Terminal · Marine
Vapor Recovery Unit
Equipment on the dock that captures the hydrocarbon vapors pushed out of the ship's tanks as they fill with oil.
What it does
As oil goes in, the vapor in each cargo tank is displaced and returned to shore through a vapor line. At the Westridge Marine Terminal in British Columbia two vapor recovery units collect these vapors instead of burning them, and a vapor combustion unit is kept as backup for maintenance or peak loading.
Basics
| Connected by | Vapor return line to shore |
| Backup | Vapor combustion unit |
| Canadian example | Westridge Marine Terminal, two VRUs plus backup combustor |
Common failures
- A recovery unit out of service, so vapors go to the backup combustor
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Backup combustor running more than planned
- Likely cause
- A VRU down or several ships loading at once
- What to check
- Check VRU status and schedule maintenance outside heavy loading periods