Offshore Substation
Fire Protection of Electrical Systems and Hazardous
Materials
technical standards
ETS-08 Rev. 3
Document No. 57307-10 Case 10/4054 - ETS-08 v. 3
Revision survey
Document title
Fire Protection of Electrical Systems and Hazardous
Materials
Document no.
57307-10
Target group
Fabrications Contractors and Designer for Offshore substations.
Revision
1
2
3
Document
status
Approved
Approved
after review
Approved
Writer
Init
N/A
N/A
xomo
Reviewer
Date
Init
12.10.09 N/A
N/A
17.11.10
Date
12.10.09
17.11.10
POB, POD,
18.09.12 TKL, TAN,
SGH, XBOH
18.09.12
Appendix no. and description
None
Document No. 57307-10 Case 10/4054 - ETS-08 v. 3
Approver
Init
AGS
Date
12.10.09
SGH
17.11.10
SGH
18.09.12
Revision
Table of contents
1.
Scope
4
2.1
2.2
References
Statutory Regulations
Codes and Standards
4
4
4
3.1
3.2
Definitions and Abbreviations
Definitions
Abbreviations
4
4
5
2.
3.
4.
5.
Technical Requirements
4.1
General
4.2
Fire and safety philosophy
4.3
Fire integrity of wall and decks separating adjacent spaces
4.4
Fire detection and alarms
4.4.1 Fire detection
4.4.2 Fire alarms
4.5
Active fire protection
4.5.1 Indoor areas
4.5.2 Outside areas
4.6
Passive fire protection
Certificates / data books
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1.
Scope
This technical standard specifies the basic requirements for Fire protection of
Electrical systems and Hazardous Materials to be used on an offshore located
transformer platform (Substation) for offshore wind farms.
2.
References
2.1
Statutory Regulations


2.2
2004/108/EC
89/106/EEC
EMC directive
The Construction Products Directive
Codes and Standards


DS/EN 54 series
DS/CEN/TS 54-14


NFPA 72
NFPA 2001
Fire detection and fire alarm systems
Fire detection and fire alarm systems: Guidelines for
planning, design, installation, commissioning, use and
maintenance
National Fire Alarm Code
Clean agent fire extinguishing systems

DNV-OS-J201
Offshore Substations for Wind Farms
3.
Definitions and Abbreviations
3.1
Definitions

Shall:
Verbal form used to indicate requirements to be strictly followed in
order to conform to the standard and from which no deviation is
permitted, unless accepted by all parties.

Should:
Verbal form used to indicate that among several possibilities one is
recommended as particularly suitable, without mentioning or
excluding others, or that a certain course of action is preferred but
not necessarily required.

May:
Verbal form used to indicate a course of action permissible within the
limits of the standard.

Can:
Verbal form used for statements of possibility and capability, whether
material, physical or casual.
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3.2
Abbreviations
N/A
4.
4.1
Technical Requirements
General
Fire detection and fire fighting shall as a minimum be designed and installed in
accordance recommendations in DS/EN 54 series “Fire detection and alarm systems”
concerning fire detection and installation and NFPA 2001 concerning extinguishing in
rooms. In addition references are made to DNV offshore standard DNV-OS-J201
"Offshore substations for wind farms" in regards to fire detection system coverage
and coverage of automatic fire protection equipment.
In addition to the above guidelines and recommendations the most important
requirements for the fire detection and fire fighting systems are to protect platform
and equipment from damage caused by a fire, or to reduce the damages as much as
possible.
4.2
Fire and safety philosophy
The fire fighting philosophy on an Energinet.dk transformer platform must be to
prevent fire from escalating via the use of good engineering practice during the
design phase. In the case of an outbreak of fire on the platform automated fire
fighting systems must be in place to extinguish the fire, said systems must be
designed to avoid damage to electrical systems where possible.
Escape options must be present on the platform to evacuate personnel currently on
the platform; this will take form as MOB Boats and life rafts.
When personnel are present on the platform they must have the ability to help
extinguish or limit the fire. Fire fighting equipment must be present in all rooms and
outdoors at strategic locations.
In locations containing electrical equipment fire fighting equipment that does not
destroy the electrical components must be present as well as regular fire fighting
equipment.
4.3
Fire integrity of wall and decks separating adjacent spaces
All areas on the platform shall be categorized in accordance with the requirements
stipulated in DNV-OS-J201. Based on this study the minimum requirements for fire
walls and decks shall be determined.
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4.4
Fire detection and alarms
4.4.1
Fire detection
The platform shall have one automatic fire detection and alarm system (ABA
automatisk brand alarmerings system). The specification of the ABA control unit is
integrated in the Technical standard for SCADA and communication.
A number of different types of detectors shall be used for fire detection depending of
the type of area and equipment to be monitored.
In rooms with inert gas coverage, smoke detectors shall be installed in groups of 3 in
all closed areas such as switchgear rooms, auxiliary transformer rooms and
equipment rooms. Smoke detectors shall also be installed underneath raised floors,
above suspended ceilings and in voids used for cable distribution.
Smoke detectors are not to be used in outdoor installations.
The smoke detectors shall comply with the requirements of DS/EN 54-7 and DS/EN
54-12. The sensor is to be of the ionisation or optical type.
The smoke detectors shall be installed with spacing as per the recommendations in
DNV-OS-J201.
After installation of smoke detectors a test under varying conditions shall be carried
out.
In areas such as, on site standby diesel generator room, workshop etc. where it is
expected that smoke detection due to surrounding air can cause false alarms under
normal conditions, heat detectors shall be installed in groups of 3.
The heat detectors shall comply with the requirements of DS/EN 54-5.
Examples of heat detectors:

