ProLabNL has steadily recovered after the fire incident occurred on Friday January 18, 2013. ProlabNL’s HP flowloop complies with the highest safety standards. However, unfortunately a certified pipe bursted, and a fire followed straight after. This was the worst scenario that could have happened to our HP flowloop facility.
Cleaning and reparation is currently taking place at the HP test facility of ProLabNL. Inside ProlabNL’s test lab, the atmospheric testing of process equipment has not stopped due to the fire. The prolabupdate3removal of the damaged equipment from the HP loop was immediately done and was stored in a dedicated hall where material investigations are ongoing.
Mr. Toine Hendriks, the Process Director of ProLabNL, explained that the damagedequipment is already off site, and is now being investigated by a certified third party (TUV Rheinland). The investigation aims at determining which equipment can be re-used and which needs to be replaced with new equipment.
prolabupdate4Furthermore, TNO from the Netherlands, an independent third party, is performing a study on the cause of the incident. They are expected to find the root cause of the heater failure. Preliminary indications of the investigation are pointing to a metallurgical defect.
The reparation of the HP test facility is progressing at a rapid rate, from fixing the damaged wall panels, replacing the electric cables, and refurbishing the concrete floor, as informed by Mr. Ewout Barents, the Laboratory Manager of ProLabNL. Coming week TUV will do some more material spot checks on the piping to ensure that the material is still according to specs and new certificates can be issued.
prolabupdate5The most realistic planning to be operational again with Prolab’s HP flowloop is within 12 weeks from today’s date.
For further information, please contact:
Mrs. Hermien Nieuwenhuijsen, ProLabNL