HCB Magazine January 2020

M O N T H LY J A N U A R Y

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TAKE COVER BE PREPARED FOR BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL ECTA LOOKS TO THE FUTURE TERMINALS BUILD FOR TODAY SAFETY IN CONTAINERS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

It has historically not been easy to make money in the shipping

boxes – has further concentrated the minds of those with

industry – and probably still isn’t. In the old days, some

a financial interest in the business. If one of these new

shipowners responded to their inability to control demand and

mega-ships were to suffer a total loss as a result of a fire

earnings by skimping on maintenance and repairs, particularly

in its cargo, total claims could run to around $3 billion.

when the market was bad. As a result, when I started writing

The vast majority of these shipboard fires are caused by

for HCB, more than 25 years ago, I wrote a lot about ‘substandard

dangerous goods and most often by dangerous goods that

ships’ and the accidents they caused.

have been improperly declared or not declared at all. There

Thankfully, that phrase has not featured in the magazine for

are two main reasons why shippers might fail to declare:

some time. Concerted efforts to remove trading opportunities

ignorance of the rules or wilful avoidance of the costs involved

for poor quality ships, primarily through the various port state

in compliance. But once any cargo is stuffed inside a container

control networks around the globe but also, in the tanker shipping

and the doors are closed, it is virtually impossible to know

sector, through the SIRE and CDI inspection programmes, has

what is in there – and whether it presents a hazard to the ship.

had a significant impact in improving standards.

As it turns out, this is another area of industry where

In the past few years, the focus has shifted from substandard

digitisation may be able to make a difference. Hapag Lloyd

ships to what one might call ‘substandard cargo’, a problem that

started the ball rolling a couple of years ago with a system

largely affects the container shipping sector. The disasters involving

designed to interrogate shipping documents for tell-tale

Hyundai Fortune and Hanjin Pennsylvania, up to Maersk Honam and

signs of undeclared dangerous goods, and Maersk and

MSC Flaminia – and all those in between and since – have destroyed

IBM partnered on another project.

cargo, killed seafarers and damaged the environment.

Response to this growing litany of containership fires – which

The sector at large is now moving forward through CINS with the help of the National Cargo Bureau and its Exis

have averaged around one every 60 days – was for some time

Technologies subsidiary, whose Hazcheck system is to be

frustratingly slow. Neither the liner operators nor their insurance

used as the platform for a similar approach, available across

underwriters were keen to share information that might help to

the liner shipping sector.

prevent further incidents, although eventually, and thanks largely

This is an encouraging move and, if it prevents undeclared

to the drive of certain individuals in the business, they did agree

dangerous goods getting into the maritime supply chain, will

to form a network to collect the appropriate data, the Cargo

be a boon not only to shipowners and their underwriters but

Incident Notification System (CINS).

also to shippers and forwarders who, after the landmark

More recently, it appears that the rapid growth in the size of containerships – the latest generation can carry 23,000 20-foot

MSC Flaminia judgment, find themselves very liable indeed.

Peter Mackay

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CONTENTS VOLUME 41

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NUMBER 01

UP FRONT Letter from the Editor 30 Years Ago Learning by Training

01 04 05

Campaign trail ITCO takes aim at single-use bags News bulletin – tanks and logistics

28 30

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION Happy new year?

STORAGE TERMINALS Where to next?

Terminal operations in turbulent times Hub scouts Tarragona is the place to be Tanks on time GPS doubles up in Amsterdam Roaring twenties Inter Terminals clarifies strategy StocExpo ahoy!

Industry meets up in Rotterdam The right stuff Civacon helps prevent contamination News bulletin – storage terminals TANKS & LOGISTICS One for the road Full house for ECTA meeting

CBA finds continued uncertainty News bulletin – chemical distribution

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Editor–in–Chief Peter Mackay Email: peter.mackay@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 7769 685 085

Deputy Editor Alex Roberts Email: alex.roberts@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4035

Commercial Director Ben Newall Email: ben.newall@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4036

LABELLING & COMPLIANCE Prepare for 21 Looking ahead to the Labeline Biennial Fully charged Lion stresses battery compliance SAFETY Incident Log

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UN Experts defer decisions A smooth flight Late addendum to IATA DGR Caulking the Code IMO mulls IMDG changes News bulletin – regulations Calendar of regulatory meetings BACK PAGE Not otherwise specified

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Emissions impossible Sniffers detects fugitive methane Hide and seek

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REGULATIONS More to follow

07 COURSES & CONFERENCES Training courses Conference diary

Finding undeclared shipments Fire retardant CINS acts on fire prevention

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Campaigns Director Craig Vye Email: craig.vye@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4014

Production Manager Binita Wilton Email: binita.wilton@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4048

NEXT MONTH Digitisation in the supply chain Market developments in chemical tankers Dangerous goods by air Stolt Groenland incident report

Managing Editor Stephen Mitchell Email: stephen.mitchell@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4045 Designer Jochen Viegener Cargo Media Ltd Marlborough House 298 Regents Park Road London N3 2SZ

ISSN 2059-5735 www.hcblive.com

HCB Monthly is published by Cargo Media Ltd. While the information and articles in HCB are published in good faith and every effort is made to check accuracy, readers should verify facts and statements directly with official sources before acting upon them, as the publisher can accept no responsibility in this respect.

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30 YEARS AGO A LOOK BACK AT JANUARY 1990

HCB began its second decade of publication inauspiciously, with a rather obvious misprint on the cover, showing it as the January 1989 issue.

Inside, however, it was business as usual, with extensive coverage of recent regulatory activity, our annual survey of steel drum manufacturing, a review of the bulk liquids storage terminal market, and the latest news from the tank container and road logistics sectors.

It was also business as usual in editor Mike Corkhill’s Comment column which, as tradition dictates, used the turning of a decade to look back over the major changes since HCB was first published in January 1980. That decade had begun, he said, with governments and industry in Europe continuing to pay lip service to the idea of harmonising the regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods; however, the impending creation of the single European market at the end of 1992 and the planned opening of the Channel Tunnel the following year had concentrated minds wonderfully, putting pressure on the regulators to resolve the outstanding differences between RID/ADR and the international modal rulebooks.

In addition, the end of the transitional period that would see the US outlaw the use of non-UN specification packaging as from 1 January 1991 had “cornered” the country, Mike said, and “will force some degree of acceptance of the international regulatory system” in its “unique” domestic controls.

Mike also spoke about the new groundswell of public opinion underpinning the emerging environmentalist movement; this, he hoped, would drive a resolution of some issues that had been languishing through the 1980s, not least the adequate provision of shoreside

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

reception facilities for tank washings, as required by Annex II of Marpol, along with the agreement of liability and compensation schemes.

Those forces are still with us, as is the apparently unstoppable litany of major accidents. The 1980s had seen Bhopal, Mexico City and the Exxon Valdez oil spill; the 2010s had its own disasters, not least the rising tide of major containership fires, but also events such as Lac-Mégantic, Deepwater Horizon, Tianjin, West Fertilizer and others too numerous to mention.

Mike cautioned against knee-jerk reactions to such events, saying that the UN system of regulating the movement of dangerous goods was (and, from a 2020 perspective, still is) the best method of ensuring safety; but it needs to be applied consistently and, most importantly, it has to be rigorously enforced.

But he was optimistic: “These are exciting times, with regional barriers, both economic and political, crumbling fast,” Mike said. Those trends would, he felt, help to drive a “renewed attack on the problems associated with dangerous goods transport, but in a totally harmonised way”.

Thirty years on from those words, harmonisation across modes and regions has progressed rapidly and has had some impact on safety levels in certain transport sectors. On the other hand, those regional barriers, both economic and political, have been reappearing, with a rise in isolationism, anti-intellectualism and nationalism driving increasing protectionism, with an impact on trade, and increasing volatility in global commodity markets. Those forces are threatening to roll back the advances made in the decades since HCB’s founding and undo much of the good work that has been achieved.

These are still exciting times, but in a rather different way.

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LEARNING BY TRAINING

By Arend van Campen

SUSTAINABILITY – WHAT IS IT? You have probably heard about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), but what I would like to ask is this: what is the difference between sustainability and sustenance? On my website I describe sustainability as follows: “The ability to be sustained, upheld and confirmed, i.e. not being harmful and staying relevant into the future.”

Because we understand our planet as a living system that depends on interrelated networks, we use and need feedback (information) to verify and test sustainability. This knowledge allows organisations to understand that disorder in the form of unsustainability is inevitable if their foundation is not adaptive to change. We have to understand organisations as complex, adaptive organisations of communication and integrated and coherently functioning systems. Their long-term existence depends on the connectivity and interaction of all activities and relationships.

Enhanced sustainability is the way to be sustained for the long term. Regulators and governments demand more compliance with an ever-growing number of rules, and laws are deemed necessary to protect life and the environment, but can they be sustainable when they would have to be enforced?

The criteria to sustain something can be listed as follows; an organisation needs to be viable. Its products or services must not be harmful to life, the environment and social cohesion. So, viability can be understood as sustainability too. Something that can’t live on is considered non-viable and thus unsustainable.

The December COP25 summit on climate change took place in Madrid, after it was cancelled because of riots in Santiago, Chile. I will

discuss one major point taken from its agenda that I find quite challenging, namely the intention to create a global emissions trading system. What strikes me is that such a trading system will perhaps mitigate the effects of fossil fuel burning but will not alleviate the causes. I also read that the major oil companies combined intend to invest more than a trillion dollars in the continuation of exploration and exploitation of crude oil and natural gas. Will that be sustainable? Will that not be harmful?

These are rhetorical questions - you already know the answers.

Emissions trading would become a purpose on its own in a commercial marketplace where money to buy emission rights will oppose rather than support the desperately needed phasing out of hydrocarbons to sustainable and renewable energy sources.

But the UN SDGs are not just about energy or CO² or climate change, they also address issues as poverty, clean water, health and well-being, to name just a few of the 17 goals. My own research shows that the solution towards a sustainable planet with sustainable life for all can’t be reach by centrally planned goals. It can only be learned through the use of relevant information that needs to be implemented in real time, in the now, so to speak.

It becomes quite easy if the UN and everyone would just understand that information and energy obey the same laws of physics like everything else in the universe, even you and me.

This is the latest in a series of articles by Arend van Campen, founder of TankTerminalTraining. More information on the company’s activities can be found at www.tankterminaltraining.com. Those interested in responding personally can contact him directly at arendvc@tankterminaltraining.com.

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HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

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WHERE TO NEXT?

FOLLOW THE LEADER The experience of Vopak, which operates the widest network of independent bulk liquids storage terminals in the world, shows how facility owners can adapt to changing conditions.

In its third quarter 2019 report, for example, it notes that overall tank occupancy fell to 84 per cent from 86 per cent in the first three quarters of 2018. The decline was most marked in the

a broad strategic review in February 2018. As part of that, it determined to concentrate on major industrial terminals that serve a large local oil or petrochemical hub, on LNG and other gas opportunities, and on chemical terminals serving a local market.

During 2019 Vopak continued to execute this strategy, divesting its shareholding in Vopak EOS in Tallinn, Estonia, and the Amsterdam and Hamburg terminals; it also reached agreement to sell the Algeciras terminal, although this had not been completed by the end of the year.

In gas terminals, it opened the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET), a joint venture with AltaGas, in British Columbia, Canada, and acquired a 49 per cent stake in Sociedad Portuaria el Cayao, which operates Colombia’s only LNG import terminal, in Cartagena.

In terms of industrial facilities, Vopak was selected by the ExxonMobil/Sabic joint venture Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV), to design, build, own and operate a new terminal to serve a planned 1.8 mta ethane cracker complex in San Patricio county, Texas. GCGV says the petrochemical plant will produce ethylene from an ethane steam cracker, with derivative units producing monoethylene

Asia & Middle East division, with a smaller fall in Europe & Africa, while occupancy improved in the Americas (up from 90 per cent to 91 per cent) and in China & North Asia.