Fixed point

Compensated point

Rate of rise
Fixed and compensated point detectors will respond when the sensing elements is
heated to a predetermined level and are usually used in areas with no heat sources.
Rate of rise will respond when the sensing element is heated to a predetermined rate
of temperature rise and are usually used in areas with heat sources.
The heat detectors shall be installed with spacing as per the recommendations in
DNV-OS-J201.
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Flame detectors shall be used in outdoor areas such as the main transformers area
and diesel storage tank.
The flame detectors shall comply with the requirements of DS/EN 54-10.
Examples of flame detectors:

Ultra violet

Infra red
The detector spacing is based on vendor information and field view with respect to
obstructions.
Manual fire alarm call points shall be located at access/escape routes where there is
no coverage from manual release points for inert gas or deluge.
The manual call points shall comply with the requirements of DS/EN 54-11.
Manual release push button for the release of inert gas shall be located outside
rooms covered by inert gas.
Manual release push button for the release of deluge shall be located in, or near to
areas covered by deluge. For the main transformers manual release push buttons
are to be installed on the main deck.
Red push buttons are used for activating of alarms, and yellow push buttons are
used for release of deluge/inert gas.
All detector loops are to be with loop surveillance from the ABA system.
Detectors of different detection principles can be mixed in the same loops, to limit
the number of required loops needed.
4.4.2
Fire alarms
If the platform is equipped with a public address (PA) system this shall be used for
the audible alarms.
Alarm sounders shall be located throughout the platform to ensure that they will be
heard at all locations indoor and outdoor.
The general fire alarm shall sound when inert gas is about to be, or has been
released.
It shall be possible manually to turn off the alarm.
For rooms covered by inert gas, a yellow flashing light shall be located at doors
leading out in the open and immediately outside all rooms. The light shall start
flashing 30 sec. before release of inert gas to warn staff in the area.
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4.5
Active fire protection
4.5.1
Indoor areas
An inert gas fire fighting system shall be used for indoor rooms containing electrical
equipment. Typical exceptions are aux transformer rooms and reactor room.
The inert gas system shall be supplied from one or more common bottle banks. The
inert gas bottle banks shall be located outside the room of coverage.
The rooms which shall have inert gas fire fighting shall be grouped in 2 or more fire
fighting zones which can be individually isolated from the other fire fighting zones.
Inert gas shall only be released in the fire fighting zone in which the fire alarm or the
manual release push button for the release of inert gas has been activated. This is
achieved by use of individual solenoid valves for each fire fighting zone.
Sizing of the bottle bank shall be for the largest of the volumes of the fire fighting
zones.
The inert gas shall be released both in the room where fire has been detected and in
the void underneath the raised floor.
Tubing/piping and release nozzles for inert gas shall be designed in accordance to
the areas which are to be covered.
Manual fire fighting equipment to be used for indoor fire fighting shall be portable
CO2 extinguishers for rooms with electrical/electronic equipment, and power
extinguishers for fires in indoor areas with non electrical/electronic equipment.
Deluge fire fighting system for auxiliary transformer rooms shall be installed.
4.5.2
Outside areas
The design shall accommodate for two types:
Water:
A water deluges system shall be installed to enable deluge fire fighting for main
transformer.
Deluges coverage shall be installed for the transformers with the aim to maintain the
platforms structural integrity, by cooling the equipment. Further; in order to secure
that burning oil will not spread to other areas on the platform, the platform design
shall ensure that the transformers are supplied with a drip tray system where oil
spills, deluge water, and rain water is collected.
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Fire hose reels shall be installed to fight minor non-electric fires or to protect during
evacuation. Hose reels shall be located on each deck.
Foam:
Provided that the Substation is equipped with a helideck this deck shall be equipped
with a foam monitor system with AR-AFF foam (Alcohol Resistance-Aqueous Film
Forming Foam) or a DIFFS (Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System). The system of
choice shall be functional down to minimum - 100C.
4.6
Passive fire protection
Passive fire protection includes coating of primary structural parts and firewalls.
All primary structure surrounding the main transformers shall be protected against
radiation by fire wall decks and coating of PFP (Passive fire protection). The PFP
coating system shall be executed in accordance with the requirements stipulated in
ETS-25.
The PFP design philosophy shall be based on PFP coating combined with deluge
coverage.
Firewalls and doors shall be used to limit the spread of fire. All firewalls and doors
shall be delivered with a fire retarding certificate.
Passive fire protection of fuling systems (Diesel tanks) shall be provided by PFP
and/or heat shield.
In flammable materials such as cables and GRP cable trays shall be of the flame
retarding type.
5.
Certificates / data books
Documentation must contain the following.





Evacuation plans.
Documentation of deluge system/foam/inert gas
Fire zoning breakdown
Placement of fire fighting equipment
Escape routes
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