Safe operations assured
Oil storage firm responds to questions on risks for proposed Bay terminal.
OIL and gas storage provider Vopak has given the assurance that it will keep operations clean at its newly proposed terminal, to be situated on 15.8 hectares of South Dunes Precinct land at the Richards Bay port.
Answering queries at an open meeting hosted by the firm in Richards Bay on Wednesday, Vopak managers spoke candidly to the public about the controversial subject ripened by a recent Engen oil spill at the harbour.
‘Unfortunately accidents do occur, but we are well prepared and learnt from previous incidents to ensure the terminal will be as secure as possible,’ said Vopak SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality) Compliance Manager, Carla Manion.
‘We have major hazard prevention installations in place to control any threats.
‘We have electricity back-up from generators to ensure level guages on tanks, automatic shut-offs and critical lighting and pumps are always working.
‘An overfilled tank poses the biggest risk for us, but all the tanks have alarms to alert us if it is being filled to dangerously high levels. If it is filled even further than that, an automatic shutdown occurs.’
Proposed project
Named the Vopak-Reatile Terminal Richards Bay, the development will consist of 45 storage tanks to store Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and a mix of Clean Petroleum Products (CPP) and chemicals at the port to meet the increasing demand for fuels in South Africa.
Vopak is the world’s largest independent operator of bulk liquid storage tanks with 84 terminals in 31 countries, specialising in the storage and handling of liquefied chemicals, gases, petrochemicals, biofuels, vegetable oils and oil products.
Once completed, the local facility will have a total storage capacity of approximately 300 000m³.
It will require infrastructure such as a shipping liquid line, marine loading arm, road and rail loading bays as well as weighbridges for road and rail loading.
The company is currently executing a basic assessment report (BAR) and environmental management plan (EMP) to submit to the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (DAEA).
