ORIGINAL TRADERS ENERGY - Approval for variance from the Liquid Fuels Handling Code

Clause 4.3.1.6 of the Liquid Fuels Handling Code 2017 (LFHC) requires that vapour recovery piping not be manifolded to prevent cross-contamination of the products in storage tanks. The clause was originally intended for gas stations where operators tend to switch products depending on demand.

The OTE facility will be a bulk plant where ethanol is blended into fuel. Gasoline will be drawn from multiple tanks and blended in-line with ethanol to provide finished (i.e. blended) gasoline for loading into tank trucks.

When a truck is at the loading rack to be filled, the fuel management system will decide which of 12 regular gasoline pumps will start to deliver regular gasoline into the truck. At the same time, the fuel management system will start the ethanol pump, and the two products will be blended as they are dispensed into the truck.

Since any of the gasoline tanks can be the source of the gasoline blending component, the truck Stage I vapour recovery pipe header must have access to all 12 tanks to return the vapours from the truck compartment. To achieve this, OTE will have a four-inch vapour recovery header installed from the truck loading location and connected horizontally to the 12 regular and two premium gasoline tank vents.

There is no danger of cross-contamination since all the tanks contain gasoline (Class I product).

Note that, when a tank truck transfers gasoline into an underground tank, *Stage 1 vapour recovery is the process in which excess vapour is diverted back into the tank by a dedicated piping system. *Manifolding a header is the process of connecting two or more piping rods—originating from two or more underground tanks—into one merged pipe which is larger in size to accommodate adequate venting capacity from multiple tank sources.