A storage tank is a ￡million plus asset often storing highly volatile and hazardous chemicals...

So why would an Operator buy a tank breather vent that has not been tested to the standards?

A breather vent is classed as ‘critical safety equipment’ and is installed on storage tanks to protect the digester from rupturing or imploding. When you understand the importance of a breather vent, it’s a shocking reality that 90% of breather vent manufacturers do not perform leak or functionality tests prior to dispatch. It will therefore be no surprise to know that Operators who have a breather vent installed at their facility, do not perform regular leak testing or functionality checks on aging plant and are therefore unaware of the volume of leakage/emissions from each breather vent.

Points to consider:-

? Do you always ask for a Production Certificate to API2000 section 5.4? Blanket certificates of conformity are not acceptable.

? How do you know if your breather vent is compliant?

? How do you know your new breather vent has been assembled correctly prior to commissioning?

? Can you confirm the set point has been correctly applied? How will you achieve this?

? Can you demonstrate that you are following best practice?

? Are you competent to decide on the appropriate device for your application?

? Can you demonstrate and evidence reduction in your breather vent emission leakage rates?

With thousands of biogas facilities already installed and more planned for the future, containment of highly valuable methane has never been more important. Bioenergy could be a key factor for a sustainable energy future, but only if it doesn’t compound global warming issues through fugitive emissions of methane. This gas is 36 times more damaging to global warming than carbon dioxide according to the IPCC. Biogas is 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide so any leaks are both damaging and expensive. Without knowing how a breather vent performs, how can the Operator mitigate risk on environmental, safety or the financial impact, or worse, as a defence in court??

Most biogas facilities use tank breather vents as the last line of defence against overpressure. What is not generally understood is that these devices can start to open at less than 75% of their set point. Cheap, untested valves could leak from only just 5% of set point. Please see the case study below to understand the impact this can have on a facility.?????????????????????????????????????????????????

Knowing how unregulated the tank breather vent industry is and the impact it has on the environment, Assentech has designed “Vent-Less” a fully automated breather vent test bench that is software driven and unique to the global market.?Using complex algorithms and artificial intelligence to follow the test criteria stipulated in the industry standards (API2000 and ISO28300) to check breather vent sealing, flow and set point checks.?A full test takes less than 2 minutes to generate an instantaneous Test Report.?You do not need expert knowledge and each test is repeatable.?Results can be transferred at the click of a button using QR code technology. Vent-Less is unique to the global market and will enable the tank storage industry to understand and evidence the reduction in emissions for ESG reporting.??

The data will enable Operators evidence their due diligence in keeping their workforce safe and minimising the impact on the environment as well as improving profitability for the business.?

We were recently asked for assistance by an Operator that had been issued with a Regulation 61 Notice from the UK Environment Agency. This Notice is issued to force a company to use the best available techniques to reduce fugitive emissions or face closure. The Operator had been paying a company to service their vents every 6 months but they did not test for leakage or set point accuracy. Following local complaints of excessive H2S odours they were forced to look for another service provider. We advised them that the valves needed to be replaced with higher quality, leak tight devices. Payback was achieved in 12months, the EA was satisfied, working environment and surrounding area became less toxic and flammable and to top it off we documented a reduction in global warming potential emissions from 161 tonnes to just 185 kg by replacing just one 12" breather vent. We replaced all four installed on this site so you can multiply this saving by four.

International Standards API2000 and ISO28300 have specified Production Testing criteria since 2008 for all new vents in order to reduce the risk of a vent being dispatched that has been assembled or set incorrectly. An individual certificate recording this action should accompany every new vent supplied. The manufacturers know they should supply this but chose not to share this information with their customers.

We have known for many years that once an Operator sees the benefits of well-maintained tank vents reducing odours and flammable gas clouds and improved profitability they do not hesitate to invest in quality equipment.?

A well run, safe and clean facility wants to know where dangerous fugitive emissions are escaping. With less than 10% of breather vent manufacturers offering individual leak test certificates on new valves there is a lot of room for improvement. Reduction in?emissions can be dramatic.?

To demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) it’s important that businesses demonstrate environmentally friendly practices and buy breather vents that do not leak.?

We truly believe that revealing the true performance of tank breather vents will stimulate innovation in the industry for a safer, cleaner environment for us all.