Gas storage is an aspect of critical infrastructure that requires attention when it comes to fire and explosion protection. Gas is an important and growing part of our energy sector and being used in ways never before realized – from vehicles to running factories with ZERO EMMISSION FUELS like Hydrogen, changes in where we get our energy with new rules and regulations can open up the doors to all new dangers.
Hydrogen Storage
This up and coming fuel – needs protection from the field to the PUMP for fire blast and extended fuel fire events. There is also the world’s biggest green hydrogen plant being planned for California. Hydrogen is becoming more and more popular as a green energy option, as the only byproduct after burning hydrogen is water.
The end caps and cylinders that store the gas need protection from the same hazards that tank farms face. Hydrogen vehicles have partnered with major regular gas distributor to add hydrogen filling capacity at a regular old gas station – this presents great benefit to getting fuel but brings the hazard into the public domain. That is where fire barriers become essential. Residential areas need to be protected from the spread of fire and explosions, and rated fire barriers are a perfect solution to avoid damage and liability to gas stations.
Tank Farms
Back in the 80’s tank farms, even those storing hazardous materials, were stored underground. That works great for fire/explosion/ballistic protection but caused a slew of environmental issues like leaks top the ground water.
Around that time all storage was regulated to be above ground for these reasons – what they did not realize is that this exposes many exceptional hazards involving stored fuels and hazardous materials above ground – making them vulnerable to explosion, vehicle accident, fire, release to air and many other hazards – the game of protection changed. For example, the above ground jet fire tank at LAX was hit twice by sniper fire during a shooter incident a few years back – this would have never been possible if jet fuel was permitted to be stored underground – many airports in the US have exposed jetfuel tanks at the property perimeter that are unprotected from gunfire, IED, fire or even a crashing vehicle. Many are next to the highway that surrounds the airport creating even more exposure to bad actors.
It is essential that these tanks are protected from these types of hazards, and fire barriers that are rated for ballistics, explosion, wind, and heat are a perfect solution to protect not only the fuel in these tanks farms, but to protect the surrounding airport, jets, and often nearby highways from any collateral damage that could occur.
How Sinisi Solutions Has Protected The Natural Gas Storage Sector
This control house, an essential building, is protected by Sinisi Fire Barriers.
We protect the CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE like pipelines – as seen in the image above, gas travels as a liquid and is “heated” to 70 degrees in locomotive-like heaters below.
The liquid that has now become gas passes under our barrier and changes ownership to the control house – the yellow building.
This process of transporting as a liquid and heating to vaporize into a gas is repeated and being repeated all over the world – and it always puts the control building – the most valuable building – at risk from fire and explosion.
The barrier we use is a jetfire rated fire barrier designed to hold back the explosion, gas fire and shrapnel and still stand in wind load. If these were universally utilized, the risk of damage from gas fires, and explosions would be greatly reduced.
It’s no doubt that the use of fire barriers in the gas storage sector is a very effective solution to ensure that critical infrastructure can continue uninterrupted from the hazards of fire, explosion, shrapnel, wind, and sabotage from gunfire. If you’d like a consultation on how we can protect your facility, please contact us:
Sinisi Solutions
732-232-2100
75 Main St, Manasquan, NJ 08736
