SA company to construct, install R2.8m tank in Mozambique

3rd August 2012 By: Gia Costella

South African bulk liquid and dry bulk storage tank manufacturer Tanks 4 Africa, which is part of the global Tank Connection Affiliate Group (TCAG), is preparing for the construction and installation of a R2.8-million 1 000 m3 fire-protection tank at a fuel depot in Beira, Mozambique, in September.

The tank is the biggest the company has ever undertaken and is the first of its kind in Mozambique. It also represents Tanks 4 Africa’s first project in the country.

Tanks 4 Africa operational director JC du Plessis says the company plans to have the tank built and installed in just 17 days, which is the only potential challenge he identifies for the project.

“Usually, a tank of this size and magnitude could take up to two years to build and install. “We will use a synchronised, hydraulic screw jack process that enables us to fit the panels one ring at a time and jack the tank up so we can start on the next ring of panels.

“This makes the process safer for our six-man crew, as we will not use scaffolding or working at height,” he explains.

He adds that the tank will be constructed using a rolled, tapered-panel design, which, he states is globally rated as the preferred design for fire-protection applications.

“What is also unique about the tank is that it will be powder coated, increasing its life span exponentially. Where normal spray coatings would usually have a life span of about three years, the powder coating can last for up to 20 years,” he says.

The powder coating is manufactured by global paint and coatings company Azko Nobel and will be used internally and externally on the tank.

The panels will be delivered to the company from its US-based partner TCAG, as the company does not have a factory in South Africa, owing to the high cost of building one.

Du Plessis notes, however, that the company is considering building a factory in the future, once the demand for its products has increased substantially.

“Tanks 4 Africa has been operating since the beginning of 2011, making us relatively new to the market.

“We have seen some prospective business from big companies in the petrochemicals sector, but nothing is final yet.

“We are hoping and planning to grow further in South Africa and the rest of Africa, wherever opportunities present themselves,” he says.

The company is also considering opening an office in Cape Town, in addition to its existing offices in Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal.