LOTUS WASH SYSTEM PROJECTS

CHEVRON OIL GORGON PROJECT PERTH AUSTRALIA

Customer request – To design and manufacture a high speed automated wash plant to clean all types of containers and flat racks including a residual spray process to result in a standard acceptable to AQIS and Chevron.

Specific Requirements – The Chevron project is being carried out on an A class conservation island so the required standard is extremely high. To cater for 20 and 40 ft containers of various heights from half height to high cube along with 20 and 40 ft flat racks and ISO tank units. To thouroughly clean and sanatise the pockets and all surfaces of the containers to the required standard. Up to 150 containers per day 7 days per week. To collect and refine the water used and recirculate through the plant for reuse and meet the required standard for potable water.

Design– Lotus designed the plant layout to suit an existing concrete pad area with the addition of external and in ground water catchment, spray shields and provision of services.

For efficiency the Lotus machine design allowed for a double ended unit allowing a container to be unloaded and reloaded on one end whilst the other end is washing and the wash plant shuttles in each direction carrying out both washing and residual spray functions.

The machine uses high pressure high volume water through a series of different water jets and moving heads to clean the different locations on the containers from the corner pockets to all the channel sections underneath to the upper surfaces of containers and flat racks. The machine follows the contour of the container or flat rack to achieve a consistent result all over with both washing and sanitising spray.

Standards – The machine frame is engineer designed and certified to carry fully laden containers and also has been certified to achieve above the required standards for MAF in New Zealand, AQIS in Australia and also specific standard for white tagging from Agility Logistics and Chevron Oil.

Water usage – Minimisation was achieved by the design of a specialised recirculation plant to treat all collected water with mechanical filtration and settling along with bacterial treatment plant to ensure cleanliness of the water. This created clean usable potable water.

Time frame – Build and installation time frame for the plant was 20 weeks.

Outcome – The wash plant completely changed the parameters around container washing by consistently achieving the very high standard. Taking the cleaning sanatising and certification process from a very long manual and arduous procedure to that of a completely automated and short time frame process. Capability of completing the process of a 20 ft unit in approx. 5 minutes and a 40 ft unit in approx. 9 minutes.

In the customers words it completely exceeded their expectations.

MAFBNZ Certification - Click here to view

Patent number: External container wash plant 572281