WHY USE HUMANS WHEN WE HAVE ROBOTS?
Molly Cooper explores no-man entry tank cleaning robots and why there is no longer a need for humans to do the job. No-man entry tank cleaning in the sector has grown over recent years. Companies have an obligation to protect their staff and keep them out of harm’s way. Entering tanks is not an easy task and requires qualified, registered personnel. ‘Thinking about what is considered the worst kind of manual labours, in terms of working environment and type of manual activity, tank cleaning definitely fits the description,’ says Daniel Devò, export sales manager at Gerotto. According to a 2021 […]
FIRE SAFETY UPDATES
A collection of experts share their insights into the latest in fire safety, including fluorine-free foams, strategies and the right equipment PHASING IN FLUORINE-FREE FOAMS Hans Huizinga, extinguishing foam consultant, Kenbri Fire Fighting Back in 2021, the big industrial users of the foam were complaining about the cost of a fluorine free foam. Now, this excuse isn’t working and instead of a choice – it is a must. Change in opinion Public opinion is evolving. In the Netherlands, the government has gotten involved with the discussions on foam. Environmentalists are asking questions to the Ministry of Public Health and […]
THE SAFE, SUSTAINABLE AND FLEXIBLE CARRIER FOR THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE
Rail transport will be essential to transport LNG across the globe, says VTG. In April 2021, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union agreed on a new European climate law and substantially raised the EU’s greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030. At the same time, greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 – which is at the heart of the Green Deal – was for the first time anchored in law at the EU level. Energy-intensive industries and the mobility sector in particular face huge challenges as a result. Transitioning from processes previously based on fossil fuels demands innovative […]
THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF TANK STORAGE
FETSA teams up with the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies to manage geopolitical challenges facing the storage sector. Recent geopolitical changes have led to, and are leading to, fundamental changes in the global energy system, energy policy and trade. These include decoupling between ‘the West’ / G7 economies and Russia, as well as decoupling of critical supply chains between this bloc and China. These trends have been elaborated in strategic documents issued by the USA, G7, NATO, the European Union and to a lesser extent the G20. Energy security has become a priority. The energy transition has been accelerated through […]
A MODERN WOMAN IN A MODERN WORKFORCE
Gizil GmbH CEO, Esma Gulten, shares her story of perseverance and entrepreneurship in a male-dominated industry. Established in 2012, Gizil is a full-service engineering, procurement, and construction provider for the tank terminal industry that focuses on the digitalisation of facilities. CEO Esma Gulten founded the company with her partner, having worked in the tank terminal industry for some time previously. ‘I graduated technical university as an industrial and mechanical engineer with a double major,’ says Gulten, who began her career with Siemens – one of the giants in energy industry. ‘Although I had no idea about oil and gas industry […]
CUSTOMER IMPORTANCE & OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
MEMBERSHIP FAQs Already a member, or planning to become one? Here you can find answers to our frequently asked questions! You can find a list of our frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, our TSM team will be happy to help. How do I become a TSM member? Starting TSM membership is easy! Sign-up to become a member by clicking the ‘Become a Member’ icon. What do I get as a part of the membership? Your TSM membership will keep you up-to-date with the latest news and insights, research, weekly newsletter and many more.You will be a part […]
BRINGING LNG TO GERMANY
MEMBERSHIP FAQs Already a member, or planning to become one? Here you can find answers to our frequently asked questions! You can find a list of our frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, our TSM team will be happy to help. How do I become a TSM member? Starting TSM membership is easy! Sign-up to become a member by clicking the ‘Become a Member’ icon. What do I get as a part of the membership? Your TSM membership will keep you up-to-date with the latest news and insights, research, weekly newsletter and many more.You will be a part […]
SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY
Molly Cooper Journalist at Tank Storage Magazine. Features SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY By Molly Cooper February 22, 2023 Co-founder of Terra Inspectioneering, Marien van den Hoek, discusses winning gold and the future of their technology. At the 2022 Tank Storage Awards, gold was presented to Terra Inspectioneering in the Safety Technology category for the Terra UT drone. The judges said the technology was chosen due to its ability to drastically reduce the amount of time needed for both working at height and confined space entry; automating tasks and reducing employee risks. When asked how it felt to win the award, co-founder
INNOVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Molly Cooper Journalist at Tank Storage Magazine. Features INNOVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT By Molly Cooper February 22, 2023 Director of Rubis Terminal Rotterdam, Luc Jorissen, tells Tank Storage Magazine about winning gold and their focus on the environment. The winner of the Terminal Innovation category is the terminal that dares to try new technologies and implements the best practices to ensure efficient operations and the best customer service. Rubis Terminal Rotterdam (the Netherlands) was chosen by the Tank Storage Awards’ panel of impartial judges to win gold at the 2022 ceremony for being a pioneer in using the latest technology
ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, THE A3D WAY
Anamika Talwaria Editor for Tank Storage Magazine & Chair of Women in Tanks Features ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, THE A3D WAY By Anamika Talwaria February 22, 2023 A3D’s commercial director Colin Pittman explains how a digital solution can help you manage risks to your terminal. Your terminal assets are instrumental to the success of your business. With A3D’s digital solutions, you have the flexibility to view and manage the health of your terminal with confidence – to achieve operational, safety and regulatory compliance and to manage market volatility, environmental, financial and employee risks to achieve your productivity goals. With accurate data
ADJUSTING TO PFAS BANS
The experts at Saval share the company’s innovative solutions for firefighting foams compliant with the latest standards. In the tank terminal industry, firefighting foam is the product of choice for fighting fire and spill scenarios. Usually this involves an automatic system that is ready to operate whenever an incident occurs that causes a tank bund area spill or tank fire. Over the years, foam producers have been developing multi-purpose foam concentrates that can be used for many hydrocarbons, alcohols and other liquids. These foam types contain fluoropolymers (PFAS) that improved the foam’s performance in extinguishing fires, but these are also
ELECTRIC RTO: AN EFFICIENT SOLUTION TO ELIMINATE VENTING EMISSIONS
José Miguel González, engineering director at Tecam, explores the challenges and solutions of venting emissions. In a world like today’s, with crisis, wars and materials stock shortages, it becomes crucial to define more conservative storage policies, while also implementing a higher level of environmental protection. Especially at tank terminals, it is essential to have correct, safe exhaust air management to eliminate volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions generated during gas venting. These emissions usually happen during daily operations at tank terminals, such as filling and emptying tanks, connecting and disconnecting units, breathing, cleaning, draining, purging, etc. Recently there has been a
VAPOUR RECOVERY AND ELIMINATING EMISSIONS
Molly Cooper explores how the right vapour recovery systems can aid in the global target to reduce emissions. VAPOUR RECOVERY is the process of collecting the vapours of products and fuels so that they do not escape into the atmosphere, where they can potentially cause harm. José Miguel González, engineering director at Tecam explains: ‘The hydrocarbons that are released contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that evaporate easily. In addition to representing a significant loss of product and therefore sales, evaporated vapours have serious effects on human health and are harmful to the environment.’ REDUCING VOCS In response to the pressures
MAINTAINING QUALITY; INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY
Jon Loach, managing director at Dantec, explains what the company’s recent overhaul means for its customers and the industry. Since starting out as a gasket cutting business in 1969, Dantec has become a world leader in composite hose technology. Increased market demand for reliable composite hoses caused Dantec to begin manufacturing, working towards a commitment to innovation, minimising environmental damage, and above all else, safety and efficiency. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MINDSET Although sustainability is trending as a buzzword in just about every industry, putting the focus of environmental responsibility at the forefront of business is more than greenwashing. Working with its
AST FITNESS-FOR-SERVICE
The experts at Equity Engineering Group discuss the application of API 579-1/ ASME FFS-1 Fitness-for-Service to aboveground storage tanks. API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service (API 579) is the go-to standard for assessment of fitness- for-service (FFS) of fixed equipment. Aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) designed to API 650 Welded Tanks for Oil Storage and API 620 Design and Construction of Large, Welded, Low- Pressure Storage Tanks are specifically included in the scope of API 579. The assessment procedures in API 579 may also be applied to pressure- containing equipment constructed to other recognised codes and standards, including international and internal corporate standards.
ROBOTICS AND RISK BASED INSPECTION ASSESSMENTS
Anamika Talwaria Editor for Tank Storage Magazine & Chair of Women in Tanks Features ROBOTICS AND RISK BASED INSPECTION ASSESSMENTS By Anamika Talwaria February 21, 2023 Rafael Rengifo, midstream director at Becht, looks at the industry trends in tank integrity and the latest in robotic technology and RBI assessment approaches. Aboveground storage tank (AST) owners and operators are under pressure to improve risk adjusted economic return through proactive and thorough Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies. Quality programmes that include tank inspection, repair, and maintenance have historically been developed using a time-based inspection approach to comply with API 653 or
A COST-EFFICIENT TANK GAUGING SOLUTION
Tomas Hasselgren, global business development manager for tank gauging at Emerson, explains how emulation technology helps organisations replace old or malfunctioning equipment for safer operations. Many of the world’s bulk liquid storage tanks have been in service for a long time and rely on ageing tank gauging systems to support both overfill prevention and inventory management. Many systems are based on level measurement devices using servo technology. Although widely used, these devices have numerous drawbacks, including a poor reliability record and the need for regular maintenance. Servo gauges are mechanical devices with many moving parts, suffering constant wear and tear.
