Balmoral fire water tanks approved by DEWA

by Middle East - Projects

Balmoral Tanks has received approval from the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to provide fire water storage tanks for the emirate’s transmission power projects.

Working in conjunction with regional partner, Align Electromechanical Works LLC, the award is the result of a detailed audit and engineering exercise based on financial, facility and product assessments.

The certification allows Balmoral to bid for fire water storage tanks related to substations, power plants and other DEWA projects. Simon Scott, export sales director with Balmoral, said: “As a company with a long and proud association with Dubai we were delighted to receive this award from DEWA.

“Our local partners at Align played a pivotal role in the achievement helping us achieve an 89% rating which, I understand, is considered ‘passing with flying colours.’”

Having been in the tank manufacturing business for 40 years, Balmoral has built a trusted reputation for providing not only the highest quality of product but also unrivalled levels of customer service on a global basis.

The company operates two manufacturing facilities in the UK and has a global network of partners and distributors.

Kutub Kapadia, managing director and Tapan Desai, general manager of Align Electromechanical Work LLC in Dubai, said: “Everyone in the fire protection business appreciates that Balmoral provides the very best quality of tank and this certification underlines the company’s commitment to its customers in the emirates market.

“It is a significant achievement for both Align and Balmoral and we look forward to providing top quality products and service on future government projects.”

Part of UK-based Balmoral Group, Balmoral Tanks manufactures a broad portfolio of storage solutions for the fire, water, wastewater, anaerobic digestion and processing markets.

Russia helps Turkey in fight against forest fires

by Middle East - Projects

The Russian government has loaned two Beriev Be-200 seaplanes to Turkey to help the country’s fight against forest fires. Planes staffed with Russian crews will be on duty in Antalya, Izmir and Bodrum, two cities and a town that have been gripped with forest fires in the past years.

Turkish media outlets reported that Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry sought assistance from Russia for the prevention of forest fires and in extinguishing them. Be-200 seaplanes are already in use against forest fires in several countries, including France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Indonesia and Israel.

Statistics released by the government show that many of the forest fires in Turkey begin due to lack of care for the forests demonstrated by people who randomly dump garbage in wooded areas, leaving flammable materials behind. Last year, 11,332 hectares (28,000 acres) of forest were lost to fires. Firefighters fought 2,688 forest fires last year. Figures by the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) show that the cause of a majority of them was undetermined, but 883 fires stemmed from “negligence,” while 372 were sparked by natural causes. Another 124 fires were the result of arson, according to the investigations. Negligence led to the devastation of 6,529 hectares of forest.

The government, meanwhile, stepped up its fight against forest fires by providing better firefighting equipment to firefighters, including thousands of new boots and fire trucks, while it rented 30 firefighting helicopters to aid efforts to contain fires.

From 2015 to 2019, firefighters battled an average of 2,521 fires each year while gradually increasing their response time, which currently stands at 12 minutes.