TANK CLEANING EMBRACES SUSTAINABILITY

Cristin Johnson of USA DeBusk explains the new priorities of aboveground storage tank cleaning in the ESG era. In the past, aboveground storage tank cleaning projects were planned and executed with priorities focused predominantly on speed and cost. As long as safety and regulatory compliance standards were satisfied, the key performance indicators (KPIs) focused on metrics such as barrels of material removed and total time on site for the tank cleaning crew. With the increasing importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, KPIs for turnaround time and price now share the spotlight with factors such as waste and carbon offset. Today, tank cleaning projects are high- profile activities for sustainability, with either significant decarbonisation risks or opportunities, depending upon how these projects are handled. EXPANDING ROLE FOR TANK CLEANERS Although responsible tank cleaning service providers have always operated with an eye toward environmental stewardship, that role has never been as urgent or consequential as it is today. A clean, gas-free tank is expected, but so is an accounting of the disposition of greenhouse gases and hydrocarbon- laden...