Case Study

Refined Fuels Terminal

06
Feb

This terminal was designed to transfer and blend various grades of gasoline, including ethanol-blended options up to 15%, as well as biodiesel through the blending of diesel with Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME).

Project Overview

Sky Eye Measurement delivered a prefabricated rail to truck refined fuels terminal for a client in Northern BC. This terminal was designed to transfer and blend various grades of gasoline, including ethanol-blended options up to 15%, as well as biodiesel through the blending of diesel with Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), and includes five load arms — three dedicated to gasoline and two for diesel — and a FAME storage tank for on-site availability. Given its uniquely flexible modular design, this project falls under Sky Eye’s “SKYMOD” umbrella.

Key Features:

  • Ethanol and Biodiesel Blending: This terminal can blend ethanol into gasoline and mix biodiesel, providing flexibility in fuel options for our client.
  • Rail to truck refined fuels transloading – simultaneous multi-fuel transfers with flow rates up to 2200 LPM.
  • Additive Skid:  The Sky Eye team designed a five product additive skids built to facilitate the inclusion of cold flow inhibitors (CFI) and red dye in gasoline and diesel blends. Sky Eye integrated the additive storage, power distribution, and control system into the skid with spill containment.
  • Power Distribution Building: Sky Eye constructed a power distribution building that controls the entire site, complete with an integrated Toptech TMS system.
  • Kiosk Design: A custom kiosk with glass on three sides was designed to house the Toptech system, providing operators with comprehensive site visibility and shelter.
  • Mobile Rail-Top Access Platform: A key innovation in this project was the mobile rail-top access work platform designed to meet the client’s desire for flexibility in their rail-top access. This platform has a substantial reach of 16 feet, eliminating the need for a rail-top access platform that spans the entire terminal.
  • Modular Control Stations: Each rail station is equipped with its own PLC-contained control station, making cabling more efficient and the overall design highly modular. These stations were fully wired off-site, requiring only on-site connections, ensuring a time-efficient installation process.

Timeline:

The project began with Feasibility and FEED deliverables in late 2022, and by August 2023, the Sky Eye team received a purchase order for the entire project delivery. Following this, the detailed design and engineering phases commenced, leading to the start of fabrication in December 2023. On-site work began in April 2024, and the entire site equipment installation was completed in approximately three months, excluding the time required for civil work.

Challenges and Solutions: One significant challenge was the client’s preference to avoid a rail-top access platform spanning the entire terminal. The Sky Eye team addressed this by designing a mobile work platform with a significant 16-foot reach, allowing operators to access the rail top efficiently.

Outcome and Client Benefits: The prefabricated, site-assembled design enabled quick turnaround on-site, reducing the installation time to about three months from start to finish. The terminal’s geographic location in Northern BC is ideal for the client, offering significant flexibility in fuel blending and reducing trucking requirements.

Because of the shipping envelope requirements, this prefabricated, site-assembled design method was an apt solution for this client and site. Sky Eye was able to transport the entire facility in 15 semi-truck loads. In this instance, Sky Eye was able to eliminate the need for site fabrication while still providing the flexibility to disassemble the terminal and redeploy it elsewhere if market demands change.

Unique Contributions by Sky Eye: Sky Eye’s focus on modular design and innovation resulted in a highly repeatable solution that can be implemented at other sites. Sky Eye’s engineering team’s commitment to modularity ensured flexibility and efficiency and delivered success to our valued client.