From a baptism of fire in the Buncefield disaster, FFEI has proven its longevity

摘要

After its inception in the aftermath of the Buncefield fire, FFEI has blazed a trail to success, discovers Simon Nios. At 6.10am on 11 December 2005, Hertfordshire was awoken by the largest peacetime explosion in European history. A faulty fuel gauge at the Buncefield oil depot allowed nearly five swimming pools' worth of petrol to flow into tank 912, resulting in an overflow which created a highly flammable gaseous cloud. By the time the cloud ignited, possibly by a spark in an electrical generator building close to the site, it was up to 7m deep in places and covered around eight hectares of land. The resulting explosion, which measured 2.4 on the Richter scale, was heard on the continent.