Our main terminal in Belfast stores a variety of fuels and products, the most hazardous being protected by an elaborate sprinkler system in case of emergency. This sprinkler system is tested every week to ensure the tanks are properly blanketed with water in case of an emergency, which means that vast quantities of mains water are consumed (water that is wasted because it cannot be retained for safety reasons).
Our team put their heads together to come up with a solution for reducing the large amount of water wastage caused by these safety drills. One possible solution was to draw seawater from the nearby Lough, but this would corrode the pipes and wasn’t a long-term solution. They then hit on the idea of transferring rainwater collected in other parts of the site to the reservoir that feeds the system. The cost was minimal, consisting only of a length of flexible hose and a portable pump; but the results were significant. Andrew Forsythe, Health & Safety Manager explains “Once enough rainwater builds to a level where we can easily pump it, we spend a few hours transferring it to the reservoir instead of replenishing the stock from the mains. We are really pleased with how well it has worked. Finding an energy solution that makes the most of our wet weather has saved us a lot of money, and it’s also exciting to be finding new and innovative ways to interact with our environment.” |
