Saab Rosemount Automates Vopak Tank Park
Royal VOPAK is one of the largest shipping and chemical terminal leasing companies in the world, with over ninety terminals in twenty-five countries. In Brazil, VOPAK operates with three terminals, distributed in the states of São Paulo and Bahia in the localities of Alemoa, Ilha de Barnabé and Aratu.
Since 1998, VOPAK has been carrying out an intense process of modernization of its facilities. One of the fundamental steps of this work is the replacement of the old mechanical gauges with modern Saab radar level gauges for inventory. Fluxo Soluções Integradas supplied 102 gauges for tanks at the three terminals. Saab radar level gauges are OIML R85 certified for custody transfer and ensure safe and reliable terminal operation.
Each terminal has a modern Tankmaster inventory and supervision system. This program, also certified by OIML R85 for custody transfer, provides corrected volume information for each tank, according to international standards. In the case of VOPAK, the NET module for Tankmaster was also acquired. Through this module, the terminals consolidate the information of all the tanks in a webpage, which provides the position of the tanks of all the terminals in real time, through a password. Jan Johannis Griep, manager of the VOPAK terminal, says that he is satisfied with the performance and with the new capabilities obtained through the use of the system: “radar meters are more accurate, safer and more economical than mechanical ones, as they require a much lower expense with maintenance”, says the engineer. Mauro Gonzalez, responsible for Tankmaster.Net support at VOPAK, considers the equipment a differentiator for the company: “With these resources, VOPAK can offer increasingly sophisticated services to its customers, standing out in the competitive tank leasing market” , adds.