Foam Injection

People often ask why petrol tanks need to be decommissioned and the answer is quite a simple one: any tank that is no longer in use poses a danger to the environment and/or public safety.

Environmentally it could lead to fuel leakages and soil pollution and with regards to public safety, the build-up of vapour from flammable liquids and explosive gasses inside the tank could lead to a fire or explosion.

And even after cleaning the tank, there’s still the risk of re-gassing so any redundant tank should either be removed or filled. With filling, decommissioning can be done without any digging works and business operations can continue as usual.

The product we use is a foamed aminoplast resin, produced in a sustainable production environment, and has the following important properties:

1. It gives a complete fill to prevent gasses building up
2. It absorbs any hydrocarbon residue left in the tank due to its hydrophilic nature, therefore preventing any further soil pollution if the tank deteriorates overtime
3. It’s lightweight, for easy destruction-free tank removal if required in the future
4. It’s a strong foam, capable of retaining its structure even after deterioration of the old tank
5. It’s environmentally friendly and is an inert product.

Eurotank’s decommissioning equipment rig can decommission up to200,000 litres in one go, and our rigorous site set-up procedures mean we can usually keep you trading throughout.

The resin is turned into foam, on site, by adding water and compressed air. Because the product is environmentally friendly, non-combustible, rot proof and resistant to inorganic solvents, it’s a completely safe installation process. Ensuring the tank is completely filled is vital because any voids can pose the threat of flammable gasses building up. The foam is so strong that it will continue to hold the shape of the tank, even if it has deteriorated with rust.

Finally, if and when the customer wants or needs to remove the tank in the future – perhaps if the site is sold for alternative use – with many other decommissioning products you have to break the tank up for removal.The foam we use is so light, it is easily removed in one piece.