sector by establishing the new norms of safety, service, integrity, and trust. Managing director Fintan Duffy is at the helm of the team setting these new safety standards, unknown before in the industry. He and his team have redefined how the dirtiest, most dangerous tanks are cleaned and have set a new benchmark for tank cleaning in the sector. It’s clear to see that the industry is responding to a company that is committed to safety and performance that goes far beyond their requirements. By engaging Re-Gen Robotics’ tank cleaning services, they are strengthening their own business performance, competitiveness, and reputation. Duffy says: ‘It’s simple, we embed the delivery of best practice at every tier of the business from equipment design and engineering to service delivery and after sales. Inherent safety can be achieved by avoiding hazards altogether, rather than trying to control them and that’s where massive cost savings are made.’ Their self-contained system includes vacuum, jetting, cranage, and robotics, with nothing extra to hire or buy, simplifying the entire tank cleaning process. Productivity is enhanced and
01
tanks are brought into operation again more quickly. According to Duffy, ‘high hazard’ need never be ‘high risk’, if the correct risk controls are in place, and that’s where his company comes in. ‘Tank terminal operators are focused on attaining productivity while also maintaining operational efficiency. By taking advantage of our latest and most advanced proprietary technology, they are reducing the duration of the tank clean and its intensity, and realising the significant benefits of efficiency, safety, quality and cost saving. ‘Our highly standardised and selfcontained operation process means the cleaning schedule is ultra-precise, allowing clients to reasonably estimate the amount of time needed for cleaning any given tank. There are clear advantages for tank terminals; fixed costs, reduced paperwork and permits, and no requirement for capital outlay and standby rescue teams.’ Re-Gen Robotics’ service from start to finish is straightforward and completely transparent, they are providing clients a tried and tested, premium tank cleaning service from a company they can trust. Four main robotic tank cleaning services are provided to a range of companies across the UK. These include fixed roof, floating roof, heavy fuel oil and coned floor tank cleaning. Their unique, closed loop cleaning system can reduce cleaning time by 40–80%, significantly decreasing tank downtime and loss of production.
At no time during their cleaning process is there a need for human presence in a tank. The operator remains in a Zone 1 control unit where activity is analysed through a series of ATEX cameras and gas monitoring equipment fixed to the robot. The entire tank cleaning system can be set up in two hours, which is a fraction of the time required for manned crews to gear up, to enter a tank. The operation is recorded on CCTV from the ATEX cameras affixed to the robots and is made available to the client upon completion of the works. All files are date and time stamped to ensure the process is traceable for auditing purposes. A record of gas detection readings is also issued on completion of each vessel cleaning, produced by the onboard gas monitoring equipment. The truck telemetry system generates real time information on all key aspects including energy consumption and waste generation. These reports contribute to clients being able to make immediate decisions that help them conserve funds and run cleaner, greener businesses. The team is agile and ready to meet the needs of their customers, staying close to them to ascertain what additional features Re-Gen Robotics can create to provide them most value. Since 2019, Re-Gen Robotics has made £7 million (€8.3 million) investment across all key areas of their service, in preparation for significant international growth. Duffy says that he is already seeing the results of the growth plan they put in place a year ago. ‘Being innovative and agile is part of our DNA, we continually invest in our service to meet our customers’ needs – our people and equipment are best-in-class, in fact we are unique in the marketplace.’ For more information: www.regenrobotics.com
01 Re-Gen Robotics lorry and trailer
PAGE 42
TECHNICAL NEWS
TECHNICAL NEWS: GLOBAL INDUSTRY UPDATES Atmos International
Port of Antwerp
ATMOS INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHES PIPELINE SIMULATION BOOK
PORT OF ANTWERP USES DRONES TO SPOT DEBRIS
Leak detection specialist Atmos International has published The Atmos book of pipeline simulation to provide in-depth insight into simulation technology, with examples from the Atmos Simulation (SIM) Suite pipeline software.
The Port of Antwerp in Belgium has hosted Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of civil service, public enterprises, telecommunications and postal services Petra De Sutter to demonstrate the use of drones in detecting floating debris within the port.
The book has been written by Atmos experts and looks at the behaviour of gas and liquid pipelines and associated equipment. It discusses how computers deal with challenging physical laws involving partial differential equations and how pipeline simulation software deals with challenging real-world pipeline data, aiming to familiarise readers with pipeline simulation. Topics covered include: • The versatility of Atmos SIM in modelling gas and liquid pipelines and simulating every type of scenarios: offline, online, look-aheads and as a tool for training and assessment • The importance of a transient ground thermal model to calculate the inventory and estimated time of arrival (ETA) calculations • The thermodynamic principles and detailed calculations governing the performance of pumps, compressors and associated equipment, including their efficiency and energy consumption • How the automated Atmos Tuning Assistant facilitates calibrating models manually, and how automatic learnt parameters act to keep a model well-calibrated while simulating in real-time • How smart adaptive knot-spacing and time-stepping algorithms improve both the speed and the accuracy of a simulation • Why the Maximum Likelihood State Estimator, using a statistical approach, is the most reliable method for reconciling potentially flawed meter data in real-time • How advanced look-aheads, cloud computing and strategic optimisers empower pipeliners with insights they never had before
The book has a main core covering technical details and appendices with the history of pipelines, background information on the energy industry, a primer on pipeline basics, a discussion around hydrogen and a quiz to consolidate the reader’s knowledge. ‘This book addresses a set of pertinent discussions of interest to pipeline simulation professionals. These have, to our knowledge, never been compiled before in a single convenient place. It aims to contextualise what pipeline simulation is all about,’ says Moemen Metwally, application support engineer at Atmos and the main author of the book.
BPA
BPA JOINS EEMUA The British Pipeline Agency (BPA) has joined the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) as a corporate member. The BPA is owned jointly by BP and Shell and operates a range of onshore fuel transport and storage facilities, mainly in the UK, including more than 1,000 km of fuel pipelines, and associated pumping stations, bulk storage tank-sites and road/rail terminal facilities. The BPA also provides operational and engineering consultancy services to the onshore oil and gas pipeline sector worldwide to develop such facilities.
Debris such as plastics, wood, cardboard, organic material and mooring lines pollutes the water, poses a risk to ships and negatively affects biodiversity. Up to 50 tonnes of such debris is removed from the port each year, but with an area of 120 km2 to monitor, finding the debris can be difficult. The Port of Antwerp has now developed a ‘machine vision’ application which used drone images to build up a map of the area and shows the location of floating debris. The port authority will soon deploy drones to fly over the entire port area several times a day, to enable it to locate and clean up floating debris more quickly. The plan is to develop a network of autonomous drones to provide a live feed of all port activities, with tasks such as inspecting infrastructure, surveillance and monitoring, incident management, berth management and the detection of oil spills, as well as looking for floating debris. Such drones will help to support the Harbour Safety & Security (HSS) unit and its security partners. The 5G network will be used to stream images. Other drones have already been trialled in the port. For example, in 2021, the
EEMUA and the BPA have similar objectives relating to safety, the environment and operating performance of high hazard industrial assets and BPA’s involvement in EEMUA is expected to generate mutual benefits.
PAGE 43
TECHNICAL NEWS fire department used a combination of colour and infrared images from a 5G live stream of drone footage to monitor a fire, gaining a better idea of the location and how to tackle it more effectively. ‘It is a good example of how digitalisation, a clean environment and the fight against climate change can go hand in hand. I am really looking forward to the further added value that 5G can offer in terms of ecological applications. With the help of 5G, a drone can transmit very large amounts of data without any problem. This is not only good for the environment. Also for safety. The port is close to the city. If there is a fire, the thermal cameras can immediately help the fire brigade,’ says De Sutter.
OPW
OPW BUYS VISILEVEL US fluid handling solutions company OPW has bought VisiLevel, a fluid gauging system from UK company MechTronic. VisiLevel is ATEX and IECEx approved and can accurately identify the contents of a tanker by measuring the volume, temperature, density and colour. When used in conjunction with a stock, fleet and order management system like StockSmart, it can provide a complete live audit trail of all product movements. OPW will now manufacture the patented VisiLevel system at its facility in NieuwVennep, the Netherlands, to further expand its fluid transfer product and technology offerings to international customers. ‘VisiLevel works to help prevent fuel theft and contamination, as well as improve driver safety,’ says Edwin Smit, managing director for OPW’s EMEA Fluid Transfer Group.
Carboline
CARBOLINE CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY US company Carboline, which develops coatings, linings and fireproofing, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022. The company has various plans for employees and customers to mark the milestone, including a scheme called 75 Ways to Give Back, where employees worldwide volunteer in their community and share their experience, and a competition, 75 Red Buckets of
PAGE 44
Surprises, where customers send in their Carboline stories for a chance to receive a signature red bucket filled with Carboline-branded items. Carboline products have been used on iconic projects like NASA’s Cape Canaveral Launch Station and Olympic stadiums, as well as countless other museums, stadiums, refineries, power plants, water tanks, and marine vessels. Carboline has launched more than 500 products, including brands such as Bitumastic, Carboguard, Carboquick, Carbozinc, Firefilm, Phenoline, Plasite, Polyclad, Pyrocrete, Pyroclad, Reactamine, Sanitile, Thermaline, and Thermo-Lag. Carboline now has seven research facilities, 20 manufacturing facilities, and hundreds of warehouses. ‘2022 marks our 75th anniversary, an accomplishment we are tremendously proud of. For 75 years, Carboline has been solving some of the industry’s most challenging problems. We remain committed to the idea that there is always a solution. On behalf of our employees worldwide, vendor partners, and customers, we look forward to the next 75 years,’ says company president, Chris Tiernay.
20,000 autonomous flights and nearly 200 daily users, Skeyetech technology is now considered mature. The expanded applications will meet new customer needs, and will include solutions dedicated to industrial inspection and gas detection and quantification. In 2021, Azur research teams developed a new photogrammetry functionality for a major player in the mining sector, and in collaboration with Avnir Energy, the first autonomous aerial solution for radioactivity detection, SkeyetechDIZI. Azur also plans to accelerate international growth. As well as in France, its systems are currently deployed in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It is currently working to obtain new regulatory authorisations. Growth will be driven by structuring contracts put in place at the end of 2021, including a framework agreement with TotalEnergies and a distribution contract for 24 countries signed with security leader G4S. Azur will also continue to structure itself to cope with the expected increase in deployments. It has more than 65 employees and will expand its sales, R&D, support and operations teams in 2022 Azur has raised nearly €38 million since 2016.
Azur Drones
AZUR DRONES RAISES €8 MILLION FOR DEVELOPMENT Azur Drones, a French developer of drone-in-a-box solutions, has raised almost €8 million with a French private investor for further development, and to consolidate its leadership, in 2022. The company plans to expand the applications of its Skeyetech drone-ina-box solution. Skeyetech was originally developed for surveillance but is increasingly used by industry. It has been used for more than two years on critical sites of large industrial companies such as TotalEnergies, Orano, Port of Dunkerque, Oiltanking and major players in the chemical industry. With more than
CERTivation
CERTIVATION RECEIVES ANAB ACCREDITATION CERTivation, a German accreditation body which is part of the Rosen Group, has been accredited as a personnel certification body by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The company has fulfilled the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024:2012 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons, within the scopes of ‘Certified in Pipeline Integrity Management: CS_014F’ and ‘Certified in Pipeline Defect Assessment: CS_020F.’ CERTivation, as part of Rosen, has a strong connection to the oil and gas industry, and identified a need within the industry for qualified programs for the continuous learning and development of its employees and ensure sufficient competence, specifically for pipeline integrity. It commissioned the Qualification Panel for the Pipeline Industry (QPPI), an independent panel of qualified subject matter experts, to identify the competencies that are essential in the field of pipeline integrity, and to develop respective certification
TECHNICAL NEWS schemes. Eight qualifications were selected for certification by CERTivation. Having been accredited in two, CERTivation is currently in the process of accreditation according to ISO 17024 by ANSI for the certifications of the six other qualifications identified by the QPPI. The new accreditation represents a strategic expansion of CERTivation’s service portfolio, which already includes accredited certification of management systems according to international standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001. The company says it was a ‘natural step’ to seek accreditation as a personnel certification body in the field of pipeline integrity.
Cortec
CORTEC OFFERS ALTERNATIVE TO NITROGEN PURGE Corrosion control technology company Cortec has developed an alternative to nitrogen blanketing for easy, effective corrosion protection of void spaces, VpCI-337. Nitrogen purge or blanketing protects metal void spaces from corrosion. However, nitrogen gas is expensive, the technique requires a constant pressure of nitrogen with an airtight seal, with a need for continual monitoring, and leaks pose a suffocation hazard to staff. VpCI-337 is a waterborne, vapour-phase corrosion inhibitor that is applied by fogging into metal void spaces. The inhibitors diffuse throughout the void and condense on metal surfaces to form a protective molecular layer. This layer inhibits the corrosion reaction on the metal surfaces even in the presence of oxygen and residual moisture. The space must be completely closed for the corrosion inhibitors to be effective, but an air-tight seal is not required as for nitrogen purge. The system can be used for large items such as heat recovery steam generators
all the way to small crates of metal parts. It has been used for the one-year protection of aboveground storage tank (AST) internals at a sulphur recovery plant, the temporary protection of fuel tanks in retired aircraft stored outdoors during museum renovation, and the internal preservation of pig receivers enroute from construction yard to offshore installation site, amongst other things.
Re-Gen Robotics
RE-GEN ROBOTICS OPENS NEW £1 MILLION HQ Re-Gen Robotics, which specialises in non-person entry robotic tank cleaning, has completed its new £1 million (€1.2 million) headquarters in Newry, Northern Ireland, UK. The new HQ includes high-specification offices, and a high-tech engineering and robotics hub to house the company’s research and development facility with bays installed to service their growing number of robots and tankers. It is part of continued expansion for Re-Gen, which carries out cleaning works for oil majors. In the past year, Re-Gen has doubled its staff count from six to 12 and will recruit more design engineers, robot operators and project managers in the coming months to meet demand. In July 2021, Re-Gen was awarded a patent for its non-person entry robotic tank cleaning solution and is working on several new patents to carry out more diverse tasks remotely. It also plans to further develop existing robotic equipment. The company won three awards at the Energy Industries Council Awards 2021 – the Innovation Award, the Sustainability Award and the Company of the Year Award – and also won the Problem Solver Award at the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. ‘The last couple of years have been an exciting time for our business. We’ve made substantial investments across several key areas including our people, our service offering and a new 2,500 ft2 headquarters with R&D facilities, in preparation for significant international growth,’ says managing director Fintan Duffy. ‘Our focus is firmly on plans to realise a raft of new equipment in 2022. The company has evolved so much recently with the addition of new robots, equipment and services that have very quickly made a big impact on our market share. So, investing further in our incredibly talented people, our processes and facilities is the next strategic step for us.’
ECOM
ECOM LAUNCHES THIRD GENERATION ANDROID TABLET The Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments has launched the third generation of its 8’ Tab-Ex series – the intrinsically safe Tab-Ex03 tablet in the DZ2 (for Zone 2/22 & Division 2) and D2 (for Division 2) variants. The tablets are based on the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3 tablet and is designed to be slim and lightweight. It has state-of-the-art technology for harsh environments and more RAM and external storage than earlier models. It runs on Android 11 with an update guarantee and includes the new Enterprise Edition of Samsung Knox for high data and device security. Operators can use gloves or the S Pen stylus, which writes like a real pen with high pressure sensitivity. On the large screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, construction drawings, for example, can be viewed in detail and greater size than on a smartphone display. There is a 13 megapixel rear camera and 5 megapixel front camera. The tablets can be connected to a desktop computer via Samsung’s DeX function. The integrated Google ARCore makes the tablet fit for augmented reality applications in Industry 4.0, such as for plant management or predictive maintenance. An individually programmable button enables, among other things, a quick and effective alarm, emergency calls or push-to-talk (PTT) for maximum employee safety at all times. Solutions from ECOM’s Digital Products & Services division mean the tablet is easy to set up and manage, and can be updated at any time. By analysing historical data, safety-critical processes become visible. The Tab-Ex 03 is available immediately in the DZ2 and D2 variants, with the DZ1 (for Zone 1/21 and Division 1) variant following in mid-2022. PAGE 45
TECHNICAL NEWS improvement as an economical substitute for piling where appropriate,’ says Menard North America CEO Seth Pearlman, adding: ‘The bottom line is that we were not on the West Coast. Now we are – and we have a great partner in Farrell in this highly-active region of the United States.’
KTN
KTN JOINS ROSEN GROUP Norwegian inspection specialist KTN has become a full member of Swiss global integrity solutions provider Rosen Group. Menard
MENARD USA BUYS FARRELL DESIGN-BUILD COMPANIES Ground improvement specialist firm Menard USA has bought Farrell Design-Build Companies, a speciality geotechnical contractor based in California, US. Farrell Design-Build Companies was founded in 1999 by Tim Farrell, who will remain president of the company following the acquisition. It builds deep foundation and ground improvement support for heavy structures, parking garages, office, high-rise and industrial buildings, hospitals, schools and universities, water treatment plants and warehouses in the highly seismic regions of California. Its 65 employees will join Menard. Menard USA is part of French company Menard, an international specialty ground improvement construction company, itself part of Vinci Construction. Menard operates in more than 80 countries providing ground improvement services with techniques such as wick drains, earthquake (EQ) drains, Controlled Modulus Column (CMC) rigid inclusions, stone columns, dynamic compaction, rapid impact compaction, and soil mixing. Typical projects include support of warehouses, buildings, material storage piles, processing areas, embankments, roadways, port facilities, storage tanks, containment structures, and relieving platforms. ‘Farrell is an entrepreneurial company in a market which has both soft and liquefiable ground. They focus on designbuild ground improvement projects using techniques similar to ours in a high-seismic environment. Like Menard, Farrell is driven to influence the market, bringing value to their customers by expanding the application of ground
PAGE 46
KTN specialises in in tethered ultrasonic self-propelled solutions for the inspection of unpiggable assets and for the past five years has worked with Rosen to provide in-line inspection services for challenging pipelines. It will now provide services under the Rosen brand. Rosen says that the new strategic alliance extends its technology and increases the possibilities for customised solutions for challenging pipeline diagnostics. Rosen and KTN will offer self-propelled tethered inspection units with ultrasonic testing (UT) and time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) technologies as well as additional resources for feasibility studies. The tethered in-line inspection method enables the collection of high-quality data on pipeline integrity status based on various features, including propulsion units that can be remotely controlled in both forward and backward motion as well as speed adjustments, precise highresolution geometry, wall thickness/ corrosion and crack measurement with reliable pulse-echo UT technology and a live tether, which provides unlimited power supply and transmits real-time data back to the system operator. Rosen says that as well as creating customised solutions, the services added to its portfolio include ultrasonic geometry inspection (diameter variation, dents, ovalities), ultrasonic corrosion/ wall thickness inspection (normal beam, pulse-echo), ultrasonic axial and circumferential crack inspection (angular beam, pulse-echo, shear wave and TOFD), eddy current technologies for corrosion and coating, visual inspection with CCTV camera (in visible products), and XYZ mapping services. ‘The decision to offer solutions under one brand was made to ensure operators are best supported in customising solutions for their pipelines. No personnel changes will be made and services will continue to be provided by trusted experts,’ says Rosen Group.
Hydrogenious and ESCO
HYDROGENIOUS AND ESCO FORM UAE JV FOR HYDROGEN German cleantech company Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies has formed a joint venture with Emirates Specialized Contracting & Oilfield Services (ESCO) to deliver hydrogen infrastructure in the Middle East. The head office of the new Hydrogenious LOHC Emirates is in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and aims to provide solutions for hydrogen storage and transport at any scale and distance. The JV will have a product portfolio including liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) based hydrogenation and dehydrogenation turnkey plants, operations and management services and LOHC logistics services. Additionally, the JV plans to develop joint benchmark projects with regional partners. ‘Hydrogenious LOHC Emirates wants to source low-cost sustainable hydrogen from on-site and establish efficient LOHC-based supply chains for and to the predestined hydrogen demand countries worldwide. Among them will be Germany as key market of course, as it fits perfectly into the H2Global set-up. But we are also thinking about energy intensive destinations such as in Japan and South Korea,’ says Dr Andreas Lehmann, who is CEO of the JV and is Head of Strategy at Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies. Karim Attie, CEO of ESCO and now also managing partner at Hydrogenious LOHC Emirates adds: ‘Hydrogen momentum in Middle East is significantly increasing, leading to LOHC lighthouse project opportunities to form consortia for intercontinental hydrogen transportation. Hydrogenious’ proprietary and ingenious LOHC technology allows for now establishing sustainable hydrogen value chains globally and ESCO stands for thinking outside the barrel. The engagement in the joint venture with the German Hydrogenious LOHC Technology is not only proof point for this but will also be a strong driver to unleash the power of hydrogen in the Arab world.’
