Best Practices for Managing Thermal Oil Spills in Thermal Power Plants

#INNERGY #ERATIC #AFTERSALES #THERMALOIL

In the field of thermal power plants, ensuring the safety and protection of both human life and the environment is paramount. The proper handling of thermal oil spills is a critical aspect of maintaining these standards. To address this, the following Technical Instruction for Controlling Thermal Oil Spills has been established, outlining comprehensive guidelines and measures for responding to such incidents.

Objective

The primary objective of this document is to establish protocols for managing emergencies resulting from thermal oil spills within thermal power plants. This Technical Instruction encompasses the fundamental actions to be taken and the necessary elements required in the event of a thermal oil spillage affecting the environment, including soil, water, vegetation, and other components.

Scope

The scope of the actions outlined in this procedure typically applies to the construction and operation areas of the Thermal Power Plants. Depending on the scale of operations and the quantity of products handled, training activities will be conducted to prepare for spill management and handling of various pollutants. External personnel may be engaged for specialized training, if necessary.

Terminology and Abbreviations

To establish potential spill scenarios, the following definitions are included:

• Natural barriers: barriers composed of materials found in the area where the spill occurs, such as barriers made of branches or foliage over water bodies.
• Absorbent barriers: barriers comprised of absorbent materials or fabrics.
• Spill: the loss of containment of a limited amount of thermal oil from its storage or confinement site through cracks, pores, or similar pathways, resulting in insignificant losses.
• Leakage: a massive spill of a substantial quantity of thermal oil from its storage or confinement site through ruptures, openings, or similar avenues, resulting in significant losses.
• Contained leakage: leakage confined within a spill containment enclosure designed to prevent or minimize potential damage to physical environments that would occur without such containment.
• Controlled leakage: leakage whose impacts on environmental components are constrained (minimized) through the application (formation) of dikes, berms, contaminant collection gutters, absorbent material, etc.
• Spill or leakage incident: unplanned emissions into the environment.
• Control points: predetermined locations where barriers are placed to confine the spill to prevent it from reaching the external environment.
• Oleophilic cloths: products made with mats, fabric rolls, or pillows that have the property of absorbing petroleum-derived products.

Description

1. Priorities

In the event of a contingency, the following priorities are established and must be observed during decision-making:

1. Preservation of human life
2. Preservation of the environment
3. Preservation of the infrastructure and equipment at the site

2. Responsibilities

The Contractor or operator must delineate the responsibilities generally held by the Environmental Manager or the Construction Inspector, hereinafter referred to as the Responsible Party. The Responsible Party must:

• Ensure that the spill response procedure is always available on-site and guarantee its proper implementation.
• Provide appropriate and thorough training to all personnel employed at the Thermal Power Plant, irrespective of their specific roles.
• In the event of an incident, prepare the incident report, conduct the investigation, and maintain records of such incidents.
• Lead all actions for the implementation and activation of the procedure when necessary, ensuring its proper execution and reporting any discrepancies detected.
• Ensure that all personnel involved in the construction or operation of the Thermal Power Plant are aware of and comply with the procedures.
• Possess knowledge of each of the products used on-site, including their physical and chemical characteristics, to adjust training plans and implement appropriate equipment and materials for each contaminant.

In the event of the detection of any non-compliance with this Technical Instruction, the Responsible Party will assess the need to open a non-conformity or deviation, and the corresponding procedure will be followed. Verification of such deviations can be conducted during scheduled or unscheduled audits, specific observations, inspections, etc. The Responsible Party may monitor compliance with this procedure and its associated objectives and goals by using Checklists or other suitable control instruments.

3. Response Procedure

Preventive Actions

To minimize the impact of spills, the following recommendations should be considered:

a) Regular inspection of thermal oil lines (pipes, fittings, coils, tanks). b) Comprehensive training for all personnel in spill response measures, particularly those directly handling thermal oil or involved in Thermal Power Plant operations. c) Supply warehouses with essential industrial safety equipment for the control and collection of liquid waste pollutants, such as nitrile gloves, safety glasses, masks with organic vapor filters, boots, etc., to be provided to the emergency brigade/environmental team as directed by the site supervisor in the event of any contingency. d) Essential spill control materials must be stored and kept separate from routine use. Such materials can only be used in cases of environmental emergencies from these specific sources. e) The general warehouse must maintain a permanent stock of the following items:

• Absorbent cloths or fabrics
• Containers (buckets, vessels)
• Plastic bags and fiber sacks
• Absorbent barriers or cotton and hay bales
• Minor tools (picks, shovels, wheelbarrows)
• Sand or sawdust
• Chemical yards for the storage of hazardous substances. These yards must have at least a coating on the floor.

Corrective Actions

Shutting Down the Thermal Power Plant

• For Power Plants with Conventional Fuel Burners

In the case of spills or leaks in thermal power plants with burners, an unscheduled shutdown is recommended, following these steps:

For minor spills or losses:

1. Stop the burner.
2. Keep the main thermal oil circulation pump running until the oil temperature drops below 100oC.
3. Once the thermal oil is below 100oC, stop the circulation pump (allow the thermal oil to cool to a temperature that allows personnel access to all parts of the installation).
4. Close the thermal oil outlet valve from the boiler and the isolation valves of the thermal oil circulation pump.
5. Open the inner coil drain valve of the boiler and the filling/drainage line valves of the installation, generally located in the central tank.
6. Start the transfer pump for filling/drainage of the installation and inspect the oil circuit, including the boiler coils, to identify the source of the potential oil loss.
7. Completely shut down the thermal power plant by disconnecting the main switch in the electrical panel.
8. Close the valves isolating the section where the loss was detected.
9. Proceed with the necessary repairs, for which the technical service of #INNERGY can be availed (refer to the end of the article).

In the case of significant leaks or massive losses:

1. Press the emergency stop button.
2. Close the valves isolating the section where the leakage occurred.
3. Proceed with the necessary repairs, for which the technical service of #INNERGY can be availed (refer to the end of the article).

• For Power Plants Using Biomass as Fuel

In the case of spills or leaks in thermal power plants using biomass, an unscheduled shutdown is recommended, following these steps:

For minor spills or losses:

1. Stop the powder burner, if applicable.
2. Stop the silo scraper and conveyor chains.
3. Stop the pusher/screw of biomass feed.
4. Stop the impeller fans.
5. Stop the hydraulic group of the combustion chamber, if applicable.
6. Keep the main thermal oil circulation pump running until the oil temperature drops below 100oC.
7. Once the thermal oil is below 100oC, stop the circulation

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