FRP Chemical Storage Tanks
GRP Tank Solutions designs and builds custom fibreglass (FRP) chemical storage tanks for water treatment plants, mines, mineral processors, chemical manufacturers and chemical suppliers across Australia.
Chemical suppliers including Ixom and Coogee Chemicals are among our clients, and Ixom is a repeat client. Every tank is engineered for the chemical it will hold, its concentration and its operating conditions.
We build single-wall and self-bunded (double-wall) chemical tanks, above-ground and underground, vertical and horizontal, with the fittings your process needs. GRP has been part of Tank Solutions since 2016. As a chemical storage tank manufacturer with factories in Perth, WA and Newcastle, NSW, we supply chemical storage tanks Australia-wide.
Why FRP for chemical storage
Resin matched to the chemical
We choose the resin system and corrosion barrier to suit the chemical and its concentration, working with leading resin manufacturers.
Watertight
The tank keeps the stored chemical in and keeps groundwater, rain and contaminants out, so the product isn't diluted and the site isn't contaminated.
Smooth, hard-wearing inner surface
A resin-rich inner layer resists abrasion, and its smooth finish makes it harder for solids to build up on the walls, which cuts cleaning time and downtime.
Made in the factory
Tanks are manufactured as complete units under controlled conditions, then delivered ready to install.
Large and custom sizes
Bulk chemical storage tanks are built to your dimensions, up to 500,000 litres underground, and larger tanks can be built in sections.
Acid, caustic and other chemical tanks
Our FRP chemical tanks are made with a range of resin and chemical-barrier combinations to suit most chemicals and concentrations, from sodium hypochlorite storage tanks for water disinfection to acid storage tanks and caustic tanks for chemical and mineral processing. Tanks we have supplied, or that our standard range covers, include:
| Chemical | Where it's used | GRP experience |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium hypochlorite | Water and wastewater disinfection | Standard range |
| Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) | pH correction, mineral processing, chlor-alkali | Cristal Kemerton caustic soda tank, 2017 |
| Ferric chloride | Coagulation in water treatment | Standard range |
| Aluminium sulphate (alum) | Coagulation in water treatment | Standard range |
| Fluorosilicic acid | Drinking water fluoridation | Standard range |
| Coagulants | Water treatment | Standard range |
| Ammonia | Wastewater treatment | Beenyup WWTP ammonia tank |
| Catholyte | Chlor-alkali production | Coogee Chemicals, Lytton QLD, 2015 |
| Leach and process solutions | Mineral processing | Cosmic Boy nickel bio-leach project, 2018 |
| Sulphuric acid and other acids | Chemical and mineral processing | Standard range |
Not sure if your chemical suits FRP? Send us the safety data sheet, the concentration and the operating temperature, and our engineers will tell you which resin system fits, or tell you if FRP isn't the right choice.
Self-bunded chemical tanks
A self-bunded chemical tank has a second FRP wall around the primary tank, so the outer tank catches any leak from the inner one. It does the job of a concrete bund without the extra slab, walls and rainwater to manage.
GRP self-bunded chemical tanks:
- Are built as one factory-made unit, primary and secondary tank together.
- Can be fitted with interstitial leak monitoring between the walls, if you want it.
- Suit sites where space is tight, where a bund would collect rainwater, or where the chemical is close to a sensitive environment.
In Australia, the storage and handling of corrosive substances is covered by AS 3780, and state regulators set requirements for spill containment. GRP self-bunded chemical tanks meet AS 3780. Talk to us early and we'll design the tank to your site's containment requirements as well.
Sizes and configurations
- Single-wall or self-bunded (double-wall)
- Above-ground or underground
- Vertical or horizontal
- Above-ground capacities up to 75,000 litres (location dependent)
- Underground capacities up to 500,000 litres
- Larger tanks built in sections and assembled on site, as on Cosmic Boy, where eight 230,000-litre leach tanks were made in two sections and joined on site
Design standards
GRP chemical storage tanks are designed and built to recognised Australian, British, European and American standards for reinforced plastic vessels, including AS 2634, BS 4994, EN 13121 and ASME RTP-1.
Fittings and accessories
- Flat or cone roofs
- Top or side access manways
- Flanged, socket or pipe fittings
- Hold-down lugs
- Pipe supports
- Baffles
How we build your tank
- 1
Tell us what you're storing
Chemical, concentration, temperature, volume, site and any standards your project calls up.
