The document discusses the deployment of Technomar Sepcon oil/water separation units during the 2013 Danube flood in Bavaria, Germany, to address oil pollution caused by leaking oil tanks in flooded areas. Sepcon units separate oil from water using gravity and coalescence, efficiently processing oil-polluted floodwater, with the output water meeting environmental standards for discharge. Emergency response efforts involved multiple units to clean up the infrastructure, demonstrating effective mobilization and operation for disaster management.

1. Technomar SEPCONTechnomar SEPCON
Oil/Water Separation UnitsOil/Water Separation Units
Employed by the THWEmployed by the THW
during the 2013 Danubeduring the 2013 Danube
Flood in Southern GermanyFlood in Southern Germany

2. 2013 Danube Flood in Bavaria2013 Danube Flood in Bavaria
Some Impressions ISome Impressions I
The city of Passau flooded The city of Passau flooded
Flooded fields near Deggendorf Flooded residential neighbourhood

3. 2013 Danube Flood in Bavaria2013 Danube Flood in Bavaria
Some Impressions ISome Impressions I
Flooded car dealership in Fischdorf Flood-damaged shop in Fischdorf

4. The Problem:The Problem:
In the western part of Germany, many homes and
businesses are heated by oil powered furnaces. The
required fuel oil is stored in tanks on the premises, usually
in the basement.
In case of flooding, the oil from these tanks can leak
into the flood waters and pollute the environment
Oil powered furnace Oil tanks for home use

5. Oil Polluted Flood WatersOil Polluted Flood Waters
Flooded residential neighbour-
hood in Deggendorf, Bavaria.
Note the oil tank floating on the
water.
Often the oil polluted water is also
trapped in flooded basements,
where oil tanks and furnaces
were set up.

6. The Solution:The Solution:
SEPCON oil/water separation units
Why separate?
Water is the carrier medium
for the oil. All skimming
systems collect sizeable
quantities of water along with
the oil. The oil/water mixture
collected by the skimmers
contains only about 15 to 20%
oil, 50% at most. Hence,
storage tank capacities are
easily filled.
The solution is separating the oil from the water and storing
only the oil in the tanks, while the water is discharged.
by Technomar

7. SEPCON 80SEPCON 80
SEPCON units are compact oil/water separation systems with the
dimensions of a standard ISO 20‘ container. SEPCON units are designed for
mobility and may be employed wherever needed. Every SEPCON unit is
equipped with a diesel engine and therefore independent of outside power
supply. Throughput: 80 m³/h
Length: 6.06 m = 20 ft
Width: 2.44 m = 8 ft
Height: 2.59 m = 8.5 ft
Weight empty: 10 000 kg
Weight full: 25 000 kg
Max. oil content: < 50%
Max. viscosity: 70 000 cSt
Max. density: 0.99 g/m³
Flashpoint: > 60°C
SEPCON units separate oil and water in a direct
throughflow process, utilizing only the physical
principles of gravity and coalescence. Chemical
additives and long settling periods are not
necessary.

8. SEPCON 40SEPCON 40
The smaller SEPCON 40 unit was built for the German federal disaster
relief agency THW.
Throughput: 40 m³/h
Length: 6.06 m = 20 ft
Width: 2.44 m = 8 ft
Height: 2.59 m = 8.5 ft
Weight empty: 9 000 kg
Weight full: 20 500 kg
Max. oil content: < 50%
Max. viscosity: 10 000 cSt
Max. density: 0.98 g/m³
Flashpoint: > 55°C

9. The German government has 10 SEPCON units stationed all over
Germany, so they may be quickly deployed whenever needed.
Operated by the THW:
Lübeck (SEPCON 80)
Nordenham (SEPCON 80)
Cloppenburg (SEPCON 40
Berlin (SEPCON 40)
Essen (SEPCON 40
Borna (SEPCON 40)
Frankfurt/Main (SEPCON 40)
Obernburg (SEPCON 40)
Kelheim (SEPCON 40)
Operated by the Fire Brigade:
Hamburg (SEPCON 80)

10. Cleaning Flood Waters on the DanubeCleaning Flood Waters on the Danube
II
Two of the THW‘s SEPCON
units are currently employed
cleaning flood waters in
Southern Germany with
another two SEPCON units
on stand-by.
Altogether 53 THW volunteers
and civilian personnel are
working 12 hours a day to
clean oil polluted flood waters
and protect the environment.

