Project

DEC 3628 Refinery in Ghent Belgium.

Location : Ertvelde
Client : Petrochemical company, Belgium
Contractor : DEC nv (DEME Environmental Contractor)
Period : 2004 –...
Value : 25,000,000 €

Scope of work

General Information

Description of the works

The project consists of the remediation of three acid tar lagoons present on the site in Ertvelde. All polluted materials are excavated and treated in an on-site installed treatment facility. The treated materials are then stored in an on-site constructed storage and capped. The project is a design & build contract with a detailed design phase of 6 months and a pilot phase of another 6 months to come to the full-scale execution.

Due to the presence of sulphur dioxide in the acid tar special attention is needed for possible gas emission and odour nuisance. For example an adapted excavation method is used (closed dumpers, covering of the excavation front with lime slurry...). Furthermore the treatment facility is installed in a fully closed hall with an air-lock entrance and a treatment installation for the extracted air. The emissions in the direct environment are continuously monitored and the excavation and treatment production are altered as required.
At the end of WWII the acid tar lagoons were heavily bombed. As a result thorough investigations into the presence of unexploded ordnance are required. The detection and approach of UXO forms part of the contract.
In function of the remediation of the acid tar lagoons a full-scale water treatment installation is designed, built, tested and operated for the treatment of contaminated lagoon water and groundwater.

Main Equipment