Imperium® | One Tank, Many Lives
With 3 Imperium® tank ranges now launched and available and with several more being introduced in 2026, it’s time to talk about the flexibility of use built into these very special tanks.
This unique benefit in the storage tank market is possible because of the Imperium® tank’s interchangeable fittings plates. You can secure any one of 4 types of Imperium® fittings plate today so this is a practical, real life benefit that Imperium® tank owners can enjoy right now.
It means that buying an Imperium® tank is a bit like buying a commercial vehicle as a cab and chassis rather than a ‘one and done’ single-purpose vehicle. While the cab and chassis stay the same, the body changes in line with the buyer’s needs. What starts as a tipper truck can be converted to a flatbed truck, or a tanker into a curtain-sider.
With Imperium®, the heavy-duty, fully bunded steel tank is that long-life chassis. It is engineered once, installed once and expected to remain in service for many years. What changes over time is the functionality if the owner wants it, of-course. By swapping the top fittings plate, the same tank can be easily converted from heating oil to waste or lube oil storage, or turned into a generator feed or day service tank. And vice versa. The core asset remains constant; the application adapts hence “One Tank, Many Lives”.
This matters because sites change over time, and Imperium® tanks are designed to accommodate that change rather than be made obsolete by it. This short video clip shows how easy we’ve made it to switch your tank’s usage:
Designed for change not disposal
At the heart of the Imperium® system is a fully bunded steel tank body of various sizes built for long-term use. These are the core vessels. Their steelwork, welds and containment are not application-specific. By treating the tank body vessel as a long-life platform and placing application-specific hardware such as a removable top fittings plate, Imperium® avoids locking the tank into a single purpose. When requirements change, the tank does not become redundant; it adapts.
Start with just one fittings plate
The Imperium® top fittings plate assembly carries the fill points, vents, gauges, suction connections and access openings that suit a particular liquid type and method of use. All plates are available in two configurations:
– SMALL: for Imperium® tanks up to and including 1650-litre capacity; and
– LARGE: for Imperium® tanks with a capacity of 1700-litres and greater.
Imperium® heating oil fittings plates
Heating oil top fittings plates provide clean filling, proper venting and a reliable, filtered supply of fuel which is (usually) gravity fed to domestic or commercial oil boiler equipment.
Imperium® waste oil fittings plates
Waste oil top fittings plates incorporate features such as built-in strainers to catch debris and prevent sump plugs or workshop tools from entering the tank. They also allow licensed waste oil collectors to connect directly to a top suction port and vacuum the tank clean.
Imperium® lube oil fittings plates
Lube oil top fittings plates support controlled filling, clean dispensing and accurate stock control. Bulk deliveries connect straight into the top fill point, while air-operated pumps, digital nozzles and hose reels draw accurate measures of lube on demand.
A tank transformed
The value of interchangeability becomes obvious when a tank outlives its original role. For example, a heating oil tank may no longer be required after a heating system change.
With Imperium®, the story doesn’t end there. After proper cleaning and inspection, the heating oil fittings plate can be removed, giving clear access for internal checks. A waste oil or lube oil plate can then be installed in minutes and at low cost. The same steel tank that once fed a boiler can move into a workshop role, replacing barrels, reducing spills and cutting exposure to compliance and regulatory problems.
Generator feed tanks and future requirements
Standby generators are often introduced long after a building is commissioned, and space for fuel storage is rarely generous. Converting an existing Imperium® tank into a generator feed tank can avoid new groundworks, additional bunds and the administrative burden of introducing another vessel to the site.
Because the fittings plate governs how fuel is supplied, returned and monitored, the tank can be adapted for generator duty without compromising containment or compliance. This ability to plan for change without overbuilding on day one is a real, practical advantage, not a theoretical one.
Additional mounting plates enhance this flexibility further
Interchangeability does not stop at the main fittings plate. Imperium® mounting plates and brackets allow the tank to be equipped appropriately as its role changes, enhancing fuel security and creating an organised and safe working area.
Inspection access and long-term care
Another benefit of removable fittings plates is the improved access they provide for inspection and maintenance. Removing the plate provides a clear opening for internal inspection rather than relying on assumptions of condition based on age or external appearance. That matters when a tank is expected to support multiple future configurations over its lifetime.
A more sustainable oil storage solution
Oil tanks are often regarded as disposable, single-purpose items, despite being built from materials capable of far longer service. By separating the durable structure from the changeable working elements, an Imperium® tank can substantially increase its working life and postpone its eventual scrappage.
Changing a tank’s use still requires proper cleaning, professional assessment and compliance checks, but these steps are worthwhile, as repurposing makes financial and environmental sense. It becomes a planned transition rather than a forced replacement.
Far better to extend the life of your tank to 30 , even 40 years rather than recycle it into paperclips in 20. True sustainability.
One investment, no compromises
Choose an Imperium® tank and you get a great quality British-made tank to an innovative British design (Patent Pending). Imperium® tanks are all fabricated to meet regulations for heating, lube and waste oil storage, so the structural integrity of the steel vessel and bunding remains exceptionally strong throughout its life. This is why Atlantis Tanks offers a 10 year guarantee on all its steel bunded tanks.
Even if you don’t yet envisage a future alternative use for your Imperium® tank, wouldn’t you prefer a tank system that has this future flexibility designed-in from the start? In the meantime, you can benefit from easier cleaning and maintenance routines which, properly done, will extend the life of your bunded steel asset.
Our Imperium® tanks ranges are available here:
Imperium® Heating Oil Tanks
Imperium® Lube Oil Tanks
Imperium® Waste Oil tanks
Imperium® Generator Feed Tanks (more coming very soon!)
