Water Quality Safeguards

Aware of the problem of scarce water resources in the region, Saras adopted specific measures to reduce the use of primary water sources by:

  • procuring water from different sources
  • installing a first desalinator in 1994 with a capacity of 300 m3/hr, followed by the installation of six desalination modules for the IGCC in 1999, with a total capacity of approximately 600 m3/hr
  • implementing measures to maximise the recycling of purified water from the refining process, following improvements to the treatment process and increased filtering capacity

The desalination plant allowed for a significant reduction in the use of fresh water from the CASIC water system (Cagliari Industrial Development Area Consortium, responsible for managing the water system in the Sarroch industrial area) without disrupting the marine ecosystem by the refinery.

In terms of water treatment systems, the refinery is equipped with a process-water purification (PWP) plant and a ballast water treatment (BWT) plant for oil tankers transporting crude and products to and from the refinery.

They were both built with the best technology available, and equipped with pollutant-monitoring systems; both process and ballast water are subject to an oil extraction process that separates hydrocarbon particles from the water, which is then treated.

Furthermore, part of the water treated with the PWP system (approximately 400 m3/hr) is reused for industrial purposes in the refinery, thereby reducing the amount of water taken from primary sources such as the water system and the seawater desalination system.

Measures to protect the sea and coastline

Since the beginning of the 1990s Saras has launched various initiatives to protect the sea and coastline. The most significant are:

  • the adoption of Saras Minimum Safety Criteria to screen and accept ships. This comprises a list of minimum safety requirements ships must meet before they may be examined and authorised to operate at the Saras marine terminal
  • the implementation of the Safety Service, which involves the presence of qualified personnel on board ships throughout operations to verify that equipment is adequate and used correctly in accordance with anti-pollution and safety regulations. This measure is intended to mitigate and minimise the greater risk to the marine environment due to ships transporting particularly heavy and polluting products (such as crude oil, fuel oil and some types of diesel) and in recent years has been extended to all incoming single-hull ships that are twenty years old or more. An average of 300 ships are inspected every year, corresponding to more than 38% of maritime traffic
  • the implementation of the automatic ESD system (Emergency Shut Down) to prevent the spilling of products by automatically stopping the loading pumps and closing the interception valves of oil products in the event of a pressure surge
  • a ban on the discharge of segregated ballast (sea water that does not come into contact with oil products) into the sea at night applied to ships carrying particularly polluting and dirty products
  • an agreement with a specialised company for the continuous presence of anti-pollution staff and equipment.

Further checks of the quality of sea water off the coast near the refinery are undertaken twice a year. In the event of a spill, vehicles and equipment are available to deal quickly with the accident following procedures laid down in the Internal Emergency Plan, which includes the Marine Pollution Prevention Plan.