Tank decommissioning

Decommissioning of storage tanks can be hazardous. However by employing Calves Hill to carry out this work on your behalf you can reduce this risk to a minimum.

Prior to carrying out any tank decommissioning work Calves Hill provides a full risk assessment and method statement, to ensure complete peace of mind.

Crane lifting tank

Crane lifting tank

With experience in removing all types of above ground and below ground tanks, with capacities ranging from 1000 litres to 750,000 litres and in locations such as fuel depots and petrol filling stations – we know how to remove them all safely and how to dispose of them legally.

We can also advise you upon how to make tanks safe or how to permanently abandon them. Where applicable we will also liaise with the local petroleum officer.

Using lorry mounted cranes we can often remove tanks up to 55,000 litre (or 12,000 gallons) without the need for a crane lift, this reduces the costs as we don’t need a lift supervisor or separate slinger/banksman.

This project involved the cleaning and licensed disposal of 6 no. 12,000 gallon steel tanks

This project involved the cleaning and licensed disposal of 6 no. 12,000 gallon steel tanks

All waste is disposed of at licensed waste disposal facilities on licensed waste carriers transport. Full disposal documentation is provided in a safety file upon completion of the work.
Past decommissioning projects have included:

  • Emptying and cleaning of a 12,000 gallon above ground tank, uplifting the tank for disposal, demolishing the bund walls, tank supports and breaking out the concrete base. Then backfilling the area with crushed stone and tarmacing over the area to provide car parking. We even arranged the white lining!
  • Emptying and cleaning of 6 no. 12,000 gallon liquid fertiliser tanks, disposing of the waste and tank washings, then uplifting the tanks using lorry mounted cranes and transporting them to a disposal site.
  • Decommissioning of site erected oil storage facilities at a fuel depot in Gloucester. The cleaning of all tanks, demolition of the offices, flushing through of all underground pipe work, demolition of the site erected tanks, uplifting of transportable tanks to a licensed waste facility, demolition of the loading gantries. We also managed the disposal of the asbestos contained within the pipe work flanges and buildings.
  • Decommissioning of underground oil storage tanks at various sites, transferring the fuel from the underground tank to the new tank, draining down the fuel lines, gas freeing the tank and then foam filling the tanks for permanent abandonment.
  • Removal of a 4,000 gallon steel oil storage tank from inside a school’s plantroom. This contract including working in a confined space and hot cutting the tank for removal. This work was carried out during term time with no interruption to the school. So successful was this tank removal that we were contracted to remove another tank at the same school, again during term time!

If you would like a quotation for the safe removal or decommissioning of any storage tank please contact us for a quotation.