Engineered Loading & Unloading Facilities

Precision, Safety, and Automation

EDOPEC designs, procures, and constructs advanced loading and unloading facilities for bulk liquid terminals, including road tanker gantries and railcar loading stations. Our solutions are engineered for high throughput, operational safety, and environmental compliance, while integrating seamlessly with tank farms and centralized control systems.

All facilities are designed and executed in accordance with API and NFPA standards, and tailored to the specific characteristics of the handled products—such as gasoline, diesel, chemicals, and JET A-1 aviation fuel.

The Freetown International Airport (FIA) Fuel Farm Project demonstrates our end-to-end capability, delivering a fully integrated system from truck unloading bays to refueler loading stations, all operating under a unified automation and SCADA architecture.

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1. Gantry Design & Material Supply

Loading and unloading gantries form the critical interface between storage and transportation. EDOPEC manages the complete supply of all mechanical, electrical, and safety equipment required for reliable operation.

Loading & Unloading Arms

• Functionality
  Supply of articulated loading arms for top and bottom loading configurations, available in various sizes (e.g. 4” and 6”) to match different products and flow rates.
  Our references include installations for major terminal operators and international fuel companies.

• Vapor Recovery Systems
  For volatile products, top loading arms can be equipped with vapor recovery systems featuring:

  • Extended drop tubes

  • Sealed vapor return connections

  These systems capture displaced vapors, reducing VOC emissions and enhancing operator safety.

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Gantry Safety & Access Equipment

• Tanker Access Gangways
  Supply of robust, spring-balanced access stairs and gangways, ensuring safe and stable access to tanker tops.
  These systems are widely supplied for clients such as TPPD, BP, and TÜPRAŞ.

• Grounding (Earthing) Systems
  Each loading bay is equipped with a grounding verification unit that prevents fuel transfer unless a proper low-resistance earth connection with the tanker is confirmed, eliminating static electricity discharge risks.

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2. Integrated Filtration & Pumping Systems

Maintaining product quality is critical—especially for aviation fuels. Our loading and unloading facilities incorporate multi-stage filtration and controlled pumping directly into the transfer process.

Unloading Process Flow

At tanker unloading stations—such as the 60 m³/h system at Freetown Airport—fuel integrity is ensured through a sequential process typically consisting of:

1. Basket Strainer on pump suction to remove large particulates

2. Air Release Filter on discharge line to eliminate entrained air

3. High-Efficiency Filter / Water Separator to ensure clean, dry fuel

4. Custody Transfer Meter for accurate quantity measurement

5. Solenoid Control Valve for precise and automated flow control

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Pump Stations

• Dedicated pumps engineered for loading and unloading duties

• Integrated with the facility’s automation and control systems for remote operation

• Fully protected by the terminal’s fire fighting and earthing systems

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3. Fire Protection Systems

Loading gantries are classified as high-risk hazardous areas. Safety is therefore a non-negotiable design priority.

NFPA-Compliant Fire Protection

• Foam Systems
  Protection of loading islands using:

  • Overhead foam nozzles

  • Deluge systems

  • Fixed foam monitors directed toward potential fire sources

• Firewater Supply
  Gantry fire protection systems are supplied from the terminal’s pressurized firewater ring main, fed by a dedicated pump house.

• Detection & Automatic Actuation
  Integration of flame or thermal detectors connected to the Fire & Gas (FGS) system, enabling automatic activation of foam and water deluge systems in case of fire.

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4. Automation & SCADA Integration

EDOPEC loading and unloading facilities are designed for fully automated or semi-automated operation, monitored and controlled from a Central Control Room via SCADA systems.

Hierarchical Control Structure

As implemented in the Freetown project, control is available at multiple levels:

• Local control at the gantry

• PLC-based control panels in the electrical room

• Remote operation from SCADA workstations

This structure ensures operational flexibility, redundancy, and safety.

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SCADA Functionality

The SCADA system provides operators with full real-time control and visibility of all loading and unloading operations, including:

• Remote Operation
  Start/stop of pumps and remote control of motorized valves (MOVs).

• Safety Interlocks
  Enforcement of critical interlocks, such as:

  • Inhibiting pump start if grounding is not verified

  • Automatic shutdown upon overfill detection

• Data Logging & Alarm Management
  Continuous recording of:

  • Flow totals

  • Operational events

  • Alarms (high pressure, no flow, ESD activation)

  All data is stored in the SCADA historian, providing a complete audit trail.

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Emergency Shutdown (ESD) Integration

• Full integration with the facility-wide Emergency Shutdown (ESD) system

• ESD pushbuttons located:

  • At each loading bay

  • In the control room

Activation results in immediate shutdown of pumps and automatic closure of critical valves to ensure rapid risk mitigation.