Tank maintenance imperative to industry

2nd August 2013

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

  

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Tank maintenance is key to securing sustainable business in various industries locally and globally, states head of engineering for Fluor mining and metals group South Africa Andries Bester.

He notes that for the mining and petrochemicals industries, the regular maintenance of tanks, heat exchangers, vessels and storage facilities is imperative to the company’s operations.

“This is especially relevant for Africa, owing to the continent’s mining and petrochemicals developments,” says Bester.

He adds that tanks constructed during the industrial establishment of South Africa from the early 1950s to the late 1970s were installed more than 30 years ago and highlights that a tank’s life cycle is usually about 20 years, which he attri- butes to proper care, which, in turn, saves companies money.

Bester points out that tank mainte- nance – something that is becoming increasingly important worldwide – is a growing industry with ageing capital equipment.

“There are many companies making their existence from tank maintenance and preventive repair measures for tanks and vessels. “If a tank is not maintained regularly, it could not only lead to leakages but total catastrophic failure,” he says, adding that improper tank maintenance can also lead to negative environmental consequences.

“If substances, such as arsenite, diesel or oil, leak, underground water systems could potentially be poisoned,” Bester says.

He notes that tanks need to be inspected yearly and maintenance should be performed every three to five years.

“There is concern over diesel tanks in petrol stations throughout Africa, as these tanks are stored underground and there is no way of knowing how much, if any, maintenance is being done to ensure that they are not damaged or leaking,” Bester states.

However, companies are starting to take responsibility for faulty tanks, which was not the case in the early years, he adds.

Challenges

Bester states that the technical skills required to design tanks are diminishing in South Africa, owing to the weakening demand for these skills in the tank industry.

“South Africa’s industry is not in a constant development phase, compared with places like Texas, in the US, where the industry is continuously developing and being maintained. We have fewer than ten refineries in this country,” he states.

Although ongoing maintenance is being performed at those refineries, Bester highlights, generational skills transfer is lacking.

He says there are many young employees performing maintenance on tanks and many older employees checking that the maintenance has been performed correctly.

“However, when the older employees retire, the young employees, who are still learning how to perform maintenance, may be promoted to maintenance checking positions when they are not properly qualified.”

Bester notes that Fluor has specialists stationed worldwide, enabling the company to access a range of skills whenever it needs to.

“Other companies do not have that luxury,” he states, adding that various engineering councils are trying to host education seminars throughout South Africa to combat the lack of skills and knowledge in the industry.

“Many companies also have in-house training programmes to keep their employees updated on new developments in the industry,” notes Bester.

The latest advancement in the industry, he points out, is in the development of the materials used to build tanks and vessels.

“Machinery has not developed as fast as materials and there are many options for different types of materials used to build vessels, tanks, heat exchangers and containers. The technological development of materials, since the 1970s, has been impressive and has been growing continually,” Bester adds.

Further, he points out that the handling and design of tanks and containers have also improved with the use of computer technology, which can make 100 000 calculations overnight.

Bester states that the biggest potential for growth in Africa lies in African people and governments investing in the continent, as investment is key to growth, development and sustainability.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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