Handling terminal

The TEZET handling terminal is the largest facility of its kind on the eastern border of the European Union. The terminal is located in Brzeźno near Chełm, on an area of over 300,000 m², 11 km from the railway border crossing of Jagodin-Dorohusk (Ukraine-Poland). The terminal has handled several million tonnes of liquefied gases to date, making it a leader on the Polish-Ukrainian border.

The terminal is designed for transhipment of liquid hydrocarbon gases from broad-gauge rail tank cars to standard-gauge rail tank cars according to European standards and to road tankers.

The applied technologies, fully automated equipment and systems guarantee safety and quality of transhipment. The TEZET Terminal meets the stringent requirements of the European Union, often exceeding the applicable regulations.

The TEZET Terminal has the status of a tax warehouse, which allows us to sell gas both with paid excise duty and under an excise duty suspension procedure.

Tło kropki

Technology on the terminal

It is a 300 m long handling platform designed for the overhead unloading of wide-gauge rail tankers to normal-gauge rail tankers and storage tanks. Thanks to the advanced technological solutions with which the unloading and loading front is equipped, the tasks are carried out safely and efficiently.

The terminal is equipped with an integrated measuring and control system. It is monitored by numerous gas concentration sensors, and the necessary procedures are started automatically. The devices record all events related to their operation in their internal memory. Employees are able to respond immediately to any emergency situation.

Efficient gas unloading process is ensured by mounded pressure storage tanks with a total capacity of 1,000 m3 i.e. (approx. 500 t of liquid gas).

Electronic vehicle scales cooperating with liquid gas filling devices for road tankers enable full control of filling at road tanker loading stations. The stations are equipped with hazard detection and notification systems and additional fire extinguishing equipment. In emergency situations, an alarm signal is activated.

The fire protection of the railway loading front is water cannons with a range of 80 m each, fed from a fire water tank with a capacity of 1,000 m3. The activation and control system is fully automatic. To ensure safety, we periodically organise training and exercises for fire brigade units and ambulance services at the terminal.

Computer visualisation gives full information and control over the terminal’s operation, with the system operator monitoring the various stages of gas transhipment in real time.

The terminal is located in the immediate vicinity of the world-unique nature reserve “Roskosz” and is located within its buffer zone. The restrictions on the technical equipment of the handling terminal and its operation are particularly important in this case for the sake of nature protection, in particular air protection as well as protection of soil and groundwater.

Thanks to TEZET’s care and diligence, the functioning of the Terminal has not resulted in any deterioration of the natural values of the nature reserve “Roskosz” or its buffer zone. Quite the contrary – according to the assessment issued by prof. I. Wojciechowski and Prof. S. Radwan from the Agricultural University in Lublin – the number of nests (especially of aquatic warblers) increased in the part of the reserve adjacent to the terminal section of the ramp.

established in 1990, it covers an area of about 473 ha and is one of the largest among very rare calcareous marshes in the country, and the largest in Poland and Europe area covered with dense swamp sawgrass reed. Apart from this endangered species, the number of plants under legal protection is 43, and 22 species are listed in the Red Book of particularly endangered plants in Poland. The fauna is represented, among others, by almost 800 species of butterflies (8 of which are on the list of 20 endangered European butterflies, the pond turtle (also a protected species from the Red Book), and by 150 species of birds, 83 of which regularly breed here. Among them 67 species are endangered in Poland, 34 species are endangered in Europe and 2 species are endangered globally – aquatic warbler and corn crake.