Having anticipated that there would be some significant changes in the global market for bulk liquids storage services, Vopak concluded

glycol and polyethylenes. The new terminal will handle all products moved by sea and has an anticipated tank capacity of 130,000 m³. Startup is scheduled by 2022.

This past November Vopak signed a deal to take a 51 per cent shareholding in a new industrial terminal designed to provide »

MARKET • POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES, ALONGSIDE VOLATILE OIL PRICES, PRESENT A CHALLENGE TO OPERATORS OF BULK LIQUIDS TERMINALS AROUND THE WORLD The key to success as an operator of bulk liquids storage terminals lies in having the right capacity available at the right location at the right time. That might sound straightforward, but terminals are high-ticket investment assets that require a long payback time. Even expanding an existing facility takes time and money, so operators need to have confidence that their efforts will reap a return.

That is hard enough during times of economic and political stability but the past few years have shown us that volatility and uncertainty are the new norms. Business as usual is no more. How can a terminal operator plan to have the right capacity in the right place when product trades are so unpredictable?

Some fortunate operators have found themselves in the right place over the past year, reporting occupancy rates of almost 100 per

 VOPAK HAS DIVESTED A NUMBER OF SMALLER, ISOLATED TERMINALS IN EUROPE

cent at some of their facilities. Others have found long-term commitments on the part of cargo owners to allow them to invest in additional capacity or new terminals with confidence. For many, though, it has been a time of trying to tweak their networks in order to take advantage of changing market demand.

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storage and handling services for the chemical manufacturing plants in the Qinzhou Chemical Park, in south-west China, in partnership with Shanghai Huayi Group Investment Co and Guangxi Qinzhou Linhai Industrial Investment Co. The 290,000-m³ terminal is due to be commissioned in mid-2021.

Meanwhile, work was completed on the second phase of construction at the Pengerang terminal (PT2SB) in Malaysia, in which Vopak has a 26.5 per cent shareholding, taking capacity up to close to 1.5m m³.

SHIFT TO CHEMICALS These headline deals show only part of the picture, however. A look at the ongoing expansion and divestment activities at Vopak highlight the shift towards chemicals storage and, for the most part, away from oil products, although it has also continued to add capacity in this market in certain territories.

For example, in July last year Vopak announced a 33,000-m³ expansion of its Deer Park chemical terminal in Houston, due for completion in second quarter 2021; in November it announced a 55,000-m³ expansion of the Linkeroever terminal in Antwerp, again for chemicals, with mid-2021 commissioning, and a 40,000-m³ expansion of the Altamira terminal in Mexico, for secondhalf 2021 completion. A 20,000-m³ expansion of its terminal in Vietnam, to handle growing chemical trade, is also planned.

At the same time, there is to be a 105,000-m³ expansion of the terminal in Sydney, Australia to cope with growing demand for clean product and aviation fuel storage. Additional oil product tankage was brought onstream at the new Panama Atlantic terminal early in 2019 and there is more capacity for products due to be added in Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia and South Africa.

Vopak’s divestment activity introduces another salient factor in the global storage terminal sector: the continued appetite of global fund managers for terminal investment opportunities. The Algeciras, Hamburg and Amsterdam terminals were sold to First State

 VOPAK IS STILL INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING IMPORT-ORIENTED CHEMICAL TERMINALS

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Investments for some €670m – which will realise an exceptional gain of around €200m.

First State is based in Australia and has more than $150bn under its management.

On 1 November 2019 IFM Investors, another Australia-based institutional investment manager, closed the acquisition of Buckeye Partners, with Jamie Cemm, executive director of IFM, saying at the time: “Buckeye represents a natural extension of IFM’s expertise in investing in, operating and growing essential midstream energy infrastructure in North America.”

IFM also owns Colonial Pipeline and Freeport LNG Development in North America, as well as a 50 per cent stake in the global VTTI bulk liquids terminal network, which it acquired from Buckeye Partners in November 2018. Owned by 27 pension funds, IFM manages more than $40bn of investments in the infrastructure sector, largely focused on airports, ports and roads.

At the end of 2019, two more major fund-related transactions were reported in the US. Firstly, Blackstone Infrastructure partners, along with Enagas and other fund managers from Singapore, South Korea and the UK, agreed the acquisition of all the shares in Tallgrass Energy that they did not already own on 17 December. The transaction, valued at some $3bn, is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.

The following day, Contanda LLC announced that institutional investors advised by JP Morgan Asset Management had completed the acquisition of Contanda from the EQT Infrastructure II fund. Contanda said at the time that the transition to new ownership would allow it to “continue to deliver on its key strategic business objective of doubling its bulk liquid terminal storage capability by 2022 while expanding into the bulk renewable and petrochemical markets and maintaining a leading market position in the refined products, renewable fuels, chemical, and agricultural commodity sectors”.

GO AMERICA North America represents a new growth market all of its own. The ongoing development and exploitation of tight oil and gas reserves has generated huge volumes of crude oil and NGLs, supporting massive growth in exports of crude oil, LNG, ethane and, increasingly, downstream derivatives, including ethylene. That has in turn led to investment in export-oriented marine terminals and in product handling and storage assets all along the supply chain.

For instance, when Contanda talks about doubling storage capacity within the next two years, its plans include two significant projects in the Houston area. Construction of the first 405,000-bbl phase of the »

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multipurpose Jacintoport terminal began in third quarter 2018 and is expected to be complete in the second quarter of this year; build-out work could take total capacity up to some 3.8m bbl. Permitting is under way for the planned Greens Bayou terminal, with construction due to start this year. Contanda is also seeking permits to expand the Grays Harbor terminal in Washington for the storage of renewable diesel and biodiesel, while smaller projects were recently completed at the Stockton terminal in California and the Sioux City terminal in Iowa.

An indication of the size and pace of growth in exports of crude oil is given by Enterprise Products Partners, which continues to invest in its Houston-area assets. Third-quarter marine terminal throughput was 56 per cent higher than the same period 2018 at 987m b/d. In December, Enterprise and Enbridge Inc announced that they had executed a letter of intent to jointly develop a deepwater crude oil export facility located off Brazoria county, Texas. The Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) will, subject to approvals and licensing, be able to load very large crude carriers (VLCCs) at

“TERMINAL OPERATORS IN THE US CAN BE CONFIDENT OF ACCESS TO COST-ADVANTAGED PRODUCT THAT WILL FIND AN EAGER MARKET”

up to 2m bbl per day. Enterprise has already secured a long-term agreement with Chevron USA for use of the SPOT facility.

Further development in the Houston area has come from Moda Midstream, which added 2.4m bbl of new storage capacity at the Moda Ingleside Energy Center (MIEC) in November 2019, along with further new tankage at its Taft terminal. Moda’s current projects amount to some 10m bbl of new capacity, of which half was expected to be onstream by the end of 2019, taking total capacity to some 7.0m bbl.

Moda is continuing to enhance capabilities at MIEC, which is expected to benefit from the Port of Corpus Christi Channel Improvement Project that will increase the depth of the channel from 47 feet to 54 feet. Moda is upgrading one berth to allow Suezmax tankers to moor and the project will also make it possible to handle VLCCs. Speaking about the commissioning of the new capacity and ongoing projects, Moda’s president/CEO Bo McCall said: “We have received strong demand for additional storage and throughput commitments to support our next expansion phase that will be similar in size to what we are executing today and will be easily accommodated at MIEC’s 925-acre footprint and expansive waterfront. MIEC already has the highest marine loading rates and fastest turnaround times of any Gulf Coast crude oil terminal. We are continuing to invest in our waterfront to enhance our capabilities and ensure efficient, safe and reliable loading.”

Terminal operators in the US can at least be confident of access to cost-advantaged product that will find an eager market outside the nation’s borders, placing new demands on storage capacity. However, as the world moves uncertainly into 2020, with ongoing trade concerns and rising tension between the US and Iran threatening global oil trades, terminal operators elsewhere in the world will have to remain nimble and alert to changing demands.

 CONTANDA’S NEW JACINTOPORT TERMINAL IS DUE FOR COMMISSIONING BY MID-YEAR

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HUB SCOUTS EVENT REPORT • TARRAGONA’S ANNUAL MED HUB DAY FOCUSED ONCE AGAIN ON THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH IN REGIONAL LIQUIDS TRADE AND THE ROLE OF THE PORT AUTHORITY THE STUDY OF logistics has been honed down the centuries largely by the military – getting personnel and materiel to the right place at the right time is a matter of life or death for them.

So when one hears that the Romans chose Tarragona – or Tarraco, as it was to them – as their capital in Iberia primarily for its location and logistics potential, it is worth taking notice.

Indeed, during the Port of Tarragona’s annual Med Hub Day, which took place this past 21 and 22 November, for delegates sitting outside watching the late autumn sun lighting the waters of the western Mediterranean and picking out the

silhouettes of the various ships waiting at anchor, it was easy to see that the Romans got it right. But the port authority has ambitions to leverage its location and its possession of a natural deepwater harbour to expand on its existing role as one of the major regional ports and instead become a true hub for international trade – and not least in chemicals.

More than 80 professionals from the chemical industry and its logistics partners attended the 2019 Med Hub Day, the third time it has been held by the Port of Tarragona and the ChemMed chemical cluster, attracted

by the opportunities offered to hear about current development plans and to meet with their peers in the industry.

“The Med Hub Day is one the most important events hosted by Port of Tarragona,” said commercial director Genoveva Climent. “It means lots of efforts by the whole commercial team, but the results are very positive. One of the strategic developments of the port is to become a regional hub for liquid bulk freight and this event helps on expanding this vision in an international way. We are working very hard on explaining our hub vision through many different presenting opportunities at events, and the growth of the Med Hub Day gives us lot of confidence.”

SETTING THE SCENE The 2019 Med Hub Day started with a detailed and engaging introduction to the Port of Tarragona by Josep Maria Cruset i Domènech, president of the Tarragona Port Authority. Arnaud Waché, president of AWBPSolution, who also chaired the Med Hub Day sessions, spoke about the advantages that Mediterranean ports offer to chemical shippers.

Delegates were also treated to a tour of Vopak Terquimsa’s sites in the port. Terquimsa, which is 50 per cent-owned by Vopak, offers some 430,000 m³ of tankage in 82 storage tanks in two tank farms on Tarragona’s chemical quay, and has another 27,500 m³ of capacity currently under construction. The tour also included a visit to the terminal’s traffic and operations rooms to see the advanced infrastructure and technologies being used to monitor every tank.

Terquimsa’s investment and expansion is one element of Tarragona’s overall intention to double independent tank storage capacity by 2025. As part of that, the port authority is continuing to work on land reclamation to make further space available for tank pits and jetties, and to dredge the channels to those jetties.

Liquid bulk currently accounts for around 60 per cent of Tarragona’s total cargo throughput, standing at some 22m tonnes in 2018 but rose by 14 per cent in the first half of 2019. Further acceleration of that growth in traffic is likely once the long-awaited extension of the

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Euro-gauge rail service to Tarragona is complete, which is now expected to be in 2021.

Nicolas Maes of Port+, who attended the event, said: “I’m very interested in seeing the railway connection on the Catalonian coast of Spain to Tarragona come to a completion.

I am sure that this will lead to a significant increase in attractiveness of liquid imports for the Mediterranean area.”

PREPARE FOR THE NEW The Med Hub Day conference itself began the next day with an informal networking breakfast. Suitably energised, the audience was welcomed by Arnaud Waché, who introduced Sandra de Mey, commercial manager at North Sea Port, who had a singular perspective on port development.

