Portland Bunkers UK Ltd operates a state-of-the-art fuel storage terminal situated within Portland Port, a thriving commercial port located on the UK’s south coast. The company stores multiple bunker fuel grades for marine refuelling (bunkering).
The challenge
As a top tier COMAH site, in other words one which stores or handles significant quantities of hazardous substances, safety is of the utmost importance to Portland Bunkers. Due to the risk of pollution from the high volumes of oil stored at the terminal on England’s south coast, advanced monitoring is required at all times. This is heavily regulated by both the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive.
High-quality measurement instrumentation is also required for commercial purposes to monitor the fuel volumes in tanks and the quantities loaded on board customer vessels.
The solution
Tank gauging systems from Endress+Hauser give the terminal extensive control over product movement. Liquiphant measuring devices in each of the four underground storage tanks act as independent high level alarms and radar sensors monitor the level in the storage tanks as well as in the site’s smaller ballast tanks. Advanced ultrasonic flowmeters positioned at the dedicated fuelling berth provide high accuracy and precise measurement of quantities. The monitoring equipment is rounded out with temperature probes and density controllers, all of which feeds back into the custom-built HMI/PLC in the control room.
The site was built with Endress+Hauser equipment back in 2004 and many more instruments and systems have been added since. “We’re obviously happy with the quality of the instruments,” says general manager Gary Hamer. “And it’s good to work with a UK-based company, which means we don’t have to deal with a language barrier or import/export duties – and it’s easier to get boots on the ground if we need support. Every time we carry out a project or install new devices, Endress+Hauser will come down for commissioning.”
The benefits
Being able to rely on equipment and solutions from Endress+Hauser allows Portland Bunkers to operate at maximum performance while maintaining the highest level of safety. For example, Tankvision software enables data management from the field. As Gary Hamer explains, “During a discharge operation, through Tankvision I can monitor the levels of the tanks from my PC remotely and our operators can do the same on site via local readouts and from our CCR through Tankvision. Any opportunity to get more eyes on levels and volumes makes things much safer.”
Remote access to the instrumentation via the Ewon communication system means faults and alarms can be checked and cleared 24/7 without having to be on site. But by far the biggest benefit of a relationship with Endress+Hauser is the support on offer. “The best thing is knowing that I can just pick up the telephone and get hold of someone,” says Gary. “The service is very good, we know what we’re getting in terms of quality of parts, and it’s definitely a relationship we can see continuing.”