- 2
Resin and design
Our engineers select the resin system and corrosion barrier and design the tank to the applicable standard.
- 3
Factory manufacture
Built under controlled conditions at our facility.
- 4
Delivery and installation
Delivered complete, or in sections for very large tanks with final assembly on site.
Industries we supply
Water and wastewater
Chemical dosing and emergency storage tanks for Water Corporation of WA, Sydney Water, Cairns Council and Townsville Council, and for the Perth and Binningup seawater desalination plants.
Mining and minerals processing
Leach and chemical tanks for operations including Cosmic Boy (Western Areas) and Cristal Kemerton. Repeat clients include BHP and Alcoa.
Chemical manufacturing and distribution
Tanks for Ixom, Coogee Chemicals and Tiwest, among others.
Oil and gas
Clients including Woodside Energy.
For odour control, see our chemical scrubbers, stacks and pipes.
Recent chemical tank projects
Coogee Elite Expansion Project
A 5 m long, 3.2 m diameter catholyte tank for a chlor-alkali expansion.
2017 · Kemerton, WACristal Mining Kemerton Site
A 3.6 m diameter caustic soda tank with resins chosen to resist caustic soda.
2018 · Forrestania, WACosmic Boy Mill Recovery Enhancement Project
Eight 230,000-litre leach tanks and seven chemical tanks for GR Engineering.
Craigie, WABeenyup Wastewater Treatment Plant
An ammonia tank built with ammonia-resistant resins for Water Corporation.
Plan your chemical tank
Which chemical tank do I need?
Eight questions about what you store and where it goes, and the tank type that fits.
Take the quizChemical tank spec builder
Check the resin makers' ratings for your chemical, concentration and temperature, and get a spec to send us.
Build your specReplace now or run to failure
Compare the cost of replacing an ageing tank on your own schedule with the cost if it fails in service.
Compare the costsDownload the chemical tank brochure
Enter your email and the brochure opens straight away.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best material for a chemical storage tank?
It depends on the chemical, its concentration, the temperature and the size of tank you need. FRP is a strong choice for corrosive chemicals and for large or custom tanks because the resin system can be matched to the chemical. For some chemicals and duties, poly, steel or a lined tank may suit better. We'll tell you if FRP isn't the right fit.
What's the difference between a bunded and a self-bunded chemical tank?
A bunded tank sits inside a separate containment structure, usually a concrete bund. A self-bunded tank has its own outer wall, so the containment is built into the tank. Self-bunded tanks take up less space and don't collect rainwater the way an open bund can.
What size chemical tanks do you make?
Above-ground tanks up to 75,000 litres (location dependent) and underground tanks up to 500,000 litres. Larger tanks can be built in sections and assembled on site.
Do you make acid tanks and caustic tanks?
Yes. Our FRP acid tanks hold sulphuric acid and other acids for chemical and mineral processing, and fluorosilicic acid for drinking water fluoridation. Our caustic tanks hold sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), including the 3.6 m diameter caustic soda tank we built for Cristal Mining at Kemerton in 2017. The resin system and corrosion barrier are chosen for the chemical and its concentration.
Is an FRP tank the same as a GRP tank?
Yes. FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic) and GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) are two names for fibreglass, so an FRP tank and a GRP tank are made from the same material.
Can FRP tanks store sodium hypochlorite?
Yes. Sodium hypochlorite is one of the chemicals our FRP tanks are made for, with a resin system and corrosion barrier chosen for the concentration you store.
Can you build underground chemical tanks?
Yes. We build both above-ground and underground FRP chemical tanks.
Do you have chemical tanks for sale from stock?
No. Our chemical tanks for sale are built to order, each one engineered for the chemical it will hold, its concentration and its operating conditions. Tell us what you're storing and we'll quote a tank to suit.
What information do you need for a quote?
The chemical (ideally the safety data sheet), its concentration and operating temperature, the volume you need, above- or below-ground installation, single or double wall, and the site location. Drawings or a specification help if you have them.
Do you supply outside Western Australia?
Yes. We supply chemical tanks Australia-wide, with past projects in WA, NSW and Queensland.
Talk to our team
Tell us what you're storing and we'll recommend the right tank. We reply within 2 business days.
Or call 08 9434 1707 (WA) · 02 4964 8270 (east coast)