TECHNICAL DIGITALISATION
INDUSTRY 4.0: THE BASIS FOR FUTURE FLEXIBLE BUSINESS MODELS Accenture’s Eduard Smits explains the benefits of digitalising a business 01
documented as drawings, which define INDUSTRY 4.0 PROVIDES THE DATA asset capabilities. After handover from FOR DIGITAL OPERATION With its technological constraints engineering, the operation realises value, The Fourth Industrial Revolution means a thing of the past, BIM is both very often also not paperless. Imagine a trend towards automation and data enabledthe by,possibilities and an enabler of,engineering and when exchange“The in manufacturing and Government processes will the latest digital technologies. operations are digitalised. This would technologies. For example, think3D about require fully collaborative make it possible analyse the actual value E&C companies can use to it as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), BIM as a minimum by 2016” cloud and production realised during operations a framework to create digital computing and artificial intelligence. andand compare against the original designs Government Construction mock-ups simulations prior Cloud technology is the Strategy 2011linchpin in this, from the engineering phase. to construction (encompassing as it unites all the available information Combining engineering and operations and enables the combination of multiple structural considerations, HVAC, requires a fluent handover between and different types of data. When data energy consumption, illumination, the two. It requires close cooperation like records (business), time-series services and facilities). They can and a fluent digital handover starting (process), measurements (sampling), use it in conjunction with the at construction and during the video and public sources (weather data), Industrial Internet of Things commissioning of anand asset. Closing the geo-location (GIS) are put together mobilityloop at worksites assess betweento engineering and operation it can effectively turn into actionable thiscontrol way delivers a so-called digital thread: progress, procurement information. 2010 engineering provides a digital model of the and inventory, and manage This variety of data is usually seen as ‘big asset, while the operation runs the reality subcontractors. They can add data’. With proper contextualisation and and enriches the model with live data. pulling the right information from data, drones to capture measurements In the construction industry there are BIM UTILIZATION IN PROJECTS this can turn into ‘smart data’. And this or spot equipment failures and Source: UK BIM Utilization Survey 2013 several examples of building information is the essential information businesses wearables and augmented reality modelling (BIM) data being shared with need to keep up with the shorter devices to raise worker productivity. engineering and designs are shared economic cycles. They can also coordinate off-site of components. with the manufacturers prefabrication, sequencing and 3D check as to This also provides an active the new design meets printingwhether to leverage levels of the business DIGITAL THREAD case: the equipment efficiency. Ordoes link up engineers for bring the value Businesses usually see two distinct 2011 in operation for which it was designed? remote collaboration in real time. organisational pillars when they start to Companies with many near-identical or BIM is thus one way of driving a digitalise: engineering and operations. similar assets will benefit from such a digital transformation. During engineering, assets are learning curve.
UK CASE
Today, BIM is increasingly widespread. Especially as it becomes a mandatory part of public procurement in many countries. In 2016, the UK government introduced “BIM level 2” compliance regulations (4D and 5D Design) for construction companies that want to bid for public projects. More than half of the projects executed in the USA are using BIM. The French government
13%
plans to make BIM mandatory in public procurement in 2017. The German federal government THE TREND towards sustainability announced the creation of a and energy transition continues, Digital Building Platformand and companies need to adapt ever faster to has used BIM in major projects1. changing economics and compliance And Norway, Finland, Denmark legislation. How can all of this be managed? anddata the is Netherlands havewill all Decision-ready key here, which implemented BIM strategies enable adaptation of the business process for public procurement. BIM is and maintaining a healthy financial state for a business. However, the data thus quicklygetting becoming a ‘must needed to make decisions starts with have’ capability. digitalising the business. These are the four steps/phases in the digitalisation process that I see taking place across all assetintensive industries.
31%
FIGURE 1: BIM MATURITY LEVELS
02
1
4
CAD
Isolated BIM
Collaborative BIM
Integrated BIM
CAD
2D/3D
4D/5D
6D
No complex management, 2D and poor information exchange.
2D design and potential 3D (not required) integrated with a PDM System (Product Data Management).
3D design integration with planning, project management and cost management.
Full lifecycle integration considering Maintenance and Operations (M&O). Focused on asset management.
LEVEL 0
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
Source: www.bimplus.co.uk/news/france-and-germany-move-forward-bim-adoption/ www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/france-moving-toward-mandating-bim-for-public-procurement-in-2017/ BUILDING FOR SUCCESS
PAGE 47
STRATEGY
INDUSTRY X
.. supported by a flexible and scalable twin-based manufacturing TECHNICAL DIGITALISATION architecture ... Side-by-side
03
PLM
From decision support …
ERP
Optimized Loop
Ops Twin
PLM
ERP
Ops Twin
PLM
ERP
MES/MOM
MES/MOM
MES/MOM
Scada
Scada
Scada
Automation
Automation
Automation
Leverage data to anticipate events and react real time “raising the bar” on typical manufacturing KPIs
Complete “digital thread” for increased agility and start closing the loop with advanced optimization logics
DescriptiveIS THE BASIS FOR Diagnostic and understand reports Predictive rather than rely A PLATFORM on experience only. BUSINESS GROWTH Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.
Businesses see the need for digitalisation and the overarching question is: what to digitalise first? A business also needs to ask how it can change towards a digital business and how to fit this into existing architectures and ways of working, and even more importantly: how can this be done in a futureproof way? This is especially important since the lifecycle of an asset is at least 30 years while the economic and software cycles are much shorter. I have noticed that many initiatives for digitalisation have led to successful proofs of concept. However, the real business value comes from scaling enterprise wide, horizontally over multiple assets and vertically by adapting and enriching digital services within a single asset. This is where the trend of so called ‘platform companies’ comes from: companies that moved from offering products to inviting their customers to a platform. Think about Apple, eBay, Zalando, Google and many more. They start small on a stable and scalable platform and as the market evolves the platform grows accordingly. And the more the platform grows, the more data they are able to collect, and the more trends may be derived from the data. Individual customers benefit from sharing their data as that enables machine learning and thereby improves the overall platform quality and user experience. This is what’s called the ‘swarm effect’: the more members contribute to the platform, the more they will all benefit. Implementing a platform at multiple sites will reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO), improve standardisation and provide insights cross-site. In turn, this will help standardise processes and capture best practices. However, this also means an upscale of the user community: they need to become more data driven
PAGE 48
Integrated
TWINNING IS WINNING Most asset-intensive companies, like those operating in the chemicals, tank storage and oil and gas sectors, have many and large sets of equipment and thousands of sensors, all spread out over individual sites. When businesses wish to expand existing and traditional control systems, this is best done by adding an additional IoT platform in parallel per individual use case. This will leave the function and safety of existing systems intact and complements processes with additional insights. When the collected data is made available to a cloud platform, everyone can benefit of the available data. And over time, as more and more data is collected and scenarios are tested (good vs. bad decisions), this will lead to a more precise digital model of the assets: the digital twin. This results in an automated capture of best practice of the asset. The digital twin works on gathering asset data and learns about the digital fingerprint of each asset. This in-depth knowledge of operations leads to faster and safer decisions regarding the asset. At the same time, the digital twin will also assist in improving the maintenance cycles, moving from reactive to predictive maintenance. On top of that, best practices will become automatically become available when more data is gathered, which can also be used to train staff. Can you imagine being able to try out exceptional operational scenarios or different commercial scenarios at a site without risk to the assets? That’s what the digital twin can be used for. The best example of a digital twin is the flight simulator for airplanes. The models and characteristics of airplanes are so exact,
Ops Twin
… to closed loop operations
Achieve closed loop “autonomous“ operations with full integration between execution and optimization
Prescriptive pilots may realistically learn, trainAdaptive and test landing under difficult situations and do so safely in a simulator. Setting up a digital twin of a company’s assets is an organisational journey and can be best done in phases. A SHIFT IN GEAR For industrial enterprises it’s not enough to simply focus on a return to the pre-pandemic normal. Sustainability and energy transition are here to stay, as are the changing economics that businesses need to adapt to. The scale of ambition needs to be much higher – shifting gears to enter a new phase of accelerated growth. This is not easy and means finding the right balance between tomorrow’s growth and today’s business. It requires a deep understanding of emerging technologies, seeing the opportunities of digitalising to a business, and a focus on the ever-changing needs of both customers and employees. Are you ready to shift gears? For more information: Eduard Smits is the associate director, Industry X at Accenture Netherlands. He will give a presentation on this topic at StocExpo 2022, which will be held from 23-35 May 2022 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. www.accenture.com/gb-en/services/ industry-x-index www.stocexpo.com
01 Eduard Smits 02 End-to-end maturity levels/A typical roadmap for building information modelling (BIM) dataPicture caption 03 From digital decision support to closed loop operations
1
TECHNICAL SAFETY RELIEF VALVES
UNDER PRESSURE Owen Stephens, safety relief valve specialist for Nacional Safety Valves UK, discusses the importance of correctly sizing, selecting and maintaining a safety relief valve THE PRIMARY reason to use a safety relief valve is to prevent a pressurised vessel or system from over pressurising. It is there to protect life, property and the environment and is the last line of defence should other safety systems fail. As the last line of defence, the accuracy and quality of a safety relief valve is paramount in ensuring an overpressure situation is avoided.
01
The valve begins to close as the system pressure drops and the force at the inlet (P1) returns to a value lower than the downward force of the spring (Fr). To ensure the valve reaches its reseating pressure and closes fully, the difference between the working pressure and valve set pressure must take into consideration the valve blowdown characteristics.
Overpressure scenarios can be defined as a situation resulting from the internal pressure within piping or vessels exceeding the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP).
For example: Nacional type 5500 semi nozzle relief valve has a maximum blowdown of 10% for gases. If the valve has a set pressure of 10 barg then the working pressure needs to return to 9 barg or below; 10 barg – 1 barg (10% ) = 9 barg, to allow the valve to close fully following an activation.
HOW CAN AN OVERPRESSURE SITUATION OCCUR? API Standard 521 Part I details common causes that may result in a need for overpressure protection: • Closed outlets/blocked discharge • Overfilling • Thermal expansion • Chemical reaction • Exposure to external fire (fire case) • Cooling system failure Each of the aforementioned overpressure scenarios could happen independently from one another or more than one could happen simultaneously. It is important that the user provides the worst-case scenario to the valve manufacturer to be considered for the sizing and selection of the safety relief valve, as it directly affects the mass or volume flow to be discharged.
the valve to pop open to relieve the required capacity.
If the force at the inlet (P1) reaches that of the spring (Fr) the pressures are equal, the disc begins to lift from the nozzle and a first leak will be audible or visible – this is typically classified as the set pressure point. As the inlet pressure increases further it builds within the huddling chamber resulting in the further compression of the spring and causing
This statement also applies prior to an activation. If the working pressure of a system is within 90% of the safety relief valve set pressure then this could result in an unintentional activation. For applications where tighter tolerances between working pressure and set pressure are required, other solutions can be employed such as a safety relief valve and rupture disc combination or the use of a pilot operated relief valve.
02
MAIN FUNCTION OF A SPRINGLOADED SAFETY RELIEF VALVE A safety relief valve is designed to open and relieve any excess pressure from the vessel or piping and reclose once the system pressure has sufficiently reduced. As shown in Figure 1, the spring-loaded safety relief valve is set by compressing the spring and increasing the downward force (Fr), bringing the disc against the nozzle, creating a seal and isolating the process media. This seal is maintained as long as the spring force (Fr) is greater than the force applied by the process media at the valve inlet (P1).
PAGE 49
TECHNICAL SAFETY RELIEF VALVES
03
VALVE SIZING CONSIDERATIONS When selecting a safety relief valve for your application, the need however is not to simply select a valve that can meet the required flow capacities, but to select the valve that is sized correctly for the application. Valves that are oversized for the application could also face operational problems such as chattering; where the flow rate is unable to sustain an open position causing the disc to repeatedly open and close against the nozzle, potentially resulting in damage to the sealing surfaces and leading to valve failure. NACIONAL SAFETY VALVES UK Part of the Pekos Group, Valvulas Nacional has been designing and manufacturing safety relief valves since 1976. The company’s experience, knowledge and highly skilled employees made it the perfect partnership for the AC Valve Alliance Group. The AC Valve Alliance group have been leaders in the valve and actuation industry for 25 years and have partnerships with several major manufacturers. They recently formed a subsidiary company, Nacional Safety Valves UK (NSVUK) to partner and stock Valvulas Nacional safety relief valves. This partnership, as well as achieving countryspecific approvals, ensures that NSVUK can confidently advise and supply the UK and global safety relief valve market with off the shelf and bespoke solutions to suit their customer’s project requirements. NSVUK understands that trust is an integral part of the selection of a safety product. Working closely with a manufacturer like NSVUK ensures that customers have the confidence that the
PAGE 50
correct valve is selected for the right application. This is why all NSVUK’s valve coefficients are tested and certified in a laboratory and not through theoretical calculations, resulting in an accurate selection, repeatable performance and valve longevity. A COMMON QUERY A common query that is raised by customers relates to the differing orifice sizes in calculations. It’s commonplace for NSVUK to be able to offer a safety relief valve with a smaller orifice than is stated in API Standard 526. Customers should get specialist guidance from a safety relief valve specialist. In API 520 Part 1, effective orifice sizes and effective coefficients of discharge are assumed values used to aid in the initial selection of a pressure relief valve, independent of an individual valve manufacturer’s design. The results of these calculations serve as minimum values for the manufacturer and therefore in most cases the actual flow capacity of a safety relief valve will meet or exceed the capacity calculated using the methods detailed in API 520. A customer had a requirement for a safety relief valve which they had calculated to be a J orifice according to API 526. They came to consult with NSVUK for verification. Following the completion of calculations and discussions with the clients consulting engineers, NSVUK was able to provide an H orifice valve as a result of increased, certified coefficients and product design. Not only was this a more accurate solution but it also resulted in an initial cost saving of over 25% which will also be reflected in the purchase of any future spares.
MAINTENANCE There are no definitive rules in place as to how frequently a safety relief valve must be maintained. Whilst a manufacturer may provide guidance for their product - commonly a visual inspection every six months with a set pressure check every twelve months - the application, site requirements, advice from insurers or findings of any previous inspections could affect the desired frequency. What to look out for when performing a visual inspection: • Broken or missing lead seal/wirelock • Signs of corrosion • Valve leakage – audible or visual • Missing identification plate/tag With rare exceptions, safety relief valves are designed to last, however a scheduled preventative maintenance plan could assist in increasing the reliability of your safety product, reduce life cycle costs and provide peace of mind. For more information: For advice or further information on Nacional Safety Valves, API 2000 emergency valves or breather valves, contact Owen Stephens on owens@acvalvealliance.com or call +44 (0)1530 832 832.
01 Spring-loaded safety relief valve 02 The in-house testing and setting rig ensure all safety relief valves are set to the correct pressure 03 Nacional Safety Valves UK can offer a full range of valve sizes to suit their customers’ requirements
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY
TESTING FLUORINE-FREE FIREFIGHTING FOAMS Dr Niall Ramsden and Dr Eleanor Lister look at the efforts of Lastfire Group members 01
THE ISSUE of transitioning to fluorine-free foams is undoubtedly the greatest challenge currently facing industrial firefighters. Lastfire, the industry group developing best practices in storage tank fire hazard management, has taken a pragmatic approach. It is recognised that it is inevitable. It is time to stop the emotional statements and the comparison with previous types of foam and instead focus on making the process as efficient, cost effective and practicable as possible. It is also seen as an opportunity to develop a much better database and understanding of critical foam performance criteria in order to optimise a foam’s performance through equipment design, tactics and application method as well as foam concentrate formulation. Of course, there are many aspects to getting the transition right and ensuring sustainable system assurance, such as achieving correct proportioning rate and assessing environmental issues of replacement foams. Lastfire is developing guidance on all of these but the most critical issue, though, is of course fire performance. Lastfire has
carried out the most comprehensive set of industrial end-user driven, independently managed, tests to date. The programme is ongoing, but this article summarises what has been done to date and outlines work in progress. Lastfire work is directed and reviewed by ‘end user’ members of the group and thus is truly relevant to responder needs. BACKGROUND NOTE For many years, Lastfire has been testing and evaluating foam firefighting performance using the standard Lastfire test protocol. This is a procedure designed specifically for assessing a foam’s performance for the critical conditions of a storage tank fire. This test was first developed by Mobil Research and Development Corporation (MRDC), recognising that most tests available, such as EN1568 or UL162, were designed more for spill fire situations that did not reproduce these demanding conditions. MRDC handed it over to Lastfire to complete its development and validate it against incident experience. Since
then, it has been used by a number of oil companies as part of their performancebased procurement specification and Factory Acceptance Testing protocols. Consequently, Lastfire has an extensive database of test results of foams based on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using this protocol which can also be used as comparison with the results obtained with fluorinefree types. It is recognised that the first fluorine-free foams marketed struggled to perform well in this test but with developments by suppliers, there are now several commercially available products that show good performance. There is always the concern that small scale standardised test procedures do not truly represent real world events. This, for example, has been an issue within the aviation industry – with two very different test standards (CAP 168 and Mil-F-24385 (the USA military and FAA standard) being used in different locations – so which really represents aircraft crash fires? The Lastfire test was initially validated against incidents but of course there were still doubts about its ongoing relevance.
PAGE 51
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY
02
Research Work – Rational Progression – more than 500 tests 1
Small scale Simulated tank fire Critical application rates 2
5
Phases have included Different foams Different nozzles Different application methods Different rates Different fuels (including crude) Different preburns Fresh/Salt water
11
High ambient temperature testing
Larger scale “Real life” Application NFPA rates
Longer flow “Real life” Application NFPA rates
3
Subsurface tests
Spill fire Critical application rates
7
6 Self expanding foam
Vapour suppression
When the large-scale test programme was started, results obtained were compared with those from the standard test and good correlation was noted. TEST CONDITIONS Figure 2 shows the main phases and aspects of the work. The notes below summarise each stage of the work. 1. Test work using the standard Lastfire test pan (5 m2) and protocol with heptane, other hydrocarbons and crude oil. Application rate ~60% NFPA rates. Standard nozzles used and also compressed air foam (CAF) application. MOL Refinery, Hungary. 2. Square metal pans, 5–20 m2 with obstructions. Application rates ~3060% NFPA rates. Lastfire protocol nozzles and CAF application. The opportunity was also taken to assess the viability of the ‘sectional’ approach to bund firefighting described in NFPA 11. MOL Refinery, Hungary. 3. 100 m2 (~11 mø elevated tank (~10 m high) fire with gasoline. Two-minute preburn. NFPA application rates with non-aspirating monitor, aspirating monitor, CAF monitor and aspirating pourer applications. A number of fluorine-free foams and C6 foams as comparison. GESIP, Vernon, France. 4. ~40 m x 7.5 m and ~33 m x 2.5 m steel pans. Jet A fuel. DFW airport, US. Aspirating and CAF pourer applications. Application rates in line with NFPA. 5. Subsurface application test, tank ~5 mø, with conventional and CAF injection and also top pourer CAF application. NFPA application rate.
PAGE 52
8 Hybrid Medium Expansion
4 9
10 12
Further obstructed spill fire testing
Polar solvent fuels indicative testing
Jet A fuel. General conformity with UL 162 subsurface approval test protocol. MOL Refinery, Hungary. 6. Self-expanding foam system using Lastfire test protocol (5 m2) modified to suit system type. Heptane and gasoline fuels. 7. Spill and post-fire vapour suppression comparison against C6 foams using the standard Lastfire test pan. An array of data logging vapour detectors was mounted over the pan and foam applied by different application techniques. MOL Refinery, Hungary 8. ‘Hybrid’ monitor application (a combination of low and medium expansion foam produced) on diesel fire 2,500 m2. Application rate higher than NFPA. St. Petersburg, Russia. 9. Obstructed spill (~20 m x 8 m) with aspirating pourer and tank fire (11 mø) with aspirating and non-aspirating monitor application. NFPA application rates. Asturias, Spain. 10. Polar solvent and hydrocarbon fuel fires using a number of fluorine-free foams and the indicative EN1568 fire test and Lastfire test protocol with
03
direct and indirect application. MOL Refinery, Hungary. Tests on ethanol, the standard fuel used in the Lastfire water-miscible fuel test protocol have been carried out also by a number of suppliers and witnessed by Lastfire. 11. Initial assessments of effect of high ambient temperature conditions on foam performance with C6 based foams as precursor to further work with fluorine-free options. GESIP, France, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 12. Using the Lastfire/GESIP 50 m x 6 m pit (concrete with metal inserts) with gasoline fuel. Preburns ~1 minute. NFPA application rates. Six fluorine-free foams plus a single C6 commissioning test as a comparison. Application methods include aspirating, non-aspirating, CAF and hybrid monitor and aspirating and CAF foam pourers. A summary of the results of the first phase of the large test pit usage is given in Figure 4. Lastfire is currently compiling the full report on these tests updated to include more recent work. In all the tests fluorine-free foams have achieved extinguishment with
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY
04
Test Foam Application type Application Application Preburn Time to 45 m Virtual Extinguishment Rate (lpm) Rate (lpm/m2) (nett) Extinguishment (nett) (gpm/ft2) (nett) 1 2 3 5 6a 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
E E E E D D D D G G G A A A A B B D G A B
Aspirating Monitor Aspirating Pourer CAF Monitor (2”/50mm tip) CAF Pourer Aspirating Pourer CAF Pourer Aspirating Monitor CAF Monitor (open ended ~3”/75mm) Aspirating Pourer Aspirating Monitor CAF Monitor (1.5”/38mm tip) Aspirating Pourer CAF Pourer (no fire) Aspirating Monitor CAF Monitor (2”/50mm tip) Hybrid Monitor Aspirating Pourer Non-Aspirating Monitor Hybrid Monitor CAF Pourer CAF Pourer
an acceptable margin of safety factor compared to NFPA run times and/or application rates. OTHER ISSUES Whilst firefighting effectiveness is the most important issue for a firefighting foam, there are many other aspects that must be considered when selecting the most appropriate agent and ensuring that it is applied as efficiently as possible. Consequently, Lastfire is also carrying out work in other areas including: • Identification and analysis of critical foam parameters – expansion, stability, viscosity, flowability, fuel pick-up etc. • Proportioning rate accuracy. Lastfire has carried out checks with a number of foams and different proportioner types including venturi line proportioners and water driven positive displacement pump types. This can be an issue and should be checked as part of the transition process on a case-by-case basis. However, it has been noted that developments by some suppliers have resulted in reduction in concentrate viscosity in some cases. • Simultaneous application of different fluorine-free foams on to the same fire. No issues of destruction of foam blanket due to interaction have identified with the combinations tested to date. • Whilst not carrying out any work in their own right, Lastfire is constantly monitoring the situation regarding clean-up and disposal of PFAS in order to keep members up to date with best practices and latest developments.