North Sea Port itself was formed at the beginning of 2018 by three established ports – the Dutch Zeeland ports of Vlissingen and Terneuzen and the Belgian Flemish port of Ghent. The cross-border collaboration raised eyebrows at first – and some of that scepticism turned out to be well founded.

De Mey explained, for example, the problems involved in having to deal with two different sets of national legislation, although this had been expected. More of a surprise was the ‘culture clash’ experienced in bringing together a staff from two different countries, albeit they had a shared language.

De Mey identified this as something Tarragona will have to be alert to once the new rail link opens, as its personnel will also be connected more directly to their counterparts in northern Europe.

De Mey’s presentation, ‘Learnings from Successful Ports in Liquid Bulk’, took that experience and focused on collaboration, communication and how newer ports – or those looking to reach new markets, such as Tarragona – can compete with existing powerhouses. Ports in the AmsterdamRotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region have

 THE MED HUB DAY GIVES THE PORT OF TARRAGONA’S PERSONNEL THE CHANCE TO MEET ITS BULK LIQUIDS CLIENTS WHILE ALSO GIVING INDUSTRY THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE PORT’S PLANS FOR GROWTH IN GREAT DEPTH

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

become used to dealing with huge volumes of international trade over decades and are well versed in working with a truly global clientele, but if the Mediterranean ports want to highlight their potential as an alternative they need to be aware of a potential challenge to their existing culture.

“It was an honour to present my ‘new’ port to the people of the Mediterranean,” de Mey said after the conference. “I hope I could inspire my port colleagues to think beyond boundaries.”

WHERE’S MY TANK? Later in the day, a four-way panel discussion

agreed unanimously that “safety first, and no surprises” is the most important factor. After that, price, trust, supply chain integration, efficiency, flexibility and adaptability to changing environments are the key selling points to potential new customers.

But gaining new business as a terminal operator can often just be a matter of having the right tank in the right place at the right time. Terminal operators therefore need to anticipate changes in the market to make sure capacity is available when and where it is needed. Forecasting that sort of demand is, though, not easy, although it was thought possible that the advent of increased

involving representatives from Tradebe, Vopak, Alkion Terminals and Tepsa delved further into the question of what the Port of Tarragona can offer the chemical industry.

The key takeaways from this session can be summed up by contemplating the question: what do terminals offer customers? It was

transparency through the application of emerging digital solutions will help improve matters. New digital platforms and online marketplaces are already having an impact along the chemical supply chain and will surely impact terminal operators and their customers.

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Andy Wilson, head of BRS Group, provided an insightful presentation on the outlook for tanker shipping in the Mediterranean and how this will affect demand for tank storage services. Of course, the biggest factor in his outlook is right under our noses: the potential impact of the ‘IMO 2020’ rule on bunker fuels on product flows on cross-Med and Suez trades.

Nicholas Giraud, chief executive of Forwardis Group, picked up on the earlier discussions about rail connectivity. His paper explored the main routes used to move liquids in bulk across Europe and the hindrances that are holding up growth of rail transport in the Mediterranean.

One of the better ones I did attend this year!”

Nicolas Maes said: “For me personally, the networking aspect of the event was the most interesting. Due to the relaxed atmosphere, it was very easy to have a casual chat with the other attendees. Furthermore, the target audience was very relevant to Port+ and we gained a lot of valuable insights. The importance of a strong intermodal connectivity system stood out to me personally and, from a terminal point of view, being able to offer reliability and flexibility (multiple options) to customers seemed very important.

I also hope that the aspect of digitisation and data sharing, and how it could lead to

improved efficiency, was stressed enough.

Finally, the impact of a potential co-operation between Mediterranean ports was a very interesting topic.”

“We expect next year to be more exciting than this year,” Anglès continued. “We will work hard in order to define an excellent programme and to organise interesting activities for the first day. We want the event to grow and for sure we will make a great Med Hub Day 2020.” That event is already in the calendar: 19 and 20 November 2020. The programme is being developed and will be made available on the dedicated website, www.hubdaytarragona.com.

SAME AGAIN, PLEASE Looking back at the end of the event, Jordi Anglès, commercial coordinator at the port and the programme organiser of Med Hub Day, said: “I think that the main idea discussed at the event was the potential of the Mediterranean. We built a transversal programme so many topics were discussed during the workshop. In my opinion, the main points were that the Mediterranean can be (and is) an excellent option to improve and to optimise liquid bulk supply chains; that Tarragona has enough capacity and variability of products to give solutions to all the potential customers while maintaining the key factors of quality, safety and price; and that the European railway network can be an opportunity for Mediterranean ports to be more connected to the main European production nodes and consumer markets.

“We are very happy with the results of the event,” said Anglès. “We received a great response from the attendees regarding the programme, which continued from the same structure of previous events.” Sandra de Mey was one of those who praised the event, saying: “I didn’t know what to expect from this conference but it was beyond my expectations.

 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOCAL STORAGE TERMINAL INDUSTRY WERE IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF TARRAGONA AND THE STEPS THEY NEED TO TAKE TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS TO THE PORT

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TANKS ON TIME EXPANSION • GPS IS DELIVERING ON ITS GROWTH PLANS, WITH A NEAR-DOUBLING OF CAPACITY AT ITS AMSTERDAM TERMINAL AND WORK ONGOING IN MALAYSIA AND THE UAE GLOBAL PETRO STORAGE (GPS) has expanded its Amsterdam terminal with six new storage tanks, taking capacity from 148,500 m³ to 282,500 m³ in 17 tanks. GPS says the move is part of its international programme of development and acquisitions, and has created a state-of-the-art facility for the storage and blending of gasoline, gasoline components and biofuels.

“The new storage tanks will create a larger and more bespoke terminal facility offering increased capability and a high degree of

 NEW TANKAGE AT THE AMSTERDAM TERMINAL WILL ACT AS A HUB FOR FURTHER INVESTMENT

flexibility,” GPS says. “The expansion will mark the latest achievement in GPS’s strategic partnership with Varo Energy and the Port of Amsterdam. In addition to gasoline, gasoline components and biofuels, the terminal can also handle other commodities to allow the company to meet a growing consumer demand for greater flexibility.”

Eric Arnold, CEO of GPS, says: “The opening of this facility is an important milestone for GPS. The investment in increased capacity and flexibility which are now built into the Amsterdam terminal reinforces GPS’s commitment to providing customers with world-class assets, while pursuing our global expansion plans. We’re excited by the possibilities of our expanded site and

are committed to additional investments here in Amsterdam that will ensure both GPS and our customers are well positioned to capture future opportunities.”

GPS acquired the terminal, the former ‘Hydrocarbon Hotel’, from Varo Energy in December 2016, making its first move into the storage terminal business. GPS is based in Singapore and backed by funds managed by Blue Water Energy and White Deer Energy.

MORE IN ASIA As part of the expansion of the Amsterdam terminal, GPS is also developing a railcar handling facility adjacent to the terminal, so as to be able to offer a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to road and river transport for a range of energy and chemical commodities. The development complements the Port of Amsterdam’s sustainability strategy objectives, which endorse the importance of good rail connections to and from the Amsterdam port region.

GPS’s investment programme includes construction of a 134,000-m³ LPG terminal in Port Klang, Malaysia, which is due in service early in 2021. This $300m project in being carried out in partnership with Equinor, which plans to use the terminal as a hub for the storage and blending of LPG grades. It will be equipped with a jetty capable of handling VLGCs and will store LPG in refrigerated tanks, though it will also be able to supply pressurised gas. Equinor will supply LPG from the facility to customers in Malaysia as well as in India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

GPS has reserved another plot of land at the port where it is planning to develop and LNG import and distribution terminal.

GPS is also working on a greenfield project in Hamriyah, UAE, in a joint venture with Innova Refining and Chemie Tech.

The terminal will provide services for industrial reprocessing of waste oils, trading, import and bunkering. Construction started in October 2018 and the terminal is due in service soon. GPS sees the project, its first foray into the Middle East, as a key strategic hub around which it will make further investments. www.gpsgroup.com

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ROARING TWENTIES ACQUISITIONS • ONE YEAR ON FROM PURCHASING NUSTAR EUROPE, INTER TERMINALS PROVIDES AN INSIGHT INTO ITS CHANGING BUSINESS STRUCTURE IN THE UK, IRELAND AND THE NETHERLANDS As 2020 begins, Inter Terminals is hitting the new decade running with a new organisational structure for its bulk liquids storage facilities in the UK, Ireland and Netherlands. The restructuring forms part of the integration of NuStar Europe, which was acquired by Inter Terminals at the end of 2018, creating one of the most comprehensive multi-product storage terminal networks in Europe, with 23 terminals in six countries with a combined capacity of 5.8m m³.

Heading up the combined UK and Ireland regions is managing director and country manager, David McLoughlin, formerly vicepresident and general manager of NuStar Terminals. In his new role, McLoughlin (right), together with a dedicated regional management team, will oversee around two-thirds of the company’s 650-strong workforce in facilities at strategic locations on England’s east and west coasts, as well as in Grangemouth and Clydebank in Scotland, in Belfast in Northern Ireland and on the Shannon Estuary in Ireland.

The acquisition of NuStar Europe expanded Inter Terminals’ storage capacity in the UK to more than 1.8m m³, making it the largest independent storage provider in the UK. Combined, the facilities represent the most diverse within the company’s pan-European terminal network.

CHANGING PLACES Following the acquisition of NuStar, McLoughlin took up the interim role of director and general manager of Inter Terminals UK and the Netherlands. His new role of managing director and country manager for the UK and Ireland fully aligns these important regions with the country management structure in place at Inter Terminals’ facilities in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

As part of the restructuring of the organisation, Arjen Schneiders was recruited and appointed as managing director and country manager for the Netherlands. This was a significant appointment of a highly experienced industry professional into a senior and very important role.

Commenting on the restructuring, McLoughlin says it demonstrates Inter Terminals’ collaborative and considered approach to integrating the former NuStar Europe business into its existing UK storage network, establishing a robust management structure in the Netherlands and ensuring the right people are in the right places.

“It reflects the significant expansion of the company’s storage locations in the UK and the Netherlands as a result of the acquisition,” McLoughlin explains, “and provides these regions with a dedicated management structure, while also creating a uniform model across the six countries in which the company now operates.”

McLoughlin is the perfect fit for this new era for the business as he brings more than 23 years of wide-ranging experience within the bulk liquid storage industry to his role as managing director and country manager for the UK and Ireland. McLoughlin started his career in marketing, followed by a range of experience before moving into senior management roles.

His skills and experience cover the broad spectrum of storage solutions for the oil, chemical and biofuels markets, from health and safety and the environment to regulatory compliance and operational excellence. interterminals.com

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STOCEXPO AHOY! PREVIEW • LEADING INDUSTRY INFLUENCERS AND DECISION-MAKERS IN BULK LIQUIDS STORAGE ARE GEARING UP FOR STOCEXPO TO DISCUSS HOW THE INDUSTRY IS FACING ENERGY TRANSITION One of the key events for the European storage terminal industry, StocExpo, returns to the Rotterdam Ahoy this coming 10 to 12 March. Thousands of professionals, experts and analysts from leading oil majors – such as Shell, BP and ExxonMobil – and key terminal and storage players are set to attend the three-day exhibition and conference. More than 200 suppliers from at least 60 countries will be showcasing their latest innovations, discussing supply chain solutions and hosting informative presentations.

“The bulk liquid storage industry is going through a period of significant transformation,” says Mark Rimmer, StocExpo divisional director. “New environmental and safety

 STOCEXPO HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS THE GO-TO MEETING EVENT FOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

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regulations, breakthroughs in technology and changes to the political landscape are among a long list of factors that will, without a doubt, have a significant impact on operations moving forward. As a long-established event, strategically positioned in the ARA region, the industry needs us to help it address all of these – and that’s exactly what we will do. In addition to covering the very real and present challenges, we’re lining up world-class content which will throw light on the future of the industry, and how we can adapt to thrive within it. StocExpo will be an unmissable event in 2020.”

