Storage tank fabrication in India — industrial and process tanks for liquids, chemicals and water

Storage tank fabrication in India covers a wide range of applications — from simple water storage tanks on industrial plant rooftops to large-diameter atmospheric tanks for chemical storage, fuel oil, and process liquids. What they share is the need for liquid-tight welding, correct material selection for the stored product, and documentation that satisfies the client’s quality requirements and, in many cases, statutory inspection authorities. Suncorporation has been fabricating storage tanks for industrial clients across India since our founding, across mild steel, carbon steel, and stainless steel applications.

Types of storage tanks Suncorporation fabricates

Vertical cylindrical atmospheric tanks

The vertical cylindrical atmospheric tank is the most common storage tank type in Indian industry — a flat-bottom, cylindrical shell, with a fixed or floating roof, storing liquid at or near atmospheric pressure. These tanks are used for water storage, fuel oil storage, chemical storage, effluent holding, and a wide range of process liquid applications. Diameters range from 1.5 metres for small process tanks up to 30 metres or more for large fuel storage or water reservoirs. Storage tank fabrication for vertical cylindrical tanks follows IS 803 — the Indian Standard code of practice for design, fabrication, and erection of vertical cylindrical welded steel storage tanks.

Horizontal cylindrical tanks

Horizontal cylindrical tanks — mounted on saddle supports — are used for smaller volume storage applications where vertical tank construction is not practical due to height constraints, or where the tank needs to be transportable. Common applications include diesel day tanks, lube oil storage, chemical dosing tanks, and compressed air receivers. Storage tank fabrication for horizontal tanks is typically simpler than for large vertical tanks — smaller plate sizes, no floating roof — but the shell design still needs to account for the combined bending and hoop stresses at the saddle locations.

Process tanks and vessels

Process tanks — mixing tanks, reaction vessels, holding tanks, surge tanks — are close relatives of storage tanks but typically have more internal fittings: agitator drive flanges, internal baffles, heating coils, spray headers, and level instrumentation nozzles. Storage tank fabrication for process tanks requires closer coordination with the process engineer during the design stage. Suncorporation routinely fabricates process tanks with full internal assemblies — agitator stools, baffles, heating coil supports — as part of the tank package.

Materials used in storage tank fabrication in India

The choice of material for storage tank fabrication in India is determined by the stored product, the operating temperature, the required corrosion resistance, and the project budget. Mild steel to IS 2062 is the standard material for water storage, fuel oil, lube oil, and non-corrosive process liquids. For pressure vessel applications, carbon steel to IS 2002 is used. Stainless steel — 304 and 316 grades — is used for food and pharmaceutical applications and for chemical storage where mild steel would corrode unacceptably. Stainless steel storage tank fabrication at Suncorporation is done in a dedicated stainless steel fabrication area to avoid carbon steel contamination.

IS 803 — the standard that governs storage tank fabrication in India

IS 803 specifies: shell course design including minimum shell plate thickness for each course based on tank diameter, liquid height, and joint efficiency factor; weld joint requirements — full-penetration butt welds at all vertical shell seams and horizontal course seams; nozzle design for all inlet, outlet, drain, vent, instrument, and manhole nozzles; and hydrostatic testing — every IS 803 storage tank is hydrostatically tested before handover. The choice of radiography level directly affects the shell thickness and therefore the steel weight and cost: a fully radiographed shell uses joint efficiency of 1.0; spot-radiographed uses 0.85; no radiography uses 0.7.

The storage tank fabrication process at Suncorporation

Storage tank fabrication starts with the client’s specification — tank diameter, height, liquid stored, operating temperature, design pressure, material, nozzle schedule, and special requirements. From the specification, our engineering team prepares the tank design calculations to IS 803 and the fabrication drawings, issued for client review before fabrication begins. Plates are procured from approved mills with IS 2062 or IS 2002 mill test certificates, checked for flatness and surface condition on receipt, rolled to the correct radius, and welded with qualified weld procedures. All shell seam welds are inspected by liquid penetrant testing and, where specified, by radiography. The quality dossier — weld map, inspection records, material certificates, and hydrostatic test record — accompanies every tank.

Storage tank fabrication cost in India — 2026 rates

• Mild steel vertical cylindrical tank, IS 803, 10 to 50 KL capacity: Rs 65,000 to Rs 90,000 per MT ex-workshop. Includes all nozzles, manholes, external primer painting.
• Mild steel vertical cylindrical tank, IS 803, 50 to 500 KL capacity: Rs 55,000 to Rs 75,000 per MT ex-workshop. Larger tanks benefit from lower plate-to-fabrication cost ratios.
• Stainless steel storage tank, SS 304 or SS 316, 5 to 50 KL: Rs 2,80,000 to Rs 4,50,000 per MT ex-workshop. Stainless steel material costs roughly three to four times mild steel of equivalent thickness.
• Internal coating, food-grade epoxy for potable water: Rs 180 to Rs 280 per sq ft of internal surface, applied in workshop to a shot-blasted surface.
• Site erection, flat-pack vertical tank, 50 to 500 KL: Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 per MT including hydrostatic test.

Storage tank enquiries — what information we need

To provide a quotation for storage tank fabrication, we need: the tank type and orientation, the capacity or dimensions, the liquid to be stored and its specific gravity, the operating temperature and pressure, the material requirement, the nozzle schedule if available, the painting or lining requirement, and whether the tank is to be supplied flat-pack for site erection or fully assembled. Storage tank fabrication quotations from Suncorporation are provided within 48 hours for standard tank types and specifications.

Contact Suncorporation for storage tank fabrication. Also see: Heavy steel fabrication | Plate fabrication | Structural steel Hyderabad