2170 1235 1154 766 1190 799 2176 1224 1182 2119 1305 1156 760 2146 1378 2082 1107 2087 2090 799 817
7.23 (0.18) 4.12 (0.13) 3.85 (0.10) 2.55 (0.06) 3.97 (0,10) 2.66 (0.07) 7.25 (0.18) 4.08 (0.1) 3.94 (0.1). 7.06 (0.18) 4.35 (0.11) 3.85 (0.10) 2.53 (0.06) 7.15 (0.18) 4.59 (0.11) 6.94 (0.17) 3.69 (0.1) 6.96 (0.17) 6.97 (0.17) 2.66 (0.07) 2.72 (0.07)
00:00:57 00:00:47 00:01:01 00:00:30 00:00:42 00:00:39 00:01:32 00:01:03 00:00:51 00:01:00 00:01:37 00:00:38 N/A 00:00:52 00:00:44 00:00:43 00:00:30 00:00:46 00:00:55 00:00:43 00:01:14
FUTURE WORK Lastfire recognises that it is always useful to carry out more work and is in discussions with other industry sector groups with similar objectives to share information. It is undoubtedly the case that more test work is being requested for fluorine-free foams than was done on previous foam generations, including ‘C6’ formulations. These ‘C6’ foams introduced after the implementation of the USA EPA PFAS Stewardship programme which introduced the concept of C6 PFAS formulations aimed at working towards zero C8 contents. Lastfire has seen definite reductions in performance in some cases with the introduction of these without it always being highlighted by the manufacturer. The current plans of Lastfire include: • Assessment of fluorine-free foam for crude oil that has been burning for sufficient time to build up a hot zone
00:02:27 00:04:49 00:04:07 00:02:15 00:04:37 00:02:51 00:02:33 00:02:24 00:03:53 00:01:21 00:02:57 00:03:14 N/A Not recorded 00:02:31 00:02:16 00:07:24 00:02:15 00:01:35 00:02:51 00:02:35
00:03:01 00:06:37 00:04:38 00:03:15 00:06:05 00:04:02 00:03:08 00:03:06 00:04:54 00:01:44 00:03:47 00:05:10 N/A 00:01:58 00:03:07 00:04:30 00:10:07 00:02:28 00:01:34 00:04:03 00:03:09
* 00:11:49 00:05:47 00:05:35 * 00:05:41 00:07:40 * 00:17:34 * 00:09:21 * N/A 00:08:08 00:09:47 * 00:13:52 00:03:10 00:02:36 00:05:30 00:04:34
managed by PFAS containing foams but there is still work to be done to optimise their performance and so minimise transition costs. Lastfire is committed to filling any gaps in knowledge and to ongoing testing, working with other sectors to maximise the benefits from shared learning. For more information: Note: The information is based on the collective knowledge and experience of the Lastfire Group members. However, it is provided on the basis that the Lastfire Group, Lastfire Group members or the Lastfire project coordinator can take no responsibility for the consequences of its use or application. For further information on the Lastfire project please contact info@lastfire.org. www.lastfire.org.uk
• Effectiveness of fluorine-free foam on water soluble fuels at a larger scale • Ongoing identification and optimisation of critical aspects of the foam/equipment combination SUMMARY Lastfire has carried out a very comprehensive set of tests at both large and small scale. It is important to review these as a complete programme rather than take points from them piecemeal. To date, nothing has been identified to suggest that fluorine-free foams cannot be made to work for all required scenarios that have been conventionally
01 Testing fluorine-free foam monitor application on an 11 m diameter tank at NFPA application rates 02 Schematic summary of the many stages of Lastfire fluorine-free foam testing 03 Example of fluorine-free foam pourer application to 50 m x 6 m test pit with gasoline fuel 04 Summary of test results from fluorine-free foam application to 50 m x 6 m test pit
PAGE 53
TECHNICAL HYDROGEN
INTRACONTINENTAL HYDROGEN SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION Jeannette Baljeu, a member of the executive of the Province of Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands, tells Tank Storage Magazine about the challenges and possibilities HYDROGEN IS OFTEN SAID TO BE ‘THE GAME CHANGER’ FOR INDUSTRY AND TRANSPORT. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS? As the province of Zuid-Holland we are working on sustainable solutions for industry and transport in various ways. Hydrogen is one of them. Green hydrogen is essential for the transition to a greener industry and sustainable transport. The province of Zuid-Holland focusses on a broad range of energy sources to meet the climate goals for the region. For example, we provide incentives for the use of geothermal heating and residual heat from industry for households and push to install solar panels on every roof in Zuid-Holland. But when it comes to hydrogen, we focus mainly on its use for industry and heavy transport. At this
01
point, hydrogen is the energy carrier of choice when high temperatures and high volumes are needed. WHAT ROLE DOES THIS REGION PLAY IN THE FIELD OF HYDROGEN? For decades, Zuid-Holland, home to the Port of Rotterdam, has been the logistical hub for Europe, with inland shipping, truck and train connections stretching deep into the continent. What’s more, approximately half of the current Dutch hydrogen production is based here. Because of its location and the combined expertise on logistics and hydrogen, the region is uniquely suited to become an important hydrogen hub for Europe. It is the starting point of the European hydrogen corridor, a bundle of pipelines
connecting the port to the industrial heartland in Germany. According to our estimates, over 2 million tonnes of clean hydrogen will pass through the Port of Rotterdam in 2050. Rotterdam is now the energy port for Europe and has the ambition to also play that role for sustainable energy sources. Government, industry and knowledge institutions have joined forces in the initiative ‘Europe’s Hydrogen Hub ZuidHolland’. This triple helix cooperation focusses on connecting supply, infrastructure and demand, thus creating a robust hydrogen value chain. COULD YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF GREEN HYDROGEN PROJECTS IN ZUID-HOLLAND? There are many green hydrogen projects in Zuid-Holland. As a regional government, we are involved in a number of these, for example: 1. The Delta Corridor – a bundle of pipelines for the cross-border transport of hydrogen. A report published in 2021 shows that this pipeline bundle is strengthening the strategic position of northwest Europe. A direct pipeline connection between Rotterdam and North RhineWestphalia to supply the industrial heartland of Germany with hydrogen is being investigated. 2. RH2INE, Rhine Hydrogen Integration Network of Excellence – this network consists of hydrogen producers, distributors, skippers, ports and knowledge institutions and focuses on making international inland shipping more sustainable with the help of hydrogen. 3. Five hydrogen electrolyser plants are being developed by different companies, which will lead to 500
PAGE 54
TECHNICAL HYDROGEN
‘We can only realise this new hydrogen economy together. The ambitious ‘Fit for 55’ package, presented by the European Commission, gives us the momentum to increase international collaboration’
01
implement. Because it takes a long time to draft new regulations, we need to step up our pace. The industry must assist and support the public authorities in this. WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY?
MW electrolyser capacity being operational several years before 2030. The province supports The Rotterdam Fieldlab for Industrial Electrification. This has been set up to accelerate the development and implementation of Power-2-X technology, also known as industrial electrification, and thereby achieve large-scale CO2 reduction in industry. In this Fieldlab, technologies can be tested on an industrially relevant scale in a practical environment. The Fieldlab also offers the opportunity to further develop ideas and validate business cases together with the entire chain; end users, system integrators, technology companies, suppliers, knowledge and educational institutions. Power2-X is the replacement of fossil (oil, gas and coal) powered processes by processes powered by green electricity or green molecules:
connected to the Port of Rotterdam by 2030. And as mentioned, there will be import of hydrogen of other countries. HOW DO YOU SEE COOPERATION WITH OTHER REGIONS IN EUROPE? We can only realise this new hydrogen economy together. The ambitious ‘Fit for 55’ package, presented by the European Commission, gives us the momentum to increase international collaboration. With regional partners and industries, but also with other similar regions, such as Nord Rhein Westphalia. We had a promising start collaborating on the RH2INE project. We are also part of a network of European Hydrogen Valleys, which makes collaborating on a larger scale possible and opens perspectives for additional funding.
• Power-2-heat: the use of electricity to generate or upgrade heat.
WHAT OPPORTUNITIES AND BOTTLENECKS DO YOU SEE?
• Power-2-hydrogen: the use of electricity for direct chemical transformations via hydrogen.
The Dutch government is increasing its interest in hydrogen. This provides opportunities and support for projects. For example, in a multi-year program started last year the Dutch government registered the Delta Corridor as a project of national importance.
• Power-2-chemicals: the use of electricity for direct chemical transformations via direct electroconversion. WHERE DOES THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TO PRODUCE GREEN HYDROGEN IN ROTTERDAM COME FROM? Together with the national government, the Port of Rotterdam and utility companies such as TenneT, we are working towards 21 GW of windfarms in the North Sea, of which 7.4 GW will be
Certification of hydrogen is essential. Both green and blue hydrogen will be more expensive than grey hydrogen or natural gas. They will therefore only be sold to a market which is willing to pay a premium in recognition of its lower carbon footprint. For this, an internationally recognised certification system is essential. Creating a system that is acceptable to all players is challenging and takes time to
The transition to green hydrogen requires global cooperation. Collaboration throughout the entire hydrogen chain is crucial. Each organisation has its own role to play. Governments can help by stimulating demand. Utilities need to build the infrastructure. And the industry has to deal with supply and demand. WHAT SHOULD BE TACKLED FIRST? We are asking for more European awareness on the import side of clean hydrogen. There is a need to map hydrogen import streams on a European scale. This is also mentioned in the hydrogen strategy written by North Rhine-Westphalia. A strategy, by the way, which gives the Port of Rotterdam an important role for the import and export of hydrogen, and that is only logical due to its infrastructure. It is necessary to certify green hydrogen from outside the EU and to ensure hydrogen carriers comply to EU regulations. For more information: Jeannette Baljeu’s portfolio in ZuidHolland includes European and international affairs, water management, the transition of port and industry, and finance. She will give a presentation on this subject at the World Hydrogen 2022 summit, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from 9-11 May 2022. www.zuid-holland.eu www.world-hydrogen-summit.com
01 Jeannette Baljeu 02 Port of Rotterdam
PAGE 55
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY
OPTIMISING HAZARD IDENTIFICATION, CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES Sharé Mason-Bailly and Stefano Armani from SA Fire Protection look at the options HIGHLY FLAMMABLE liquids and gases call for dedicated fire protection. As a result, a good fire safety strategy is an essential part of any terminal operator’s plan. Effective plans will include a fire detection, alarm and suppression system. Reliable detection of flames, smoke, heat and gas leaks in its incipient stage is critical in ensuring that people, property and operations are safeguarded in a fire situation. Therefore, it would be appropriate to consider the fire and gas (F&G) system as the heart of a plant’s protection system. The system is able to detect a threat or hazard and then subsequently respond by triggering a final control element to prevent harm to personnel or damage to assets. The most common hazards include a fire or a leak of combustible/toxic gases and liquids which can pool and later be ignited. FUNCTIONS OF F&G The functions that F&G systems normally perform are monitoring, warning, tripping and actuating. Due to the fact that F&G systems maintain overall safety and operation, they are governed by several guidelines and regulations such as: • • • •
EN12094-1 EN54-2 EN54-4 IEC 61508
WHY DO WE NEED F&G SYSTEMS? To imagine an industrial plant like an oil or petrochemical terminal without an F&G system installed nowadays would be a scary thought. Over the years there have been some major disasters such as the Buncefield terminal fire in the UK (2005), the Chernobyl nuclear incident in Ukraine (1986) and the Seveso chemical plant failures in Italy (1976). As a result, there are laws and industrial safety regulations that require end users to have a F&G system as part of their prevention and mitigation strategy. Furthermore,
PAGE 56
the safety concept has been enhanced by redundancy. Redundancy can be described as the duplication of important components/functions of a system which are considered critical to the reliability of the system. Typically, these components or functions form a backup or fail-safe so that one can take over for another if there is a failure or fault in the system, without human intervention.
to confusion and human error. Similarly, there are space, training, spare parts and cost impacts for having a separate control panel for each prevention and mitigation system. Basic control panel access will allow operators to check the status and or reset the system through multiple access levels that can either be addressable or conventional devices (these are regulated by EN54).
F&G SYSTEM COMPONENTS
CONTROL PANEL OPTIMISATION
Most of the time, the F&G system is formed by one or more control panels (each of which is interconnected with field detectors, signalling units and actuators). Therefore, F&G systems use sensors linked to a control panel which is designed to mitigate the hazard by detecting hazardous conditions. They also allow control room operatives to know the functionality of each device and its connection to the system.
As a result, manufacturers of control panels have begun to take a more integrated approach to F&G solutions. Thus, there is a move away from the traditional approach of having multiple individual process safety subsystems (each performing a separate function). The more efficient alternative is to provide end users with one F&G panel that seamlessly integrates various safety layers such as smoke, heat, flame and gas detection; logic control and networking equipment; shutting down
In an emergency scenario, having many different systems to operate could lead
01 Analog addressable smoke loop
Gas detection
Conventional smoke detection
Flame detection
Analog addressable IS and SIL2 smoke loop
Heat detection
Aspirating smoke detection
Remote displays Supervision and control software
F&G-1
Thermo camera
Remote I/O
Output control External systems
Releasing, suppression and extinguishing Sounders and beacons
Horns and strobes Relays, valves solonoids, LEDs
PLCs, OPC servers and SCADA
Input devices
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY
02 Mitigate
Plant and emergency response
Emergency response layer
Containment, dike/vessel
Passive protection layer
Fire and gas system
Active protection layer
Incident Emergency shutdown system
Trip level alarm
Emergency shutdown
Process alarm
Operator intervention
Safety layer
Prevent Operator intervention
Process value
This approach to F&G panels is far simpler which in a fire scenario is less likely to lead to a mistake. It is also more cost effective overall, reduces the amount of spare parts required, the amount of training required and the amount of space needed to host the panel by having one integrated unit. THE F&G-1 SA Fire Protection’s F&G-1 Control Panel provides integrated communication through double input/output (I/O) devices. These are supported by redundant rack cards which can be replaced in hot back up when there is a failure. The benefit of the hot back up capability is that cards can be replaced without shutting down or impairing the F&G system. The humanmachine interface can be provided with two CPUs and two power supplies (and rechargeable batteries in case of power shortage), to fulfil safety integrity level (SIL) and redundancy requirements. It is important to note that emergency shutdown (ESD) systems are designed to prevent a hazardous incident like a chemical release, fire, or explosion from happening in the first place. Meanwhile, a F&G system’s objective is to reduce the consequence of a hazard once it has occurred. But, what if it was possible to spot and report the abnormal conditions long before the fire or toxic has leak has ignited?
SAFire’s T-VS very early detection system works in the prevention layer
Process control layer
Process control layer
Normal behaviour
the process flow; isolating the fuel source, suppression and extinguishing capability; and public address, sounders, beacons and other safety alert components. This is considered as a best-in-class approach to protecting people, processes and the environment. It is possible that all these activities may need to be performed at the same time.
Traditional detection systems work in the mitigation layer
provide an alarm when the temperature threshold limit is surpassed. Similarly, traditional smoke, heat, flame and gas detectors all operate in mitigation layer. These detection systems detect a fire incident once has already taken place. On the contrary, the SA Fire Protection TV-S system is an early warning system that detects an abnormal condition that could lead to a fire way before a fire could potentially break out (the pending fire could ignite an hour, a day or even a week after an abnormal condition). The ability to detect the events which could potentially lead to a fire scenario allows operators to take preventative measures before the fire has an opportunity to breakout and cause damage to property, assets or claim human life. The T-VS is innovative in its architecture because the software combines temperature analysis with thermographic image analysis and it can communicate with the distributed control system (DCS). This system is able to monitor piping, pumps, flanges, valves, turbines, compressors, electric cabinets, power supply cabinets or vehicles
operating in the ATEX area. Gas or hot liquid could leak from any of these areas. To avoid the possibility of fire, the system will send an alarm when the temperature in the region of interest (ROI) goes beyond its temperature threshold and extends beyond the boundaries of the allowed number of pixels for that zone. With regards to storage terminals, the T-VS can also be used to provide tank level indication of fluid inside the tank using thermo-imaging. It can also be used to assist in monitoring sludge and tank cleaning schedules. SUMMARY The T-VS is more cost-effective solution due to its simple architecture and standard components. It also increases the overall reliability of the fire safety systems due to its extremely early detection capability. What’s more, data gathered by the T-VS system can be stored and time stamped which can be used after an incident for root cause analysis. Together, the F&G-1 and the T-VS systems are designed to significantly reduce the risk and impact of a fire or gas leakage. This integrated approach not only increases safety, but can also reduce costs for terminal operators worldwide. For more information: www.safireprotection.com
01 The prevention, alarm and mitigation functions that can be performed using SA Fire Protection’s F&G-1 panel 02 The prevention and mitigation protection layers 03 The T-VS is comprised of a regular camera and a thermo-camera to monitor the status of devices in the field and is capable of a high degree of accuracy
03
THE T-VS Traditional thermo-camera systems are able to detect a temperature profile and
PAGE 57
TECHNICAL LIGHTNING
WHY INSTALL LIGHTNING PROTECTION ON A PROCESS CONTROL PLANT? Understanding the differences between different types of lightning protection with Lightning Master 01
MORE AND more plants are being equipped with structural lightning protection (lightning rod) systems. Many of these are ‘fuzzy ball’ lightning rods, but what are they? In high lightning areas, plant operators understand that lightning is a real problem, damaging equipment and producing plant outages and down time. Hence, the presence of structural lightning protection systems. However, in order to secure benefits, if any, from the system, it helps to understand the purpose, nature, and operation of such systems. INHERENT SELF-PROTECTION OF TANKS AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES A structural lightning protection system consists of three major components: the strike termination device (qualifying structural member, lightning rod, air terminal, etc.), the conductor system, and the grounding system. The strike termination device must be capable of sustaining a direct lightning strike. The conductor system conveys the lightning energy from the strike termination device around the structure over multiple, downward-coursing paths to the grounding system. The grounding system allows the lightning energy to equalise and dissipate into earth ground. This is
PAGE 58
the same type of lightning protection developed by Benjamin Franklin to prevent wood houses and barns from burning down. According to NFPA 780, certain conductive metal components of a structure may be substituted for lightning protection system components. An industrial facility normally consists of process vessels, piping, cable trays, etc. supported by steel frames. The I-beams and frames that comprise the top of the structures are greater than 3/16” (4.76 mm) thick. Therefore, they may be substituted for strike termination devices (lightning rods). They are more than adequate to sustain direct lightning attachment and provide a zone of protection covering the process equipment. A zone of protection is the space adjacent to a lightning protection system that is substantially immune to direct lightning attachment. The horizontal and vertical framing is also greater than 3/16” (or arguably 0.064”, depending on which section of the standard applies) thick, and provides multiple downward-coursing paths to ground, so it may be substituted for the main and down conductor system. The structures are grounded to the plant grounding system at their bases, providing the grounding system. Therefore, these structures
are considered self-protecting, as the structure itself provides all of the necessary components of the lightning protection system. PLANT LIGHTNING DAMAGE SUSCEPTIBILITY This is all fine, except that, based on experience with lightning damage, tanks and plants are obviously not self-protecting. Lightning caused fire is not the major problem in a plant. A lightning strike is highly unlikely to burn down a steel structure. In addition to the ability to start a fire, a lightning strike also has the ability to cause other types of damage to plant equipment. These plants run on microprocessorbased communications and control systems. Any direct or nearby lightning strike also creates secondary effect and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effect. Secondary effect is the in-rush of surrounding ground charge towards the point of a strike. EMP is a pulse radiating outward from the current flow in both the lightning channel and the conductor system. Either of these effects can induce current flow in plant wiring and structural components more than capable of causing damage, interruptions and outages up to and including a plant emergency shutdown (ESD).