GLOBAL DISCUSSIONS The conference agenda is set to provide insights into some of the most pressing matters facing the industry at the start of a new decade. It will touch on issues such as sustainability, alternative energy, emerging markets, new technologies and market

trends. These topics will be examined by 20 speakers who are all eager to educate and enlighten attendees on the future of bulk liquid storage.

Artur Runge-Metzger, director of the European Commission’s DG CLIMA, will open the conference with an analysis of the future of sustainable transport and EU energy policy, followed by presentations covering the future implications of changes to the energy mix. Giacomo Boati, director for Oil Markets, Midstream and Downstream Consulting at IHS Markit, will talk about the long-term impact of energy transition and review the expected trends in decarbonisation of the transportation sector.

A significant element in that transition is expected to be increased use of hydrogen, and terminal operators will be keen to hear how this may affect their operations. Daniel Teichmann, chairman of Hydrogenious, will demonstrate how Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology has enabled the transport of hydrogen via the existing liquid fuel infrastructure and will share information on the build-up of the company’s first industrial-scale project.

In a similar vein, Rian Vermeulen, senior advisor for BRO, and Dennis Risseeuw, business consultant for Engie, will outline a unique approach to terminal sustainability that includes measures to assist businesses

STORAGE TERMINALS 17

to become more energy-efficient, to produce more renewable energy and provide protection to local ecologies.

Building on the ramifications of sustainability on terminal operations, Khalid Saleh, energy coordinator at Vopak, will share information about the company’s sustainable energy initiatives, including CO² emission reductions.

A panel on future thinking will draw all these presentations together and debate what the storage terminal industry may look like in 50 years, before ending with a regulatory update provided by Ravi Bhatiani, executive director of the European Federation of Tank Storage Associations (FETSA).

ALWAYS IMPROVING Day two of the conference will shift the conversation to examine the areas of emerging markets, compliance and technical transformations. Andrew Inglis, EMEA vice-president of energy and fuels at Nexant,

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is set to start things off with a discussion on the shift in global demand from mature to emerging markets. Samuel Ciszuk, founding partner at ELS Analysis, will examine how the ongoing US trade wars are impacting international trade flows.

Moving into the realm of technology, Martin van den Bosch, digital forensic investigator for the Netherlands Seaport Police, will talk about cyber-security improvements and how businesses can protect themselves against the issue of storage ‘spoofing’. Luc Bonami, managing director of Anno Chemicals, will provide a customer perspective on what terminals could and should be doing better.

Leo Brand, CIO of Royal Vopak, and Nadine Herrwerth, commercial director for TWTG, will consider how and why the Industrial Internet of Things can mean smarter sites. Joe Nassif, director for terminal industry programmes at Emerson, will outline the very real safety, capacity yield, maintenance and energy gains

that those programmes have delivered.

On the more physical side, issues such as tank overfills, unintended roof off-floats and transmix in pipelines are all practical problems for storage terminal operators.

Earl Crochet, director of engineering at Kinder Morgan, will outline the role the latest ultrasonic technology devices can play in preventing these issues.

“The bulk liquid storage industry has so many developments to consider – environmental demands, new technologies, emerging energy sources and markets together with a shifting political and regulatory landscape. We’ve carefully curated a programme to address all of these, delivered by a line-up of world-class speakers. This programme will both help companies prepare and plan for the future and optimise their present-day operations,” says Rimmer. www.stocexpo.com

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THE RIGHT STUFF LOADING • CIVACON HAS LAUNCHED A NEW SYSTEM TO HELP PREVENT PRODUCT CONTAMINATION DURING THE LOADING PROCESS, AS RANDY ROBINSON* EXPLAINS FUEL TERMINALS ARE beehives of activity – large plots of land criss-crossed by tank trucks and trailers that queue up at loading racks among towering aboveground storage tanks (ASTs). In the course of a year, thousands of trucks will load and unload millions of gallons of varying types of fuel (several grades of gasoline, diesel, biofuels, jet fuel, etc) for customers in the surrounding market.

This delicate ballet of give and take requires strict tracking of the types and volumes of fuels that are arriving and departing. This means that any mixup in the type of fuel that finds its

is always lurking. People are susceptible to committing errors that can leave the integrity of the fuel-supply process in doubt. In fact, the average fuel trailer will be involved in more than 3,600 fuel deliveries per year, creating plenty of opportunities for any number of fuel-delivery issues to arise. With the average trailer having four fuel compartments, there are at least 14,400 annual opportunities per trailer for a failure to occur.

With these figures in mind, what can terminal operators do to ensure that their fuel-loading processes do not result in the wrong fuel

way into specific ASTs or fuel-delivery trailers cannot be tolerated, lest the recipient of the fuel delivery has cause for concern.

Unfortunately, people play a leading role in ensuring that the right fuel finds its way into the right delivery truck in the most timesensitive way, and, as we all know, human error

ending up in the wrong compartment?

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IDENTIFYING ERRORS When considering fuel-transfer errors at terminals, there are four that stand out, two involving cross-contamination. The most common cause is when a rushed or distracted

driver connects the wrong loading arm to the wrong trailer compartment. The chances that this error will occur increase if there are unclear or incorrect product-type markings at the loading rack. In analysing historic delivery data, 1 in 73,000 deliveries is compromised by unintended mixing of gasoline octanes, while one in 182,500 deliveries will feature an instance where gasoline will find its way into a diesel compartment, or vice versa.

The ultimate effect of these types of cross-contamination errors will be the shutdown of fuelling services for several hours at the retail site as the fouled fuel is removed, the storage tank is cleaned and a new batch of fuel is delivered. The site operator incurs unplanned maintenance costs, and loses revenue while the site is shut down. In a worst-case scenario, before the delivery error is discovered, some of the fouled fuel may make its way into vehicles, which can lead to damage to the vehicle’s fuelling system.

A common safeguard against these types of fuel mixups is having the driver adhere to a diesel-first unloading regime so that a repeatable routine is established. However, this routine can be thrown off if the driver is rushed or working at a terminal where product types are not clearly marked at the loading rack.

Similar mixups can occur earlier in the process. Terminal operators must take great care that the fuel they receive from their suppliers is transferred into the correct AST. There are instances, though they are relatively rare, where fuel cross-contamination in the AST does occur. Analysis shows that affects about one in every 365,000 fuel-trailer loads.

In addition to an incorrect fuel drop, the error can also arise due to a malfunction in the terminal’s loading system, or if there is an incomplete cleanout or purge of the loading equipment (hose, elbows, adaptors, etc).

If this contaminated fuel makes its way to the fuelling site, the same harmful effects can be experienced: revenue-robbing site shutdown, cost-prohibitive cleanup and maintenance and potential vehicle damage. In this scenario, the fuel-trailer driver is at the mercy of the terminal, with no recourse but to trust that the information on the bill of lading from the terminal is accurate and that the proper product has been loaded.

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ERRORS IN THE TERMINAL Busy terminals feature lines of trucks patiently waiting in line to access the loading racks.

Imagine the frustration, then, when a driver gets to the rack (or is forced to wait longer because other drivers encounter a problematic situation) and gets a non-permissive indication on the terminal’s rack monitor. Non-permissive readings can cover a wide range of occurrences, from an inability to achieve a proper static ground to an overfill detection warning – and all of them prevent the loading process from commencing. If the driver cannot easily determine what is causing the nonpermissive reading, the driver has to exit the line and either attempt to make a selfdiagnosis or call the service department.

‘Fuel retains’ occur when the truck’s tank-monitoring system indicates that one of its product tanks is empty when it really isn’t.

Product retains create a major safety concern for terminals as a product overfill or crosscontamination may occur. In both instances, the safety and integrity of the fuelling process is compromised, with injuries, environmental damage and vehicle damage among the unpleasant consequences.

trailer – including overfill control, on-board monitoring, pneumatic (air pressure) control, product crossover prevention, system troubleshooting and usage history.

The system also has the capability to predict or prevent non-permissive readings, which lets the driver confidently know that the loading process will proceed uninterrupted. This helps cut wait times, which is a huge plus for the transport company and the terminal.

The touchscreen is securely activated by the driver – even when wearing gloves – via a unique user ID and PIN. The system is placed in Loading Mode when a load-rack connection is identified. Loading can only begin if the driver has full permit status, meaning that all vapour connections, overfill components and grounding devices are safe and operational.

The driver refers to RFID technology to know which product is loaded into each compartment, with the system knowing, through wireless communication, if the correct fuel is going into the correct tank. This allows the correct compartment valve to open automatically, initiating the unloading process.

If an incorrect truck-to-underground storage tank connection is attempted, the trailer’s valves will not open and the delivery will be unable to commence. At the conclusion of the delivery process, which only ceases when the compartment is empty, the touchscreen notifies the driver that all hoses, elbows and adaptors can be safely disconnected.

The system will store all of the driver and trailer’s historical usage data and information.

Among the useful data that will be stored in the system includes Fault Logs and Equipment Device Status Logs (for all elbows, probes, sockets and grounding equipment). The system’s Asset Manager can also store and organise performance data, such as total trailer flow time average, non-flow time average and total delivery time average, along with site and driver efficiency reports. *Randy Robinson is engineering manager for Civacon, part of OPW. Civacon manufactures products and systems to safely load and unload petroleum, dry bulk and petrochemical cargo tanks. More information can be found at www.civacon.com.

MAKING MISTAKES GO AWAY With the stakes being so high for both the terminal operator and fuel-delivery company, every effort must be made to ensure a seamless fuel-delivery process from both a product and loading-time standpoint. There is now a cutting-edge solution available to answer these challenges.

It can be found in the form of a highly engineered, easy-to-use tank monitoring technology that features an easy-to-read graphic touchscreen display that communicates wirelessly with the trailer’s fuel-delivery and operation-monitoring components. Through the touchscreen display, the system consolidates the driver’s access to the many different control systems on a fuel

 CIVACON’S CIVACOMMAND MODULE AIMS TO AVOID INADVERTENT PRODUCT CONTAMINATION BY ENSURING THAT ONLY THE RIGHT PRODUCT CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE RIGHT COMPARTMENT OR TANK

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NEWS BULLETIN

STORAGE TERMINALS

CALDIC SELLS UP IN ROTTERDAM

Caldic has sold its tank storage and production facilities in Rotterdam, Caldic Chemie Europoort, to First State Investments. The storage facilities at the site concentrate on handling methanol and bio-ethanol, while the facility is also a major producer of formaldehyde and derivatives. Caldic says the sale is part of its strategy to focus on distribution activities in the food, health and personal care sectors.

“This integrated storage and production facility provides an excellent fit with First State Investment’s long-term infrastructure investment philosophy and is a natural addition to our existing liquid bulk storage platform, Evos terminals, providing a sizeable foothold in Rotterdam and entry into the attractive chemical storage market,” says Marcus Ayre, partner in First State’s Infrastructure Investments division.

“We look forward to working with the highly skilled management team and employees to continue to sustainably develop and grow the business.”

First State is active in the storage terminal sector already. Aside from its Evos terminals in

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Amsterdam and Hamburg, it also owns both Navigator Terminals in the UK and ANZ Terminals in Australia and New Zealand. www.caldic.com www.firststateinvestments.com VOPAK GETS THE NOD

Vopak has been selected by Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV ), the ExxonMobil/ Sabic joint venture, to design, build, own and operate a new industrial terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas. The terminal, due onstream in 2022 with 130,000 m3 capacity, will serve GCGV’s new 1.8m tpa ethane cracker.