EMISSION-FREE, FIREPROOF GRP FLOATING ROOFS
Discover how German innovation from EPT has established fireproof GRP floating roofs for the tank terminal industry. Climate protection is a big task that requires many small steps. Renewal, innovation, and willingness to carve new ways. Germany is an industrial country and still lives on its value-creating industry. This sector of the economy, regardless of whether it is a refinery, chemical company or other plant, only functions if the supply of raw materials is secured. Storage tanks are currently used for this purpose and will continue to be needed in the future. The best form of environmentally friendly product storage
FASTER, SMARTER, SAFER: NO-MAN ENTRY TANK CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Regularly assessing tanks is imperative to maintain terminal safety and is driving demand for robotic cleaning solutions says Aidan Doherty, MD of Re-Gen Robotics. Failures and incidents at oil terminals can have extensive consequences for the environment and human health. When considering the cost of repairs, closure, remediation, claims and loss of share value, it can lead to a much higher impact for an oil terminal facility. It is easier for the companies involved to invest and ensure a proper level of safety to prevent adverse incidents from happening. ASSET INTEGRITY Asset integrity is a key element in maintaining process
REUSING LNG STORAGE TANKS FOR FUTURE FUELS
The experts at Linde Engineering explore the challenges of transforming LNG tanks for use with ammonia for hydrogen. At the time of writing, the world order of the past three decades appears to be on the verge of a radical change. Particularly in Europe, the search is on for political and technological ideas and solutions to minimise dependence on fossil fuels and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LNG is considered a bridging technology due to its comparably clean combustion and the reduced amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared to other fossil fuels. The German government has published a new law
CARBON STORAGE UNDER THE NORTH SEA
Porthos plans to transport carbon and store it in empty gas fields under the Dutch North Sea, explains Nico de Meester, external relations manager at Porthos. The Netherlands has clear climate objectives: the emission of greenhouse gases must be reduced by at least 55% in 2030 compared with 1990. In 2050, the Netherlands aims to be climate neutral. One way to achieve these climate objectives is to capture and store CO2 (Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS in short). The Dutch Climate Agreement underlines the importance of CCS in the energy transition. CAPTURING CARBON The CO2 that will be transported and
RUSSIA, THE ENERGY TRANSITION & THE MARKET
Channoil Energy’s director, Mark Waddington, looks at how global events are set to impact the energy market in 2023. Major events have always shaped global energy markets, no less so than in the last three years. We have gone from a pandemic-led downturn to a sharp economic recovery, then to a war in Europe. 2023 is likely to be shaped by the return of China’s economy from strict lockdowns and the gradual recovery of other regions. There will also continue to be trade-offs between security of supply and driving the energy transition. RUSSIA TURBULENCE Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February
