Tank Cleaning & Industrial Services:
Capability Statement
About Us
Experts in tank cleaning and industrial services
With over 100 years’ experience, Merkland Tank is a leading provider of a full range of tank services, including tank and vessel cleaning, bespoke industrial cleaning, waste disposal, fuel tank maintenance and tank decommissioning.
Our customers operate across all sectors, with our services widely used in the defence, refinery, distillery, food and beverage, marine, waste water and oil and gas industries.
With decades of experience in tank and industrial services, our multi-discipline team has the knowledge, experience and skills to deliver the very best in safe, efficient, and innovative tank and industrial service and cleaning solutions.
Our approach to each project is as unique as the tasks we undertake. Specialising in both bespoke and non-standard contracts, we bring our wealth of experience to every challenge.
We work to a set of guiding principles based on customer understanding and trust, team working, people development, customer satisfaction and continual improvement in order to exceed our customers’ expectations.
Our Services
Your dedicated partner for tank and industrial services
Bespoke Tank & Vessel Cleaning
Our team is trained to carry out cleaning services on a variety of tanks and we select the best method to carry out services both efficiently and safely.
All our operatives are confined space and rescue trained to carry out tank entry safely using our specialised equipment. We provide a bespoke service as every system has its own unique challenges and requirements.
We work with fuel, bitumen, chemical, sewage & effluent, bulk storage and dry waste tanks.
Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste Disposal
We are a SEPA licensed waste carrier and can handle any of your hazardous or non-hazardous waste.
Our specialist tankers can transfer waste long distance across site, up to 600m away, and can handle a 25m vertical lift, thanks to our tankers’ substantial pump capacity of 3000CFM.
Our team of highly skilled operators are expertly trained to operate our vacuum and liquid ring tankers, as well as air and hydraulic pumps, ultra high-pressure jetting equipment and various access tools, all with a strong emphasis on safety.
Emergency Rescue Teams (ERT)
Merkland provides our own rescue teams to assist our confined space operators and can also cover works completed by other contractors.
Our rescue teams are all confined space and rescue trained and are directly employed by Merkland Tank, ensuring we can be guaranteed of their qualifications, ongoing training and individual expertise in the area of confined space rescue.
In addition to our highly trained ERT operatives, we mobilise with all our own specially equipped vehicles and serviced equipment including: tripod & winch, sked stretcher, defibrillator, breathing apparatus, gas meters, control boards and comprehensive advanced first aid kit.
Full rescue plans are prepared prior to any works to ensure suitable safety procedures are in place.
Robotics
We harness the power of automated technologies for bespoke industrial cleaning projects.
This includes some state-of-the-art robotic helpers:
MagTrack Robotic Crawler – A magnetic tracked robot for closed water blasting and surface preparation for more efficient cleaning and reduced labour requirement
Sentinel & Compass Systems – Fully automated and semi-automated heat exchanger tube bundle cleaning. Delivers faster cleaning times with increased quality.
BROKK 70 – A tracked vacuum excavator for use in confined spaces. A compact powerhouse equipped with hose mounts, articulated arm and dig tube for the movement of large amounts of material safely
3D Jetting Head – Non-Man entry rotating jetting head designed to allow cleaning of a vessels internal surfaces while removing the risk of confined space entry. The system is designed to fit through small entrance ways and also comes complete with a boom to allow the jetting head to be moved within the tank to effectively clean all surfaces and provide a high quality finish.
Not only does the use of automated technology minimise, or in some cases eliminate, the need for confined-space entry and work at height in high-risk environments, our customers are able to benefit from the efficiency gains and reduced downtime on site to keep their operations running smoothly.
Marine & Shipping / Vessel Cleaning
We are highly experienced in the removal of all ship bulk liquid waste including black water, grey water, bilge, sullage and ballast.
Our confined space services also cover entry into these vessels if a deeper clean is required.
Our operatives all have in-depth knowledge of vessel tank cleaning procedures and work alongside our specialist tanker fleet to provide an exceptional and timely service.
Drain & Sewer Maintenance & CCTV Surveys
We offer essential maintenance services for drains and sewers to prevent blockages that can lead to flooding and environmental damages.
Our approach includes advanced diagnostics to identify blockages, followed by high-pressure water jetting, ensuring consistent and efficient waste management on your site.
Tank & Pipework Decommissioning and Removal
Merkland Tank excels in the dismantling and secure removal of redundant tanks and associated pipework, specialising in challenging environments like fuel depots, oil refineries and active industrial areas.
Our expertise extends to extracting equipment from hard-to-reach places, including basements and rooftop installations. Our approach combines traditional methods like oxyacetylene cutting with a broad array of advanced non-spark tools. These include grit and abrasive technologies, cold-cutting techniques and air-driven mechanical cutters, ensuring a safe and efficient process.
In addition to dismantling on-site, we are equipped for lifting and removing tanks and equipment using cranes, offering a comprehensive removal solution.