Eelco Hoekstra, Vopak CEO, says: “We’re very excited to support GCGV with this major industrial development in the US. This new terminal fits well into our growth strategy for industrial terminals. We’re proud of our expertise and long track record of storing vital products. We have high standards on safety and environmental care and we’re looking forward to becoming part of the Corpus Christi community.” www.vopak.com

KOREAN TERMINAL PLANNING

MOL Chemical Tankers, Korea National Oil Corp and SK Gas have formed a joint venture, Korea Energy Terminal, to build and operate a new bulk liquids terminal in Ulsan, South Korea. The partners envisage a facility with some 434,000 m3 of storage capacity for petroleum products, chemicals and natural gas, with commissioning scheduled for mid-2024. The cost of the new facility is put at some $530m.

The partners anticipate a further increase in the volume of trade in liquid chemicals into and out of South Korea, with Ulsan likely to remain the major focus of this trade.

The project will be MOL Chemical Tankers’ second participation in the bulk liquids terminal sector; it is currently involved in construction of a 500,000-m3 chemical terminal in Antwerp in a joint venture with SEA-Invest, the first phase of which is due in service in mid-2021. The company has also expanded out of its original business in deepsea shipping with a “strategic alliance” with Den Hartogh Logistics, signed

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southern Sweden,” says Jonas Wiklund, CEO of Wibax Group. wibax.com TSA IN VIEW

in February 2019, which aims to leverage the new Antwerp terminal as a fulcrum for Den Hartogh’s tank containers and MOL Chemical Tankers’ deepsea fleet. molchemicaltankers.com SEMGROUP SWALLOWED UP

Energy Transfer and SemGroup Corp have completed their previously announced merger, under which Energy Transfer has acquired SemGroup in exchange for new common units, with SemGroup now delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. The deal is expected to deliver annual run-rate efficiencies of more than $170m.

Energy Transfer is particularly pleased to acquire the Houston Fuel Oil Terminal (HFOTCO), owned by SemGroup, which provides it with a strategic position on the Houston Ship Channel; Energy Transfer is currently building a new crude oil pipeline to connect its Nederland terminal to HFOTCO, expected to be in service during 2021. www.energytransfer.com SPOTTING AN EXPORT OPPORTUNITY

Enterprise Products Partners and Enbridge have signed a letter of intent to develop a deepwater crude oil export terminal in the Gulf of Mexico, some 30 nm off Brazoria County, Texas. The proposed facility, in 115 feet of water, will be designed to load crude onto VLCCs at a rate of some 2m bbl per day.

The planned Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT)

is currently under review by the US Maritime Administration and its construction is subject to obtaining the necessary approvals and licences.

“We are very pleased to work with Enbridge to jointly develop a deepwater port in the Gulf of Mexico to support growing exports of US crude oil,” says AJ ‘Jim’ Teague, CEO of Enterprise’s general partner. “We value Enbridge’s expertise and resources as we focus our collective commercial development efforts on making the SPOT project a reality.” enterpriseproducts.com WIBAX READY IN MALMÖ

Wibax has completed a $2.7m remodelling of its Malmö terminal in Sweden (above).

The project expanded capacity to 13,300 m3, diversified the range of products handled and improved safety features. It also added a new heating system, interior anti-corrosion paintwork, isolation of certain tanks and new, safer loading facilities.

Wibax acquired the Malmö facility in 2014 and it is its southernmost location. It is strategically positioned for deliveries to southern Sweden and Denmark, as well as for the import of various products from elsewhere in Europe.

“With the addition of the Malmö terminal, we can now service all of Sweden, and we see new markets here, both for chemicals and bio oils. We are excited about making a serious impact with our own products in Malmö and

The UK Tank Storage Association (TSA) has launched a YouTube channel, which will feature videos showcasing the UK’s bulk liquid storage sector and its role in supporting growth and prosperity. For the launch, the channel displays the Association’s core values and work on behalf of its membership. Additional videos, interviews and much more will be uploaded regularly.

“This exciting initiative reflects our commitment to raise awareness of the incredibly important role that our sector plays in supporting growth and prosperity,” says Peter Davidson, executive director of TSA. “The channel will aim to provide a window into our sector and allow us to communicate and connect with a much wider audience.” www.tankstorage.org.uk MODA INVESTS IN INGLESIDE

Moda Midstream has brought 2.4m bbl of new tankage online at the Moda Ingleside Energy Center (MIEC) in Texas and now has 4.4m bbl of capacity at MIEC (pictured opposite) and its Taft terminal, also in Texas.

This was due to increase to 7m bbl by the end of 2019 as more tankage came onstream, with a further 5m bbl to come.

“We have received strong demand for additional storage and throughput commitments to support our next expansion phase,” says CEO Bo McCall.

MIEC is also being expanded through dredging of the Corpus Christi Channel and dock work that will allow Suezmax tankers and VLCCs to call. “We are thrilled to be adding a second VLCC berth at MIEC to give our customers unparalleled optionality,” McCall adds. “MIEC already has the highest marine loading rates and fastest turnaround times of any Gulf Coast crude oil terminal. We are continuing to invest in our waterfront to enhance our capabilities and ensure efficient, safe and reliable loading.” www.modamidstream.com

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ONE FOR THE ROAD

Regency in Düsseldorf, Germany, its regular venue for its Annual Meeting, for its 2019 event this past 14 November.

Welcoming the delegates, ECTA president Andreas Zink, director of LKW Walter, declared that the unavoidable topics for 2019 were digitisation and decarbonisation. “We won’t be able to solve everything today,” he said but, echoing the theme of the previous month’s annual meeting of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA), “we can carry on the journey.”

leverage estimated time of arrival (ETA) data.

LKW Walter realised that this information, which was requested by its customers, could also be used for internal planning.

Beaufils explained that ETA cannot be simply calculated on the basis of the distance from the load point to the delivery point; any ETA calculation has to take into account such factors as the weather and road congestion. Driver behaviour also has an influence but, Beaufils said, that cannot be gauged by talking to drivers: it needs to be based on machine learning using data derived from the vehicles. Another major influence is the profile of each individual loading and unloading point, taking account of the time taken to load or unload at different times of the day and different days of the week.

Alert readers will have spotted that this implies the collection of a large volume of data and, Beaufils questioned: what do you do with it when you have it? In essence, he said, data is “fuel for innovation”. It also implies a

MINING FOR DATA LKW Walter embarked on the digitisation journey some time ago, as evidenced by the first speaker, Vincent Beaufils, managing director of Veroo, a company formed by a spin-off from work done by LKW Walter to

move away from static, relational databases to streaming data. In a digitised world, systems need to handle live information, but existing systems are not designed to do that.

The other change that operators need to get used to is that the information they need is not all under their control, and ownership is

REPORT • ECTA’S 2019 ANNUAL MEETING REFLECTED THE NEW NORMAL IN THE CHEMICAL LOGISTICS INDUSTRY, WITH PLENTY OF TALK ABOUT DIGITISATION AND SUSTAINABILITY There is a huge appetite for knowledge these days. The world is changing fast and those in the chemical logistics business are being affected by new technologies and new demands on their activities. That much has been made apparent over the past year by the major events in the industry, particularly in Europe, where all operators are coming under increasing pressure to improve their environmental performance.

So it was that the European Chemical Transport Association (ECTA) ended up having to turn away potential delegates as it filled the available space at the Hyatt

 ECTA’S 2019 ANNUAL MEETING ATTRACTED A SELLOUT CROWD TO TALK ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD

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shared across several parties. To make good use of good data will require collaboration and openness – a point we have heard many times before and one that is not going away.

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD We have also heard that the demand for accurate delivery time information is being driven to a great extent by individuals’ experience in the B2C world, where online purchases arrive at a pre-announced time.

Jesper Bennike, executive vice-president of the mysteriously named project44, gave some advice on how to find solutions to build a two-sided network to provide an Amazon-style experience in B2B markets.

As Beaufils had already noted, a major challenge is to create an environment in which carriers feel comfortable in sharing data. That environment also needs to be simple enough so that carriers can onboard themselves. It is also important that all parties in the supply chain get some value from the network.

This all means a move from ‘isolated’ to ‘collaborative’, from batched to real-time data, and from manual to automated processes.

This is where the other challenge comes in, Bennike said. The haulage market is extraordinarily fragmented – he said that there are more than 200,000 hauliers in Poland alone – and yet 90 per cent of shipments are managed by the large EU carriers, which sub-contract a lot of the business to small operators. It is obvious that it would be impossible for each carrier to have its own system and for each to expect hauliers to join them all.

In order to build the system that is needed, project44 first had to define a data sharing standard so that carriers could trust that their sensitive information would not be shared. It needed a simple carrier onboarding tool while

breaking down silos. “The benefits for all are obvious,” he concluded. And for those who are keen to solve the riddle, project44 was set up by 20-year supply chain veteran Jett McCandless in Chicago; he took the name from Highway 44, which opened in 1953 as an ambitious piece of transport infrastructure to solve the problem of increasing congestion on Route 66 – and project44 is aiming to do the same for the digital highway.

MAKING IT WORK “Shippers want to delight their customers – satisfaction is no longer enough,” began Simon Hardy, rather optimistically. Hardy, described as a digital business network evangelist at Elemica, was certainly keen to spread the good news but, he said, customers have become used to a level of disappointment. They aim for ‘on time in full’ (OTIF) but so many things can go wrong in the supply chain that carriers are working on ‘HOTUF’ – hopefully on time, usually in full.

What this means is that carriers spend a lot of time on managing expectations as well as managing exceptions. Speed of response is crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction and that cannot be achieved by manual systems, Hardy said.

His words led seamlessly into a panel discussion involving all three of the morning’s speakers, who were presented with the provocative question: do IT advances mean that carriers will just become asset owners, rather than partners in the chain? Hardy was having none of it: “IT takes a lot of ‘grunt work’ out of the system but there’s still a need for emotional intelligence and exception management,” he said. Indeed, Bennike said, shareing data can bring shippers and carriers closer than ever before, though Beaufils stressed the need to keep in mind who owns what data.

Referring back to Beaufils’ presentation, Hardy said that shippers will only want ETA data if they find it is usually accurate; if so, »

being able to cope with the complex level of subcontracting in the industry and still ensure that the right data only goes to the right parties.

Bennike said that project44 is aware that it is the custodian of carriers’ data and it only shares data that relates directly to loading and unloading. Fundamentally, he said, it’s about

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then they will build it into their KPIs. It is a lot neater than relying on GPS data. And, he added, carriers have an interest in their ETAs being accurate, as being late can involve costs.

From the audience, Michael Kubenz, chairman of Kube & Kubenz, asked the panel for advice on the digital ‘black holes’ in international transport. How can the supply chain provide data on shipments going by deepsea vessel or by air, or fill in the gaps in batched messaging? Beaufils said that intermodal transport needs to be seen as a set of different transports; shippers and carriers then have to rely on information coming from different partners, which may not always be accurate. Hardy said there are solutions, through linking

 SIMON HARDY (BELOW) PLAYED THE ROLE OF EVANGELIST FOR DIGITISATION IN THE CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN

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different sources of information. For instance, in deepsea transport it is possible to use vessel tracking data and port data, of which there is plenty available. One thing that is needed is a set of standard codes for ‘points of interest’, something that Elemica has done a lot of work on, though he admitted that there is more to do.

Bennike agreed that “it’s about stitching it all together”. Different transport modes have different logics and a software provider has to be alert to those. For instance, he said, some trucks ‘disappear’ when they pull into a truck stop and the engine is switched off; a system cannot generate an alarm at that point or it will undermine confidence in the system as a whole.

Jan Roed of Borealis had another provocative question for the panel: is the future eight Elemicas, with chemical companies having to sign up to each and with all carriers on all platforms? Bennike agreed that the digitised space is getting crowded,

with a lot of new companies moving in. He predicted that there will be consolidation over time and that there may be only two or three different platforms to deal with; they may also be regional, particularly in Asia.

Beaufils said it is down to the chemical industry to determine what it wants. But platform owners will need to establish common standards to make it possible for shippers and carriers to cope with the variety of options, something that Hardy said would take about five years.

