Benzoil provides aviation fuel disposal services to airports, fuel terminals and aircraft maintenance businesses. How does aviation fuel become a waste or by–product? Like any liquid that is handled and transferred from point A to point B and point C and so on, each point of transfer and admission to or from a new vessel, tank or container invites opportunity for spills, drips and leaks. Jet fuel disposal and management of inventory levels are essential best practice in the aviation industry.
Any fuel that has been sitting in a tank for too long (for example an inactive aircraft) may have developed biological contamination (fuel bugs) or water ingress, or may just be out of specification by virtue of the manufacturers best before date. In this in these cases that aviation fuel removal is essential. When aircraft have maintenance requirements – sometimes urgent – any fuel in the tank may need to be removed for safety reasons. Visiting military aircraft sometimes require defueling for security or safety purposes – especially if the grade of fuel they are carrying on board is not compatible with local suppliers.
Spent aviation fuel may be stored in small quantities (drums) or may become available in large quantities where it is stored in an above or below ground slops tank until sufficient volume is aggregated for a bulk removal by way of road tanker.
Jet fuel disposal can be a complex operation due to the dangerous nature of the product. Low flash point of turbine fuel makes it a class 3 flammable and dangerous good the purpose of storage and handling and transport. Any equipment that is used to dispense or pump off the fuel must be specifically rated and people handling this should be trained appropriately, including truck drivers.
Aviation fuels used in civil and military applications in Australia are comprised of two types: kerosene or gasoline. Kerosene based fuel is by far the most prolific as it is the fuel for jet engines and is generally referred to as avtur or Jet A-1. It is high quality straight-run kerosene manufactured to a standardised specification. This is the fuel used at all airports by all commercial aircraft. There are some variants of this with other names like JP-8, and Jet B, and even more with specific military applications used for aircraft going to high altitudes or specific conditions. These fuels contain extra special additives.
Gasoline based fuel is known as avgas is only used in older type piston engine aircraft. This is a high octane version of petrol that is sold for motorcars however more expensive and more specialised and more difficult supply chain hence are expensive.