Refinery Firefighting System Upgrade
Client: Refinery NZ (now Channel Infrastructure)
Fit-for-purpose fire safety upgrade for refinery
When New Zealand’s only fuel refinery needed to upgrade its foam firefighting systems to meet national fire protection standards, GRIT was engaged to deliver a fit-for-purpose and cost-effective solution.
The Northland industrial facility had operated as a refinery since the 1960s, processing crude oil into a wide range of fuels for the domestic market. Though refining operations have since ceased, the site was - and still is - a complex, high-risk environment where any upgrade work must be carefully planned and executed.
Adapting to a complex brownfields site
A significant upgrade of the refinery in the 1980s, along with continuous maintenance to ensure reliability, had created a relatively modern industrial plant. Even so, the brownfields nature of the site meant every tank compound had different constraints. A firefighting system that could adapt to each location without major disruption or extensive groundwork was essential.
A flexible, standardised design
Working closely with our client’s mechanical engineers, tank engineers and asset managers, GRIT’s structural engineering team set out to create a design that could be rolled out across multiple compounds quickly and safely.
Using 3D modelling, the team developed the pipework alignment and layout in detail, ensuring loading on the existing tanks and pipe supports was minimised, reducing the need for large foundations and disruptive excavations.
The solution was built around flexibility and repeatability. By standardising components, the firefighting system could be fabricated in bulk rather than from bespoke drawings. On site, pipework could be cut, adapted and installed with minimal welding or coating repairs, while adjustable supports made it easy to accommodate uneven ground conditions.
This design meant fewer excavations, less on-site measurements and simplified fabrication - streamlining installation while lowering cost and risk.
Benefits beyond compliance
For the client, the benefits extended beyond compliance with NFPA11. The new system allowed the rapid installation of a critical fire protection upgrade within a live refinery environment, providing immediate safety improvements. Standardised components and a flexible design reduced cost and installation time, while avoiding major excavations and bespoke fabrication. Importantly, the solution could be easily repeated across the facility or adapted in future as operational needs evolved.
By working alongside the refinery’s team, GRIT delivered a solution that was safe, adaptable and economical, adding long-term value through collaborative and pragmatic design. Today, the facility operates as a finished fuel import terminal, but the fire protection systems developed during this project remain a critical part of keeping workers, the community and the nation’s fuel supply safe.