For the traditionally minded, the panel session was perhaps a little confusing.

Were the three companies represented on the panel competitors? Were they collaborators? In fact, they were both, but that is how the new world of the digitised economy will operate. Hardy did, though, offer an interesting way of thinking about what platforms do: they act like a pump and filter in a fuel station, but with data, keeping it clean and keeping it moving.

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ON THE RIGHT TRACK After lunch, discussions moved first to rail transport. Geert Pauwels, CEO of Lineas, formerly the Belgian state-owned railfreight firm B Logistics, ingratiated himself by opening with the comment: “I understand you’re all struggling with rail.” He was referring to the problems shippers are experiencing in trying to shift more freight off the roads – a lack of interoperability across Europe, last-mile issues, disorganisation in maintenance work, and the comparatively high cost of using rail. “What do we need to do to change that?” he asked.

It is not a lack of capacity that is holding the modal shift back, it’s more that shippers are not making use of the capacity that is there, Pauwels said. Around 75 per cent of freight in Europe still moves by road and that is simply not sustainable. Road freight volumes are forecast to increase by 30 per cent by 2030 – that’s about 1 million more trucks on the road (the same as the existing German truck fleet).

That cannot be accommodated within the Paris sustainability targets. “That 30 per cent growth needs to go by rail,” Pauwels insisted.

Last-mile delivery to the customer will always have to go by road but, he said, rail should be the backbone.

How is the rail industry going to get to the position where it can provide that backbone?

For a start, Pauwels said, rail companies need to modernise. It’s an old industry and the state-owned mindset still prevails. Rail companies need to provide services that customers want; they need to improve productivity; and they need to be open to the use of innovative systems.

Pauwels was optimistic: “There’s a wind of change,” he said. “The rail industry is now addressing this as a community.” But, he reiterated, it cannot do it all on its own.

Driving a truck across Europe is straightforward, Pauwels said, but driving a train across Europe is a pain. Infrastructure owners need to address interoperability; the rail industry is leaning on them to take action but it will take time.

Finally, there needs to be a level playing field across the modes in terms of costs; road transport has hidden subsidies – companies shipping by road are not expected to make a

The European rail community has recently come together to draw up a strategy to help encourage that modal shift: RailFreight Forward sets a plan of doubling railfreight volumes in Europe by 2030. But the rail industry cannot do it alone, Pauwels said; it will need the cooperation of shippers.

contribution to road building and maintenance, yet the cost of shipping by rail includes an element that goes to the infrastructure owner.

The rail industry has taken this to the European Commission and to individual EU states and the message is beginning to get through, Pauwels said.

WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS If it is to be taken seriously as an option for freight movements, rail has to be reliable, competitive on price, and easy to deal with.

“How can we deliver that with what we have?”

Pauwels asked. Lineas has taken this challenge head-on and come up with a new product that delivers what customers want – and is profitable – the Green Xpress Network.

This bundles conventional and intermodal wagons into regular services, giving shippers confidence that their goods will be delivered in a timely manner.

Lineas has also been investing in additional capacity in the Antwerp market, to cope with expected rising demand for railfreight as major roadworks are due to start on the ring in July 2020.

Pauwels also explained that Lineas is gearing up to scale its services up across Europe, with a new management team in place and digitised systems being applied.

This surely provides a model for some of the larger state operators to follow - though he mentioned that some of them have yet to start.

If rail provides an obvious answer to the EU’s sustainability targets, alternative fuels may also be part of the solution. Paolo Indiano of Evonik Industries and Volker Wehber of Evonik Resource Efficiency gave the audience »

“IF IT IS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, RAIL HAS TO BE RELIABLE, COMPETITIVE AND EASY TO DEAL WITH”

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an insight into recent developments, noting that alternative fuels are “not the fancy stuff of the future,” they are already here.

Evonik has been working on a way to take organic waste and, though anaerobic digestion, generate heat and gas (methane and carbon dioxide); it is now working on using that system to produce pure methane, for use in power generation, home heating and as a transport fuel. The speakers noted that there are currently around 280 references around the world.

THE MAN WHO KNOWS The afternoon ended with presentations from ECTA’s leading personnel, beginning with managing director Peter Devos, who gave an update on the Association’s current work.

Along with the European Chemical Industry

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Council (Cefic), ECTA is involved in a Network of Experts Working Group looking at the issue of driver shortages, which is a “structural problem,” Devos said. The EU is aware of the issue and is working on trying to attract young drivers to the business. This is not just a chemical industry problem. Devos advised the audience to “stay tuned” as things will start happening.

Devos also referred to the new Supply Chain Visibility Work Team, established late last year by a number of tank container operators. The project charter has been completed and phase one output is due in the first quarter 2020.

ECTA took a leading role in the development of the electronic EFTCO Cleaning Document, the e-ECD. This is now ‘live’ and has more than 150 users in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The platform is there and

waiting for more participants, Devos said. He also noted that some enhancements are in development, which will include an electronic proof of previous load. The partners in the project are also looking at extending the concept to cover, for example, ETA visibility, equipment pre-notifications and e-CMR documents. This will need the agreement of stakeholders to share more data fields through Eclic.

At the 2018 ECTA Annual Meeting there were some stern comments from Evert de Jong, ECTA’s Responsible Care director, about the way in which the chemical industry had come to use the Safety and Quality Assessment for Sustainability (SQAS) scheme; Cefic responded to the criticisms expressed by ECTA and others, establishing a SQAS Task Force in January 2019 to follow

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up. Some very important steps have since been taken, de Jong said, and these will improve the system for the benefit of all involved.

A key issue is the promotion of SQAS; ECTA had been concerned that it had become taken for granted, or overlooked by those who had arrived in the industry since the inception of SQAS. Cefic has since taken the initiative and de Jong reported that, while supplementary inspections are still taking place, they are getting fewer in number.

Throughout 2019, ECTA and Cefic held discussions on Responsible Care with the aim of developing a revised Responsible Care template and linking the focus areas of Cefic and ECTA. The template also now includes a lot more questions.

SETTLING FOR SAFETY It is now ten years since ECTA’s Responsible Care programme was started – and de Jong recognised the efforts of Rose-Marie Pype at the start of the process – and things are now changing. For instance, the UN’s 17 sustainability goals will require a change in focus on aspects such as the circular economy and decarbonisation, and these will need to be reflected in Responsible Care.

ECTA has drawn up a plan to move things forward by 2025, the tight deadline being designed to focus attention and highlight the urgency of the changes. Fundamentally, de Jong said, Responsible Care needs to be able to identify the difference between a good logistics service provider and a bad logistics service provider. Those who sign up to (and abide by) ECTA’s Responsible Care charter need to be recognised as having better safety and environmental performance.

ECTA wants better alignment with the chemical industry (and not just Cefic), a better tool for internal use by its members, a better tool for promotion, and greater clarity

 MICHAEL KUBENZ (ABOVE) WAS ONE OF MANY DELEGATES WHO QUIZZED THE SPEAKERS AT THE ECTA MEETING

on what is expected. A new Charter and new Commitment Document will be rolled out in 2020 to reflect this new focus, with key areas in terms of limiting waste, reducing emissions, and limiting the number of injuries.

De Jong once more expressed his frustration at the length of time some ECTA members take to get their annual Responsible Care reports to him; these will now be expected by the end of the first quarter and companies that do not meet that deadline will be removed as Responsible Care members. “We’re choosing quality,” he said.

On the theme of accident prevention, the dinner speaker was Graham Hall, European logistics manager, industrial gases, at Air Products. He explained that, after a number of accidents in 2013, his company introduced a new rollover prevention programme but

not at fault, there was more acceptance and the cameras achieved some safety improvements. Air Products then added a more sophisticated and integrated system, including G-force sensors, contextual speed monitors and other equipment.

The data collected by this system now feeds into driver coaching programmes, not just to determine the need for corrective action but also to recognise and reward good behaviour. Following coaching there has been a significant fall in the number of videos captured, due to a reduction in the number of triggers. The system has also identified a number of black spots, with accidents happening more frequently close to the home depot, or when the driver is coming home empty after a long day.

It had been a long day for delegates too, but after an excellent dinner and plenty of talking,

this did not deliver the desired improvement.

In 2014, the focus changed.

Air Products decided to install forwardfacing cameras in its trucks, to some resistance on the part of drivers. However, once they saw how these cameras could exonerate them in incidents when they were

all were left better fed and better informed.

ECTA does an excellent job of packing so much into one day and will be planning to do it all over again in November 2020. Keep an eye on ECTA’s website (www.ecta.com) or HCB for details on that and other ECTA events coming up this year.

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CAMPAIGN TRAIL PLASTICS • FLEXIBAGS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE LIQUIDS SUPPLY CHAIN BUT, ITCO SAYS, USERS NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO NOT END UP ADDING TO OCEAN POLLUTION SINCE LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION of polyethylenes began in the mid-1950s, they have shown themselves to be a cheap and extremely flexible solution to all manner of needs. For instance, by 1985 it was estimated that 75 per cent of all US supermarkets had switched from paper bags to plastics.

More recently, though, there has been growing concern over the littering of the planet by single-use plastics bags, water bottles and other items, with a major emphasis on the impact of this litter on the marine environment. Governments have

bans or taxes on single-use plastics.

And last year, as HCB reported in its December 2019 issue, the chemical industry has also started to respond, establishing the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW); various ports around the world have set up programmes to clean their waters of plastic litter and to avoid the generation of additional waste in the polymer chain.

More action is still needed, and the International Tank Container Organisation (ITCO) has renewed its efforts to reduce the employment of single-use plastics bags in

responded to public opinion by introducing

the bulk liquids supply chain.



TAKE RESPONSIBILITY Speaking at ITCO’s 2019 Asia Regional Meeting in Shanghai this past 27 November, Clive Francis, vice-president Asia-Pacific of Exsif Worldwide, looked in some detail at

FLEXIBAGS ARE USEFUL IN THE TRANSPORT OF NONHAZARDOUS LIQUIDS IN BULK BUT THEIR USERS NEED TO LOOK CLOSELY AT HOW THEY ARE DISPOSED OF AFTER THEIR SINGLE USE

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the situation. He characterised the flexibag as a 40-kg single-use plastics bag, equivalent to some 7,272 supermarket shopping bags.

As he said: “What is the value of a family taking their re-useable shopping bag to the supermarket if their product they are buying was shipped in a flexibag?”

Flexibags are not re-used once they have been emptied: they are a one-way, singleuse bag. And while consignees may be encouraged to send dirty bags to be shredded and recycled, anecdotal evidence indicates that many end up in landfill, adding to the piles of litter threatening the oceans.

ITCO wants to see an end to this process.

It has begun a campaign to require a verifiable end-user certificate, issued at the time of shipment, stating how the flexibag will be recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way at the end of its trip. At its Members Meeting in Amsterdam at the end of September, ITCO also agreed to make a budget available for a short animated video to promote the use of tank containers as a totally sustainable alternative; this will be provided for all members to use, free of charge, to get the message out to their customers that plastics waste is bad for their image.

As part of this effort, ITCO realises the need to work with its customers in the chemical industry. ITCO president Reg Lee has been in touch with AEPW to explain the issue and to open a dialogue. Lee stresses that it is not ITCO’s intention to outlaw the use of flexibags but simply to ensure that there is a responsible approach to their use by the chemical industry.

Lee says: “ITCO fully supports the aims and objectives of AEPW and in our own small way we have been helping the chemical industry become more aware of the environmental problems associated with shipping nonhazardous chemicals in single-trip plastic bags in 20-foot box containers on international trade routes,” and notes that almost one million such bags will be used this year. www.itco.org

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UBH CLOSES ITS DOORS

UK tank manufacturer UBH International has entered administration. Its 100-strong workforce was laid off on 17 December. The company has not so far issued a formal statement.

