In 2005 a fire and catastrophic failure of a Main Output Transformer (MOT) resulted in an oil spill at the client’s nuclear generating station location in northern Ontario. Some oil was ultimately discharged into a large local lake. In response, the client commissioned installation of a secondary oil containment system to protect against damage by any potential future incidents. Kinectrics’ SorbWeb™ Plus Oil Containment system was selected from several competing systems for this project.
Scope of project
This turnkey project was divided into phases. Work on Phase 1 covering 3 units has been completed, with work on the remaining units being scheduled over the balance of 2006. Each phase involved three main tasks: 1) SorbWeb™ Plus system design
and material procurement, 2) Construction, including excavation, soil disposal and SorbWeb™ Plus installation and 3) Environmental engineering, including soil sampling and testing. Kinectrics acted as the general contractor for the entire project.
Work performed
Stones and soil were removed from around and behind the MOT units. Rebar with concrete sloping towards containment system areas was installed in some areas where placing SorbWeb™ would have been impractical. Additional excavation was performed using Gradall scraping, carried out 6” at a time.
Pre-cast cement blocks formed the exterior and sides of the below-grade dike of the system. Sand, the initial layer of the SorbWeb™ system was spread, followed by oil-resistant plastic placed around the entire cement perimeter and interior obstructions to direct any oil or water down through the SorbWeb™. Proprietary layers of the SorbWeb™ system were then installed. Finally additional materials and fire-quenching stones completed the system installation.
Practical client benefits
Kinectrics’ SorbWeb™ Plus solution is an effective and reliable passive system that provides continuous protection against oil spills from transformers. It is a “smart” system that allows water from rainfall and / or melted snow to drain through a containment area without accumulating, while retaining any oil that might leak from the transformer. SorbWeb™ Plus provides the client with a cost-effective, no maintenance system that will provide reliable secondary oil containment of spills from transformers over a long period.
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