Our services cater to various needs – from upgrading equipment to complying with insurance mandates for the removal of hazardous installations, thus mitigating fire and explosion risks.
Our diverse capabilities ensure we meet the specific decommissioning needs of our clients, prioritising safety and efficiency.
Boiler & Heat Exchanger Maintenance
Our specialised maintenance services for boilers and heat exchangers prevents downtime and inefficiencies caused by scale and sediment build up.
Clean heat transfer surfaces are crucial for performance and energy efficiency, and our services help to prolong the lifespan of these crucial units while ensuring energy savings.
Exterior Building Cleaning
We offer exterior building cleaning services to keep your commercial property in good condition.
Our experienced team use a variety of access equipment such as mobile elevating work platforms or scaffolding, which they are all trained to use, to clean any areas required.
Using high-pressure water jetting equipment we remove any unwanted build-ups of dirt, grime, moss and stains from the exterior walls and cladding without damage to the building itself.
Interceptor & Bund Cleaning
Our interceptor cleaning ensures the effective removal of oils, debris, and pollutants from drainage systems, helping to prevent blockages and environmental damage.
Regular maintenance is essential for industrial sites to comply with environmental standards and avoid overflow issues.
Our comprehensive approach includes the safe disposal of waste, keeping interceptors efficient.
We also carry out cleaning of external bunds and our services are vital for maintaining the effectiveness of spill containment systems and ensuring environmental safety.
We remove all hazardous contaminants, ensuring that your bunded areas are compliant with environmental safety standards and ready for any spill management scenarios.
High-Pressure Water Jetting
Our operatives are all trained to carry out your high-pressure jetting requirements from 3000psi to 35,000psi.
A wide range of high pressure and ultra-high pressure jetting equipment is used to meet the needs of our clients.
Our team are all trained with a minimum of water jetting safety awareness, tubes, drains, sewers and surfaces, so you can be confident that you will receive a high-quality outcome.
Dry Ice Blasting
Our dry ice blasting solution offers a safe, effective and more environmentally friendly alternative for surface preparation, than traditional techniques like shot blasting.
Using high-velocity dry ice pellets made from liquid CO₂, this process removes coatings and contaminants without damaging the underlying structure. As the pellets evaporate on impact, no secondary waste is left behind.
It is an efficient, non-abrasive and chemical-free alternative to traditional surface prep methods and is a particularly effective solution in hard-to-reach areas and confined spaces, such as tanks and vessels.
It’s used across a wide range of sectors including Automotive, Food Processing, Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas and Utilities.
Fuel Tank Maintenance
Our OFTEC registered engineers offer a wide range of fuel system services to ensure your equipment remains operational, compliant and at reduced risk of a leak or spill.
Our services include the inspection and testing of fuel storage tanks, pipework installations and pump systems.
We also offer the sale, installation and maintenance of all fuel equipment including gauges, alarms, pumps, hoses, pipework and fuel management systems.
Our team of experts brings a depth of knowledge and experiences to each task. This meticulous approach guarantees that your fuel storage systems remain in optimal condition, minimising risks of downtime and ensuring they meet all current regulatory standards.
Our Projects
Example of recent projects
Decommissioning 4 no. Fuel Tank & Heating System
We carried out the decommissioning of a heating system and various tanks on site including 55,000L HFO, 20,000L Methanol and LPG tanks.
The HFO tank required partial removal of the roof and a temporary heating coil deployed to heat the HFO to a temperature of 55°C for removal. Our operatives then carried out confined space entry into the tank to diesel wash and pressure wash the internal surfaces to a gas free standard. The methanol tank was pressure washed clean and the LPG tanks vented and controlled flared. The removal of the heating system started with our team draining down all 250 off roof panel heaters.
This process required safe working at height and powered access equipment before being drained by our vacuum tanker.
Merkland Tank managed all aspects of the project end-to-end to provide a complete turnkey solution for our client.
Various Distillery Shutdown Works
Merkland Tank has long been recognised as a leader in the provision of industrial tank cleaning and maintenance services in the distillery sector.
We support distilleries across Scotland by providing specialist tank cleaning services during the essential plant maintenance silent season. These services include the vital cleaning of silos, pot ale tanks, feed tanks, concentrate tanks, boilers, cooling towers and interceptors.
All these works come with their own unique challenges and must be completed within the tight timescales of the shutdown window.
The presence of harmful and flammable fumes within the tanks also means our team are often required to use specialist breathing apparatus in confined spaces, for which they are all fully trained.
As well as annual silent season works, we have supported our distillery clients with the bulk transfer of grain between jumbo silos, most recently providing a rapid response to transfer 500 tonnes and allow our client to continue operations with no downtime.
27m Diameter Bitumen Tank Clean
Merkland Tank was recently required to empty and clean our client’s bitumen tank. The 27m diameter x 15m high tank contained approximately 200 tonnes of cooled bitumen waste.
