Gate Valves for Buncefield Oil Terminal Restoration
In December 2005 a major emergency was announced at one of the UK’s largest oil storage terminals – Buncefield. A faulty high-level alarm had failed, allowing petrol to fill and overflow from a tank, this lead to a large explosion and resulting fire that lead to nearby evacuations and a five-day firefighting effort.
The Problem
The Hertfordshire site is currently undergoing a major reconstruction project, building eight tanks for the storage of 65,000m3 of fuel, with T-T Flow being approached to supply gate valves.
The Solution
The T-T Flow team supplied five Aquavault DN300 resilient seat gate valves, three with manual handwheel operators and two with bespoke extension spindles to allow for safe remote operation.
Safety is the number one priority in any project – however due to the site’s history, sourcing the most dependable equipment was essential. T-T guarantees the reliability of their valves through hydrostatic pressure testing (to EN12266) at our HQ in Cheshire, supported by unique serial numbers that allow for the tracing of each individual valve’s test results.
T-T’s range of resilient seat gate valves are WRAS approved and ideal for effective flow isolation duties within potable, raw and wastewater applications – rated to 16 Bar and with a full clear bore to maximise flow when open.
The Aquavault is designed for guaranteed reliability, with the wedge encapsulated in EPDM rubber to ensure consistent sealing performance and minimise the potential for leaks to occur; and a fusion-bonded epoxy coating with corrosion resistant properties to mitigate the risk of corrosion related breakdowns.
Bespoke Valve Solutions
T-T HQ in Cheshire has the facilities and expertise to custom fabricate valve components and accessories that perfectly suit your needs, such as extension spindles for remote operation.
Browse past bespoke solutions we have provided to customers here, or get in touch with our experts to discuss gate valves for your application by calling +44 (0)1630 647200, emailing [email protected] or completing our online enquiry form.
