New guidance issued on underside fuel tank corrosion in the MOD
Published: 21 June 2022
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has released new guidance for the management and maintenance of rectangular single-skin or double-skin integrally bunded metallic tanks storing fuel across the defence estate.
Your fuel storage tanks may need to be replaced or repositioned
Any fuel storage tank that can’t be visually inspected underneath is required to be replaced or repositioned on minimum 300mm skids.
The guidance applies to all UK and USVF sites and is required to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001.
All work should be carried out in accordance with chapter 2 of Management of health and safety in defence: high risk activities on the defence estate (JSP 375, volume 3).
Failure of a fuel storage tank could release product into the environment
Failure on a single-skin fuel storage tank would lead to the immediate release of product into the environment.
On double-skin fuel storage tanks, corrosion may go unnoticed and lead to failure of the secondary tank skin that could lead to product entering the environment.
Helping you comply and extend the life of your fuel storage tanks
We can undertake all the civils and infrastructure work to extend the life of your fuel storage tanks and ensure they remain compliant, including:
- Inspect the fuel storage tank and perform non-destructive testing
- Uplift the fuel and empty the storage tank
- Lift the fuel storage tank
- Build skids to elevate the fuel storage tank to minimum 300mm as per Technical Standard - Petroleum - 04
- Perform any repairs to the underside of the fuel storage tank
- Replace the storage tank and fuel
Cost of repositioning your fuel storage tank vs reacting to a tank failure
The upfront cost of repositioning your fuel storage tank will be significantly lower than the costs associated with a tank failure.Repositioning your fuel storage tank
- Tank inspection and NDT
- Fuel uplift
- Potential crane hire and operation to lift tank
- Civils to build minimum 300mm skids
- Remediation to the tank
Dealing with a tank failure
- Contaminated land remediation, removal and disposal
- Tank replacement
- Operational downtime
- Reputation damage
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