News bulletin – tanks and logistics

NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTICS

GAS TANKS FOR ALBATROSS

Albatross Tank-Leasing has begun receiving 140 new high pressure gas tanks from CIMC. The tanks, which have a working pressure of 34.5 bar, are zinc-lined to avoid shell corrosion and cargo contamination, and are fitted with a sump to enable complete cargo discharge. A spray bar is also installed, to allow better mixing of products when tanks are used for blending. The frame is designed to allow easy installation of the Albatross Sky GPS device, which can be fitted on customer request.

The arrival of the gas tanks follows swiftly after the introduction by Albatross of new 30-m3 and 35-m3 swap body tank containers to the European market over the course of the second half of 2017. Its first batch of standard newbuild tanks joined the fleet in January 2017.

Albatross Tank-Leasing was established in 2016 to handle the tank container rental and finance lease business of Sinochem International Logistics. It currently has more than 17,000 tanks at its disposal and has offices in Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and the US as well as its headquarters in Shanghai. www.albatross-tanks.de

A THIRD DEPOT FOR THAILAND

SO Tank Cleaning Terminal has opened its third tank depot in Thailand. The new facility, located in the Hemaraj Industrial Estates in Sriracha, responds to growing demand for tank cleaning, repair, refurbishment, off-hiring and storage of tank containers in the country.

SO also operates depots in Bangplee and Laem Chabang. www.sot.co.th

LAABS CHANGES HANDS

Imperial Logistics has sold its Laabs Spedition subsidiary to Germany-based Boettger Group, which specialises in the transport of foodstuffs. Laabs is now part of Boettger’s Fernlast Spedition unit, which handles liquid and granulated raw materials, almost doubling its tank and silo trailer fleet to 170 units. Laabs will continue to operate under its own name.

“With Laabs, we are able to bundle our strengths to better meet the changing market demand for bulk liquid food transportation and offer customers the right solutions,” says Alexander Mock, Boettger’s managing partner.

Laabs was acquired by Imperial Logistics in July 2007 and has a fleet of 80 road tankers. www.boettgergruppe.com www.laabs.de

STOLT ON THE UP

Stolt Tank Containers has reported improved revenues and profits for the third quarter ended August 31, reflecting higher lease rates, improved demurrage, increased activity at the Shanghai-Stolt Logistics domestic business in China and higher revenues from the STC global depot network. Operating profit of $14.8m was up 8 per cent compared to the second quarter.

Niels G Stolt-Nielsen, CEO of parent Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, also notes lower empty repositioning costs and better returns from joint-venture depots. “We expect margins and utilisation to hold steady at current levels,” he adds. www.stolt-nielsen.com

EUROTAINER ADDS COLOMBIA AGENT Eurotainer US has extended its contract with APM Terminals to act as its exclusive agent for sales and marketing of the company’s tank container leasing services in Colombia. APM also represents Eurotainer in Chile and Bolivia.

APM Terminals has an experienced sales and customer service team with established connections to the chemical, mining, agriculture, energy, and food and beverage industries that make up the largest target markets for Eurotainer, the leasing company says. www.eurotainer.com

FIRST ETHANE BY TRUCK

Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals has opened a new truck loading rack at its Marcus

Hook, Pennsylvania facility to allow the distribution of ethane to research and industrial users by tank truck and tank container.

Ethane is delivered to the facility by pipeline from the shale fields in western Pennsylvania. Sunoco’s first major customer is Gas Innovations, based in LaPorte, Texas, which is using the Marcus Hook terminal as a point from which to supply customers throughout the US with refrigerated ethane, as well as compressed ethane in tube trailers and cylinders.

“For us, it complements our product line with a safe, secure, quality solution to provide ethane to our unique customer base,” says Ashley Madray, vice-president of Gas Innovations. “We are proud to be the first company in North America to ship refrigerated liquid ethane by truck.” www.energytransfer.com

BAYER ADOPTS HOYER TECH

Bayer CropScience has appointed Hoyer to equip all its containers with smart technology. Hoyer has been using the system to track and alert Bayer of container movements at its Dormagen headquarters in Germany but began the roll-out of the concept to Bayer’s worldwide operations in November, starting with a pilot project at the Kansas City location.

“We appreciate Hoyer as a reliable partner that provides smart technology for our ‘Connected Container’ project, enabling the integration of ERP data into the global container network,” says Thomas Dieckmann of Bayer’s supply chain production planning and execution unit.

Hoyer’s smart technology, developed in partnership with Intermodal Telematics, enables seamless monitoring of goods transported in tank containers at any defined point in time for customers. This includes not only monitoring the tank’s position but also the status of the transported goods with regard to their pressure, temperature, density parameters and filling level. “A non-invasive filling level measuring system developed exclusively for Hoyer will solve a large number of technical challenges,” the company adds. www.hoyer-group.com

VTG GETS WASTE APPROVAL

VTG Rail Logistics has been successfully audited by TÜV Rheinland as a specialised carrier of hazardous waste in accordance with the German Ordinance on Specialised Waste Management Companies. The approval allows it to carry waste of all classes other than 1, 6.2 and 7 by rail within Germany.

VTG Rail Logistics has also set up a new subsidiary, Retrack GmbH, which will carry on the work of Bräunert Verwaltung and Bräunert Eisenbahnverkehr. VTG says the new unit, with its own pool of diesel and electric locos, will allow it to offer flexible rail services for both block trains and single wagons between all the most important economic centres in Europe. www.vtg.com

RIGHT: SUTTONS SHOWED OFF ITS HERITAGE WITH

THREE TRUCKS BEFORE THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF

SUTTONS ON THE BRIDGE

Widnes-based Suttons was allowed a sneak preview of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge before it opened to the public in mid-October. The company took one of its new Euro-6C tractor units onto the bridge, where Suttons will be a regular user.

“More than 55 years ago, Suttons vehicles were amongst the first to cross the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge,” said John Sutton, group CEO, who was there to see the event. “Now our trucks are once again leading the way, proudly crossing the new Mersey Gateway with the latest vehicle, which forms part of a £17m investment to improve and grow the fleet.

“The opening of the new bridge will hopefully remove the congestion this region has suffered from over the last few years,” John Sutton added. The company expects its vehicles to make around 30,000 crossings every year on the new bridge.

Alongside its latest vehicle, Suttons also brought along a 1920s-era Morris Flatbed truck and one of the tractors it painted with the Union Flag livery to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012. www.suttonsgroup.com