Universal Bulk Handling was established in the 1960s and went into receivership in 1999, after irregularities were discovered in its accounts. It was acquired from the receiver by its employees, which subsequently ran it as a cooperative. The latest closure came just a month after UBH announced a big push into the Middle East market. www.ubh.co.uk LAG GOES TO FRANCE

LAG Trailers has gained approval to market its ADR road tankers in France. The approval completes LAG’s range, as its foodgrade tankers, aluminium containers and fuel tankers have already been on the market. Its stainless steel tankers are now approved for the carriage of liquids of Classes 3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 8 and 9.

LAG has already delivered ADR tankers to Delvaux and says a batch will shortly be handed over to TIP Trailers Service France. The 37,500-m3 design, with a tare weight below 7 tonnes, was introduced to the French market at the Solutrans event this past November. www.lag.eu LNG FOR NI

Calor and Dennison Commercials have introduced LNG-powered Volvo trucks at Dennison’s head office depot in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, from where Calor distributes LNG by road. Calor says it is planning to extend its LNG fuelling network in Northern Ireland over the coming year and, according to CEO Duncan Osborne, is looking further ahead to a switch to biomethane, which will help Calor and its customers further reduce their carbon

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footprints. “This would operate using the same fleet and refuelling infrastructure, future-proofing the investment in this alternative fuel technology,” he says. www.dennisons.co.uk CHEMION EXPANDS IN DORMAGEN

Chemion has begun the expansion of its container storage area in Chempark Dormagen. On completion, the Container Terminal Dormagen II, located on more than 1.4 ha of land in the north-west part of Chempark, will be able to handle some 1,000 freight and tank containers. The foundation stone was laid during a ceremony this past December (above), following more than a year spent on securing approvals and making preparatory ground work.

Lars Friedrich, Chempark director, said he is “delighted” with the plans. “The manufacturing companies in the plant continuously invest in their operations and therefore need welldeveloped, efficient logistics. With today’s

laying of the foundation stone, we have come a bit closer,” he said. www.chemion.de LESHACO BUILDS AGAIN

Leschaco has broken ground on a new logistics centre in Malaysia, designed primarily for the storage and handling of chemicals, including dangerous goods. The BBR Industrial Gateway project will cover 39 ha in a busy industrial area of Bandar Bukit Raja in Klang, west of Kuala Lumpur.

“The new facility will allow us to provide high quality logistics services to our customers and the chemical industry in Malaysia, therefore strengthening and expanding our market position in Malaysia,” says Lothar Lauszat, managing director of Leschaco (Malaysia). “This project is a major strategic milestone for our presence in Malaysia, where we have been operating warehouses since 2013. Our current facilities are running continuously at full capacity.” The warehouse

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at the new site is due for completion by the end of 2020.

Leschaco Pte Ltd Singapore, meanwhile, has received certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), further expanding the group’s global airfreight network. With the new certification, Leschaco is represented as a cargo agent in all major cities, delivering its customers’ airfreight shipments in accordance with individual requirements, coordinating the loading and unloading of airfreight, collecting freight and handling customs formalities. IATA agents can issue documents such as an air waybill on behalf of airlines and have access to the e-freight project, including the creation of electronic air waybills. www.leschaco.com QUALA OPENS IN TEXAS

US tank wash major Quala has taken over the former Premier Container Services depot in Angleton, Texas.

“This new site allows us to offer another convenient location to our customers in the Gulf Region, complementing Quala’s nearby locations in Clute and Freeport,” says Jeff Noble, senior vice-president, operations. “In addition to the chemical cleaning services,

we’ll be offering cleaning of Frac tanks and roll-offs. Plus, equipment maintenance services are available, making this a convenient stop for customers.” www.quala.us.com SUTTONS GOES FOR YOUTH

Suttons Group has made two appointments to boost its marketing division, hiring Alex Loveless from GW Legal and Jessica Russell from CollectPlus and Yodel (below).

“In an extremely competitive marketplace, these appointments are key as the company enters its next phase of growth. We need to ensure we are known in the marketplace as a high quality, safety led business,” says CEO John Sutton. “Alex will head up marketing activity for Suttons International creating dynamic campaigns to grow our business in the States and in new markets across the world.

Jessica’s experience will help our UK Tankers team tell its story of success in delivering a quality, cost-effective service for our clients.” www.suttonsgroup.com NEW HEAD FOR NIJHOF

Bertil Bouwhuis has been appointed managing director of Nijhof-Wassink’s chemical logistics division. Bouwhuis has been finance and control manager at the company since 2016

and was previously an independent business consultant. He succeeds Wijnand Hendrikse, who left the company at the beginning of December 2019. nijhofwassink.com PETROTRANS ADDS GASES

This year’s expo PetroTrans trade fair, which takes place 1 to 3 October in Kassel, Germany, will be the first to be organised in cooperation with Leipziger Messe. As part of that, its former focus on fuel logistics will be expanded to cover the road transport of LPG and other gases.

“Our previous discussions with the industry have been extremely positive and we are already looking forward to the first registrations of exhibitors from this sector,” says Ingo Klöver, managing director of planetfair, co-organiser of the previous eight biennial expo PetroTrans events alongside AVR Messe- und Veranstaltung.

“The reputation and competence of Leipziger Messe will contribute to the continued development of expo PetroTrans and increase its significance for exhibitors and trade visitors who, next year, will be able to see for themselves,” adds Thomas Klocke, managing director of AVR Messe- und Veranstaltung. expopetrotrans.de

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HAPPY NEW YEAR? OUTLOOK • CBA’S FINAL QUARTERLY SURVEY RESULTS FOR 2019 SHOW CONTINUED UNCERTAINTY THANKS TO ANOTHER BREXIT DELAY AND MARGIN PRESSURES, BUT SLIM IMPROVEMENTS IN SALES THE CHEMICAL BUSINESS Association’s (CBA) last quarterly trends survey for 2019 concluded a year of caution, uncertainty and concern, confirming the results recoded earlier in the year. The answers provided by CBA members offer a detailed insight into how business is coping and where the next three months are predicted to be heading, bearing in mind the unknowability (at the time) of the December general election and the end-January Brexit deadline.

There is still a deep-seated level of uncertainty in the UK’s chemical distribution

 UNCERTAINTY APPEARS TO BE THE ‘NEW NORMAL’ FOR CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS IN THE UK

community, but there has been a recovery from the drastic fluctuations in opinions seen in prior surveys, indicating that, perhaps, a new sense of normality is building.

“The recovery reported in this survey, whilst limited, is very welcome,” explains CBA’s chief executive, Peter Newport. “It remains difficult to assess the continuing impact of the overhang of stock building in relation to the past Brexit deadline of 31 October or the preparations for the prospective deadline of 31 January next year.”

HARD DATA Regarding order books, the November 2019 survey shows a positive balance of +13 per cent, a strong recovery from the -26 per cent negative balance reported by CBA’s July

survey. Readers may remember that there was a large fluctuation at the start of 2019 when businesses began stockpiling for the 31 March Brexit deadline, when the number of respondents reporting a growing orderbook rose from 14 per cent to 34 per cent from November 2018 to April 2019. This then tumbled drastically to -60 per cent in the July survey, highlighting the difficulties the industry has faced throughout 2019.

Looking at sales volumes, the latest results show a return to positive territory (+12 per cent). This is an acceptable recovery from the negative balance of -17 per cent reported in July’s survey, but there is still a way to go.

Members were then asked to forecast numbers for the next three months, predicting a positive trend of +18 per cent for sales volumes. This is another welcome improvement from the -14 per cent threemonth outlook reported in the last survey.

Frustratingly, sales margins remain under pressure and employment prospects are very weak. Sales margins have recovered to the point of +2 per cent of respondents experiencing improved sales margins, but future forecasts remain negative with -8 per cent of companies predicting a decline over the next three months.

However, this has improved from -18 per cent in the previous survey.

Only +2 per cent of companies are predicting higher employment levels over the next three months, continuing record low levels.

Despite the negatives that have been experienced throughout 2019 and a distinct lack of clarity, members have been tenacious and continued in an ever-changing environment. Newport says: “Our members are determined to maintain supplies of critical chemical components to customers but financing historically high stock levels and availability of regulatory compliant warehousing is placing a strain on the resources of many companies.”

The CBA’s latest online trends survey was conducted from 7 to 19 November 2019 and is based on responses from 51 member companies. Respondents were aked to provide information on order books, sales, sales margins and employment, on a ‘better-worsesame’ basis. www.chemical.org.uk

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BRENNTAG CONTINUES EUROPEAN EXPANSION

Brenntag has acquired Scotland-based Tan International, a distributor and blender of specialty and industrial chemicals and ingredients. Tan’s portfolio covers the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, agriculture and energy sectors and is expected to have generated sales of £21m in 2019.

Karsten Beckmann, member of the management board of Brenntag and CEO of Brenntag EMEA, says: “With the acquisition of Tan International we complement our existing activities and offering in the region and thus strengthen our position in the country. The company’s strong relationships with large key accounts as well as its diverse portfolio support our ambition to expand further in focus industries such as food and nutrition, agriculture and oil and gas.”

In Poland, Brenntag has strengthened its partnership with Grupa Azoty, expanding its portfolio of products to include Oxoviflex® (DOTP/DEHT), Adoflex® (DOA) and

Oxovilen® (DBTP) plasticisers and taking over the distribution of packed goods in the Germany/Austria/Switzerland region. www.brenntag.com BIESTERFELD BOOST FROM BPR

Biesterfeld has expanded its partnership with Emerald Kalama Chemical to include distribution rights for Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Slovenia. Having previously handled sales of Kalaguard® SB in Germany and Austria, the partnership has grown thanks to successful registration under Part 6 of the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). As a result, Kalaguard SB, which has been used as an effective preservative in foods, beverages and personal care applications for some time, is now available for homecare formulators.

In home care applications such as cleaners, detergents, hand dishwashing liquids, wipes and fabric conditioners, Kalaguard SB (pictured opposite) acts as a preservative, which inhibits microbial growth. The product is classified

as a low-risk substance by the European Commission for applications governed by BPR and is preferred over classical biocides to encourage the use of products with a more favourable environmental or human or animal health profile.

“We are delighted to expand our cooperation with Emerald Kalama Chemical, as we have seen a strong customer demand for Kalaguard SB,” explains Verena Kahrs, product manager personal care and cleaning, Biesterfeld Spezialchemie.

“We are also planning to introduce the product in Romania, pending local administration of the European Union BPR approval in this country.” www.biesterfeld.com IMCD EYES LATIN AMERICA

IMCD has continued its expansion across the Americas with the acquisition of Colombiabased ingredients distributor Unired Químicas, with full integration expected over the course of this year. Unired distributes specialty chemicals and ingredients to the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets and is headquartered in Bogotá.

Unired generated revenue of $8m in 2018.

Oscar Clavijo, Unired president, says: “We are delighted to become part of IMCD as the acquisition immediately propels Unired into the future with a larger and more specialised team and added technical know-how.”

Marcus Jordan, president of IMCD Americas, adds: “Following IMCD Americas’ acquisitions in the US, Canada and Brazil, this is an important next step for IMCD to enter the Colombian market and to expand our LATAM presence. Unired is a reputable pharmaceutical, food and personal care distributor and we very much look forward to working together to further develop our offering to both suppliers and customers in the region.” www.imcdgroup.com STICKING TOGETHER

Henkel (left) and Bodo Möller Chemie have extended their collaboration with Bodo Möller now including Henkel Adhesives medical products in its portfolio. These include instant adhesives, UV curing adhesives, epoxy resin, hybrid and silicon adhesives, meaning that Bodo Möller’s customers will have access to a suitable adhesive system and professional

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advice and services for a range of applications.

