Delivered within two days.
Continuous recovery of spilled oil.
Approximately 10,000 litres of transformer oil spilled into a stream near a closed foundry in Saarbrücken. FRIESS delivered an S100 solution to the site within two days. Its collection tube ran along the oil boom to continuously recover floating oil, oily foam and spent absorbent, helping contain further contamination.
Case background
Vandals drained the transformers to recover valuable materials inside. The oil initially collected in a containment basin large enough to hold the entire oil volume. Because the foundry had closed, the damage went unnoticed for a long time; persistent rainfall eventually caused the basin to overflow.
The Problem
The damage caused by vandalism went unnoticed for a long time because the plant had been shut down. Persistent rainfall caused the containment basin to overflow, and approximately 10,000 litres of transformer oil entered a nearby stream.
An oil boom initially contained the spill successfully (the yellow hose in the photograph). A solution was urgently needed to remove the oil film accumulating inside the boom and prevent it from spreading into the environment.
Challenging Site Conditions
The shallow water and inaccessible terrain made many conventional approaches to this environmental hazard difficult or impossible. Oil absorbents were tried first, but the large volume of oil and poor site access quickly made this option impractical.
A cost-effective solution was also essential because operations had been suspended for a long time and the company was in administration. The administrator therefore needed a fast, workable and economical way to prevent further environmental damage. The environmental authority responsible for environmental protection and disaster response was involved throughout.
The Solution: FRIESS S100 Tube Oil Skimmer
After a brief technical assessment, FRIESS GmbH supplied a suitable on-site solution within two days. Although the inaccessible terrain complicated installation, the S100 oil skimmer was positioned so that its collection tube could run along the oil boom and continuously remove the accumulated oil.
Continuous Removal of Oil and Oily Foam Along the Boom
The high-capacity S100 oil skimmer uses an oleophilic tube to which floating oil adheres. Scrapers then remove and collect the oil. Because the tube length is flexible, it could cover the full length of the oil boom (see photograph), keeping the stream virtually free of further oil contamination. Foam and spent absorbent accumulating in front of the boom were also removed by the tube skimmer and transferred to an IBC collection container.
Conclusion
FRIESS S100 and other FRIESS skimmers are primarily designed for industrial applications; environmental spills of different sizes are normally handled with other specialist technologies.
In this case, however, the site conditions allowed the S100 to prevent major environmental damage with limited installation effort. The spill was brought under control quickly and cost-effectively.
Transformer oil entering a waterway and difficult site access?
Please share the spilled fluid, estimated oil volume, waterway or collection-basin dimensions, water depth, site access and power supply, oil-boom length, absorbents already used and recovery targets. Our China engineering team can recommend an S100 oil skimmer, oleophilic-tube length and collection-container configuration for your site conditions. For major environmental incidents, also follow the requirements of the local emergency authorities.