OMV Petrom put into operation the largest crude oil storage tank in Romania on the platform of the Petrobrazi refinery, following investments of 23 million euros. Taller than a 10-story building, the tank can store the raw material for the equivalent of 1.2 million gas tanks. The insulation system includes the largest aluminum dome in Romania.
The tank has been designed and built according to the latest standards in the field, for increased safety in use, according to a company release.
The tank is double walled and double bottomed, with an aluminum dome cap and an internal floating cap to contain vapor emissions. Its construction lasted about two years, and the investments in the project exceeded 23 million euros.
“The construction of the new crude oil tank represents a major new project successfully completed on the Petrobrazi platform, along with the installation of the new coking chambers and other modernization projects. All these investments strengthen our ability to ensure the smooth operation of the refinery in safe conditions and to ensure the necessary fuel stocks to supply the market in Romania and in the region. The project has an important environmental component by reducing vapor emissions to almost zero”, said Radu Căprău, responsible for the Refining and Marketing.
The tank, taller than a 10-story building, has a total capacity of 60,000 cubic meters and can store the raw material for the equivalent of 1.2 million tanks of fuel.
The aluminum dome, the largest structure of this type in Romania, is an impressive construction, with a weight of 53 tons and a height of 15 meters, the company also says.
Lifting the dome into position was done using, for the first time in Romania, a pneumatic system consisting of 28 lifting devices, operated centrally.
The construction of the reservoir was completed at the end of last year, and its testing took place at the beginning of this year.