TECHNICAL LIGHTNING Considering a plant to be self-protecting or installing a conventional Franklin-type lightning rod system cannot help control these types of lightning damage. One solution is to install a lightning protection system employing streamer-retarding air terminals (SRATs) atop the plant. These are the ‘fuzzy ball’ lightning rods. The air terminals attach to the I-beams or frames, and use the plant structure as the conductor and grounding system. They act to delay the formation of streamers from the protected structure, thereby lowering the likelihood of a direct lightning strike. Less strikes, less secondary and EMP effects, so less damage and down time. STREAMER FORMATION What is the difference between fuzzy ball and regular old and Franklin lightning rods? Well, not much and a whole lot. Physically, the only difference is the addition of a multiplicity of small radius electrodes (wires) inserted into the tip of the elevation conductor of the air terminal. Everything else in the system is identical, including the grounding system, main and down conductors, clips, clamps, bases, etc. In addition, all components are Underwriters Laboratories UL 96 listed, and the completed system is eligible for a UL Master Label, Letter of Findings, or Engineering Inspection Report, as appropriate. In its primary mode, the SRAT dissipates the ground charge that would otherwise form a lightning-completing streamer, reducing the likelihood of direct lightning attachment. If the ground charge rises too quickly or builds too high, the dissipation ability of the air terminal may be exceeded. In that event, the air terminal reverts to its secondary mode of a Franklin lightning rod. Since the SRAT is located at the top of the structure, and it is already saturated with streamer constituting ground charge, the SRAT then emits a streamer, reliably collecting any strike and conveying it to ground over the lightning protection system. GENESIS OF THE TECHNOLOGY Lightning Master’s original exposure to structural lightning protection for buildings was at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bay Pines, Florida. The building had suffered a direct lightning strike to the roof between lightning rods. The strike punctured the roof, melting the roofing material. Building maintenance had heard about Lightning Master and asked the company to develop a solution to their problem. In response, it developed an air terminal employing streamer-retarding technology that slipped over and crimped on to a Franklin lightning rod. In order to obtain
the UL Listing, Lightning Master later modified the product so it no longer slipped over, but replaced a Franklin lightning rod. MEETING INDUSTRY STANDARDS National Fire Protection Association NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, is the US lightning protection standard. Underwriters Laboratories converts that standard into two standards for safety, UL 96, Lightning Protection Components, and UL 96A, Installation Requirements for Lightning Protection Systems. UL 96 covers components and UL 96A covers how to install those components. Underwriters Laboratories is the nationally recognised testing laboratory (NRTL) in the industry, an independent laboratory recognised by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to test products to applicable safety standards. UL’s Lightning Protection System Program is accredited by IAS (International Accreditation Service), an independent third party accreditation body, to the ISO 17020 standard for inspection certification bodies. Lightning Master streamer retarding air terminals meet the requirements of NFPA 780 and are Underwriters Laboratories Listed to UL 96. The SRAT provide a zone of protection exactly the same as any other lightning rod, and are designed and intended to be used as components in a NFPA 780 or UL 96A system. INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE Regarding system performance in the field under actual day-to-day operating conditions, please consider the following. This is an excerpt from a letter to Lightning Master from a project manager at a large chemical plant in the southeast US. ‘After the installation was completed, several company personnel were sceptical of the performance of the ‘fuzzy ball’ lightning rods. Perhaps the strongest indication of the effectiveness of your system was when it did not work. In one particular area of our plant, we had a particularly corrosive environment. That caused the stainless steel dissipation
electrodes at the tip of the air terminals to corrode away, turning the air terminals into the equivalent of blunt lightning rods. We immediately started experiencing damage to microprocessor equipment in that block of the plant. You worked with us to change the air terminal material to titanium, going so far as to change NFPA 780 to allow its use. When we changed out the air terminals to titanium, the problems stopped.’ The instrument and electronics engineers at petroleum production sites in the northern US experienced multiple failures of their guided-wave tank level sensors. The sensors were not physically damaged; they were just confused by transients and required a manual reset by a technician. Another division on the company installed Lightning Master lightning and static control systems on their sites as part of a separate project. The I&E engineers noted an immediate and drastic improvement in the reliability of the level sensors. It turned out that static has been causing the problems, and the Lightning Master system, in addition to its role in lightning protection, also solved the static-related issues. CONCLUSION So, why install lightning protection on a process control plant when it is not required by applicable standards? There is no reason for or advantage to installing Franklin-type lightning protection. However, installing Lightning Master streamer-retarding air terminals can limit the build-up of static charge on the plant, and discourage secondary and EMP effect damage to plant equipment and reduce disruptions in plant operations caused by direct or nearby lightning strikes, thereby enhancing plant reliability. For more information: https://lightningmaster.com/about-lmc/ white-papers/5471-2/
01 ‘Fuzzy ball’ lightning protectors 02 Tanks with ‘fuzzy ball’ lightning protectors around the edges
02
PAGE 59
TECHNICAL CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
THE THREE LINES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE Shirley Miles from Adler and Allan, discusses how partnering with a trusted environmental protection provider can ensure standards are implemented correctly PRIMARY (TANK), secondary (bund) and tertiary (separator) containment systems are the first, second and third line of defence against environmental pollution. Regular asset maintenance is essential to keep all pollution prevention equipment working at optimum efficiency, safeguarding operations handling and storing oil or other hazardous materials. WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY? Two of the key pieces of legislation on containment are: • The Water Resources Act 1991 states that ‘It is an offence to cause or knowingly permit any poisonous, noxious or polluting material, or any solid waste to enter any controlled water.’ • Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 state that ‘It is an offence to cause or knowingly permit a water discharge activity or a groundwater activity without an environmental permit.’ A pollution incident because of a poorly maintained asset or inadequate containment is a strict liability offence and failure to adhere to standards and good practice guidance is a key factor in considering enforcement action. The
01
onus is on operators to demonstrate compliance with regulation. A robust asset maintenance programme is essential for providing the information needed for service log scrutiny in the event of an incident or during routine environmental inspections. The implications of failing to adequately protect the environment range from environmental, legal, financial, and reputational. There has also been a marked increase in the level of fines over the last decade, especially for large companies. In certain circumstances, senior officers of offending businesses have been held personally liable. CIRIA C736 is applicable to the containment of a wide range of inventories and to all sizes of sites from small commercial premises with a single storage tank, through to large chemical or petrochemical sites as well as warehouses storing hazardous substances. PRIMARY (TANK) GUIDELINES Primary containment is the most important wat to prevent major pollution incidents and includes equipment in direct contact with the substances being stored such as tanks, vessels, pipework, valves, and pumps as well as equipment that prevents the loss of contaminants under abnormal conditions. Tanks are subject to various regulations, standards, and good practice guidance, from COMAH, BS EN 14015:2004, EEMUA, API 650, and the Oil Storage Regulations, depending on the contents and tank material. Essential works include: • Routine inspection and maintenance of containers with a record of when and who carried out the work. • Checks for signs of damage or interference to tanks or pipework, ensuring repairs are carried out immediately by a competent, qualified technician. • As well as a weekly visual check, a qualified technician should carry out a detailed annual inspection and service of storage facilities, including:
PAGE 60
-
checking the condition of tank surfaces and supports for pipework
-
checking the condition and operation of pipework and fittings
-
removing and disposing of any condensation water or sludge in the tank
The inspector should issue a report which details any faults that must be fixed. Qualified technicians should be a member of a professional scheme for qualified tank installers, such as the Petroleum Equipment Installers and Maintenance Federation (PEIMF), Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA), or the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC). PROACTIVE TANK MAINTENANCE Tank audits and inspections: Using the latest high-pressure or ultrasonic technology, engineers and welders test for leaks and structural concerns, repair faulty tanks, and provide full follow-up documentation. Inspection and reporting services should be compliant with EEMUA Level 2, API and NDT standards and cover tanks used for fuel, water, chemical, and food storage. Adler and Allan’s proprietary, ultra-sensitive, ATEX Zone 1 AdlerView camera can be used to remotely inspect and clean fuel tanks – both above- and below-ground – from a van positioned up to 50 m away. Customers receive a full report and video of the inspection and a faster, more exact diagnosis of issues. The cuttingedge approach also bypasses the cost of removing tank lids, as well as the health and safety risks of traditional man-entry inspections. NDT testing against API standards: Non-destructive testing (NDT) analysis evaluates the quality of materials, fabrication, and integrity of tanks, pipelines, and wells, without destroying their serviceability. Techniques employed include fibre optic, ultrasonic, and magnetic flux leakage to scale tank walls and deliver precise views of confined spaces and hard-to-reach or remotely accessed areas. Degradation, corrosion, weaknesses, and welding defects are identified before damage occurs.
TECHNICAL CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS Tank lining: Effective tank linings protect against deterioration. Glassreinforced plastic is a resilient internal tank lining solution that offers a seamless, ceramic-like finish to confine even the most aggressive substances – ideal for bunded chemical tanks.
03
Tank cleaning: Specialist tank cleaners employ techniques including gamma jetting, 360˚ cleaning heads, and stateof-the-art robotic systems to tackle requirements such as changes of stored product, contamination, deterioration, decommissioning, transportation, or standard upkeep.
PROACTIVE SEPARATOR MAINTENANCE Separator alarms: A separator alarm system monitors oil, silt, and liquid levels within underground separators, ensuring they are operating correctly and preventing pollutants. An experienced partner can specify, supply, install and service oil separator alarm systems and provide the necessary services to ensure alarms are working properly.
SECONDARY (BUND) GUIDELINES The Containment of Bulk Hazardous Liquids at COMAH Establishments containment policy supporting guidance for secondary containment states that: • All above-ground storage tanks (ASTs) should be bunded to provide secondary containment. • Bunds shall be subject to a routine and periodic inspection and certification regime by a competent person regarding their condition and performance. • During the inspection operators would be asked to provide demonstration of inspection criteria and inspection procedures. This should include both routine inspection and periodic detailed review that the structure remains fit for purpose. • Bund wall and floor construction and penetration joints should be leak-tight. Surfaces should be free from cracks, discontinuities and joint failures that may allow relatively unhindered liquid trans-boundary migration. • As a priority, existing bunds should be checked, and any damage or disrepair, which may render the structure less than leak-tight, should be remedied. PROACTIVE BUND MAINTENANCE Regular inspection and cleaning is key to an effective bund maintenance programme. Bund audit: Working with a qualified person to train engineers or carry out routine and periodic inspections of a bund’s condition and performance means defects can be identified at an early stage and addressed before they become more significant. Inspections will be carried out in line with CIRIA C736 Containment systems. Bund cleaning: Powerful vacuums extract water or leaked tank contents, before the entire structure is jet washed to achieve a complete clean, even in the most confined, inaccessible spaces. All
There has recently been an increased number of pollution incidents where failed separators have been the cause or has exacerbated a loss of containment and regulators are clamping down on poorly maintained and non-compliant operations.
breached volatile or toxic liquids – such as acids, inflammables, and dangerous chemicals – should be safely removed and treated, leaving the bund clear, functional, and risk-free. Bund lining: Because many bunds were constructed more than 20 years ago from porous brick or concrete, a high number require regular reinforcement. Adler and Allan’s polyurea AdlerCoat technology provides a cost-effective, durable and hard-wearing bund lining, with water, chemical, oil, and solvent resistance. TERTIARY CONTAINMENT (SEPARATOR) GUIDELINES Tertiary containment measures minimise the consequences of a major incident that causes the failure of or exceeds the storage capacity of secondary containment and enables additional measures to be deployed in time if an incident escalates. Separators can form an integral part of a tertiary containment strategy. They are designed to trap harmful light liquids. Regular separator maintenance is essential to keep all pollution prevention equipment working optimally. Separator maintenance, including cleaning, provides the information needed for service log scrutiny during inspections. The current standard by which separators should be operated and maintained, is BS EN 858-2:2003, which states that separator systems for light liquids (e.g. oil and petrol), should: • Be fitted with an automatic warning device/high level alarm • Be serviced and maintained as a minimum on a six-monthly basis • Be subject to a maximum interval of a five-yearly integrity test • Have full service and maintenance records available for inspection
Separator inspection and maintenance: An environmental partner can provide a full ‘peace of mind’ service package. The six-monthly inspection should be a non-intrusive, ‘in-service’ inspection to check levels and functionality of key components. The five-yearly integrity inspection is a critical service, as several faults within the body of the tank, such as fractures, displacements and ground water ingress that would compromise the tank are not possible to detect during a six-monthly inspection. It is an ‘out of service’ inspection. With the latest technology, the right partner will generally be able to complete the service within a day. Operators are provided with full record of inspection and testing. DEMONSTRATE REASONABLE ENDEAVOUR Adhering to the guidelines on regular maintenance of primary, secondary and tertiary containment systems should reduce the enforcement imposed in the event of a pollution incident. An environmental partner will provide its clients with services to reduce the risk of an environmental incident. However, if a strict liability event does occur, the inspection and service records demonstrating all reasonable endeavour has been taken to implement the proper systems for avoiding the incident will be invaluable in providing mitigation if enforcement action was considered. For more information: Shirley Miles is the head of environmental protection at Adler and Allan. www.adlerandallan.co.uk
01 Person-entry tank cleaning 02 High-pressure separator jetting
PAGE 61
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY
RIMFIRE PROTECTION ISSUES Cornelis Jan Kallemein and Maarten van Abeelen from the Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond have uncovered a problem with some foam dam constructions on tank floating roofs THE ROTTERDAM-RIJNMOND area is unique due to its large harbour and industrial area. In this harbour there are a lot of vertical atmospheric storage tanks to store flammable and combustible dangerous goods. Protecting these tanks is critical to the area’s economy, environment and safety. We are the advisors of the department of industrial safety, part of the Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond (the regional emergency services). We work with tank operators and tank equipment suppliers to advise on new, safe approaches to tank design and operation. NON-COMPLIANT PROTECTION We have recently come across foam dam constructions on the floating roofs of such tanks that do not comply to NFPA 11 requirements. During a fire protection system commissioning test in the beginning of 2021, we advised the authority which has jurisdiction, in this case the Omgevingsdienst, the Dutch Environmental Agency, on a new full contact aluminium floating roof in such a storage tank. The environmental
01
legislation defines that the best available technique in the Netherlands for such floating roof tanks must have a rim fire protection system, in accordance with the NFPA 11 standard. Amongst other things it was noticed during the test that the foam dam, there to contain the foam in the rim seal area, was made of 2.3 mm thick aluminium. The NFPA 11 standard clearly states that a foam dam should be made of 3.4 mm steel. Understanding that the company wanted to use aluminium on the lightweight roof, for corrosion and weight concerns, they got the chance to prove equivalence to the Environmental Agency. Our department of industrial safety was asked to help the Environmental Agency to witness the fire tests which were organised by the roof supplier on behalf of the tank owner (the environmental permit holder). The results of the fire tests are owned by the tank roof builder and not publicly available. THE TESTING PROCEDURE The fire testing to prove that an aluminium foam dam is equivalent to a steel one was done in accordance with NFPA 11 (2021) Annex I. This was originally the testing
procedure and setup for rim seal fire tests. After some changes to the testing procedure a test setup was agreed and in Germany at a site owned by global engineering services and consultancy group DMT, fire testing was performed. As an expert organisation, Lastfire was asked to lead the fire tests and to write a report on the performed tests. First, a carbon steel foam dam was tested to be able to compare the results of aluminium and stainless-steel foam dams with the results of the carbon steel foam dam as prescribed in the NFPA 11. All the testing was done without a rim seal in place with a 200 mm rim gap and a hydrocarbon fire with a duration of one hour, followed by a foam release to test the performance of the foam dam construction. The 3.4 mm carbon steel foam dam did become warm but survived the fire without losing its integrity and after one hour the fire was extinguished with foam without any problem. The 2.3 mm aluminium foam dam that was tested was attached to the rim seal area with aluminium braces to keep it upright. Within 20 minutes, the braces and the perimeter plate to which they were bolted melted away, resulting in the foam dam falling over and thereby no longer able to contain the foam in the seal area. A second attempt with an aluminium foam dam was done and the perimeter and braces melted even more quickly, with the construction failing within six minutes. It was thus, demonstrably, not equivalent at all to carbon steel. Later we also came across a NFPA 11 report of the 2004 revision cycle in which the use of an aluminium foam dam was refused1. Some testing was done with 1.5 mm stainless steel, with bracing towards the centre of the tank. It passed the 60-minute fire test without any problem. GRANTED EQUIVALENCY The tank owner applied for equivalency and has been granted that equivalency by the Environmental Agency to use 1.5 mm stainless-steel instead of 3.4 mm carbon steel. It is still important how a
PAGE 62
TECHNICAL FIRE SAFETY Lastfire, of different materials and constructions.
02
During our first checks we also became aware of the limited buoyancy of full contact floating roofs. It is critical to make sure that the weight of foam for a 20-minute rim fire extinguishment can be carried by the roof without sinking it. For instance, if a foam dam is mounted as far from the tank shell as possible, according to NFPA 11, then there is more surface area on which foam needs to be applied and therefore more weight on the roof in 20 minutes. This topic is also mentioned in the API RP 2021, Annex F. The other problem could occur if there is a combined firefighting system for rim and full surfaces fires. That can be designed to deliver only the maximum application rate. Probably there will then be too much weight on the roof to keep it floating.
foam dam is kept upright to be able to keep the foam in the rim seal area and develop a foam blanket over any exposed fuel or fire area. If braces are connected to an aluminium perimeter then it is still likely to fail. We saw the aluminium perimeter and aluminium braces melt fairly quickly. In the Rotterdam-Rijnmond area, it is therefore advised not to connect foam dam constructions to the perimeter if the perimeter is made of aluminium. A possible solution is to use a deck mounted foam dam (Figure 1) supported with stainless-steel brackets facing towards the centre of the tank instead of to the tank shell where the fire is expected. In the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Area a full inventory has been made of tanks with a floating roof in general and full contact aluminium honeycomb floating roof in particular with the foam dam made of aluminium. It appears that almost all tank storage companies that have such aluminium floating roofs installed are provided with aluminium foam dams attached to the perimeter (Figure 2). The inventory in our region also showed that multiple floating roof suppliers are involved. We therefore estimate that the issue at hand involves many storage tanks in the world. ALERTING OTHER AUTHORITIES The tank storage companies in our region are now requested to share the details of their foam dam constructions with the Environmental Agency. Those details are investigated by a team comprising experts from the Environmental Agency and the Safety Region RotterdamRijnmond. Together, we published a safety alert and informed the other authorities in the Netherlands who also could have storage tanks with aluminium foam dams in their region.
Why did we alert the other authorities in the Netherlands? Due to the possible quick failing of an aluminium foam dam construction, it cannot be guaranteed that the rim fire scenario can be extinguished, as a part of the firefighting system is liable to fail. When the operators or fire fighters are not aware that the foam dam has failed, then the prolonged flow of foam to the floating roof can cause it to sink. The rim fire can than escalate into a full-surface tank fire which requires much more effort to extinguish (water, foam and personnel). Some tank storage companies might even not be prepared and equipped to deal with the larger fullsurface fire. RECOMMENDATIONS We recommended the following steps: • Check which companies have aluminium foam dams or other deviating construction/dimensions from the NFPA 11 standard. • Make sure these companies make plans and change their aluminium foam dam constructions to foam dam constructions that comply to NFPA 11. • Make sure that for the time being the companies with aluminium foam dam constructions are prepared to fight the full surface fire scenario. • Check if the lines of defence to fight a full surface tank fire are adequate.
In the Rotterdam-Rijnmond area we had a company with more than 50 new tanks all with aluminium foam dams so a big problem for them has been highlighted. They and their tank roof builder were very helpful and concerned and agreed to change them all before they would start to operate their new terminal. Stay safe and check your foam dam constructions! References 1. https://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/ AboutTheCodes/11/11-F2004-ROP.pdf For more information: Cornelis Jan Kallemein has been working in the field of emergency response, preparation and prevention for more than 25 years. He started working for the Rotterdam–Rijnmond regional emergency services at the beginning of 2020 as an inspector and advisor in industrial (fire) safety at major accident hazard sites (Seveso sites). www.linkedin. com/in/jan-kees-kallemein-7b94935 Maarten van Abeelen has been working for the Rotterdam-Rijnmond regional emergency services for 22 years as an inspector and advisor in the field of industrial (fire) safety at major accident hazard sites (Seveso sites). www.ifv.nl/kennisplein/brandweerbrzo/ nieuws/iv-alert-falen-van-afwijkendefoamdamconstructies
• Check if the permanent solutions, to make the foam dams comply with the NFPA 11 have the required effect. We of course have an open mind to new developments and new testing of alternative foam dam material and or constructions. We are very happy to witness fire tests conducted by independent organisations, such as
01 A drawing of an example deck mounted foam dam made of stainless steel (courtesy of HMT) 02 A drawing of a typical aluminium foam dam (courtesy of HMT)
PAGE 63
TECHNICAL ROPE ACCESS
UNDERSTANDING ROPE ACCESS HMT’s Manny Williams runs through the basics of industrial rope access IN LESS than 30 years, industrial rope access has exploded. What was once an experimental technique used to address challenging maintenance issues on offshore facilities has become a mainstream technology for accessing hard-to-reach structural elements in the petrochemical industry and beyond. As a replacement for scaffolding and other structured support methods, industrial rope access technology is less costly and time-consuming to deploy, and provides workers with more flexible access without compromising their safety. But the applicability of rope access extends far beyond this. WHAT IS ROPE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY? In many inspection and testing situations, accessing surfaces and equipment located at extreme heights or in confined spaces is often challenging. Temporary scaffolding has been the standard approach for accessing such locations; fixed scaffolding, however, is expensive, and timeconsuming to install. It is equally important to note that scaffolding and other access systems often don’t provide the flexibility necessary to ensure uncompromised access and worker safety. In rope access technology, technicians use ropes to descend, ascend, and traverse open spaces, gaining unprecedented access to hard-to-reach work surfaces and equipment. To ensure safety, rope access systems, at a minimum, include a working line to position and support the worker, as well as a safety line to provide a back-up in the event of the failure of the working line. When properly employed, rope access technology provides a safe and compliant system for inspection and for maintenance of surfaces and equipment at any height, thereby supporting hazard identification and risk management efforts. THE HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY Rope access technology in industrial applications began in the 1980s on offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea in Europe. Confronted by ever-changing and often harsh weather conditions, oil companies struggled to clean and maintain their infrastructure
PAGE 64
safely and effectively. Traditional approaches (using scaffolding and cranes) proved too cumbersome for routine use, so oil companies sought the advice of mountaineers, cavers, and rock-climbers for alternative approaches that would be as effective as conventional maintenance methods while also being safe for workers. Today, the rope access technology systems pioneered in the 1980s are used not only in the offshore oil and gas industry, but in a wide range of industrial applications. These include: • Power and petrochemical – Rope access can be the access technology of choice for the inspection, maintenance and repair of power stations, refineries and storage depots and tanks, where the potential for electrical sparks and ignition generated by conventional maintenance equipment can pose a significant risk.
01
• Renewable energy infrastructure – Wind turbines are one of the key infrastructure elements required to support the greater use of renewable energy sources. Rope access technology can provide a simple and cost-effective method for the inspection of blades and other essential turbine components, and for the inspection and maintenance of turbine tower structures. • Buildings and structures – As modern buildings reach new heights and incorporate advanced structural designs, rope access technology can provide unencumbered access to areas that would be otherwise inaccessible using static access methods like scaffolding. Using rope access technology also eliminates the blocking of roads and walkways typically required to install and maintain conventional access technologies. • Shipping and shipping ports and harbours – Rope access technology is also well-suited for above-thewaterline inspection and maintenance of ships docked in ports. It can also be used to efficiently inspect and repair deep shipping locks, reducing outof-service times and their associated costs and impact. • Confined spaces – In many cases, rope access technology is the only viable method for safely accessing and working within storage tanks, silos and access shafts that require inspection, maintenance and cleaning. The Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) reports that an estimated 19.4 million hours of work time was spent by IRATA member companies in projects involving rope access technology in 2020. In fact, more than half of the total work time was spent in onshore rope access technology projects, providing further evidence of the growing use of the technology in industrial applications beyond oil and gas. MORE USES OF INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY In the petrochemical industry, rope access technology is currently used for a wide range of inspection tasks involving
TECHNICAL ROPE ACCESS hard-to-reach locations. Almost all nondestructive inspection and testing services can be conducted through the use of rope access technology, including Guided Wave (GUL), time of flight diffraction (ToFD), manual ultrasonic shear wave (UTSW), and alternating current field measurement (ACFM).
02
In addition to inspection and testing services, rope access technology can be an asset in conducting routine maintenance and repair in challenging locations. Such operations frequently using rope access technology include sign installation, flare tip change outs, applying protective coatings to vertical surfaces, and removing and/or repairing insulation.
A separate organisation, the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT), based in North America, offers comparable standards and a certification scheme for rope access technology companies and professionals. Like the IRATA rope access technician certification scheme, SPRAT technician certification, available at three levels, is based on knowledge, experience, and the successful completion of a physical performance test. More information on SPRAT certification requirements is detailed in its document, Certification Requirements for Rope Access Work.
Rope access technology can also be employed to support petrochemical infrastructure construction and repair efforts, including welding in difficult to reach vertical areas or supporting heaving rigging operations required to move equipment and materials. Finally, rope access technology can also be deployed in efforts to facilitate rescue operations involving workers in confined spaces or in otherwise inaccessible locations. THE ADVANTAGES OF INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY Conducting plant and facility inspections using rope access technology offers a number of important advantages, such as: • Cost-effectiveness – Using rope access technology can eliminate the need to erect expensive scaffolding or other fixed access structures. • Efficiency – Rope access systems can be deployed and removed quickly from service, and typically require fewer personnel. • Versatility – Customised rope access solutions can be easily designed to meet the unique requirements of individual inspection locations and environments. • Minimal downtime – The ability to rapidly deploy and remove rope access technology minimises disruption of normal operations and attendant downtime. • Increased safety – Rope access technology has an exemplary safety record, with few incidents. ROPE ACCESS CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING ORGANISATIONS IRATA is a professional organisation involved in the development of globally applicable industrial rope access standards. In its 30-year history, IRATA membership has grown to nearly 530 rope access technology companies located around the world, employing over
Qualifications for IRATA technician certification is based on a rigorous assessment of an applicant’s theoretical knowledge, technical skills, and workplace experience. IRATA-certified technicians are also required to recertify their credentials every three years to demonstrate their continued ability to safely perform rope access technology activities.
THE SAFETY RECORD OF INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY
16,389 technicians and trainers. IRATA member teams have worked on landmark structures like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Hoover Dam on the Nevada/Arizona border, the Seattle (Washington) Space Needle, and the Burj Khalifa Dubai - the world’s tallest structure. In addition to its rope access standards, IRATA also manages a globally recognised certification program for rope access technicians to help ensure quality and safety. IRATA offers three levels of certification: • Level 1 certified rope access technicians are capable of performing a specified range of rope access tasks, under the supervision of a Level 3 technician. They must also log a minimum 1,000 hours ‘on rope’ signed off by a Level 3 before they are eligible for Level 2. • Level 2 certified technicians have demonstrated Level 1 skills as well as more complex rigging, rescue and rope access skills. Level 2 technicians must work under the supervision of a Level 3 technician. They must also log, at minimum, an additional 1,000 hours ‘on rope’ signed off by a Level 3 before they are eligible for Level 3. • Level 3 certified rope access technicians are capable of assuming overall responsibility for rope access safety on work projects, including the supervision of Level 1 and Level 2 technicians.
As a result of efforts by IRATA, SPRAT, and others to provide comprehensive guidelines for the techniques, training and supervision of the practice, rope access technology has an exemplary safety record. According to IRATA, in 2020 the injury rate for ‘on rope’ working was only 61 per full time 100,000 workers. What’s more, there were no fatalities in 2020. To reiterate – rope access technology not only offers a number of significant financial and logistical advantages over fixed structure access in inspection and maintenance tasks in the petrochemical industry, but it is also safer. In just a short amount of time, rope access has more than proven its value to the petrochemical, renewable energy, and infrastructure industries. It’s rigorous training scheme to prepare technicians to maintain a world-class safety record, the speed of deployment, and the cost effectiveness of access compared to other methods of work-at-height make rope access a solution worth considering. For more information: Manny A Williams is the advanced services sales/rope access program manager at HMT Inspection. www.hmttank.com/Services/Inspection
01 Rope access inspection on piping 02 Weld repairs on a flare stack
PAGE 65
TECHNICAL LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT
THE FUTURE OF AST LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT Dr Steve Ziola considers non-invasive, in-service leak detection, bottom plate assessment and sludge gauging FOR DECADES aboveground storage tank (AST) owners and operators have struggled, and spent millions, working to balance operational constraints, contractual requirements and AST integrity management. Even with no known leaks, state and federal regulations mandate costly and timeconsuming periodic openings and inspections. Robotic technology has found its way into the industry and allowed for AST bottom plate inspection without personnel entry and in some cases, while the AST is in service. Even without personnel entry, AST’s must still be opened, bringing into play certain regulatory requirements and the associated cost. Robotics are not the only leak and bottom plate assessment technology breakthrough. In the early 1990s, in an effort to provide AST owners/ operators a cost effective, non-invasive, AST assessment tool, the American Petroleum Institute (API) funded extensive research on the effectiveness of external, non-invasive, acoustic monitoring to interrogate AST bottom plating for leaks. This work addressed both development and implementation. That research led to:
• API Publication 307 – An Engineering Assessment of Acoustic Methods of Leak Detection in Aboveground Storage Tanks, 1992 • API Publication 322 – An Engineering Evaluation of Acoustic Methods of Leak Detection in Aboveground Storage Tanks, 1993 • API Publication 325 – An Evaluation of a Methodology for the Detection of Leaks in Aboveground Storage Tanks, 1993 • API Publication 334 – A Guide to Leak Detection for Aboveground Storage Tanks, 1996 The research resulted in specific instrumentation, testing procedures, and data analysis requirements. The conclusion was that acoustic monitoring was a viable, practical technique that had the distinct potential to enable non-invasive leak detection in AST bottom plating. However, in the 1990s
PAGE 66
available electronics were too expensive, computing power was limited, and leak detection sensitivity was too low. Limitations of signal analysis resulted in problems with noise and internal wave reflections causing erroneous source locations, and the cost associated with implementing all the API recommendations proved fatal for moving the passive acoustic technology forward. MODERN METHODS TO FIND LEAKS Today, Antech Systems is picking up where API research and development left off. Antech Systems is bringing cutting edge electronics, advanced piezoelectric sensor design, and modern digital image processing to tank bottom inspections to bring the API research into the 21st century. The first improvement takes advantage of today’s commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) low noise electronics. Using these costeffective components has lowered noise levels in today’s hardware from millivolt ranges, common in the API 1990s work, to nanovolts today; an increase in sensitivity of around 100,000 times. Thus, leak signals that previously would have been ‘lost’ in conventional leak detection systems can now be detected. The next improvement is the use of low cost, robust piezoelectric film sensors that can be positioned as a single sensor or in an array and even stacked to further improve sensitivity. Finally, software analysis of signals is state-of-the-art and capitalises on existing digital image
01
analysis, similar to those used in facial recognition and MRI scans. When a leak in an AST tank floor occurs, the leak excites a wave that propagates out through the liquid product to the tank wall. Sensors attached to the tank circumference detect the displacement of the wall due to the wave. When the signals from the sensors around the tank wall are plotted to create a 3D image, a pattern that is distinct to the leak location on the bottom of the tank can be observed, as shown in Figure 1. Noise resulting from other sources, such as sand or rain hitting the tank, operational pumps, or valves cycling will not create a pattern that matches that of a leak from the bottom of the tank. A library of computer-generated leak images from a grid of locations along the tank bottom can be correlated against the leak image to determine the leak location i.e. facial recognition for leak identification. The image analysis approach further eliminates traditional leak location problems that resulted from mechanical noise and internal reflections in the earlier API research. These new analysis developments also allow the tank to remain in service while the leak inspection is performed. TANK BOTTOM CONDITION Even more problematic than leaks, AST owners/operators are plagued with not knowing the physical condition of AST tank bottoms, a requirement of API 653 and other tank inspection standards.
TECHNICAL LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT Current inspections either require that an AST be drained and cleaned to perform an inspection or opened to allow for the insertion of a scanning robot. Inherent AST attributes, such as penetrations, tank roof supports, piping and the presence of sludge, tend to incumber the latter. A more user-friendly assessment tool for tank bottom inspection is guided wave ultrasound (GWU). In this method ultrasonic signals are sent across the tank bottom and changes in bottom thickness due to pitting and corrosion affect the velocity of the propagating wave. Major advantages of this technique are that it is noninvasive, and in most cases, can be executed while the AST is in service. A significant impediment is the inherent design of tank floor welds which tend to severely attenuate ultrasonic signals as they propagate across the tank floor. Antech Systems’ hardware and sensor development overcomes this signal loss in two ways: 1. by increasing system sensitivity to detect smaller signals; and 2. using a larger ultrasonic excitation source. Conventional ultrasonic systems use expensive, delicate electronics and amplifiers to create high voltage/single frequency shaped pulses to excite the sending transducer. This approach doesn’t work in tank floor inspections because a signal with enough energy to overcome the attenuation caused by the bottom plate welds cannot be excited using this method. Antech Systems’ signal processing techniques allow the use of broadband frequency signals created by mechanical sources, such as hammer taps, to excite
02
Inspection rays
the waves used for the analysis and result in high resolution tank bottom measurements. As anyone knows who has tapped a steel structure with a hammer, it does not take a large impact to create a pulse that easily propagates long distances. This is a simple and inexpensive approach to ultrasound pulse excitation and is easily field implemented. In this application, hammer taps around the chime create propagating waves in the tank floor, and sensors attached to the chime detect the waves after they have propagated across the floor of the tank. Tomographic imaging software and measurements of propagation velocities of the waves across the tank floor are used to image the tank bottom, as shown in Figure 2. DETERMINING SLUDGE LEVELS In addition to leak detection and bottom plate assessment, hardware improvements and imaging software development could prove beneficial in determining sludge levels. Having an expedient, cost effective, non-invasive method to accurately profile levels of sludge in an AST prior to opening and cleaning would prove advantageous to the AST owner/operator and the cleaning vendor, both from a time and cost standpoint. Acoustic monitoring and GWU technology improvements for specific applications are currently being developed through ongoing collaborations with NASA and the Department of Navy. To advance a technology that stands to benefit AST owners/operators, Antech Systems is seeking teaming partners to help develop prototype systems specific for the AST
industry. These systems will be highly portable, robust, cost effective, and prove to be a positive return on investment for the owner/operator or nondestructive testing vendor that elects to partner with Antech in system development efforts. For more information: Dr Steve Ziola of Antech Systems has presented the information contained in this writing in much more detail at an American Petroleum Institute (API) event and events associated with the National Institute for Storage Tank Management (NISTM). He would be available for further presentations and/or discussions if desired. Presentations and/or discussions may be coordinated via Gerald Addison, senior engineer at Antech Systems, on Gerald.Addison@antechsystems.com.
01 This 3D image was created by plotting the waveforms from 20 sensors attached around the circumference of a tank. Arrival times create very distinct patterns in the image depending on whether they are propagating in the shell of the tank, or through the product in the tank out to the sensors. The thicker lines are waves arriving from a leak signal from the bottom of the tank, the thinner lines are wave arrivals due to a source on the shell of the tank 02 The image on the left shows the propagation rays from each source to each receiving sensor for 36 sensors around the chime of a tank. It can be observed that just a few sensors results in a very dense scan of the tank bottom. A tomographic reconstruction of the tank bottom is shown in the figure on the right, where the yellow area in the plot shows the calculated flaw location due to a measured change in velocity of the waves propagating through that area. This is the same analysis used in MRI and CAT scans
Tomographic reconstruction
PAGE 67
TECHNICAL TANK COATINGS
PROTECTING SECONDARY CONTAINMENT AREAS Choosing the right coating and lining systems depends on multiple variables, say Bruce Toews, Johnny Pourciau and Rodney Cressionnie from SherwinWilliams Protective & Marine OIL, GAS and petrochemical facilities are required to provide both primary and secondary containment areas. Primary containment areas include tanks, feed piping, pumps and process equipment, while secondary containment areas (SCAs) include surrounding structures such as dykes, channels and sumps. Common requirements for SCAs include: • Materials: SCAs must be constructed of or lined with materials that are compatible with the contents placed in primary containment vessels. • Capacity: SCAs must have capacity to contain 100% of the largest capacity tank, or 10% of the total capacity of all tanks at the location, plus a 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event. • Structure: SCAs must have a structurally sound foundation and provide a structure that surrounds tanks completely and is sloped to drain to a sump. • Leaks: SCAs must be equipped with a leak detection system that notifies operators so they can initiate cleanup procedures. • Containment: SCAs must be able to contain the wastes or liquids for a minimum of 72 hours to allow time for neutralisation or cleanup of the spill. In the event of a leak or spill from a tank or primary structure, SCAs rely not only on careful design and sturdy construction (typically concrete, masonry and steel)
01
PAGE 68
– but also on high-performance, resinbased coating and laminate systems. Protective coating/lining systems are essential because commonly used chemical products, including corrosive organic acids, may be able to penetrate weathered or damaged concrete containment areas within a matter of hours, putting facility owners at risk for personnel injuries, regulatory action, and even fines and cleanup costs. Together, these secondary structures and the coating/lining systems that protect them are the last line of defense. They’re relied upon to protect personnel, facility operations and nearby ground and water resources from damage or disruption by safely directing and containing spills until they can be neutralised and cleaned up.
•
• • • •
• •
SELECTING COATING AND LINING SYSTEMS The process of selecting the right coating/ lining system for a facility’s needs often begins with a site inspection by coatings experts, who base their recommendations not only on compatibility with the commodities handled at a site, but also on other factors, including: • Commodity or process temperature: Will the SCA coating/lining system have to tolerate thermal shock in case of a primary containment spill? • Presence of turbulence or solids: How much impact and abrasion resistance
02
•
will the SCA coating/lining system need to handle flow turbulence, including solids, from a spill? Condition of the underlying SCA substrate or structure: Is it new or existing? What structural materials are used? Will the structure move or face thermal expansion? Are there any defects needing repair, such as cracks, seams, bug holes, etc.? The flexibility of the coating/lining system and its ability to fill cracks The permeation resistance of the coating/lining system Need for a conductive or staticdissipative surface Presence of foot or vehicular traffic: Is a compression-resistant or anti-slip surface needed? Accessibility of the area to application equipment and personnel Downtime associated with coating/ lining system application The total installed cost of the system
Though all of these factors must work together, the flexibility and crack-filling capability of the coating/lining system are particularly important to the long-term performance. Any coating system must be engineered to move and flex with the underlying substrate, able to tolerate thermal expansion and contraction without damage to the coating/substrate bond, which is a primary cause of premature coating failure. Substrate movement is measured by the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) of
TECHNICAL TANK COATINGS the substrate material. The key to longlasting coating adherence is to modify the CLTE of the coating system (typically, by selective addition of specific aggregates) until it closely matches that of the substrate material. This modification enables the coating to respond to thermal stresses in essentially the same way as the substrate. The crack bridging/filling capabilities of a coating are also vitally important since any underlying defects in the substrate must be thoroughly repaired prior to or during the coating system installation. Improper or inadequate sealing of structural cracks, seams, joints and transitions in the secondary containment structure is another preventable cause of coating system failures. With careful pre-application inspection and product selection, as well as a high-quality application job, these essential details can be easily addressed, assuring maximum service life for the coating system. COATING/LINING SYSTEMS EXPLAINED Though coating/lining systems can be comprised of many materials, these six are the most common: • Liquid coatings – There are three basic types of resin-based liquid coatings used in primary and secondary containment areas: - Epoxies and related resins: General purpose products that offer a moderate degree of flexibility and bond well to steel or masonry - Polyurethanes and polyureas: Highly flexible products often used on substrates subject to cracking or movement, or as part of coating systems for repair of cracked or damaged SCAs - Internally flexible epoxies: Special epoxies that never fully harden, so they provide a maximum level of flexibility for repairing or patching large cracks or sealing large joints • Urethane concrete – This concrete/ urethane slurry, which was developed for use on ‘green’ (uncured) concrete, bonds strongly to underlying concrete, yet tolerates the moisture and outgassing involved in the curing process. Once it sets, other materials can be applied on top. • Aggregates – Aggregates are flaked minerals that are added to liquid coatings or concrete slurries to add depth, reduce CLTE, add structural reinforcement, reduce permeability and/or provide other characteristics. (See ‘Medium films’ below.) • Laminates – ‘Laminate’ or ‘reinforced laminate’ systems add impact/ abrasion resistance to protection systems by incorporating one or two layers of woven ‘mats’ from 1-10 mils
(0.025-0.25 mm) dry film thickness (DFT). Mats are made of woven or stranded fibreglass, polyester or carbon fibre and affixed to surfaces where they form the middle layer of a coating/laminate system. BUILDING SCA PROTECTION The six materials noted above are generally combined into SCA coating/ lining systems like these: Thin films – (10-20 mils DFT) consist of a primer coat, base coat and topcoat and are often used to protect new steel or concrete tanks or existing tanks that show no sign of wear or erosion. The primer coat seals the substrate, while the epoxy base and topcoat provide chemical resistance with limited crack filling/ bridging capability. Medium films – (20-40 mils DFT) consist of a primer coat and a ‘flakefilled’ epoxy or vinyl-ester topcoat. Flake reinforcements are selected to reduce CLTE, reduce permeability, or add other key properties to the coating system: • Micaceous iron oxide: Ideal in primers used for steel surfaces • Muscovite mica: Increases depth of coating system • Zinc: Provides steel substrates with cathodic protection • Glass: Improves resistance to thermal, mechanical and undercutting damage • Graphite: Enables conductivity, offers thermal/mechanical benefits like glass, and adds chemical resistance to sodium hypochlorite, fluoride compounds and hot caustics that attack glass and silica-based compounds
• Mortar laminate systems (90-120 mils DFT) also begin with a primer coat but use a layer of mortar rather than saturant as the base for the laminate mat, with a flake-filled topcoat to follow. Due to extremely high abrasion resistance, they are ideal for areas subject to highly turbulent or erosive flows. • Flexible basecoat glass-reinforced mortar laminate systems combine excellent chemical resistance, superior abrasion and shock resistance, and excellent crack bridging/filling. The ingredients in this system include a primer, a highly flexible base coat, a laminate mat and a saturant layer, with several options for the finish layer: an aggregate-filled mortar, a self-leveling flake-filled topcoat or a medium-film flake-filled topcoat. SPECIFYING THE RIGHT SYSTEM In the event of a hazardous leak or spill, SCAs are the last line of defence against personnel injuries, facility downtime, regulatory action or fines and environmental cleanup costs. For all these reasons, it is essential that oil, gas and petrochemical facility operators consider the value of coating/ lining systems that resist chemical spills while renewing and protecting the long-term integrity and durability of containment structures. Expert assistance from coating and lining system experts is available to help facility owners consider their needs and options and select the optimal alternative. For more information:
Mortar Systems (1/8-1/4” (3.18-6.35 mm)) and Slurry Systems (1/16-1/8”) are specifically designed to resurface and protect degraded concrete in production and other high-traffic areas. These systems begin with a primer coat, then add a layer of aggregate-filled mortar, topped by grout and finished with a flake-filled topcoat. The resulting systems, together with selected aggregate fillers, bond extremely well with existing concrete, while providing low permeability and excellent resistance to chemicals, wear and thermal shock.
Bruce Toews (Bruce.A.Toews@sherwin. com) is global market director – oil & gas, Johnny Pourciau (John.C.Pourciau@ sherwin.com) is oil & gas market director – US, Canada and the Caribbean, and Rodney Cressionnie (rodney. cressionnie@sherwin.com) is business development manager – petrochemical market, all from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.
Finally, there are three systems that can repair, renew or strengthen existing steel or concrete tanks and SCAs:
01 Thin-film system: Building higher thicknesses from thin-film (10-20 mils DFT) to medium-film (20-40 mils DFT) to slurry (1/16-1/8”) and mortar (1/8-1/4”) systems helps facilities appropriately address needs for SCAs based on a host of variables.