Information on safety measures and procedures in the event of a serious industrial accident at the TEZET Terminal in Brzeźno:

Being aware of the existing hazards related to the handling of liquid gases, our primary objective is to ensure that the activities conducted by our Company are safe and environmentally friendly.  We pursue this objective through:

  • Compliance with applicable laws, standards and rules in the areas of process safety, transport safety, fire safety, occupational safety and environmental safety;
  • The use of modern solutions and technical means as well as their maintenance and systematic renewal;
  • Rational use of natural resources, in particular through sustainable use of resources, materials, water and energy;
  • Identifying various types of hazards, assessing the risks associated with them and minimising them to an acceptable level;
  • Striving for a systematic improvement of working conditions and safety;
  • Improving actions aimed at preventing all types of failures and accidents;
  • Improving the response to failures and accidents;
  • Training employees to improve their qualifications and expertise and to make them aware of the important role they play in terms of safety;
  • Cooperation with control bodies in order to achieve an optimal level of safety assurance;
  • Coordination of safety-related activities with activities concerning other elements of the Company’s management system;
  • Conducting an open information policy on the risks involved, the safety and security measures applied to employees, the local community and other interested parties;

We implement this commitment with the active participation of all employees, providing the necessary technical, organisational and financial resources and competent staff.

1. INDICATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OPERATOR

INDICATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OPERATOR

TEZET Spółka z o.o,
20 – 822 Lublin
ul. Puławska 38.

2. A STATEMENT THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS RELATING TO UPPER-TIER ESTABLISHMENTS

A STATEMENT THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS RELATING TO UPPER-TIER ESTABLISHMENTS

Due to the amount of liquid gases present at the Tezet Terminal in Brzeźno, the establishment is subject to regulations on preventing industrial accidents concerning establishments with a high risk of a serious industrial accident.

Pursuant to the requirements of Art. 250 of the Environmental Law of 27 April 2001, the establishment reported to the Voivodeship Commander of the State Fire Service in Lublin and to the Voivodship Environmental Testing and Control Centre.

A safety report and a major accident prevention programme were also prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities.

In order to ensure safety of the Terminal and the local community, a number of technical, organisational and procedural measures were applied, and appropriate actions are envisaged to be taken in case of an accident. All this makes up a multi-layered safety system.

The key components of the system are:

  • properly designed and constructed facilities and installations, in accordance with the applicable requirements for liquid fuel handling terminals, commissioned and approved for use by the state supervisory authorities,
  • air-tight sealing of storage and transmission facilities,
  • qualified personnel having all the required licences to operate and supervise the equipment and installations and undergoing continuous training,
  • 24-hour/day control of plant operation and monitoring of safety-relevant parameters,
  • developed and implemented procedures and instructions necessary for the correct and safe realisation of the process and in case of a failure,
  • developed and implemented procedures for commissioning, planning and carrying out maintenance and repair,
  • fire protection systems.

3. SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT

SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT

Tezet Sp. z o.o. specialises in the handling of liquefied propane and butane gases and their mixtures. The technological process consists of the following operations:

  • transhipment of liquefied gases from wide-gauge tanker wagons
  • filling of storage tanks with liquefied gases from wide-gauge tanker wagons
  • filling of storage tanks with liquefied gases from normal-gauge tanker wagons,
  • filling of storage tanks with liquefied gases from road tankers,
  • transhipment of gas between storage tanks,
  • filling of road tankers with liquefied gases,
  • filling of normal-gauge tanker wagons with liquefied gases from storage tanks.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES FOUND AT THE TEZET TERMINAL

Characteristics of hazardous substances found at the Tezet terminal

Structure of the propane molecule

Structure of the butane molecule

There are liquefied hydrocarbons at the Terminal, and they:

– are flammable,
– are explosive at 1.9 – 9.5 % vol,
– are colourless,
– have an unpleasant odour,
– are heavier than air, settle in recesses
– displace oxygen from the air, may cause dizziness

Liquid gas is delivered to the handling terminal owned by Tezet Sp. z o.o. by rail tankers on a broad and normal gauge track.

At the TEZET handling terminal in Brzeźno, there are ground-level storage tanks covered with a layer of earth (4 pieces) with V = 250 m3 each. The actual capacity of one tank is V1 = 250m3 * 0.85 = 212.5m3 which corresponds to approximately 117 t of liquid gas.

