Sisak – Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor visited today, 10 October 2009, the JANAF Terminal at Sisak.
During her visit, Croatian Prime Minister Kosor inaugurated the Control Centre of newly built supervisory control system (SCADA system), introduced as part of the modernization process of the entire JANAF pipeline system. Implementation of SCADA system enables the condition of the facilities equipment to be monitored and the entire crude oil transportation and storage system to be controlled from the control centres at the Sisak and Omišalj Terminals.
It is a highly sophisticated system based on state-of-the-art technology with respect to automatic control, IT and telecommunications. SCADA system links all components of the JANAF pipeline system (terminals, pumping stations, block stations, etc.) by means of fibre optic cable laid down along the entire pipeline route. Besides enabling the automated operation of the facilities and the safety functions, and therefore both reliable and efficient facilities operation, SCADA has also additional functions for the purpose of increasing the operation safety and efficiency, such as units for pipeline leakage detection, for oil transportation monitoring and planning, as well as on-line and off-line simulator of the pipeline operation, serving for the transportation planning and personnel training.
The visit to the Sisak Terminal was also an opportunity for Prime Minister Kosor, accompanied by Ante Markov, Chairman of the JANAF Management Board, to pay a visit to the construction site of Terminal’s new storage tank farm as well. The construction of additional seven (7) storage tanks, with capacity of 80.000 m3 each, is planned to be conducted in three phases at that JANAF Terminal. Last year (in 2008) the construction of two new storage tanks commenced and for about a month the second construction phase will start with commencement of construction of three additional storage tanks.
„This inauguration and the system start-up is merely a part of huge investment cycle that Janaf Plc. plans to complete in the forthcoming period. Apart from the modernization of the oil pipeline system, our plans are also focused on increasing the storage capacities for crude oil and oil products, as well as on enabling the bi-directional oil transportation on the Sisak-Omišalj pipeline section, with the aim of providing an adequate answer to both current and future market demands. Furthermore, given the fact that a substantial part of our investments is planned to be financed through our own funds, it is our wish to involve in the realization of our projects as many domestic companies as possible and thus to certainly contribute to the development of the Croatian economy, which is extremely important nowadays in times of economic challenges and which makes us proud”, said Ante Markov, Chairman of the JANAF Management Board.
The major investment cycle, which JANAF Plc. currently undergoes, comprises the following: construction of necessary additional storage capacities since the existing ones do not satisfy the growing market needs; possibility of having the reversible (bi-directional) crude oil transport in order for all refineries on the JANAF route to gain an opportunity of being supplied with crude oil also from the northern direction, that is from Hungary (at present the bi-directional transport of crude oil is possible on the section from the northern direction up to Sisak, while the same will also be possible up to Omišalj on the Krk island by the beginning of the next year); as well as modernization of the entire oil pipeline system with the aim of enhancing transportation reliability and security, thus almost completely eliminating the risk of environmental pollution.