Reym BV recognized for Scanjet tank cleaning solution

The CASOS (Contractor Alliance for Safety on Shell operations) Best Practice award annually recognizes improvements in operational safety and working environment. Now this prestigious award has gone to Reym BV, an industrial cleaning and waste management specialist, part of Renewi Plc, whose new non-man-entry tank cleaning system cuts down the need for tank entry by massive 85%, thereby significantly improving the health and safety of the cleaning staff as well as simplifying operations and logistics.

Cleaning crude oil storage tanks is a challenging task in many ways, not least because of the various risks faced by workers having to enter the hazardous environment inside a large oil tank. Using tank cleaning nozzles from Scanjet, a leading supplier of specialized tank cleaning technologies, the internal cleaning of the tank is achieved by automated machinery instead of staff performing arduous manual work.

The SC 60A

At the heart of the Reym system are Scanjet SC 60A tank cleaning nozzles, with unique features that make this model particularly well suited for cleaning oil and petrochemical tanks, in Reym’s case specifically condensate. The SC 60A is designed to enter a tank through the support leg openings of floating-roof tanks or any other existing entry points that there are, thus removing the need to otherwise cut new entry holes into the tank, something that is difficult at best and very often forbidden by safety regulations. Crucially, the SC 60A also has the power and capacity to clean even huge oil tanks with minimal hassle and maximal results. And last but not least, the SC 60A can be used with a wide range of cleaning fluids, including crude oil, with high levels of solid particles which would defeat lesser cleaning nozzles.

Last year Reym contacted Scanjet in search of suitable equipment to make their non-man-entry tank cleaning solution possible. Reym technical manager Ronald Van Rijswijk and process specialist Fons Kerckhoffs worked together with Scanjet sales director Erik Van Noort to identify the most appropriate equipment and devise the best possible system to meet Reym’s exacting requirements. “The Scanjet SC 60A tank cleaning nozzle is by far the most suitable solution for this purpose, as it makes use of existing tank openings, and not only that, once inside the tank, it has maximal effective cleaning range due to its power,” explained Mr. Van Noort.

The Reym and Scanjet teams worked closely together to develop and test the system, with Scanjet providing technical consultancy and product training. The development project culminated at Reym’s outdoor testing facility in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, where the effectiveness and efficiency of the system was demonstrated beyond any doubt. Harrie Korte, cleaning supervisor at Reym Northeast, commented: “This new system is clearly the way of the future, and supports well our company’s mission to ensure that no more people than is absolutely necessary need to enter a tank for cleaning purposes.”

Reym are already planning and implementing even better systems – naturally featuring the proven SC 60A nozzles – with the ultimate target of making it possible to clean an oil tank entirely without man entry. And as they do so, Scanjet will be on hand to support their efforts, every step of the way.