Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2018 FRA - September - October 2018 digital 5 | Page 20

FEATURE
FIRE-SUPPRESSION FOR SUNFLOWER AND
SOYA-SEED PROCESSING FACILITIES
(Press release)
Leading fire detection and suppression
solutions provider ASP Fire has
completed rational designs for two
solvent extraction plant clients
operating sunflower and soya-seed
processing facilities in the North
West Province and Mpumalanga
respectively, as well as meeting the
challenge of installation in existing and
functioning structures.
ASP Fire not only installs best-of-breed
systems, but ensures compliance
with national and international fire
safety standards, as well as sign-
off from insurance companies and
local authorities to safeguard people
and property. “In creating a bespoke
system for any new or operational
businesses, we look at each risk area,
and ask what it is we need to do to
mitigate this particular risk,” CEO
Michael van Niekerk explains.
In some cases, ASP Fire will deploy
18 |September - October 2018
sprinkler systems, while in others it
will opt for foam or gas systems that
deploy precisely what is needed to
combat the fire most likely to occur
in that particular area. In the case of
these two clients, a number of different
types of fires could occur, given the
presence of both flammable and
combustible products on-site.
Both clients extract oil from seeds
by creating an initial mash, and
then extracting the oil using hexane,
a highly-flammable solvent that
separates the oil content from the
meal. From there, the hexane has to
be removed from the oil by means of a
drying process.
“During these processes we have heat,
pressure and flammable liquid – not a
combination anyone can take lightly,”
van Niekerk cautions, adding that
even while the heating is indirect, the
vapours that arise from the mix can
ignite again.
The two major risk areas are the
preparation and solvent plant
buildings, each around six storeys
high, which makes escape for any
occupants in the event of a fire a
massive challenge. When the product
starts to burn, it does so rapidly, which
calls for fast-acting fire suppression.
“In the solvent plant where hexane
is used, you have a volatile product
that loves to burn, as well as
flammable vapour that can explode,
so this area requires extremely careful
management,” van Niekerk highlights.
The last part of the process is the
storage of the dried meal, where there
is a significant quantity of dust. The
risk with airborne dust is that it creates
an explosive atmosphere that can be
ignited by a single spark, implying a far
greater fire risk than the hexane plant
itself. There’s also crude oil storage to
take into consideration, which is not
flammable but combustible, so this