NEWS - laboratory fire - Dusseldorf
Latest news from CeTeC
02.11.2009 - After laboratory fire in Dusseldorf: Customers care ensured for analytical
services.
It was a blessing in disguise! On 22nd October the analytical laboratory of our
partner PetroLab (Dusseldorf Branch) burned down due to a technical defect in the
automatic distillation. We are very happy that nobody was hurt. The two lab collegues,
who were unfortunately present at the time, are
fortunately in good health.
The qualified and reliable performance of the Düsseldorf laboratory is further ensured
by our logistics- and overall organization. The analytical service in the “Rhine-Ruhr”
area will be covered by a temporarely “backup system” provided
by the Speyer (D) and Rotterdam (NL) labs. This will be carried out
with minimal time delays. We ask for your understanding. However, the quality of
our services, will not be impaired and the local teams will be
strengthened by the Dusseldorf specialists.
After repair, we expect the restart of the regular services in Dusseldorf for the
first quarter of 2010. We will inform our customers and partners accordingly
in good time.
01.07.2009 – Sampling and analysis of compressed natural gas (CNG)
For supervisory authorities and gas network operators, we will be extending our
area of business to the field of compressed natural
gas (CNG).
The physical product properties of CNG, in particular the high pressures of 250-400
Bar, place special demands on the
sampling, the sampling equipment and the handling. Reason enough to accept this
new challenge, although we also benefit from our
existing experience in the field of LPG. Following the conclusion of planning, we
have now reached the construction and test phase,
and anticipate being able to commence the project in mid-September 2009. At the
same time, the development of physical-chemical
analysis is also proceeding at PETROLAB GmbH.
The domestic mineral oil consumption of Malta at 1,000,000 mt/p.a. is relatively
insignificant in comparison to the world market.
Approximately 400,000 mt of this consumption is made up of fuels (10% gasoline,
10% JetA1, 20% gas oil/DK) and 600,000 mt of
heavy oils. We were however surprised at the comparatively high proportion of heavy
oils (1,460 kg/per capita, in comparison to Germany: 5.850.000 mt/p.a. = 71 kg/per
capita). The reason for this is that 94% of the electricity and heating supply is
currently provided by oil-fired
power plants.
In addition to the domestic consumption, a further 780,000 mt/p.a. of heavy oils
are used for the bunkering of seagoing vessels.
All these quantities are covered completely by oil imports. The obligations of quality
monitoring and observation of EU standards
lies solely with the Maltese authorities.
In preparation of a tailor-made sampling training course for the inspectors of the
Maltese authorities (MRA and
MMA), we visited
Malta at the end of April 2009 to establish the local circumstances and the technical
status of the tank facilities.
The material and technical knowledge of the Maltese authorities are at a high level,
and the storage facilities correspond largely to
the status of the technology. The visit to the “Has-Saptan Underground Installation”
was particularly impressive. 100 m below ground
are 19 tanks with a capacity of over 150,000 mt. In contrast to the normal upright
construction of large tanks, the tanks have been installed horizontally: every tank
has a diameter of 11 m and the length of up to 175(!) m. All tanks are completely
built into the rock and are
supplied via jetties and a gigantic pipeline system. As one of the Maltese inspectors
said: “It looks a little bit like a James Bond film”
– nothing could describe it better....
From 08.-13.06.2009, a Project Study Tour was arranged in Germany for our Maltese
colleagues. The focal point was the technical
side: Sampling and documentation during the course of state monitoring tasks, preparation
of samples for analysis, analysis and
measurement equipment. The programme was rounded off by visits to state monitoring
offices (LUBW, Karlsruhe) and a mineral oil
laboratory, a mineral oil refinery and a biodiesel production facility. A visit
was also made to a tanker ship (although somewhat smaller
than the seagoing ships in Malta) and a terminal. We would therefore like to express
our thanks, in particular on behalf of our Maltese
colleagues, to the companies PetroLab Speyer, MiRO Karlsruhe, MBF Mannheim, MTS
Wörth and HBG Kelsterbach for their kind cooperation.
The inspector training in Malta has been planned for the period September/October
2009.
29.05.2009 – Sampling of LPG at LPG filling stations / LPG supply facilities and
analyses for quality monitoring
Start of a nationwide sampling project with quality analyses of LPG and evaluation
of the quality level as part of the QM system for a
customer in the liquid gas industry.
18.03.2009 – Sampling of fuels at filling stations and tank storage facilities
Sampling of fuels from filling stations and tank storage facilities in February
and March 2009 during the course of the implementation
ordinance of the 10th BimSchV (Bundes Immissionsschutz Verordnung – Federal
Emission Protection Ordinance). Analysis and
assessment of fuel qualities for state monitoring offices by PETROLAB GmbH.