Member Article

Wallsend fire protection firm wins trio of export deals

Wallsend’s Barrier Fire Protection has landed three deals to export its industrial fireproofing services to Germany.

Part of the wider Barrier Group, the business has won work in the chemical and oil & gas sectors carried out by teams of its specialist applicators at sites across the country.

As part of a Mobil Producing Nigeria Ltd offshore oil & gas project for Linde, Barrier Fire Protection has worked in partnership with Hertel GmbH to undertake fire proofing of a 20m x 10m steel structure that will be installed on a platform off the coast of West Africa.

A team of 10 UK-based specialists carried out the project at Linde’s fabrication facility in Bremen, which was completed on time and on budget and utilised Akzo Nobel’s Chartek 1709 product to protect the IGE Separator Skid frame from a hydrocarbon fire scenario.

The company’s second new project in Germany marks a return to Deutsche Infineum’s facility in Cologne where, a year ago, Barrier previously completed a Passive Fire Protection (PFP) project.

Having won a subsequent competitive tender after completing the first project, Barrier has been engaged to deliver PFP to a second 15-metre diameter Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage sphere.

Utilising specialist Hydro-Cat spraying equipment, a highly-durable epoxy (Chartek 7) will be applied to the exterior of the sphere and its support structure during a planned maintenance programme at the refinery.

Completing the hat-trick of projects is a contract awarded by BASF for its extensive facility in Ludwigshafen. Barrier will undertake a programme of fire proofing to process pipework that carries volatile product from the facility, through the harbour and Jetty Loadout Terminal on the banks of the Rhine River.

Barrier Fire Protection was formed in 1990 to carry out passive fire protection to the BP Miller Oil Platform in the North Sea and has, since then, applied thousands of tons of epoxy intumescents to structural steel, vessels and pipework including more than 50 LPG storage spheres.

David Shaw, Director of Barrier Fire Protection, said: “Building on our experience and track-record in offshore and chemical industry operations, these projects are a strong endorsement of the high level of safety-focused fire protection we can undertake.

“This, combined with our proven capability to deliver projects on time and to budget, is helping the company carve out a niche in export markets.”

Robert Bowles, Chairman of Barrier Group, said: “This hat-trick of projects in Germany is a significant development for our export ambitions.

“The reputation we have earned for quality, expertise and the ability to operate safely in hazardous locations is enabling Barrier to build a growing presence in Europe where the skills and capabilities of the UK supply chain is well-respected.”

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