On April 23rd, 2014 in Hung Yen province, Petrolimex Construction and Installation Joint Stock Company 1 (PCC1) in coordination with the Tamada Joint Stock Industrial Company of Japan (Tamada) organized a visit to the site of fabrication of SF double hulled tank and the maneuver of anti-leaking for underground tank by Japanese technology.

Attending the ceremony were Mr. Vuong Thai Dung, Vice Director General of Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex), representatives of Japan International Cooperation Agency in Vietnam (JICA), Mr. Tamada Yoshiaki, Chairman of Tamada Joint Stock Industrial Company, Mr. Ngo Quang Toan, Director of Technical Safety Department of Petrolimex and Chairman of PCC1, Mr. Pham Minh Tam, Director of PCC1, representatives of Fire Protection and Rescue and Salvage General Department, the Ministry of Resources and Environment and several petroleum companies.

It was known that the project of experimenting the SF double hulled tank for anti leakage of toxicants was signed in July 2013 between Petrolimex, JICA and Tamada Company. This project was in the framework of Japanese government ODA grant program “ Experimental diffusion of technology by small and medium enterprises (SME) of Japan with a view to proving the efficiency of technology by SMEs of Japan in their application in developing countries and intensifying the benefits through the diffusion of technology and products” . In consideration of JICA proposal, the Japanese government appointed Tamada to coordinate with Petrolimex; Petrolimex in turn appointed PCC1 to directly coordinate with Tamada to produce, install, test and assess the production results.

In the ceremony, Mr. Tamada, Chairman of Tamada Company told that over the last year Tamada and PCC1 had overcome the initial difficulties to successfully start the project as scheduled. One of the first step of implementation, Tamada sent engineers to inspect the leakage of underground tanks in Vietnam through which the leakage inspection technology was transferred to PCC1 engineers. Mr. Tamada further said that more than 20 years ago, Japan also used bitumen coated tanks ( which are prevalent in Vietnam these days); however there were numerous technical incidents relating to tank leakage that affected the environment. That was the reason why for the last 20 years, Japan had new regulation for double hulled tanks. Double hulled tanks are steel tanks that had a reinforced coat to deter and prevent the possible leakage of toxicants such as petroleum products, chemicals…in order to maximally protect goods in tanks, ensure environment sanitation safety and fire protection better than the bitumen coated tanks. Besides, the double hulled tanks have a longer life time, less cost of installation, inspection and maintenance than bitumen coated tanks.

Exchanging with us on the experimental project of technical transfer of double hulled tanks, Mr. Vuong Thai Dung, Vice Director General of Petrolimex said that the protection of environment is a very important task, the responsibility of the whole society including the enterprises. The SF double hulled tanks for petroleum products has the advantage of enabling us to control the leakage , thus avoiding land and water pollution, and intensifying fire protection. Technical production of SF double hulled tanks and their use in service stations is quite new in Vietnam. Petrolimex is now making the trial production and aiming at installing them in two service stations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. However the use of SF double hulled tanks would increase the investment costs (in comparison with conventional tanks at present). Further deployment would require suitable itinerary (including investment cost as well as construction and installation conditions) so as to enhance environment work and fire protection safety. .

Mr. Ngo Quang Toan, Director of Technical Safety Department of Petrolimex and Chairman of PCC1 further noted that Petrolimex would like to pioneer the use of a kind of tank that is covered with a coat that could ensure the control of loss at service stations, aiming at increasing fire and environment protection. It is hoped that regulations would step by step be made, and Vietnamese standards would be defined for application at service stations nation wide so as to raise the efficiency of fire and environment works.

Investment in new technological equipment for the sake of environment protection is the expression of the commitment of Vietnam National Petroleum Group for the development of the whole community as well as the enterprise. The protection of environment is the task, the responsibility as well as the obligation of the enterprise toward the community.

Hereunder are some pictures of the visit to the fabrication site of SF double hulled tanks and the maneuver of inspection of underground tanks by Japanese technology:

Delegates visiting the site of fabrication of SF double hulled tanks

Maneuver of inspection of underground tanks by Japanese technology