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Disaster Prevention Measures for Fuel TanksOur Company / Approach to Safety

Related Laws and Disaster Prevention Measures

Disaster prevention measures for fuel tanks installed in thermal power stations are taken for each facility in accordance with the Fire Service Act, the Act on the Prevention of Disasters in Petroleum Industrial Complexes and Other Petroleum Facilities, and the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, etc.
In particular, the company is taking the following countermeasures at power stations located in special disaster prevention areas such as petroleum industrial complexes and other petroleum facilities, depending on the scale.

  • Establishment of management systems through the appointment of a disaster prevention manager and a deputy disaster prevention manager and the creation of disaster prevention regulations
  • Installation of disaster prevention equipment and materials, such as chemical fire trucks, oil recovery and oil fence vessels by the Self-Defense Disaster Prevention Organization and the Joint Disaster Prevention Organization, and deployment of disaster prevention staff necessary for this purpose
  • Establishment of reporting systems and other systems for disaster prevention

Content of Measures

Thermal power stations mainly handle LNG (liquified natural gas), LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), and heavy crude oil. The following leakage and fire prevention measures are taken for such hazardous materials.
To prevent hazardous materials from catching fire, prevention of the occurrence of the following three conditions is important.

The 3 Conditions for Fires/Explosions Fire Prevention Measures
①Occurring in a Closed Place (Presence of Combustibles) Installing fuel facilities outdoors and not installing them in a closed place
②Flammable Gas Mixed with a Certain Ratio of Air (Presence of Oxygen)
  • To detect leakage of hazardous materials early, gas detectors, low temperature detectors (LNG and LPG), oil leakage detectors, warning devices, and monitoring cameras on the premises are installed and constantly monitored in the central control room
  • Condition check in multiple daily patrols
  • Installation of a liquid-proof barrier around ground tanks to prevent leakage from spreading
  • Adoption of underground tanks with the liquid level below ground level
  • Installation of evaporation control facilities and enhanced diffusion facilities (water curtain)
  • Installation of isolation valves at regular intervals to isolate leakages
③Existence of an Ignition Source
  • Restricting the use of fire by setting controlled areas on the plant premises where full attention must be paid for use of fire and controlling fire use through a notification system subject to the implementation of important safety measures
  • Earthing the main facilities within controlled areas to prevent sparks from generating by static electricity
  • Removing static electricity by using antistatic bars and explosion-proof equipment

Even in the event of a fire, the equipment is located so that the heat and gas generated by the fire will not affect the outside of the premises.
In addition to the use of fire-fighting equipment on the premises, disaster prevention systems, including an in-house fire brigade stationed on the premises of the power station, public fire departments, fire engines owned by cooperatives for disaster prevention, and disaster prevention water vessels (for when land traffic has been cut off), etc., have been enhanced to enable swift fire-fighting activities.

[Main Facilities for Fire Prevention and Extinguishing]

  • Foam fire extinguisher
  • Sprinkler water-supply facilities
  • Drainage facilities
  • Inert gas extinguisher
  • Water curtain (LNG and LPG)
  • Chemical fire extinguishing facilities
  • Including chemical fire engines
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防消火設備

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