6 minute read
News bulletin – tanks and logistics
NEWS BULLETIN
TANKS & LOGISTICS
RHENUS FLAGSHIP IN INDIA
The Rhenus Group has opened a new warehouse in Gurugram, near Delhi in India. The 32,500-m2 warehouse is part of a state-of-the-art logistics facility serving the automotive, mechanical engineering, chemicals and consumer goods sectors.
“Our flagship warehouse is raising the bar even higher in terms of quality, sustainability and safety,” says Vivek Arya, managing director of Rhenus Logistics Asia. “It is our goal as a service provider to be the first choice for integrated logistics solutions and scalable storage in India. Well-trained staff, standardised systems and modern processes are our advantage.”
Jan Harnisch, global COO of Rhenus Air & Ocean, adds: “India is one of our key markets for our growth plans for the APAC region. Our high quality standards and decades of experience enable us to provide professional support to customers along the entire logistics chain.”
The new Gurugram logistics centre offers 30,000 pallet spaces, 19 loading gates and 24-hour security protection. Sustainability has been prioritised throughout, with solar PV panels installed on the roof and water recycling technology integrated within the facility’s design. This flagship facility is the 69th Rhenus branch in India, where it now has more than 175,000 m2 of space across 30 logistics centres. www.rhenus.group
MORE SERVICES IN DUBAI
RSA Talke has expanded the range of services it offers in Dubai to include the repacking of bulk liquids, with a new drumming line and the capability to fill tank containers, road tankers, flexitanks, IBCs and smaller packagings.
“With our specialist semi-automated drum filling unit, we ensure product quality, quantity and that formulation accuracy is maintained during each transfer,” the company says. “This service offer forms part of the company’s goals to support the increasing demand for product repacking in current times and in the future, further underlining our intention to offer the full array of chemical logistics services in the UAE and Middle East region.” www.rsatalke.com
KATOEN FILLS POLISH HOLE
Katoen Natie has completed the acquisition of Nijhof-Wassink’s warehousing activities in Poland, which are primarily dedicated to the needs of the regional petrochemical industry. The main facility in Kutno has 40,000 m2 of covered space and is situated next to the PCC intermodal terminal and has good road and rail links.
Katoen Natie says it plans to expand the site in the near future, adding another 16,000 m2 of warehouse space and 42 new silos for the storage of polymers. The acquisition marks a significant expansion of Katoen Natie’s petrochemicals business unit and also fills a gap in the firm’s network.
“The acquired company fits in perfectly with the existing Katoen Natie structure, both in terms of geographical location and core business,” the company states. “The integration of the new terminal into the existing Katoen Natie network will lead to greater efficiency and economies of scale, which will further improve the services to customers from all over the world.” www.katoennatie.com
BELGIUM TO TURKEY BY RAIL
H Essers and Rail Cargo Austria have launched a direct rail connection between Belgium and Turkey, which will focus on H Essers’ strategic segments in chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Eight trains a week will leave Genk for Curtici in Romania, and then on to Istanbul, with a transit time from terminal to terminal of less than six days.
“We can transport almost any class of hazardous goods, including the transportation of liquid bulk through tank container specialist Huktra, which was recently acquired by H Essers,” says Hanno Reeser, strategic development manager at H Essers. “It is also important that the entire route is supported by our control tower, which enables our team to monitor the transport from start to finish and intervene if an issue occurs, such as temperature problems.
RHENUS IS RAISING STANDARDS IN INDIA WITH
For this purpose we also use our Safebox containers, which are 45-feet containers specially developed by our company for secured/cold chain transport.” www.essers.com
IRON HORSE OPENS IN BEAUMONT
Iron Horse Terminals has put a new rail terminal into full operation, following the opening of a rail link to the Houston Rail Line served by Union Pacific and BNSF. The terminal, near Beaumont, Texas, is the largest such facility in the area, capable of storing more than 1,300 rail cars; it also has a 30-car maintenance facility and a 10-car transloading unit and will soon open a car washing facility. The site is located close to major polyethylene manufacturing capacity and will largely serve the polymers and liquid chemicals sectors.
Iron Horse Terminals (IHT) has plans to expand capacity to store more than 4,500 rail cars and offer 25 acres for transload operations, along with rail-served warehousing, a plastics repackaging facility and an inland container port.
To optimise operations, IHT has partnered with Beaumont-based Lamar University (LU) to develop software to streamline processes. “To support the current and future needs of Iron Horse Terminals and the region’s rapid expansion, this project will develop a web-based system,” says Maryam Hamidi, assistant professor in LU’s Department of Industrial Engineering and lead on the project. “We’ll develop userinterface software using programming skills, database design and optimisation techniques to increase efficiency. The proposed software has the capability of serving multiple types of users with different levels of access and applications. It will store and aggregate all data including inbound and outbound RFID readers and optimally assign railcars to track spots. This software will further visualise and generate outbound car map/list for dispatchers and yard workers.” www.ironhorseterminals.com
VTG REVAMPS LPG
VTG has completed its LPG pool modernisation project, retrofitting or replacing more than half of its fleet, which numbers nearly 1,500 tank cars. The work has increased payload, resulting in greater efficiency, along with quieter braking systems and enhanced crash buffers. Most of the wagons are also now fitted with the VTG Connector telematics module.
“We’re thrilled to have been able to conclude the modernisation operation successfully and according to plan, especially in these challenging times,” says Frank Bensaid, managing director of VTG Rail Logistics Deutschland. “With our modern fleet, we are now able to offer our customers increasingly safe and efficient ad hoc transportation.” www.vtg.com
HYDROGEN DEAL FOR SUTTONS
Suttons Tankers has won a three-year contract to transport bulk hydrogen for Ryse Hydrogen, which is to supply Transport for London (TfL) with the fuel for 20 new buses. The contract will begin in late September, involving the movement of hydrogen from the north-west of England to London.
“We are thrilled to be awarded this contract with Ryse Hydrogen which represents a significant move in TfL’s pledge to offer more sustainable modes of transport. This will demonstrate to the wider public transport sector the practical and environmental benefits of hydrogen fuelled technology,” says Michael Cundy, managing director of Suttons Tankers.
Jo Bamford, CEO of Ryse Hydrogen, adds: “Suttons Tankers are a reputable logistics provider of bulk gas which made them the obvious partner of choice. Their attention to detail and ability to create a bespoke solution based upon our requirements were second to none.” www.suttonsgroup.com
IRON HORSE TERMINALS HAS PLENTY OF SPACE
