Oil tank regulations now in force

New regulations aimed to prevent pollution from oil storage tanks have now been introduced.

The new regulations, which apply to tanks holding up to 6,000 litres of oil, require that tanks must be approved and must have a maximum load warning system.

To give the public time to adjust to the new changes, the deadline for replacing tanks that do not meet the new requirements has been set to 1 January 2022. This is also the date by which local councils are required to register all oil tanks.

According to the new regulations, tanks with internal anti-corrosion protection can be used for a maximum of 40 years. Other steel tanks should be replaced after 30 years of use.

Tanks made from materials other than steel can be used for 25 years. Double-wall tanks with an outer layer of steel can, however, be used for 40 years.

Other tanks must be replaced no more than 20 years after the production date.

These time limits apply to above-ground oil tanks. Underground tanks can be used for an additional 10-15 years.

Also included in the new regulations are provisions for unauthorised tanks and those of an unknown make. Such tanks must be replaced by 1 January 2024 if the house is built prior to 1961. For houses built after 2000, these tanks must be replaced no later than in 2028.

According to the Environment Agency, about a third of the oil tanks in the country are more than 20 years old.

Translated by prosa.fo