5. THE MEANS OF ALERTING THE PUBLIC AND PROCEEDING IN THE EVENT OF AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT

The means of alerting the public and proceeding in the event of an industrial accident

In case of a serious industrial accident Tezet Sp z o.o. Terminal in Brzeźno shall inform the inhabitants and companies located in the danger zone about the developed most probable emergency scenarios by means of:

ANNOUNCING EMERGENCY
MODULATED SIREN SIGNAL LASTING 3 MINUTES

and notifying the surrounding facilities by means of an external telephone network, as well as announcing the following emergency message from a vehicle, using a megaphone:

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
Due to an emergency at the Tezet Terminal, we are asking residents and workers in the nearby businesses to shelter inside buildings as quickly as possible, close windows, turn off all electrical appliances except for the radio set to 104.9 fm (BON-TON) in order to listen to announcements from emergency and law enforcement services, take in children and people with disabilities, and stay indoors until the alarm is cancelled or until specifically instructed by services.

Rules of conduct for the public in the event of a major industrial accident:

1. Keep calm
2. Persons in the potential danger zone should take shelter in buildings as soon as possible, taking children, the elderly and the disabled with them
3. Close the windows, and move away from them
4. Observe the direction of the wind and leave the danger area by moving perpendicular to the direction of the wind in order to avoid possible entry into the gas cloud
5. Remain indoors until you receive the announcement about the cancellation of the emergency, or the announcement about the evacuation made by the rescue and law enforcement services
6. Follow the instructions and directions of the emergency services
7. Immediately disconnect all equipment from the electrical mains with the exception of the radio set to radio station (bon-ton) 104.9 fm, in order to listen to possible announcements from the services
8. In the event of an evacuation, inform the emergency services of any casualties, follow the instructions of the emergency and uniformed services, and take only the necessary items with you and also your identity card

CALLING OFF THE EMERGENCY
CONTINUOUS SIREN SIGNAL LASTING 3 MINUTES

Once the hazard is removed and a decision is made by the person in charge of rescue and firefighting operations, a decision may be made to call off the emergency
The information about calling off the emergency is also given via a megaphone to the inhabitants of the surrounding buildings, and to companies via the external telephone network.

6. MAIN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT SCENARIOS

Industrial accident scenario with the extent of the impact extending beyond the site

The range of thermal radiation coming from a fire in a spherical storage tank with an intensity of:
4 kW/m2, (blue colour) such radiation is not life-threatening but may cause pain in case of direct impact, is 760 m.
12.5 kW/m2, (green colour) the lowest dose of heat radiation causing wood to catch fire, high probability of injury, is 394 m.
37.5 kW/m2 (red colour) causes damage to technical equipment, is 89 m.

Most likely industrial accident scenario

The range of heat radiation from a fire in the event of rupture of a liquid hose at a road tanker loading station:
4 kW/m2, (blue colour) such radiation is not life-threatening but may cause pain in case of direct impact, is 17 m.
12.5 kW/m2, (green colour) the lowest dose of heat radiation causing wood to catch fire, high probability of injury, is 13 m.
37.5 kW/m2 ( red colour) causes damage to technical equipment, is 11 m.

The range of thermal radiation does not extend beyond the site of the Terminal.

In case of a serious industrial accident, Tezet Sp. z o.o. has developed an internal operational and rescue plan, which defines the way the employees should proceed in case of an accident.

Safety measures to be taken in the event of an accident:

  • recognise and identify hazards,
  • announce emergency and alert the State Fire Service,
  • allocate tasks to Terminal personnel,
  • secure the rescue operation area, including, if possible, marking and labelling the danger zone,
  • turn on/off systems, appliances and media affecting the safety of endangered or injured persons and the safety of rescuers, using the valves on the utility systems of the facility involved in the rescue operation,
  • activate the appropriate fire-fighting water system components to contain the spread and reduce the concentration of the medium and, in the event of ignition, to cool tank walls and piping and to protect against explosion, especially:
  • sprinkler systems,
  • fixed fire monitors
  • extend hose lines and use additional water fittings such as: water curtains, portable fire monitors and PW 52 nozzles – dispersed current
  • evacuate people and property from danger zones or from the Terminal area,
  • organise premedical first aid and alert the ambulance service if necessary,
  • co-operate with arriving units of the National Firefighting and Rescue System (State Fire Service) and other external services.