A Revolution in Pollution Prevention - Oil Turned into Solids for Cheap Swift and Green Removal

Trials set to begin soon could radically change the way in which the utilities industry, oil companies, port authorities, highway authorities and many others protect and dispose of oil and other liquid waste.

UK Power Networks, the UK’s largest public utility will be trialling the installation of a pollution prevention system which replaces massive concrete “bunds” and all the cost, risk, lengthy installation procedures and oily water management which they currently involve, with a simple, green, revolutionary polymer.

With budgets tightening, environmental regulations growing and the massive actual and reputational costs of mis-handling hydrocarbon spills bearing down on companies C.I.Agent Solutions’ (UK) products are attracting sizeable interest.

Mark Dunk, UK Power Networks’ Civil Standards Manager said: “It’s a legal requirement that we have secondary containment to prevent oil getting into the ground. We’ll be monitoring this carefully and if it’s as good as we hope it is, I will be pushing for us to use it more widely. I’m hopeful this is a really good opportunity for us to save money.”

The key product which is designed, manufactured and installed by C.I.Agent Solutions, involves a revolutionary polymer which turns the oil, diesel and other hydrocarbon waste into a non-leaching solid which can be swiftly, easily and cheaply collected and re-used in tarmac and other road building or burned for energy.

The installation which UK Power Networks is trialling, and which is being watched closely by other utilities and many others, costs roughly two-thirds the price of a concrete bund installation, takes up to 12 working days as opposed to eight working weeks, is low hazard risk in installation as opposed to High Risk for concrete and requires no ongoing maintenance of oily water separators.

C.I.Agent Solutions is set for sizeable expansion over the coming years and is already selling thousands of another unique product it has designed and introduced to industry over the last year. Green Rhino is a sediment filtration system which is being used by utilities and civil and highway construction teams in and around site works and water and drainage system. It filters off silt, sediment and hydrocarbons to non-detect levels.

Managing Director Ross Atkin says: “ We have worked long and hard to ensure that we can fit our unique products to industry needs and it is now beginning to show sizeable benefits.

“We are very proud to be working with UK Power Networks in what we expect will be a transforming installation process. It’s a classic win-win for everyone. It’s cheaper to buy, cheaper to install, swifter to install and the end result can be re-used. And most importantly it’s an environmentally sound product involving no harmful waste.

“It’s important to pay tribute to the enormous contribution here from Rees Westley our Operations Director who has vast experience in the construction, utilities and highways industries overseeing major installations for the likes of May Gurney, Skanska, EDF and Thames Water."