This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Merkland Tank.
Merkland Tank continues to invest in its modern fleet, with ongoing increments in its operational capacity. The firm – a leading UK-wide provider of tank and specialist industrial cleaning services – recently took delivery of a new ADR WhaleVac tanker, tractor unit and two additional support vans, following last year’s investment in a high-performance CycloVac, two Artic tankers, two Jet-Vacs, three tractor units and a bespoke emergency rescue van.
Merkland recently carried out a timely decommissioning of a key client’s redundant manufacturing facility. Over four weeks, Merkland’s experienced engineers and confined space operatives drained and cleaned a 55,000 litre HFO tank (containing 38,000 litres of HFO), a 20,000 litre methanol tank, two LPG tanks, and drained down the plant’s full heating system.
A key challenge was to ensure the HFO remained heated to a temperature of 55°C and Merkland’s vast experience in dealing with HFO Tank decommissioning proved vital in manufacturing a custom-built heating coil to achieve this. The tank was then diesel- and pressure-washed to achieve the desired cleanliness levels.
The methanol tank had to be drained down, the manway (complete with flame arrester) removed, and the tank pressure washed and force vented. The LPG Tanks were decommissioned by controlled flaring and venting, ensuring all tanks were in gas free condition.
Measures were put in place to ensure safe working at height, and using high-performance suction from the Cyclovac, Merkland’s team drained down over 250 roof panel heaters and purged the heating system.
Merkland Tank offer a full 360 turnkey solution for all tank decommissioning needs, from initial inspection and fuel analysis, to tank cleaning and safe disposal.