• Laminate lining systems (55-120 mils DFT, single or double layers) feature a primer coat, topped by one or two layers of saturant/ laminate mat/saturant, and finished with a topcoat. They add structural reinforcement with moderate abrasion resistance and can also bridge small structural cracks.
02 Laminate lining system: Protective coating and lining systems may be as simple as a film system that combines a primer and a flake-filled topcoat. But if added strength and abrasion resistance is needed, laminate and mortar laminate systems are also available.
PAGE 69
TECHNICAL LOADING ARMS
CHOOSING THE RIGHT LOADING ARM SYSTEM A lot of time, thought and effort is needed when identifying a solution that optimises terminal operations, says OPW’s David Morrow IMAGINE seeing a notice asking for symphony orchestra musicians to be at a concert hall on a certain day and time, prepared to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, without rehearsal. The individual musicians who responded would likely have the talent and some past experience, but the performance as a whole would be disjointed. Now try outfitting a storage terminal in the same manner, selecting loadingarm system equipment that probably should work well together, but with no past experience. The operation of that equipment would probably be about the same as the sound of that thrown-together orchestra – out of tune and disjointed. However, the orchestra can practice to get better, whereas an incompatible loading arm system has no chance of improving without major (and costly) design modifications. Achieving a system in which all components work seamlessly in a system that is efficient, easy to operate and safe for the user – takes a great deal of time, due diligence and native knowledge. KNOW THE BASICS While all facilities that load and unload railcars and tank trucks (storage terminals, chemical plants, refineries, etc.) serve the same basic function, each one is unique in its operational design and setup. This means that the ones that are truly able to achieve and maintain elevated levels of efficiency, reliability, safety and ergonomic operation are those that have managers who put in the hard hours in order to determine the best loading-arm system to deploy. In general, there are three variables that must be considered before selecting the loading arm system. • The site: It’s a cliché, but it’s triedand-true: The ‘location, location, location’ of the loading racks will be the main determining factor in which type of loading arms will be able to be used, along with where all ancillary equipment and structures will be positioned. After determining the number of loading positions, the system designer must choose the
PAGE 70
01
best spot for the risers, which are the foundation of the system. If several arms are to be used, all risers must be located so that they do not interfere with the operation of the other arms. The arms must be positioned so that they can move up, over and around any possible obstructions, from light poles, support columns and power lines to meters, gangways and safety cages, as well as fit under a roof if it is a covered application. Loading arms can be heavy, so proper structural support must also be built into the system design. • The product: The specific facility can feature a range of products, all of which have different handling characteristics. Liquids with water-like viscosities will need to be handled differently than those with the consistency of molasses, while hazardous or corrosive liquids need compatible equipment. Some liquids will thicken, crystallise or even freeze as ambient temperatures change, so may need a heat-tracing system or steam jackets. The loading arm system must also be able to reliably produce desired flow rates, which goes hand-in-hand in determining the actual size of the piping that will be needed. • Transport: The setup of the facility will pre-determine the method of loading and unloading, either bottom or top. Bottom loading is the preferred method for petroleum products because trucks are standardised, while top loading is more common in chemicalhandling applications. In either case,
02
it is good practice to walk through the entire loading/unloading process to determine what an ideal process looks like. Bottom loading connections are also easier to perform, and if the transport has several compartments, overall loading/unloading time will be reduced. Bottom loading bays also require less equipment and poured concrete, which makes them more economical. In the instances where top loading is used, the loading system must have enough horizontal range so that the arms can reach the farthest compartment without needing to respot the vehicle; the system must make mis-spotting a rare occurrence as any need to relocate the railcar or transport truck is lost loading/ unloading time. The facility operator must also consider how the product will be top-loaded, either splash-filled through an open manway or through a hard connection. If hard connections will be used, the operator has many options available: hard or soft connection, quick- or dry-disconnect technology and whether any valving will be needed. Finally, a level detection system is normally recommended as a secondary shutoff that reliably indicates when the loading process is completed. Overfills lead to spills and unsafe working conditions, with the potential to do harm to the environment and surrounding communities. Some final general considerations include whether special non-destructive testing of the loading arm equipment is required; are any special welding procedures
TECHNICAL LOADING ARMS needed; is insulation designed to protect the operator from handling hot piping required; will any additional weight be added to the loading arms after installation; and will there be any need for connections to aid in venting or blowing down product from the arm at the end of the loading/unloading process.
meaning that little effort or strain is required from the drivers in order to connect and disconnect the arms. With all of the new system’s components sourced from the same supplier, it is easier to order, stock and track spare and replacement parts. And all of this took just six weeks from purchase order to installation.
A PETROLEUM PRODUCTS CASE STUDY
CONCLUSION
A high-volume bottom loading terminal in Kentucky, US, originally built in the 1970s, had undergone a number of upgrades, expansions and reconfigurations to its truck loading lanes. These modifications had ultimately resulted in an unorganised loading system layout with poorly spaced and incompatible arms. This led to loading inefficiencies while putting increased strain on the drivers via the non-ergonomic system design. The terminal operator and the loading arm system provider determined that the biggest issue was the fact the loading arms did not effectively cross over one another. This meant that it had become difficult for the drivers to access the required arm without needing to move other arms out of the way first, or to load more than one compartment at a time. A new layout design was created featuring short-range hose loaders that allow simultaneous connecting to and filling of three product lines. Dry-break API couplers (see sidebar) to ensure reliable and easy connection to a tank truck or railcar were added. New mounting risers for the truck lanes were designed that enabled the loading arms to be installed in the optimal mounting configuration. Today, the redesigned loading system has arms that are able to cross over and clear one another, which allows easy access to the desired arm and the ability to quickly and efficiently load multiple compartments at the same time. The arms store and balance at roughly the same height as the truck adaptors,
03
A storage terminal must be designed with the needs and layout of the site, as well as those of the individual components, in mind. It’s much easier to find that harmonious balance if all loading-arm system components are sourced from the same supplier, one that has many years of experience designed and engineering systems that meet the needs of every unique installation. For more information: David Morrow is director of sales for OPW Engineered Systems, Lebanon, OH, part of Dover Corporation’s OPW division. He can be reached at (800) 5479393 or David.Morrow@opwglobal.com. OPW is the global leader in fully integrated fluid-handling, management, monitoring and control solutions for the safe and efficient handling of critical petroleum-derived fluids from the refinery to the commercial and retail points of consumption. www.opw-es.com
01 The site of loading arms is critical in optimising their functionality. Every site will have a unique operational design and setup 02 When using several loading arms, all risers must be positioned so the arms do not interfere with each other 03 An API coupler, with a unique U-pin for quick coupler assembly and disassembly, as well as a wave-spring design for improved durability
COUPLERS: UNSUNG TERMINAL HEROES Bottom loading API couplers serve as the conduit between the loading arms and the tank truck or railcar. It is not unusual in busy terminals for the couplers to be attached and disconnected more than 50 times a day. Terminal operators are encouraged to make every effort to ensure that the couplers and their components are cared for so operations run smoothly. Terminals that experience excessive interruptions in their liquid transfer service due to malfunctioning couplers can’t meet the demanding delivery schedules of their customers, with lost revenue for both and a loss of reputation. Today’s next-generation of advanced API coupler models combine all of the best features of legacy models into one device that is capable of consistently producing a superior and effortless bottom loading experience. Key features of these advanced designs include: • A unique U-pin that allows coupler assembly and disassembly is as little as 30 seconds • In-field replacement of the main seals, on or off the arm • Wave-spring design that will last three times longer than competitive models • Durable stainless-steel collar and anodised aluminum body for increased durability and life • ‘True interlocking’ stainlesssteel latches that ensure leak-free coupling and product containment • A wide variety of seal materials, including fluorocarbon, Buna-N (nitrile) and FKM • Ergonomic operating handle that puts less physical strain on users The million of gallons of liquids of all types that pass through a storage terminal every year would have nowhere to go without API couplers. That means their design and reliability must be unquestioned if the terminal is to feature a truly efficient loading rack operation. Next-generation API couplers that can improve loading rack efficiency, cost-effectiveness and safety are now being recognised as true heroes in the terminal universe.
PAGE 71
EVENTS NISTM PREVIEW
THE IMPORTANCE OF COATING MAINTENANCE FOR FLOATING ROOFS Anton Martinez and Adam Beers from KTA-Tator cover corrosion and remedies 01
POPULARISED in the 1950s, floating roof tanks have become increasingly prevalent over the years. These tanks play an important role in the liquid storage industry, most notably oil storage. At refineries, millions of barrels of oil products are stored in tanks that use a floating roof. These tanks are defined by the roof that floats on the liquid and is sealed around the edge. An internal floating roof tank has both a floating roof and a fixed roof. The fixed roof protects the internal floating roof from the atmosphere. External floating roof tanks have a floating roof that is exposed to the elements. The protection from the elements that the fixed roof provides for the internal floating roof can help to prevent failures in extreme weather events, such as hurricanes. Floating roof tanks have several benefits that primarily revolve around their ability to limit the vapour space in the tank. As the liquid in the tank rises and lowers, the floating roof moves in tandem – leaving a minimal amount of space between the liquid and roof called the vapour space, which directly reduces the amount of vapour that can form. This reduction of the vapour has several benefits. It is better for the environment (reduction of emissions and VOCs), can improve the safety of the tank (reduces flammability due to decreased temperature), can help reduce or eliminate water vapour condensation, and it can be economically
PAGE 72
beneficial by reducing the amount of lost product due to evaporation. It is of the upmost importance to protect floating roofs from corrosion. Installing and maintaining protective coatings (topside) and protective linings (underside) is one of the primary ways to prevent corrosion. Various coating systems are excellent for the topside of floating roofs: zinc rich primer/epoxy/ polyurethane topcoat, fluorourethane, and polysiloxane are other suitable coating options. In fact, polysiloxane and fluorourethane have very long service lives, sometimes more than 30 years. Regarding the topside of floating roofs, deterioration of the coating system and corrosion of the exposed metallic substrate are the main concerns. Several factors contribute to the rate at which atmospheric corrosion occurs, such as temperature, relative humidity, pH, and air contaminants. EXTERNAL FLOATING ROOFS Figure 1 presents an overview of an external floating roof. Many defects and problems can be seen in the coating system (topside). For example, the gradual wearing away of the coating system results in decreased coating thickness. In turn, small pinholes may form across the coating which allows water to penetrate to the metal. Additionally, water pooling can act as an
electrolyte to complete the corrosion cell. Pitting, which begins as spot corrosion, ultimately results in section loss of the metal. This section loss could lead to contamination of the bulk liquid as rainwater and snow penetrate the floating roof and enter the tank. Extensive corrosion along the walls could create rust scale and prevent movement of the floating roof. Finally, the gradual thinning of light-coloured coating systems to reveal widespread corrosion is an issue. Colour selection of the topside of the floating roof and exterior shell is also extremely important. As mentioned earlier, many of the benefits of floating roof tanks come from their ability to limit vapours. The exterior paint colour can also play a major role in reducing the quantity vapours in a tank. As the liquid being stored heats up it becomes increasingly volatile and produces more vapour. Many floating roof storage tanks have a white or similar colour finish on all exterior surfaces, including the topside of the floating roof. Light colour coatings are selected because they limit the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed and heats the tank and liquid inside. White coatings are highly reflective when compared to darker colour coating systems. In fact, white coatings are five times more effective at reflecting the solar radiation. Figure 2 presents an overview of the underside of a floating roof. Again, corrosion and defects can be seen in
EVENTS NISTM PREVIEW
02
the lining system (underside). The lining may experience pinpoint corrosion which could also lead to pitting and section loss. In this case, large pits can create section loss leading all the way to the way to the topside of the floating roof. THIN OR THICK? When selecting a lining system for the interior of the tank, it is important to consider the properties of the liquid being stored, which can vary greatly. Crude oil and other petroleum products can contain both sulphides and inorganic salts in addition to the water and oxygen that are found in the product. The bottom of the tank often experiences the most corrosion. Sediment and water can settle at the bottom of the tank creating a highly corrosive environment. The interior of the tank can be exposed to chemical corrosion, galvanic corrosion, concentration cell corrosion and even erosion corrosion. Furthermore, the interior lining should have good solvent and chemical resistance as part of its corrosion protection. The lining may be different on the tank bottom and the shell with the liner on the bottom coming up the shell wall a couple feet. Interior tank linings are typically grouped as a thick or thin lining. Thin linings are typically 20 mils (0.5 mm) thick or thinner while the thickness of a thick lining is over 20 mils. Novalac epoxy systems are often chosen when using a thin lining. Epoxies that are polyamine cured are preferred for the interior lining due to their superior chemical and solvent resistance. Polyamine epoxies and many other epoxy systems can be applied directly to the steel without a primer. These systems are generally applied in two or three coats and over white (NACE No. 1/SSPC-SP 5) or near white (NACE No. 2/SSPC-SP 10) blasted steel. Thick liners provide more protection than thin liners but come at an additional cost and can be more difficult to apply. They are often reinforced with glass particles and can provide excellent protection against mechanical damage. They become increasingly beneficial when
being used to replace a lining system that has already experienced significant corrosion. Thick liners tend to perform better than thin when applied over pitted steel. When considering thick liners, vinyl esters are a popular option. Polyesters have also been used in petroleum storage tanks for well over 50 years. DEVELOPING A MAINTENANCE PLAN Coatings and corrosion protection is commonly the largest cost associated with the maintenance of floating roof tanks. With an understanding of existing coating condition and a plan for coating maintenance, tank owners can maximise their maintenance budget. A coating condition assessment can be used to develop recommendations about coating maintenance, including spot repair (touch-up), spot repair plus overcoat, or removal and replacement of the existing coating systems. Visual examination is the heart of a coating condition assessment. The percentage of visible coating deterioration can be determined in general accordance with SSPC-VIS 2, ‘Standard Method for Evaluating the Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel Surfaces.’ Defects such as pitting, peeling, blistering, cracking and many others are also documented through visual examination. As part of a coating condition assessment, several measurements and tests may also be conducted. Dry film thickness should be measured using
03
a non-destructive magnetic dry film thickness gage per ASTM D7901. Then, the current thickness can be compared to the original thickness required in the specification. Destructive testing (per ASTM D4138) may also be used to find the thickness of individual layers of the coating system. These measurements will provide a better understanding of the amount of coating that has been corroded away. The adhesive properties of the coating system to the substrate may be measured using the Knife Probing Test (ASTM D6677) as shown in Figure 3. Coating samples may also be collected and have a variety of tests conducted, including identifying the generic coating and quantifying the amount of toxic heavy metals present. When corrosion has caused the tank to lose its structural integrity and when repair and maintenance costs become so large the tank may be retired. However, coating condition assessments combined with routine maintenance can help extend the life of the floating roof. Ideally, problems will be caught and repaired to increase its longevity in the most economical way possible. Floating roof tanks have become a staple in oil and petroleum industries. Their environmental, safety and economical benefits make it clear why. With proper maintenance and protection, they will remain essential for the industry for years to come. For more information: Anton Martinez is a NACE Coatings Inspector Level 2 – Certified, an SSPC Certified Bridge Coating Inspector (BCI) Level 1, and an AGA Certified Galvanizing Inspector. Adam Beers is a NACE Coatings Inspector Level 3 – Certified, an SSPC Certified Protective Coatings Specialist (PCS), an SSPC Certified Master Coating Inspector (MCI), an AGA Certified Galvanizing Inspector, and an SSPC inspector in various specialties. Beers will give a presentation on this topic at the 24th Annual International Aboveground Storage Tank Conference & Trade Show, hosted by the National Institute for Storage Tank Management (NISTM) in Orlando, Florida on 13-15 April 2022. www.kta.com www.nistm.org
01 The topside of a floating roof can easily contain many coating defects 02 The underside (lining) of a floating roof can also contain corrosion 03 Adhesion testing of a coating system is important to determine current coating condition
PAGE 73
EVENTS NISTM PREVIEW
CRITICAL INSPECTIONS DURING CONSTRUCTION Dr Emerson John explains the value of inspection and test plans (ITP) to the successful completion of a storage tank construction project INSPECTION and test plans (ITP) are used during storage tank erection projects to ensure all construction activities are executed, tested, inspected, and accepted. However, because of the nature of a tank project every task under an activity does not represent a line item on the ITP. Tasks are often grouped. Examples of grouped tasks are soil compaction, foundation construction, and the erection of roof structure. Examples of work to be executed under the grouped heading ‘foundation construction’ are trenching, casting of mud slab, placement of inner formwork, placement of steel bars. By grouping these items, the improper assembly of critical connections can sometimes be overlooked, in the worst case, or be discovered later in the process at a time when it is costly to rectify. This article presents examples of critical connections related to aboveground storage tank projects. EXAMPLE 1 A reinforced concrete ring wall was proposed for a 200’ (61 m) diameter tank. The ring wall was designed with ½” (1.27 cm) (#4) diameter closed stirrups with seismic hooks and 1 ⅛” (#9) diameter longitudinal reinforcing bars (Figure 1). During the procurement process, a decision was taken to substitute the closed stirrups with seismic hooks for closed stirrups comprising of a pair of U-Shaped bars overlapping each other (Figure 2) to reduce construction time and cost. Stirrups are designed to control cracks from temperature changes and shrinkage1,2. Additionally, stirrups are provided to resist shear and torsional forces resulting from applied loads1,2. The change of stirrups presented in the scenario above is troubling for two main reasons. Firstly, when a tank is in a medium to high seismic zone, in the event of an earthquake, induced seismic forces will cause the U-shaped stirrups to disengage once cracks are developed and the concrete spalls. Once the stirrups fail, the longitudinal bars and the core of the ring wall will lose confinement and can disintegrate. Closed stirrups
PAGE 74
with seismic hooks, however, will better absorb and dissipate the seismic energy without slipping and losing resistance, benefiting from the anchorage of the hooks (Figure 1). Secondly, when the tank shell is at an offset with respect to the centreline of the ring wall, coupled with the distributed earth pressure on the inside of the ring wall, high torsional forces are developed in the ring wall. Torsional forces tend to generate cracks on the wall’s face that can reduce the mechanical bond of the laps of the U-shaped stirrups reducing their effectiveness. The use of lapped U-shaped stirrups in a reinforced concrete ring wall is not recommended where the tank is subject to high seismic and torsional forces. The EOR most be consulted early on design deviations. If this step is missed, then the second security layer is the ITP. The EOR must ensure the ITP is sufficiently detailed to facilitate the identification of such a change. Recommended good practice is to have the signed ITP be accompanied with photo verification and approved by the EOR before concrete is poured. EXAMPLE 2 The roof structure of a 1-bay supported cone roof tank, 110’ in diameter, was designed with W12 x 26 rafters. The rafters were designed with three rows of lateral bracing, comprising of ¼” thick by 2” wide flat bars equally spaced at 12’ (Figure 3). During construction, it was found that one of the braces runs across a roof top opening that cannot be relocated.
01
The contractor elected to shift the affected brace by 6’, thereby increasing the unbraced length to 18’. The rafters, braced at 12’ along their length as designed, have a bending capacity of 69 kip-ft 3. Increasing the unbraced length to 18’ reduces the bending capacity by 26 kip-ft to 43 kip-ft, a 38% reduction in the originally designed strength. On many tank projects, the rafters and other structural components are designed such that the utilisation factor exceeds 90% to save on material cost. The utilisation factor is the required capacity of the structural element divided by the available capacity of the element. It therefore follows that if the utilisation factor of the rafters were high (exceeding 90%), then the change in the unbraced length would have resulted in the affected rafter becoming overstressed. The full impact of deviating from the construction drawings is not always understood and even when it is, the degree of the impact needs to be quantified. Changes, seemingly small, can lead to unsatisfactory performance of structural elements and even failure. It also highlights the importance of listing critical connections on the ITP even when tasks are grouped. The EOR may also have hold points included on the ITP for full verification of these connections. EXAMPLE 3 A special concentrically braced frame (SCBF) (Figure 4) was designed to support the overhead piping in a tank terminal in a high seismic hazard zone.
02
EVENTS NISTM PREVIEW CONCLUSION
03
Figure 4 – Segment of roof rafter layout
During inspection of the fabricated frame, it was discovered that the centreline of one of the diagonal members was offset 1 ½ inches from the intersection of the centrelines of the beam and column (Figure 5). An SCBF is designed to resist lateral forces and displacements through the axial strength and stiffness of the braces4. Another very important feature of the SCBF system is that the centrelines of the structural members, the brace, beam, and column, converge (Figure 5). The point of convergence is called the working point (WP). The importance of the working point is tied to the design philosophy of SCBF which dictates that the diagonal members (braces) yield while the other members making up the frame (column and beam) are stressed below their yield values during a seismic event. The WP is critical in achieving this design objective for if the centroids of the connecting elements do not coincide, bending moments will be introduced in the joint which can lead to yielding of the column and potential collapse. Based on the forgoing, the fabricated brace will be rejected unless the EOR can justify its use. Credit to the process of verification that was developed by EOR and implemented through the ITP, this error was discovered. Braced frames, when assembled in the field, require even closer inspection because work is done under a less controlled environment
compared to a fabrication shop. The EOR should be cognisant of this and ensure that the ITP is tailored to facilitate full verification of these critical connections in the field even when tasks are group. RECOMMENDATIONS The successful completion of a storage tank construction project is inextricably linked to the ITP which is a part of the quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) process. As such, the following guidelines are offered for the formulation of the ITP: 1. When tasks are grouped critical connections within the groups should be itemised. 2. Recommended good practice is for the EOR and QA/QC personnel to collaborate more closely on the development of the ITP. 3. Work to complete a critical connection must be sufficiently detailed on the ITP so that even slight changes to the detail can be discovered. The EOR will play a critical role in guaranteeing this through his/her involvement in item two above. 4. Hold points should be included on the ITP for the verification of each critical connection. It is encouraged that photos accompany the signed ITP.
