Harrogate · North Yorkshire
Steel tank cleaning in Harrogate
Fuel transfer, tank-bottom washing and sludge removal from a 200,000-litre steel storage tank in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
The brief
Fuel removal before
tank-bottom cleaning.
This Harrogate project involved a 200,000-litre steel storage tank containing red diesel. Britteco’s work covered transferring the remaining fuel into IBC containers, washing the tank floor and lower internal surfaces, and collecting sludge, residues and the resulting wash liquid.
The starting estimate was approximately 4,000 litres of remaining fuel. That was an estimate of the contents, separate from the tank’s storage capacity. Planning the work also meant considering the material left on the tank bottom once the free-flowing fuel had been pumped out.
For this installation, commercial fuel tank cleaning brought fuel handling and internal cleaning together in one coordinated scope. The brief called for the tank bottom to be left empty and free from sludge.
Access & logistics
Three vehicles.
A plan around the site.
Site weight restrictions affected the transport arrangements, so three vehicles were used for the project. The movement of fuel, containers and cleaning equipment had to be organised around those restrictions, alongside the work at the tank itself.
The steel tank stood inside a concrete bund, with external stairs and a bolted side access hatch. These features shaped the approach to the installation: the team needed a workable route for hoses and equipment between the tank area and the vehicles.
The work sequence
From remaining fuel
to internal cleaning.
Fuel transfer took place in two stages, followed by washing and residue collection. The sequence connected the tank-side work with the containers on the vehicles.
Tank to IBCs
The remaining red diesel was pumped from the steel tank into IBC containers at the site.
IBCs to vehicle IBCs
Fuel was then transferred into IBCs on the vehicles. This second stage formed part of the fuel-handling arrangement for the weight-restricted site.
Wash & collect
The tank floor and lower internal surfaces were washed. Sludge, remaining deposits and wash liquid were gathered and collected using the cleaning equipment.
Inside the tank
Washing the floor.
Collecting the residues.
The internal cleaning focused on the tank bottom and lower surfaces. Washing addressed the sludge and residual contamination in that area. The loosened sludge, residues and wash liquid were then gathered for collection.
Pumping out free-flowing fuel and collecting the cleaning residues were distinct parts of the process. Vacuum equipment supported the recovery of remaining liquid and deposits, including the wash liquid produced during cleaning. Absorbent materials were also included in the equipment for the final collection work.
Equipment & preparation
The equipment behind
the working method.
The equipment plan included seven IBC containers, three pumps and two small vacuum units, together with generators, squeegees and absorbent materials. The plan covered both bulk fuel transfer and collection of liquid and deposits inside the tank.
Pumps served the bulk fuel-transfer stages; vacuum equipment and hand tools supported the more detailed collection work on the tank floor. Preparing both types of equipment allowed the scope to cover the fuel and the material remaining after pumping.
On site
The project in photographs.
About this project
Harrogate tank cleaning questions.
Was 200,000 litres the amount of fuel removed?
No. It is the steel tank’s storage capacity. The remaining red diesel was initially estimated at approximately 4,000 litres. Neither figure should be read as the confirmed quantity removed during the work.
How was the remaining fuel transferred?
The red diesel was pumped from the tank into IBC containers, then transferred into IBCs on the vehicles. These were two stages of the fuel-handling operation.
Why were three vehicles used?
The site had weight restrictions. Three vehicles were used as part of the transport arrangements for the project.
Which parts of the tank were washed?
The cleaning scope covered the tank floor and lower internal surfaces, with sludge, deposits and residual contamination addressed in that area.
How were the cleaning residues and wash liquid collected?
The work used pumps, vacuum equipment and hand tools to gather and collect remaining liquid and deposits. Squeegees and absorbent materials formed part of the equipment prepared for the cleaning work.
More tank work in North Yorkshire
This project was in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The North Yorkshire page covers the towns, typical sites and environmental rules there, and the Yorkshire and the Humber page shows the other counties we cover nearby.
Commercial & industrial tank cleaning
Plan your
tank cleaning project.
For a similar job in Harrogate or elsewhere in North Yorkshire, send the tank capacity, fuel type, estimated remaining contents and site postcode. Photographs of the hatch, bund, pipework and vehicle approach help us discuss the cleaning and fuel-handling arrangements.
Tell us about weight limits, gates, steps or other access restrictions when you first enquire, so the quotation can reflect the installation and the work required.
