TÜV Rheinland certifies KROHNE pipeline safety systems in Taiwan

On behalf of Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPCC), TÜV Rheinland accompanied and successfully certified a project to install safety systems on the company's pipelines. The PipePatrol safety systems were supplied by KROHNE, represented by local representative Wei Yuang Enterprise Co, Ltd. Four pipelines for different fuel types were equipped, divided into 12 segments.

Taiwan has a very strict set of regulations for pipeline safety: after a serious accident a few years ago, Taiwan tightened its specifications considerably. The German "Technische Regel für Rohrfernleitungen (TRFL)" and the American "Recommended practice 1130" of the American Petroleum Institute (API RP 1130) served as the basis for the new regulations. The KROHNE system is unique in that it covers both regulations, meaning that all requirements could be met with just one system.

The project began with an extensive consultation and testing phase, from which the KROHNE system emerged as the favorite. In various tests, even the smallest leaks up to 3mm in diameter were detected over a distance of more than 143 kilometers/ 89 miles.

TÜV Rheinland already accompanied the project during the test phase, as well as in the subsequent phases of installation up to the final acceptance. The final successful certification of the system marks the first time that a complete pipeline safety project has been certified according to the Taiwanese regulations.