The article focussed on three areas of a tank project, the foundation, the roof structure, and an area of the balance of plant, overhead piping supports. One critical connection under each section was used to illustrate the design philosophy, the impact of deviating from the construction documents and the importance of the inspection and test plan. When activities are grouped on an ITP, care should be taken to identify and list the critical connections as line items. The use of inspection and test plans combined with thorough verification and approval, is not only necessary, but is prudent and will reduce or prevent the erosion of the already slim margins on construction projects due to nonconformance and rework. References 1. American Concrete Institute. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary. Farmington Hills, MI: American Concrete Institute, 2014. 2. American Petroleum Institute. Welded Tanks for Oil Storage, Thirteenth ed. Washington, DC: American Petroleum Institute 2020. 3. American Institute of Steel Construction. Steel Construction Manual, Fifteenth ed. Chicago, IL: American Institute of Steel Construction, 2017. 4. American Institute of Steel Construction. Seismic Design Manual, Third ed. Chicago, IL: American Institute of Steel Construction, 2020. For more information: Dr Emerson John is the principal consultant at Cari Consulting Engineers. He will give a presentation on this subject at the 24th Annual International Aboveground Storage Tank Conference & Trade Show of the National Institute for Storage Tank Management (NISTM), held from 13-15 April 2022 in Orlando, Florida. www.cariengineers.com www.nistm.org
04
05 01 Closed stirrups with seismic hooks 02 Closed stirrups comprising U-shaped bars 03 Segment of roof rafter layout 04 Special concentrically braced frame 05 Detail A (working point and offset)
PAGE 75
31 October - 3 November 2022 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Supported By
2022 TECHNICAL CONFERENCE CALL FOR PAPERS
NOW OPEN
2022 TECHNICAL CONFERENCE CATEGORIES:
WHY SUBMIT ABSTRACTS FOR THE TECHNICAL CONFERENCE?
1
ADIPEC hosts one of the world’s biggest and most important technical conferences, attracting 12,000 delegates
2
Extend your influence as part of an exceptional Technical Programme
3
Present your technical knowledge and experience globally to industry colleagues
4
Raise your company’s technical profile at a prestigious industry event
AI and Digital Transformation Drilling Energy Transition and Decarbonisation Field Development Geoscience Health and Safety Operational Excellence People Development
SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT ONLINE: www.adipec.com/cfp #ADIPEC #ADNOC @ADIPECOFFICIAL
Project Management Unconventional Resources Development
ABSTRACTS SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MONDAY 4 APRIL 2022 Gold Sponsors
Partners
Host City
Venue Partner
Knowledge Partner
Strategic Insights
Partner
Technical Conference Organised By
ADIPEC Brought To You By
EVENTS NISTM PREVIEW
PAINT FOUR TANKS FOR THE COST OF ONE Carboline’s Dwayne Lum tells the story of the development of modern tank overcoat systems 01
IT SEEMS to be a universal law of nature; maintenance painting budgets are the first cut when profits fall and the last reinstated when profits rise. Operators and supporting coating manufacturers, contractors, and other service providers continually face the challenge of protecting assets as economically as possible. This is especially true for the large and often very visible above-ground storage tanks.
easily applied and providing outstanding corrosion protection before they became infamous for environmental and health issues. The US began banning the manufacture of coatings containing lead in the 1970s as lead poisoning became recognised as a major health issue. Owners of steel structures, like storage tanks or bridges, suddenly faced significant liabilities from the cost of lead abatement – budget-killing liabilities.
The most promising coating technology for cost-effective, environmentally friendly maintenance tank overcoating systems is not new. Nor was it developed for storage tank painting. Low molecular weight epoxies were designed for and initially used extensively in the bridge painting market. Their purpose was to mitigate the issue of lead-based paint, specifically lead-based paint on steel bridges in need of recoating.
Across industries, owners of steel structures faced the high cost of lead abatement. Specially trained, certified crews with extraordinary PPE requirements were needed, and those crews required regular blood tests. 100% containment was necessary, as was the removal and safe disposal of contaminated spent blast media, and the exorbitant costs went on. As high as lead abatement costs for land-based steel structures like storage tanks were, the cost to abate lead-containing coatings on bridges over water was astronomical.
The first steel bridge, the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River at St Louis, was completed in 1874. Steel bridge construction accelerated through the remainder of the 19th century and into the 20th century, peaking during the US interstate construction period from the 1950s to 1970s. Thousands of those steel bridges were painted with lead-based paints for corrosion protection. RED LEAD The old alkyd primers containing lead tetroxide, commonly referred to as red lead primers, were famous for being
With the additional costs of preventing lead contaminants out of rivers, bridge owners were looking at lead abatement costs that, in some cases, exceeded the replacement cost of the bridge! Alternatives to complete removal and lead abatement were needed as a stopgap to give more time for remediation efforts. After all, tightly adhered lead-based coatings still provided excellent corrosion protection and remained benign until disturbed. Since this was a coatings issue, many state transport department
offices began consulting with coating manufacturers for possible solutions. A LEAD-FREE SOLUTION One coating manufacturer, coincidently located about 10 miles (16 km) from the Eads Bridge, came up with a novel solution. Its researchers developed a universal primer/tie coat that could be applied to marginally prepared steel substrates and over existing coatings without abrasive blasting. This 99% solids, low molecular weight epoxy with very low viscosity was formulated for application at low film thicknesses of 1-2 mils (25-50 µm). The capillary action of the low viscosity coating penetrates under loose coating edges and into any small cracks in the coating film. The near 100% solids makeup, low film thickness, and slow curing of the low molecular weight epoxies translates to very low stress on existing coatings. Where typical epoxies can exert anywhere from 700-1500 psi (4.8-10.3 MPa) stress on a substrate, the measurable stress of these coatings is often under 100 psi (0.7 MPa). These characteristics meant this technology was ideal for coating over existing lead-based coatings, extending the coating system life until proper lead abatement could be performed or the bridge was replaced. This overcoat coating technology was used on some storage tanks with leadbased coatings but not as extensively as on bridges. Most storage tank owners instituted aggressive programmes to
PAGE 77
EVENTS NISTM PREVIEW remediate lead coatings as soon as possible. Since then, thin-film low molecular weight epoxy primers have found niche uses in the petrochemical market as primers on non-ferrous metals in lieu of abrasive blasting. Adhesion to stainless steel, galvanised steel, and aluminium is outstanding, allowing traditional systems to be applied over them without abrasive blast surface preparation. The superior penetrating properties of this class of primers enable its use on marginally prepared corroded surfaces where abrasive blasting is not practical due to location, nearby equipment, etc. However, these special primers were not used frequently for tank shell overcoat systems until relatively recently. COATING STRATEGIES It is apparent when a coating system on a steel structure is nearing the end of its effective corrosion protection. A tank shell, for example, will start exhibiting ‘shadows’ as it begins to break down from the relentless ultraviolet radiation from the sun and the previous coat starts to show through the finish coat. Corrosion will start appearing as the barrier properties of the coating system lose integrity. Those responsible for protecting tank assets use different strategies when exterior coatings start breaking down and rust starts appearing. They can wait until the corrosion is widespread and remove all existing coatings with full abrasive blast surface preparation before applying a full coating system. Or they can choose to time rehabilitation efforts to spot repairs of corrosion and apply an overcoat system over the existing coatings. One overcoat coating strategy that has not been adopted widely in the past is using low molecular weight epoxies as a tie coat. One would think coating technology designed for application to corroded surfaces and over minimally prepared surfaces like old, failing leadbased paint on bridges would transition to storage tanks. But that has not happened on a widespread basis. First of all, no one ever involved in a lead abatement/overcoating project associated any aspect of those projects as cost-effective compared to other coating projects. Also, low molecular epoxies are not well suited to spray application. Thirty to forty years ago, when low molecular weight epoxies were introduced, the vast majority of tanks were coated with spray-applied coatings. Now many exterior tank shells are painted with roller-applied coatings. Common application practices have changed. Then there is also the old adage, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ If the way a facility or tank group has been approaching
PAGE 78
maintenance painting of tanks has worked, why risk proposing changes? There is only one good reason to recommend changes, and that is if the proposed changes provide more utility out of available budget funds.
epoxy applied at 1-3 mils (25-75 µm) DFT over the entire area where the coating would be applied. The low molecular weight epoxy prepared the existing aged coatings for the application of a new UVresistant finish coat.
STRETCHING THE BUDGET
THE OVERCOAT BOOM
Stretching available maintenance painting funds is exactly the reason to consider coating systems based on low molecular weight epoxies. There is an actual case where a tank maintenance manager was able to paint four tanks for the price of one.
The success of this overcoat system using low molecular epoxy coating as a primer and tie coat has led to a small regional overcoating boom. This system has been applied to over thirty storage tanks in the last eight years, with zero defects. The four tanks painted for the cost of one are at eight years-plus and counting of maintenance-free service.
A technical coating advisor met the tank manager on site to discuss coating specifications for a tank scheduled for full remediation: full abrasive blast and the application of a three-coat system. The technical advisor asked about the three adjacent sister tanks that were more or less in the same condition. The response was, ‘those are not in the budget this year’ – an all too common refrain. After inspecting all four tanks and performing some adhesion tests, the coating advisor returned to the tank manager and proposed a repair system for all four tanks that could be done within the available budget. Test patches were applied and inspected. The overcoat system was approved. The system consisted of surface preparation by power wash with blast media injection. The injection of the media into the water stream allowed for more thorough cleaning of the aged coatings. More importantly, it allowed the operator to slow when necessary to remove the rust scale without switching to different surface preparation methods. A surface tolerant, highly filled aluminium epoxy mastic was used to prime the corroded areas cleaned to bare steel or steel with tightly adhered flash rust. The spot prime provided the necessary barrier protection to the steel. The next coat was the low molecular weight
02
One other point, the reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) emissions compared to traditional maintenance systems are also dramatic. 60% or more emission reductions can be realised. Save money and make the environmental manager happy at the same time. But that is a topic for another article. For more information: Dwayne Lum is the strategic account manager at Carboline. He will give a talk on Carboline’s coating systems at the 24th Annual International Aboveground Storage Tank Conference & Trade Show, hosted by the National Institute for Storage Tank Management (NISTM) in Orlando, Florida on 13-15 April 2022. www.carboline.com www.nistm.org
01 Storage tank roof: Spot repairs with aluminum filled epoxy mastic primer. Low molecular weight epoxy applied over spot primer and existing coating system 02 Completed overcoat system with polyurethane finish coat
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022
API STANDARD 2350 5TH EDITION – WHAT’S NEW? Midstream consultant Earl Crochet examines the changes in the latest edition of API 2350 That means that if a regulatory agency adopts API 2350 as part of a law or if an owner/operator adopts API 2350 in their operating procedures, that is 195 items that must potentially be addressed in order to be in compliance with the document.
01
For example, in the US, tanks involved in the transportation of hazardous liquids are regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) under the Department of Transportation (DOT). PHMSA currently references API 2350 3rd Edition. They published their plans to update to the 5th Edition in January 2021.
THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE (API) publishes industry standards, recommended practices and other documents to help industry worldwide. Typically, these documents are updated every five to seven years by members of the industry including owners/operators, manufacturers, and contractors. One of these documents that was recently updated is API Standard 2350 – Overfill Prevention for Storage Tanks in Petroleum Facilities. Table 1 compares the last three editions of API 2350 and highlights a number of changes that have taken place over the last 15 years. LOTS OF ‘SHALL’ STATEMENTS The 5th Edition uses the word ‘shall’ 195 times in the body of the document.
02
NOW ALLOWS WIRELESS SYSTEMS API 2350 now allows owner/operators to use wireless systems to install both gauging and alarms on their tanks. It is recommended that if wireless is used as the primary communication that ISA TR84.00.08 should be followed.
conduit and cable up the side of the tank. Unless the tank already had spare power and communication cables (which is seldom the case) this normally means the cost of running the conduit is probably more that the cost of the new alarm. In addition, often owner/operators would be forced to either take the tank out of service to clean and gas free it before just welding on the support clips necessary for the conduit. This now allows the owner/operator to at least consider alternatives to traditional wired systems. In addition, this change allows owner/ operators who have little or no conduit and cable infrastructure to add gauging and alarms on tanks that in the past would have been uneconomical. Obviously, this has to be part of a larger risk assessment, which is our next topic. RISK ASSESSMENT IS NOW MANDATORY
Wireless communication was specifically not allowed as the primary communication in the previous edition. This change means that if an owner/ operator decides to install or upgrade their gauging and/or alarm systems, they now have the option to go wireless. While this might not seem like a big deal, in certain situations, it is HUGE!
Several of those 195 ‘shall’ statements in the 5th Edition of API 2350 mentioned previously involve what is now a mandatory risk assessment be performed on each tank at a facility. This is not a generic one for an entire tank farm; a tank-specific risk assessment that takes into account all the specific unique physical and operational features of the tank.
Imagine a scenario where an owner/ operator decides they want to add an additional alarm to their tank. In the past, most likely, they would have had to run
API 2350 does not mandate or prescribe how the owner/operator is to perform the risk assessment, however. The 5th Edition states: ‘standard does not specify how
3rd Edition
4th Edition
5th Edition
Published January, 2005
Published May 2012
Published September 2020
Recommended Practice
Standard
Standard
Overfill Protection for Storage Tanks in Petroleum Facilities
Overfill Protection for Storage Tanks in Petroleum Facilities
Overfill Protection for Storage Tanks in Petroleum Facilities
40 pages
58 pages
75 pages
3 appendices
5 annexes
8 annexes
PAGE 80
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022
risk assessments should be conducted (e.g. qualitative or semi-quantitative, including LOPA), because tank operations, associated risks, corporate risk assessment knowledge, and methods vary widely, and risk tolerance is site- and owner/operator-specific.’ Knowing that this new requirement might take a significant amount of time (depending on the number of tanks and the ability of the owner/operator to perform the risk assessment), API 2350 gives them an out. Until the risk assessment can be performed, the owner/operator shall (there is that word again) utilise the category system that was introduced in the 4th Edition of API 2350. The category system is now explained in Annex G which becomes mandatory until the risk assessment is completed. An additional clarification is for those tanks that do not fit neatly into one of the four categories, the document is now clear that the owner/ operator must default to the next most conservative category. MORE EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN
The 5th Edition uses the word ‘shall’ 195 times in the body of the document... That is 195 items that must potentially be addressed in order to be in compliance
RISK IS IN THE EYE OF THE OWNER/OPERATOR As previously mentioned, the risk assessment process is too complicated and unique for both companies and specific sites to be prescribed in API 2350. However, Annex E provides the owner/operator with some guidance of where to begin, if they want or need some help getting started. The annex is informative, which means that an owner/operator can completely ignore what is in it, use some of the information, or adopt entire parts of the annex; all purely up to the individual companies to decide.
In Annex D, detailed examples are given that show an owner/operator how to determine the appropriate Levels of Concern (LOC) for several different tank configurations and operational situations. These should help illustrate and guide those who are not as familiar with calculating LOCs.
Also included in Annex E are several actual examples of qualitative, semi-quantitative and risk screening approaches that should be helpful in explaining these items to owner/operators.
These examples explain that first the owner/operator must calculate the critical high, then rate of fill, then highhigh and maximum working level. While the owner/operator still has the ultimate responsibility in determining how and where to set these LOCs, Annex D provides a good starting point.
I have had the pleasure and honour of serving on the API 2350 committee for over 20 years. In fact, I was grateful to serve as the co-chair of the most recent 5th edition. While every edition has been better (in my not-so-humble opinion) than the previous one, no document is ever perfect.
BETTER BUT NOT PERFECT
In fact, since all API documents are created by consensus, everyone in the room (or in an online meeting over the last couple of years) must listen to multiple opinions and the group has to decide how best to move forward. In addition, no matter how many times you review a document (or even a single sentence in the document), sometimes what you think is very clear can be interpreted different ways by others reading the document. That is part of the reason that there are so many ‘shall’ statements; we tried to be as clear as possible this time. I am sure that by the time API starts the committee up again in a couple of years to begin work on the 6th Edition, we will find out that we missed the mark, once again. I only hope that I will once again be allowed to participate on this important and needed document (hint, hint, API Staff). For more information: For over 33 years, Earl J Crochet, PE, has held roles in management, engineering, business development (BD), operations, and environment, health and safety (EH&S) in the midstream industry, has served on numerous API committees for 28 years, and is now known as the Tank Whisperer. He will give a presentation on this topic at StocExpo 2022, which will be held from 23-35 May 2022 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. www.crochetmc.com www.thetankwhisperer.com
01 Earl Crochet 02 Changes to API 2350
PAGE 81
EXPO 2022 – THE REUNION
The UK and Ireland’s premier event for the Fuel Distribution Industry including the leading future fuels conference.
April 27th & 28th | Exhibition Centre Liverpool
ukifda.org/ukifda-expo
Register to attend NOW by visiting: ukifda.org/expo-registration For more information, contact the UKIFDA team on: +44 (0)7860 773952 or visit ukifda.org/ukifda-expo Looking to sponsor or exhibit at the show? Contact Alison Dickson on: +44 (0)7946 379997
Sponsored by
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022
STOCEXPO 2022: FUTURE. DELIVERED. StocExpo returns to Rotterdam for the first time in two years. Tank Storage Magazine previews some of the latest technological solutions, innovations and products that will be on display in May are manufactured to strict quality standards. Manufacturing of its products is based in modern facilities in Seoul, Korea and Europe. Elsont strives to reduce product losses through evaporation and maintain product quality with a range of products including geosdesic dome roofs, floating roof seal systems and gauge pole covers.
Emerson Cost Engineering
Elsont
COST ENGINEERING
ELSONT
Stand D15
Stand D18
Cost Engineering will be showcasing Cleopatra Enterprise at this year’s StocExpo, a fully integrated software solution for both turnarounds and projects.
For more than 30 years, Elsont has been supplying the oil industry. Decades of expert knowledge and continued contact to operators of tank farms and refineries gives Elsont the edge over competitors and gain new clients. Based on over 20 years of installation and maintenance experience, Elsont’s specialised range of equipment is being installed in refineries all over the world.
Cleopatra helps companies through the entire project lifecycle by combining scope management, work pack management, estimating/budgeting, contract management, tendering, scheduling, field change management, cost control, benchmarking, and cost database. It can integrate with tools like Excel, Primavera, and SAP.
Elsont is ISO 9001:2000, SCC** and EN1090 certified, and all products
EMERSON Stand H22 Emerson has a broad portfolio of automation technology solutions to support terminal operations, and at StocExpo 2022 its Rosemount Tank Gauging business unit will showcase the benefits of the new Rosemount TankMaster Mobile inventory management software application for tank gauging systems. The application, launched last year, makes real-time critical tank data immediately and securely available to a wider range of stakeholders via smartphones, tablets and computers, thereby facilitating
For 25 years, Cleopatra has enabled more than 500 industry-leading companies in 75 countries to control complex projects and turnarounds and improve their performance. The Cleopatra work package management solution enables users to re-use information and standardise repetitive work packs. It manages work packages during turnaround preparation and execution with information from the field. It also integrates with project controls tools like ERP systems. The Cleopatra Field Change Management app replaces the need to use physical paper forms to track field changes. The digital tracking feature encompasses the entire change order procedure during turnarounds. This imparts speedy and effortless accuracy to field change management. PAGE 83
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022
Foamglas
FOAMGLAS Stand D12 Each year, large amounts of energy are wasted due to the fact that storage tanks containing above-ambient liquids do not have proper insulation systems installed. The bottom of a tank is one of the most critical locations for heat transfer and energy loss. A dedicated Foamglas insulation tank base system will limit heat transfer through the tank bottom to help make sure the tank is operating at maximum efficiency.
better decision-making and improved operational efficiency and safety. Rosemount TankMaster Mobile is offered as an addition to the existing Rosemount TankMaster Inventory Management Software suite. Visitors to Emerson’s stand can learn how the application provides a clear overview of all tanks at a facility, with the ability to quickly drill down to detailed information resulting in more efficient tank monitoring. Its features include the ability to organise tanks in groups, customise which tank parameters are displayed, and quickly set a watchlist monitoring tanks of special importance. User groups can be created with different privileges to view tanks and tank parameters. The application meets the requirements for network and system security detailed in IEC 62443-3-3. Its design is based on a three-tier architecture that constitutes separate security zones, and all the data transported is encrypted using the transport layer security protocol. It also supports two-factor log-in to help ensure that only authorised users can access the system.
The insulation value of Foamglas insulation does not change during its lifespan, which contributes to permanent energy, cost and emission savings during the lifetime of the tank. Taking into account all relevant factors, such as storage temperature and energy costs, the payback period can vary from several months to just a few years. After this period, the insulation system will keep providing return on investment with delivering constant energy and emission savings. Additionally, Foamglas’ tank base insulation systems help protect the structural concrete base against high temperatures, which means it can be installed more cost-efficiently. The closed-cell structure of Foamglas insulation also helps eliminate corrosionrelated hazards caused by uprising moisture. Leakages of hazardous substances or vapours also do not affect the system as it is an inorganic material that protects against almost all possible forms of chemical attack. During StocExpo, Foamglas’ technical team will be available to assist with the calculation of the payback period and the annual return on investment of a Foamglas system for the insulation of tanks.
