Prevention and maintenance

Maintenance of the pipeline and systems is important to safeguard integrity, so regular inspections are carried out.

These include ‘in-line inspections’, which involve sending special equipment through the pipeline to determine its condition. The findings of these inspections are used to develop maintenance plans. The pipelines are cleaned every month and the wall thickness of the pipes is regularly checked. Over the past few years, RRP has placed all the valves in concrete trays to prevent oil from ending up in the environment in the event of any leaks.

The tank terminal in Venlo was fully renovated between 2009 and 2018 and is now compliant with the latest requirements set out in the PGS29 Guideline of the Dutch Publication Series on Dangerous Substances (PGS). An automated fire extinguishing system forms part of the installation. RRP’s staff have been trained to ensure that they can immediately intervene to get the situation under control in the event of a potential disaster. An emergency response plan is then activated.

Marker posts have been installed at various places along the pipeline to indicate where the pipeline is located. The marker posts include a telephone number to call in any suspect situations.