Univar Inc., a leading global chemical distributor, announced that its Blanquefort site, located in the French region of Bordeaux, is about to become fully operational again following an extensive €2 million refurbishment.
The 18 000 m2 site is used to store, package and distribute products, with a focus on minerals, solvents and specialty chemicals. Following a fire that broke out in November 2009, damaging some of the facility’s storage tanks, Univar has embarked on an ambitious renovation plan to restore full functionality to the site and ensure the highest standards of safety.
“Safety has always been a top priority for Univar, both on and off-site; our customers, suppliers and staff expect the highest standards from us,” says Nicolas Lehmann, Univar’s regional vice president EMEA, South. “The refurbished Blanquefort site is a clear demonstration of our commitment to safety and our willingness to invest in raising the bar for our industry.”
Throughout the design and renovation programme, Univar worked closely with the local council, environmental agencies and the fire service. On the new site all storage tanks have been segregated into compartments of four storage tanks, with each compartment segregated by fire resistant walls to ensure minimal risk of exposure to the spread of fire, and efficient containment compliant with Univar’s policies and standards. In addition, all heated tanks have been upgraded to stainless steel and the tank farm fully automated, with computer-controlled telemetric tanks, valves and pumps.
The Blanquefort site services customers in a number of industries including food and drink, swimming pools, coatings, potable water, metal cleaning and also nuclear power plants. It will be fully operational in early December.