HyBird
HYBIRD Stand E16 HyBird has developed Clarity – an AIpowered platform that digitally transforms asset operations & maintenance using its best-in-class 3D Reality Model (3DRM) & workflow capabilities. The cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform makes use of state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning to simplify the management of oil and gas terminals. Clarity is built on four pillars: • 3DRM: a high-fidelity photorealistic 3D model of the entire facility delivering centimetre-level detail. This allows 3D visualisation of every component (pumps, valves, etc.). • PI&D integration with 3DRM: linking the PI&D to the photorealistic model provides valuable context for every component; avoiding mistakes when planning inspections, works, and more. • Workflow integration with 3DRM: Clarity integrates with leading software providers such as SAP and IBM. It also integrates CMMS and EAM capabilities facilitating the management of all the on-site activities (inspections, notifications, work orders) and tagging them to the components on the 3D model for proper context. • Connected Workforce: The Clarity mobile app allows automatic on-site localisation even in GPS-denied environments. It allows tagging every observation (defects, hazards, inspection data) seamlessly to a component or a location. It also allows immediate identification of work order locations whist displaying RAMS, checklist, maintenance, and repair procedures automatically integrated into the work orders. Clarity is the smartest and most intuitive SaaS solution for the management and operation of O&G terminals. It provides benefits in business continuity, knowledge management, cost reduction, remote cooperation, and digital transformation. It saves €500k+ per year and delivers a 7x ROI within a year of deployment.
PAGE 84
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022
Innova
INNOVA Stand H20 Innova, based in the town of Zibido San Giacomo (Milano), is the new company identity of the former FNC Tank Protection Division. Innova has developed and is manufacturing a brand new highly innovative range of modular valves including pressure protection valves, vacuum protection valves and breather valves. Innova also supplies emergency vents, gauge hatches, flame and detonation arresters and other related tank safety equipment. In order to further grow its business, market and product development with 100% focus on tank protection equipment, Innova has been set up as a fully independent company. The recent pandemic has made Innova invest strongly in a production process that is mainly based on in-house manufacturing and assembly. This guarantees both high flexibility and short delivery times.
device made specifically for floating roof storage tanks. Over 14,000 RGAs are currently in service in 57 different countries. By installing RGA’s on a floating roof petroleum storage tank, it’s possible to eliminate the leading cause of accidental ignition. LEC’s dissipation array system (DAS) is a lightning strike prevention system that will prevent lightning strikes to the protected structure. Over 3,500 DASs are currently in service in 56 different countries. LEC also provides grounding and surge protection equipment, plus consulting engineering services in these related fields.
Mistras
MISTRAS Stand C27 Mistras’ crawlers, along with real-time radiography scanner services are strategically designed, advanced inspection tools that use digital radiography (DR) to check for abnormalities within insulated and uninsulated pipelines.
LEC
LEC Stand B10 Lightning Eliminators & Consultants (LEC) specialises in solving lightningrelated problems and eliminating lightning-related risk. Its largest customer base is the energy industry. Its primary product being displayed at StocExpo is the retractable grounding assembly (RGA), which is a bonding
PAGE 86
Mistras’ Automated Radiographic Testing (ART) crawler inspections and real-time radiography scanner services help detect internal corrosion, pitting, and corrosion under insulation (CUI) in aboveground piping and pipelines, even with product flowing through the lines. Mistras’ lightweight crawler is used to inspect for CUI in insulated piping and has the capability of inspecting up to 100 m of pipeline in a single day, subsequently cutting down on time, safety hazards, and overall budget. The system offers a multi-view approach to CUI, scanning the top, bottom, and both sides of a pipe or pipeline. The motorised functionality allows scanning to be conducted on a line’s full diameter. Fully wireless and weatherproof capabilities allow for effective CUI detection to happen anytime. By giving pipeline operators the opportunity to review inspection video and radiographic results simultaneously, they can collect, process, and analyse data much faster. Collected images are then digitally stored, providing a long-term, easily traceable, and readily available record of damage. Mistras’ ART crawler inspection services have unlimited autonomous range and are adaptable to various piping/pipeline diameters.
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022 Due to the highly developed manufacturing technology of Protego valves, the tank pressure is maintained up to set pressure with a tightness that is far superior to the conventional standard. According to the Protego Standard PS001, leak rates are measured at 90% of the set pressure. This testing ensures Protego valves exceed the most stringent leakage rate requirements of EPA, API2000 and EN ISO 28300. To meet the goal of emission reduction, Protego full lift vents use 10% overpressure technology. This technology provides very short opening and closing pressure ranges. The vent only requires 10% overpressure above the set pressure to reach full performance. The tank pressure is maintained up to just below the maximum permissible tank pressure.
Saber Evnat
Newson Gale
Protego
NEWSON GALE
PROTEGO
Stand D23
Stand E14
In hazardous environments, simultaneous processes requiring the transfer of flammable or combustible materials are a regular occurrence. The Earth-Rite DGS dual grounding system (DGS) has two independent ground monitoring circuits that allows operators to ground and continuously monitor two items of metal conductive plant equipment concurrently to less than 10 Ohms, such as two bulk transportation vehicles or other metallic vessels like Ex IBCs and metal drums.
Since 1954, Protego has built and provided safety devices and tank equipment, now with the help of more than 500 employees worldwide. Within its area of expertise, Protego is the technology leader. Protego provides global services for its customers, which includes research and development, application-specific engineering, and overall protection system design. Its customers know they can trust in its products and high quality and development standards for process engineering, the petroleum, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries and the bioenergy sector.
This feature is commonly used to ground trucks and tank cars during transloading operations or to ground up to two trucks or tank cars that are being loaded/unloaded at dedicated loading rack installations. If these vessels encounter electrostatically charged liquids and powders, they have the potential to accumulate hazardous levels of electrostatic charge that has the capability of discharging static sparks with energies far in excess of the minimum ignition energies of a vast range of combustible gases, vapours and dusts.
SABER EVNAT Stand J17 Saber Evnat designs and manufactures innovative jet mixing devices for industrial storage tanks. Its target customers are refining and storing crude oil, vegetable oil, biofuels, petrochemicals and other liquid, viscous products. Its customers face challenges in mixing, blending, agitating, and storing their products in a way that keeps quality high. Cleaning, servicing, and sludge removal is also a headache for any dynamic company with multiple tanks. During StocExpo, Saber Evnat will be displaying a printed 3D model of its jet mixing device. The model will showcase how the mixer is intalled inside the tank with additional inner structures, such
Static electricity in hazardous atmospheres is an ever-present source of ignition in many sectors of processing industries. Newson Gale has a solution-orientated, user-friendly approach to product design, and a track record of delivering robust and reliable products for ease of use in hazardous environments where safety is of paramount importance.
PAGE 87
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022 stakeholders can join in the inspection and collaborate with the on-site team to discuss and make faster decisions. The Scout Portal also has a set of handy features for inspection review and management, findings annotation and reporting. The Scout Portal API even allows connecting the inspection data to third party solution for asset management, digital twins etc.
Sensotop
SENSOTOP Stand A23
as heating coils as well as showing the advantage of jet mixing technology compared to a mechanical mixer. In addition to its jet mixers, Saber Evnat will also show how it optimises each delivered device. The company takes into consideration three main parameters for the client: 1. The individual tank dimensions and inner structures. 2. The physical properties of the contents such as viscosity, density, and temperature. 3. The operational features of the existing equipment, for example, pump capacity and pressure. Saber Evnat then collects the data on these individual characteristics and uses software to create an optimal design for the mixer. That means that the inherent benefits of the Saber Evnat jet mixer are further customised for clients’ specific needs. Being better by design means that common requirements such as the need for additional additives, heating, cooling, or using two tanks instead of one are not required.
ScoutDi
SCOUTDI Stand B7 ScoutDI has developed the Scout 137 Drone System, a game-changing drone inspection system that enables non-entry visual inspection of confined spaces in a safer, faster, and more costeffective way. The drone system has a 3D lidar for mapping and navigation in GPS-denied environments such as bulk liquid storage PAGE 88
tanks. A powerful onboard computer runs localisation algorithms in real time, providing anti-collision drone safety and super-stable flight. Further, the lidar allows a 3D map of the inspection target interior to be rendered in real-time on the pilot’s tablet along with the video feed from the drone. This allows a unique situational awareness to the inspection team. The drone is tethered to a ground station that provides power and a robust data network. Essentially, this takes away limitations on flight-time and allows hours of uninterrupted inspections, with no battery changes and higher on-site efficiency. The ground station can be connected to the internet via a LAN cable or the built-in 4G modem. This allows live streaming to the Scout Portal, where off-site
Sensotop is an innovative and dynamic company based in France. It was formed and led by Patrick Viera, an expert from the oil and gas industry, with a background as a technician for a gas leak detector manufacturer as well as a specialist in leak detection. Sensotop has unrivalled innovative systems targeted at leak detection in all environmental conditions, industrial plant settings, refineries, petrochemicals plants, pipeline oil depots and tank farms. Sensotop will display three major innovative solutions during StocExpo: • Spillangel smart optical leak detection with a new generation of fluorescence detector based on UV technology. This has the advantage of reducing maintenance to a strict minimum with a non-contact detector for ground with or without surface water. • Automatic dewatering system dedicated to crude oil atmospheric storage tanks. This reduces manual
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022 operations during water drainage with an automated external fully integrated sensor configured to drain water with alarm threshold for all storages including the existing ones. • Floating roof tank monitoring magic tool with non-invasive battery powered sensor with multi detection in one. This magnetic rapid deployment solution gives the control room information about inclination, temperature, vibrations, and liquid levels such as oil or rain water in the top of the tank roof to anticipate dramatic failures.
SIS
SIS Stand L10 SIS is the number one service provider for mobile vapour combustion units (VCU/mobile flares) and Zone – 0 blowers for emissions, odour, and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) control. Its services and technologies play an essential role in enabling its customers to reduce their volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and ensure compliance with the most stringent environmental rules and legislations. In addition, SIS offers CO 2 certificates for its services to support its customers to completely remove these emissions from their balance sheet. SIS provides short- and long-term solutions to manage operational and permitting challenges to guarantee continuity, full compliance, and optimum performance. Its 24/7 service secures immediate response to minimise any downtime. With its international workforce and equipment depots in Germany, Benelux, and France SIS can have plug and play solutions in place at a site within 24 hours.
execute workflows and capture data that can be shared throughout the company or with partners in real-time. Smartflow assists with digitalising inspections, maintenance processes, tasks, daily operator rounds, ISGOTT processes and other ship/shore documents, checklists and forms. It helps to streamline operations, standardise processes, assure safety, and increase efficiency while ensuring knowledge transfer. Smartflow can also be used to analyse or automatically initiate follow-up actions, like notifying a third party or ordering new parts. Smartflow ensures seamless integration between the office and the field operators to enable efficiency through the integrated solution, optimising inventory and demand management,
automatically calculating terminal inventory positions after any product movement, and integrating into the corporate network. Standardisation and centralisation can help terminals accelerate the execution and the compliance of inspections, permits, and work orders, maintaining the highest security and quality while reducing operational risks. Smartflow maximises operations’ productivity, eliminates duplicate data entries, and provides decision-makers with the correct data at the right time so owners or operators can focus on maximising other growth areas. Using Smartflow, terminals ensure workers’ safety and compliance with digital work processes that guarantee flexibility.
During StocExpo, SIS will be on hand to explain more about its equipment. This includes the mobile combustor (its first unit), the flying combustor (its most versatile unit) and its certified Zone 0 blower.
Smartflow
SMARTFLOW Stand C19 Smartflow is a connected worker solution that enables terminals to easily digitise field operations using its lowcode/no-code platform and app. The app allows field workers to efficiently
PAGE 89
SHOW PREVIEW STOCEXPO 2022
Woodfield Systems International
WOODFIELD SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL Stand E12 Woodfield Systems International (WSI) is the only company in the world to design, manufacture and supply complete fluid transfer system solutions – right from loading arms, safe access systems, floating suction units to complete skids solutions for oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical and aviation sector. Its custom built loading/unloading arms are used for all modes of transportation – rail/road, marine and aviation.
Toptech
TOPTECH Stand F6 Toptech Systems will be displaying its innovative terminal automation systems, load rack control equipment, and access control devices at StocExpo 2022. With nearly 35 years in the refined fuels terminal market, Toptech Systems boasts powerful, integrated solutions for the entire supply chain. Attendees will be able to view TMS7, the newest, most intuitive terminal automation system. TMS7 is a web-based TAS system which supports all modern web browsers and can be used with the terminal owner’s preferred devices. The application provides increased productivity and security to terminal owners around the world with clear data access and fast, easy upgrades. Plus, Toptech Systems enables terminal owners to learn one, easy user interface, whether they are managing one terminal or 50. TMS7 and Tophat7 share the same interface, making the entire terminal management process faster to learn and more efficient to use. TMS7 also seamlessly connects to Load2day, the data management solution that allows the terminal’s suppliers, customers, and carriers to self-manage their data and plan their loads. Load2day saves terminal owners hours of manual data entry while still providing excellent customer service to their supply chain. Additionally, TMS7 integrates to Multiload II, Toptech’s feature-rich preset. Multiload II’s scalability enables it to work with virtually any loading application. Additionally, it can be controlled remotely to ensure terminal owners can provide the best customer service. These batch control solutions are reliable and secure to confidently manage operations.
Triax
TRIAX Stand G26 Triax designs, produces, sells and assembles safety systems to prevent fall risk such as safety gates, mobile
PAGE 90
safety ladders and folding stairs. All its solutions are custom-made. During StocExpo, Triax will be showcasing various solutions for safe access to vehicles (folding stairs and mobile safety ladders) as well as safety gates that protect the operator when transferring loads between different levels. Triax offers a wide range of safety gates which conform with safety standards and the ergonomics of different workstations. The objective of a safety gate is to guarantee safe perimeter protection for the handling of goods between low and high levels. Working near or in a manhole presents potential dangers which may result in serious accidents. Triax offers a fixed solution (folding platform) as well as a mobile solution (mobile safety ladder) to counter this fall risk. Mieke Cuylits will be pleased to welcome visitors to the Triax stand to showcase the company’s different solutions.
Woodfield Systems has state-of-the-art design, engineering, and fabrication facilities in India and the US with sales offices across the world. These facilities allow for immediate response to any customer’s needs, regardless of their location in the world. WSI has spread its wings in more than 40 countries across all continents with manufacturing facilities in the US and India and sales offices in Spain, Germany, the Middle East, the US and India. WSI is currently diversifying its business in other regions by adding new manufacturing facilities and a dealership network.
24TH ANNUAL
International Aboveground Storage Tank Conference & Trade Show April 13-15, 2022 Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel | Orlando, Florida
The conference focus is field-erected bulk petroleum storage tank systems, but it includes field-erected and shop-fabricated aboveground tanks and piping containing petroleum, hazardous substances, and food and vegetable oils. NISTM Conferences also specialize on the environmental issues associated with ASTs, while covering the important operational, management, and corrosion prevention aspects of terminal operations. This conference is for anyone working with AST standards and systems, and it provides an excellent opportunity to network with individuals involved with operations, construction, compliance, regulation, management, and spill prevention and response.
NISTM
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STORAGE TANK MANAGEMENT
FREE TRADE SHOW
www.NISTM.org | 800.827.3515
International 011.813.851.1700
AT THE BACK ADVERTISERS INDEX & SOCIAL STORAGE
ADVERTISERS INDEX ADIPEC............................................................................... 74
ILTA.....................................................................................29
Re-Gen Robotics..............................................................42
Adler & Allan...................................................................... 18
Imhof...................................................................................16
Reliable Sprinkler................................................................5
Amspec.............................................................................20
Koerting.............................................................................. 17
StocExpo...........................................................................34
Atec Steel.............................................................................7
Lightning Master.............................................................. 25
Suma...................................................................................12
Auma.................................................................................. 19
Mesa ETP........................................................................... 10
UKIFDA Expo 2022..........................................................82
Cashco................................................................................. 9
NISTM.................................................................................91
USA DeBusk.................................................... Front cover
ChemUK............................................................................39
Nordic Storage................................................................. 25
World Gas Conference.....................................................77
EEMUA.......................................................................11 & 13
PGLC..................................................................................85
Rosen................................................................Back Cover
Exolum.................................................Inside front cover
Port of Tarragona....................................................14 & 15
FETSA................................................................................ 37
Protego ............................................................................... 8
SOCIAL STORAGE Most liked posts this month:
Tank Storage Magazine
Tank Storage Magazine
8,647 followers 1w • Edited
Oiltanking starts up OAGT LPG tank: https://bit.ly/3HKq5w5 #tankstorage #tanks #terminals #lpg
CB&I to build Venture Global LNG’s Plaquemines LNG tanks: https://bit. ly/3s7S1Eb #tankstorage #tanks #terminals #lng
Oiltanking starts up OAGT LPG tank - Tank Storage Magazine
CB&I to build Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG tanks - Tank Storage Magazine
tankstoragemag.com 131 • 2 comments
Like
Comment
@tankstorageinfo
Tank Storage Magazine
8,647 followers 1mo • Edited
8,647 followers 2mo • Edited
What do Guy Bessant, Adrian Lenning, CFA, Rutger van Thiel, Ryan Chandler, Anthony Catachanas, Arunan Sriskanda, Carlin Conner, Erik Kleine and Dewien Jagmohan have in common? #energytransition #tankstorage #energystorage #tankstoragemagazine #storagetanks #hydrogenstorage #futurefuels READ THE OUTLOOK NOW: https://lnkd.in/dAXaFCz8
tankstoragemag.com 84 • 2 comments
Like
Tank Storage Magazine
Comment
173
Like
Comment
Tank Storage Magazine
Tank Storage Magazine, (ISSN 1750-841X) is published seven times a year (in February, March, May, August, September, October and November) by Easyfairs UK Ltd, 2nd Floor, Regal House, 70 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS, UK. The US annual subscription price is $243. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Tank Storage Magazine, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Easyfairs UK Ltd, 2nd Floor, Regal House, 70 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS, UK.
PAGE 92
EVENTS 2022 CALENDAR
EVENTS 2022 6th – 7th April 2022
Media Partner WORLD HYDROGEN NORTH AMERICA Houston, USA www.worldhydrogennorthamerica.com 13th – 15th April 2022
Media Partner NISTM Orlando, USA www.nistm.org 20th – 23rd April 2022
HYDROGEN SUPPLY CHAIN SUMMIT Virtual www.hydrogensupplychains.com
23rd – 25th May 2022
Official Publication STOCEXPO Rotterdam, The Netherlands StocExpo is the largest and longest running event for the global tank storage industry. As the number one meeting place for anyone involved in tank storage for over 15 years, StocExpo is the ideal event to help you stay ahead of the competition, network and gain new business. www.stocexpo.com 23rd – 27th May 2022
Media Partner WORLD GAS CONFERENCE Korea www.wgc2022.org
27th – 28th April 2022 13th – 15th June 2022
Media Partner UKIFDA 2022 Liverpool, UK www.ukifda.org
Silver Sponsor ILTA 2022 Houston, Texas www.ilta.org
10th – 12th May 2022
5th – 6th July 2022
Media Partner BIOFUELS INTERNATIONAL EXPO AND CONFERENCE Brussels, Belgium www.biofuels-news.com/conference 14th – 15th September 2022
Media Partner GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT Frankfurt, Germany https://www.dialoguecapital.com/ events/infrastructure-dialogue/globalinfrastructure-dialogue-gid22
22nd September 2022
Media Partner TANK STORAGE ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE & EXPO Coventry, UK www.tankstorage.org.uk/ conference-exhibition 11th – 13th October 2022
15th – 16th June 2022
Media Partner CANADA GAS & LNG EXPO Vancouver, Canada www.canadagaslng.com
Official Publication HYDROGEN & P2X Copenhagen, Denmark www.fortesmedia.com
Official Publication WORLD HYDROGEN CONGRESS Rotterdam, Netherlands www.worldhydrogencongress.com
11th – 12th May 2022 12th – 13th October 2022
Official Publication CHEM UK 2022 Birmingham, UK www.chemicalukexpo.com 12th –13th May 2022
Media Partner CRYOGENIC STORAGE TANKS Erding, Germany www.tuvsud.com 24th May 2022
Official Publication GLOBAL TANK STORAGE AWARDS Rotterdam, The Netherlands The Global Tank Storage Awards highlight those that excel in terminal achievements, equipment innovations, ports and individual accomplishments. www.tankstoragemag.com/awards
15th – 16th June 2022
Media Partner FETSA ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE Brussels, Belgium www.fetsa.eu
Media Partner API STORAGE TANK CONFERENCE California, USA www.events.api.org/2022-api-storagetank-conference-expo 19th – 29th October 2022
16th – 17th June 2022
Official Publication PGLC 2020 Barcelona, Spain www.pglc.biz 15th – 16th June 2022
Media Partner 3RD EUROPEAN HYDROGEN & P2X Copenhagen, Denmark www.fortesmedia.com
Media Partner HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGY EXPO EUROPE Bremen, Germany www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com 19th – 29th October 2022
Keep up to date with event date changes due to the ongoing Media Partner COVID-19 pandemic FLAT BOTTOM TANKS www.tankstoragemag.com Munich, Germany www.tuvsud.com
The syntheses of diagnostics and integrity allows for the comprehensive understanding of an asset’s safety, lifetime, and performance. By bringing together technology, methods, and consultancy, we become your partner in reliable decision-making. | Always a leading innovator, we deliver solutions that give operators confidence in their assets, ensuring safety and compliance with accurate diagnostic data and dedicated integrity services to protect and manage plants & terminals.
Comprehensive Asset Management
www.rosen-group.com