The tank was emptied over a 9 week period which also involved pressure washing of the internal surfaces and cutting/removal of the heating coils for reuse. Emergency rescue procedures were put in place for the
duration of the works by our highly skilled confined space team using our own rescue equipment.
Empty & Clean 3 no. Crude Oil Tanks
Our team safely removed and disposed of over 600 tonnes of crude oil waste from 3 no. 30m diameter x 7m high crude oil tanks.
The project also required the cleaning of all associated pipework.
Various Tank & Vessel Cleaning
Merkland successfully carried out tank and vessel cleaning as part of a planned preventative maintenance programme at one of our client’s bottling and distillery sites.
Over the course of the 3-day project, our team undertook a full external clean of 4 no. 25,000L demineralised water tanks to remove the build- up of any unwanted residue resulting from the distillation process (commonly referred to as the angel’s share). Our experienced confined space trained team then carried out thorough high-pressure internal cleaning of the tanks, delivery line and bund.
Due to the size of the tanks – 5m high by 4m in diameter – we needed to install temporary bespoke scaffolding around and above for safe access into the confined spaces and safe working at height at all times.
During the cleaning process we also assisted with water sampling and testing to ensure the absence of any unwanted minerals and preserve the quality of the end product.
Annual Fuel Tank Maintenance – 24 Sites
We undertake annual fuel tank servicing for one of our clients, which involves travel to 24 sites across Scotland including the islands.
During the servicing, we carry out tank inspections, pressure tests and fuel sampling. The results of which are then shared with our client in a comprehensive report to help them monitor the condition of their tanks.
Critical Maintenance
Merkland Tank provided Confined Space Tank Cleaning and Emergency Rescue Team support to our waste water client as part of a critical multiple phase maintenance project.
The project saw us work in collaboration with several other parties and utilised the high- performance capabilities of our Müller F160 Recycler Unit.
Secondary Settlement Tank Clean
Merkland Tank successfully completed a major project to clean out a secondary settlement tank at our clients’ sewage works, as part of their essential site maintenance.
Our experienced operators utilised our high- performance CycloVac tanker alongside our high-pressure water jetting equipment, to clean the tank base, walls, outer trough, structure and all associated pipework to remove the unwanted sludge, grit and rag.
Bulk Removal of Liquid Waste
We supported one of the UK’s leading specialist marine and logistics service providers, with the bulk removal of liquid waste from NATO vessels docked in Dundee.
We provided an exceptional service thanks to our experienced operatives, who have in-depth knowledge of vessel tank cleaning procedures, alongside our specialist tanker fleet.
Process Tank Waste Removal
We have supported one of Scotland’s largest Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) with the removal of sludge and grit build up from their process tanks.
Our high performance CycloVac and our expert confined space/emergency rescue operatives successfully removed over 300 tonnes of waste for onward safe disposal.
Trusted Solutions
Industry-Recognised Accreditations
Memberships
Vision and Values
Our Vision - What we'll focus on and what success means for us
We will be aspirational
We will dream and plan big for our company and ourselves.
We’ll continue to be respected leaders in our field.
We will be sustainable
We will build on our proud history and reputation and ensure our
company and its services remain fit for the future.
We will value our strong relationships
We will continue to work in partnership with our customers and suppliers,
focusing on developing and maintaining strong relationships to allow us
to ensure we deliver work and service beyond their expectations.
We will focus on our culture
Continual development of and investment in our people, leadership and
culture will allow us to have a great place to work where we can attract,
recruit and retain great talent.
Investment and continual development
We will continue to invest in the plant and equipment we need to exceed
our customers’ expectations. We will identify and implement opportunities
for continual development across our business.
Our Values - The guiding principles we'll work to
We understand our customers
We know and appreciate our customers and their needs. We take time to build relationships and understand the impact and importance of our service to them.
We look out for each other
We keep each other safe. We work well together and are effective members of our team. We treat each other with trust and respect.
We know what we're doing
We continually train and develop ourselves to ensure our knowledge and skills are industry-leading. We give our customers assurance that they are in safe hands.
We go above and beyond
We keep working until issues are resolved and problems are solved. We make sure our customers are happy before we leave a job.
We strive to improve
We set high standards for our business and ourselves, and continuously want to improve. We are open to change, and we look out for opportunities to make improvements. We share our knowledge and skills with colleagues.
Training and Development
Training Matrix
All of Merkland Tank’s operatives are highly trained and experienced individuals and our team consists of a mixture of operatives, chargehand/supervisors and tanker drivers.
Our management team also possess significant training and have a wealth of experience between them to support our onsite teams.
In addition to the competencies above, our Stores department staff are also trained in the in-house maintenance and servicing of our equipment, including ladder inspections, harness inspections, forklift checks, and servicing of gas monitors and breathing apparatus sets.
Download our capability statement