11. Cleaning Flood Waters on the Danube IICleaning Flood Waters on the Danube II
18 tank trucks with a total
capacity of 195 m³ are
continuously delivering oil
polluted water pumped from
basements in the Passau and
Deggendorf region to the
SEPCON units.
The oil polluted water is held in
five buffer basins of 250000
liters capacity altogether to
await treatment.

12. Cleaning Flood Waters on the Danube IIICleaning Flood Waters on the Danube III
Another problem is that the flood
waters are not just polluted by oil
but by all sorts of dirt, debris and
floating particles. Therefore, the
water is led through a strainer
before it enters the buffer basins.
This is the debris caught in the
strainer after emptying only one
of the 18 trucks.

13. Cleaning Flood Waters on the Danube IVCleaning Flood Waters on the Danube IV
Skimmers skim the oil polluted
water from the surface of the
buffer basins and feed it into the
SEPCON.
Shovel skimmer
Floating skimmer

14. The Separation ProcessThe Separation Process
Oil
residual
water content:
less than 1%
Oil/water mixture
oil content:
up to 50%
viscosity:
up to 70 000 cSt
density:
up to 0.99 g/cm³
flashpoint:
> 60°C
Water:
residual
oil content:
less than 15 ppm
Separation Unit
Throughput: 80/40 m³/h

15. How it works: CoalescenceHow it works: Coalescence
The separation process utilizes the physical principle of coalescence on
oleophile surfaces.
Coalescence means that small oil
droplets adhere to oleophile surfaces
and form bigger oil drops.
The
coalescence
process seen
under the
microscope
Technomar separation
systems contain
coalescence elements like
the ones in the photo above.

16. After the Separation IAfter the Separation I
After the separation, the separated oil is taken by tank trucks
to the OMV refinery in Vohburg, Bavaria.
To date, 250 m³ of pure oil have
been separated and could be
reused. Otherwise this oil would
have polluted the environment.

17. After the Separation IIAfter the Separation II
After the separation, the clean
water is discharged into the public
sewer system.
After separation,
the residual oil
content in the
clean water is
less than 15 ppm.
To date, 2400 m³
of oil polluted
flood water have
been cleaned.

18. Technomar SEPCON 40/80Technomar SEPCON 40/80
Helping the THW with the flood
clean-up work in Bavaria.

19. How to Contact UsHow to Contact Us
TECHNOMAR GmbH & Co.KG
Carl-Stockhinger-Straße 6
D-28197 Bremen
Germany
Managing Director:
Mr Matthias Wichmann
Tel.: +49-421-54 90 9-0
Fax: +49-421-54 90 9-50
info@technomar-bremen.de
www.technomar-bremen.de
Our Company Headquarters:
Our representative
for South Eastern Europe:
Danube Rainbow SRL
27 Alexandru Cernat Str.
800087 Galati
Romania
Managing Director:
Mr Victor Ionitza
Tel/Fax:+40-236-463958
Mobile:+40-722-640797
danuberainbow@clicknet.ro

20. Contact at the THWContact at the THW
Thomas H. Janke, Dipl.-Ing.
Head of unit: Oil spill combating / CBRN protection
co THW-Geschäftstelle Bremen
Togostraße 44
28239 Bremen
Tel. : +49 421 222758-1
Fax. : +49 421 222758-9
Mobil: +49 175 2636990
mail : thomas.janke@thw.de
mail : oel-abc.lvhbni@thw.de

21. CreditsCredits
Photos by:
THW, Technomar, Wikimedia
Text by:
Cora Buhlert
Presentation created by:
Cora Buhlert
http://corabuhlert.com