18 YEARS ON: HAVE THE LESSONS OF BUNCEFIELD BEEN FORGOTTEN?
As the industry progresses, we must keep in mind the lessons from Buncefield, says Peter Savage, HSEC lead for HG Storage International. 2023 marks 18 years since the Buncefield explosion. This period effectively marks a whole generation away from the biggest explosion and fire in the UK since World War II. This is a potential generation where adults working in the industry won’t have lived through this incident, seen the television footage, the media coverage, or the devastation on the ground. Safety and operations professionals that followed the investigation and received the UK Health and Safety Executive’s reports will have
READYING THE TANK STORAGE SECTOR FOR HYDROGEN
FETSA’s executive director Ravi Bhatiani looks at hydrogen’s role in the energy transition and how the industry can adapt. The latest research carried out for FETSA by the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies showed that the large- scale adoption of hydrogen in the mid-term has many uncertainties. These include the demand, use cases, transportation means, and the carrier used to transport the product across long distances. The precise energy carriers that will be needed to transport and store clean hydrogen are particularly important to enable a hydrogen logistics chain to develop. FETSA expects that many carrier technologies will be used,
CREATING A BETTER FUTURE
Argent Energy’s head of supply chain, Victoria Oppenheim, tells Tank Storage Magazine about her experience as a working mother in the industry. Victoria Oppenheim was seven months pregnant when she embarked on her journey with biodiesel producer, Argent Energy. Oppenheim was headhunted from a role in the food industry to work in renewable energy. ‘I had no intentions of leaving the company I worked for but then I got a new and very bad manager, so when a headhunter called about the position at Argent, I started the process,’ she says. ‘Argent knew that I would only be operational for one
TERMINAL MODERNISATION AND TRANSFORMING OPERATIONS
Molly Cooper speaks to Vesta Terminal Antwerp about how the introduction of Smartflow’s Digital ISGOTT solution has transformed operations. Vesta Terminal Antwerp is located in the Port of Antwerp- Bruges, Belgium, and is among two other Vesta facilities across northern Europe. In 2022, they added five new tanks for the storage of bio-jet fuel, gasoil or diesel, bringing the total capacity of Vesta Terminal Antwerp to 950,000 m3. As an active terminal, process efficiency must be considered. This is where a SaaS solution digitising inspection checklists and fieldwork company, Smartflow, could offer a solution. Smartflow’s main goal is to create
A JOURNEY TOWARDS SAFETY EXCELLENCE
Rejith Bhaskar, VP Operations at Raipur Terminals, discusses the terminal’s award win and its ambition to excel in safety. Indian Oiltanking (IOTL) is a joint venture company between Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Oiltanking (based in Hamburg, Germany). Raipur Terminal is India’s first common user terminal and was built between 2013 and 2014. It was later commissioned in September 2015. The terminal is in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. This petroleum, oil and lubricants terminal has been designed for the receipt, storage, and distribution of petroleum products and is connected to the Paradip Ranchi Raipur Pipeline network. The terminal is
THE ONLY CONSTANT FOR TANK STORAGE IS CHANGE
Michiel Flier, terminal manager at Koole Tankstorage Botlek, tells Tank Storage Magazine how the facility aims to play a leading role in future fuels. Koole Tankstorage Botlek (KTB) is located at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and is one of Europe’s largest and most diverse and complex storage terminals at Europe’s biggest port. Koole Terminals bought the facility from Odjfell about five years ago and has invested into growing and improving the terminal, making KTB an important facilitator in the energy transition. ‘Located between two major refineries in Rotterdam, KTB is at the heart of the industry,’ says terminal
BECOMING CYBER RESILIENT
Industry experts discuss cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and why your terminal needs a solid plan at the latest Tank Talk. In November, Tank Storage Magazine hosted our last FREE Tank Talk webinar on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. Hosted by our editor, Anamika Talwaria, the webinar brought together cybersecurity industry leaders Holger Berens, chairman of the board of German Federal Association for critical infrastructure protection (BSKI), Igor van Gemert, CEO and founder of ResilientShield and Rene Gijsbers, managing advisor at R2E Group. In 2022, there have already been several attacks on tank terminals, on countries themselves, including Denmark and Germany, and
BRINGING THE DIGITAL TO TANK STORAGE
Cyann Fielding sat down with Stefana Sopco, head of content marketing at Smartflow, to discuss what winning the silver Terminal Optimisation Tank Storage Award means for the future of their solution. Founded in 2011, Smartflow holds digital innovation at its core. The software application is used to model, prepare, execute and analyse inspection checklists in the tank storage sector. Inspectors in the field use Smartflow’s mobile app to efficiently execute workflows and capture data that is shared with internal and external stakeholders in real-time and via advanced reporting. Joining the tank storage industry in 2018, this relatively new player picked
TOTAL SOLUTION DIGITAL CARE
CEO of Falcker, Thomas Schouten, tells Tank Storage Magazine about their digital asset care platform and what makes it award winning. Falcker’s digital care asset platform was crowned the winner of the gold Terminal Optimisation award at the 2022 Tank Storage Awards. Falcker’s digital platform reduces the time required for inspections and displays early warning signs of tank failures, among other functions. The judges felt the solution offering such a level of increased efficiency deserved to have Falcker recognised as a key player in the optimisation and improvement of the industry. ‘Winning the award was great because it was a
A DIGITAL WORKER REVOLUTIONISING THE WORKPLACE
Tank Storage Magazine sat down with Marvin Lehel from Siemens, to discuss the company’s innovative solution that picked up a Tank Storage Award. The Tank Storage Award for Innovative Technology recognises solutions that are revolutionising the tank terminal industry. As an IT tool, Siemens’ Digital Worker enables terminals to operate more safely and efficiently – reducing the time in the field of a human worker. The Digital Worker is compatible with a multitude of devices and requires no qualifications, making it easy to use and access for operators. By identifying assets and providing immediate contextual information, like possible damages, how