Wolfgang Bier, regional head western Europe AEI industrial assembly key account team at Henkel, says: “We see Bodo Möller Chemie as highly competent partner and are glad that the company has started acting right away as qualified contact for our medical field customers too.”

“We are already collaborating closely with Henkel in different areas, among them are the Loctite products for the medical field and the Bonderite product family for surface technologies in metal processing,” says Frank Haug, CEO of Bodo Möller Chemie.” To our delight, the partnership becomes even closer with the cooperation in China and we hope we can develop it further in the future.” bm-chemie.com CHANGING THINGS UP FOR 2020

Univar Solutions is to sell its Environmental Sciences business to AEA Investors for $195m.

The transaction is expected to close early in 2020.

“After careful and thorough evaluation, we are convinced that this transaction will be a ‘win-win’ for our Environmental Sciences dedicated employees, our loyal customers and supplier partners and for Univar Solutions,” says David Jukes, Univar Solutions president and CEO. “Environmental Sciences is already well established as an industry leader in pest management, and we are confident that AEA has the right resources and vision to position

the business for long term sustainable growth,” Jukes adds. “We will continue our intense focus on growing the value of our core chemical distribution and ingredient business and capturing the maximum value from the integration of the legacy Univar and Nexeo Solutions.”

In Russia, Univar Solutions has relocated its office in Ufa to larger premises, as part of its growth plans in the country. “We are very excited with the opening of our new office in Ufa, which is a big step for our Russian business in one of the largest cities in Russia.

Univar Solutions is investing in the people, and the region, as we enhance and expand our business. This investment also directly reflects our current and future growth plans,” says Matthew Ottaway, vice-president of focused industries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Univar Solutions. “Through this new office, we are well positioned to help customers and suppliers solve complex problems through dedicated resources that are regionally focused.”

Univar is also adding food ingredients staff at its offices in Moscow and St Petersburg and is planning to introduce personal care experts soon. www.univarsolutions.com WELCOME TO MEXICO

Azelis has acquired Megafarma, a specialty distributor for the pharma, food and veterinary industries in Mexico. The acquisition gives Azelis an entry into the Latin America market

and a route to other market segments, such as plastics, foam, CASE, personal care and household and industrial cleaning.

“Being the most populous country in the Americas after the US and Brazil and with a large specialty chemicals market, Mexico is an excellent entry point into the Spanishspeaking part of America, where Azelis was not yet present,” says Dr Hans Joachim Müller, Azelis CEO and president. “Local presence in Mexico will allow us to add new mandates of food and pharma principals we already work within other geographies.”

Frank Bergonzi, Azelis Americas CEO and president, adds: “We have been impressed by the business model and the strong management team at Megafarma. They are financially solid and have shown a very strong track record over the years, with double-digit sales growth between 2016 and 2018. Like Azelis, they are highly focused on specialties. Our expectation is to expand the strategic supplier relationships we have in the US and Canada in the food and pharma segments. Through the acquisition of Megafarma, Azelis Americas will increase its Life Sciences footprint and will have the platform to bring other Azelis key market segments into Mexico. We are excited to have the Megafarma employees join the Azelis Americas family, with the team and all operations remaining in place.” www.azelis.com

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TRAINING COURSES ACUTE ENVIRONMENTAL & SAFETY SERVICES 730 Bridge St West, Unit 3 Waterloo, Ontario N2V 2J4, Canada T (+1 519) 747 5075 www.acuteservices.com Transport of Dangerous Goods • February 4 – Waterloo • March 26 – Waterloo Confined Space Entry • February 13 – Waterloo Confined Space Rescue • February 14 – Waterloo HAZWOPER • January 28-31 – Waterloo • March 24-27 – Waterloo HAZWOPER Refresher • January 29 – Waterloo • March 25 – Waterloo AITAC PO Box 146 Riddell’s Creek, VIC 3431, Australia T (+61 3) 5428 6077 www.aitac.com.au Sea Transport of Dangerous Goods • February 10-11 – Tullamarine • March 16-17 – Tullamarine Sea Transport of Dangerous Goods – Recertification • March 19 – Tullamarine Air Transport of Dangerous Goods – Acceptance, Initial • January 29-30 – Tullamarine • February 17-18 – Tullamarine • March 30-31 – Tullamarine Air Transport of Dangerous Goods – Recertification • February 19 – Tullamarine • March 11 – Tullamarine Dangerous Goods Driver Licence • January 30-31 – Tullamarine • February 22-23 – Tullamarine • March 7-8 – Tullamarine • March 21-22 – Tullamarine ATLAS COMPLIANCE 89 Devonshire Drive Timberlea, Nova Scotia B3T 2J6, Canada T (+1 902) 468 3371 www.atlascompliance.ca

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Dangerous Goods by Air – Initial • January 29-31 – Halifax Dangerous Goods by Air – Refresher • February 28 – Halifax Dangerous Goods by Road – Initial • January 27-28 – Halifax Dangerous Goods by Road – Refresher • April 3 – Halifax Dangerous Goods by Ocean – Refresher • February 7 – Halifax • March 13 – Halifax BRITISH INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT ASSOCIATION (BIFA) Redfern House, Browells Lane Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7EP, UK T (+44 20) 8844 3625 www.bifa.org Dangerous Goods by Air • February 3-5 – Feltham Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • February 6-7 – Feltham Carriage of Lithium Batteries by Air • January 30 – Feltham Carriage of Lithium Batteries by Sea • January 31 – Feltham CAMEON PO Box 17345 Edinburgh EH12 1DJ, UK T (+44 131) 334 1929 www.cameon.com Dangerous Goods by Air • April 20-22 – Manchester Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • February 7 – Manchester Dangerous Goods by Road and Sea • February 4-6 – Manchester Dangerous Goods by Road – Upgrade • April 23 – Manchester Dangerous Goods by Sea – Upgrade • April 24 – Manchester Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser • February 24-28 – Manchester

CARGO TRAINING INTERNATIONAL PO Box 176 Shepperton TW17 8WP, UK T (+44 1932) 769682 P O Box 580026 Houston, TX 77258-0026, USA T (+1 281) 333 4672 www.cargotraining.com Dangerous Goods by Air – ICAO (full course) • February 3-5 – Heathrow • February 3-5 – Orlando • February 10-12 – Glasgow • February 10-12 – Houston • February 10-12 – Leeds/Bradford • February 17-19 – Austin • February 24-26 – Boston • February 24-26 – Manchester • March 2-4 – Bournemouth • March 2-4 – Dallas • March 2-4 – Heathrow • March 16-18 – Bristol • March 16-18 – Houston • March 23-25 – Birmingham, UK • March 23-25 – Heathrow Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • February 4-5 – Orlando • February 6-7 – Heathrow • February 11-12 – Glasgow • February 11-12 – Houston • February 13-14 – Leeds/Bradford • February 18-19 – Austin • February 25-26 – Boston • February 27-28 – Manchester • March 3-4 – Dallas • March 5-6 – Bournemouth • March 5-6 – Heathrow • March 17-18 – Houston • March 19-20 – Bristol • March 26-27 – Birmingham, UK • March 26-27 – Heathrow Dangerous Goods by Road – ADR (full course) • February 24-26 – Birmingham, UK • March 9-11 – Manchester • March 16-18 – Heathrow Dangerous Goods by Road – Revalidation • February 25-26 – Birmingham, UK • March 10-11 – Manchester • March 17-18 – Heathrow Dangerous Goods by Sea (IMDG) • February 6-7 – Atlanta • February 6-7 – Orlando • February 13-14 – Glasgow • February 13-14 – Houston

• • • •

February 27-28 – Birmingham, UK March 5-6 – Dallas March 12-13 – Manchester March 19-20 – Heathrow

IMDG – Sea – Revalidation • February 7 – Atlanta • February 7 – Orlando • February 14 – Houston • March 6 – Dallas DOT 49 CFR - Full Course • February 4-5 – Atlanta • February 13-14 – Houston • February 20-21 – Austin • February 27-28 – Boston • March 5-6 – Dallas • March 19-20 – Houston Dangerous Goods Multimodal • March 9-13 – Dallas Lithium Batteries Multimodal • January 30-31 – Heathrow Infectious Substances by Air • February 4 – Elstree Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser • February 24-28 – Heathrow • February 24-28 – Manchester Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (Refresher) • February 26-28 – Heathrow • February 26-28 – Manchester CHEMICAL HAZARDS COMMUNICATION SOCIETY PO Box 899 Oxford OX1 9QG, UK T (+44 333) 210 2427 www.chcs.org.uk Classification for Transport • January 29 – Manchester Transport Labelling and Documentation • January 30 – Manchester Introduction to Basic SDS Writing • March 19 – London Advanced preparation of SDSs • May 20 – Manchester Overview of the Biocidal Products Regulation • February 5 – Manchester Basic Toxicology • March 3 – London

COURSES & CONFERENCES 37

Advanced Toxicology • March 4 – London CHEMICAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Group House, Southmere Court Electra Way, Crewe Business Park Crewe CW1 6GU, UK T (+44 1270) 258200 www.chemical.org.uk CDG General Awareness Workshop • January 28 – Crewe EU REACH Refresher & UK REACH Update • February 11 – Crewe COMAH Safety Reports • February 26 – Crewe DANGEROUS GOODS OF AMERICA 10400 NW 33rd Street, Suite 230 Doral, FL 33172, USA T (+1 305) 871 3313 www.dga4u.com Initial IATA & HMR Air • February 3-5 – Doral • March 2-4 – Doral Recurrent IATA & HMR • February 11 – Doral • March 10 – Doral IMDG Code & HMR Ocean • March 9 – Doral DG AIR FREIGHT PO Box 140 Botany, NSW 1455, Australia T (+61 8) 8234 1622 http://dgair.com.au DG by Air – Initial • February 3-5 – Sydney • February 10-12 – Adelaide • February 17-19 – Melbourne • March 2-4 – Sydney • March 23-25 – Brisbane • March 30-April 1 – Sydney DG by Sea – Initial • February 6-7 – Sydney • February 13-14 – Adelaide • February 20-21 – Melbourne • March 5-6 – Sydney • March 26-27 – Brisbane • April 2-3 – Sydney DGM UK Unit 1 Site 4, Howe Moss Drive Kirkhill Industrial Estate

Dyce, Aberdeen AB21 0GL, UK T (+44 1224) 773776 www.dgm.co.uk Dangerous Goods by Air • January 27-29 – Aberdeen • February 3-5 – Aberdeen • February 3-5 – Glasgow • February 10-12 – Aberdeen • February 17-19 – Aberdeen • February 17-19 – Norwich • February 24-26 – Aberdeen • March 2-4 – Aberdeen • March 9-11 – Aberdeen • March 16-18 – Aberdeen • March 23-25 – Aberdeen Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • February 4-5 – Aberdeen • February 6-7 – Glasgow • February 18-19 – Aberdeen • March 3-4 – Aberdeen • March 17-18 – Aberdeen Radioactive Materials by Air • February 18-19 – Aberdeen • March 17-18 – Aberdeen Dangerous Goods by Sea • January 30-31 – Aberdeen • February 6-7 – Aberdeen • February 10-12 – Aberdeen • February 20-21 – Aberdeen • February 20-21 – Norwich • February 27-28 – Aberdeen • March 5-6 – Aberdeen • March 9-11 – Aberdeen • March 12-13 – Aberdeen • March 19-20 – Aberdeen • March 26-27 – Aberdeen Radioactive Materials by Sea • February 20-21 – Aberdeen • March 19-20 – Aberdeen ADR Initial Driver Training (except 1&7) • February 3-7 – Aberdeen • March 2-6 – Aberdeen ADR Initial Driver Training (Classes 1&7) • February 10-11 – Aberdeen • March 9-10 – Aberdeen ADR Refresher Driver Training • February 25-28 – Aberdeen ADR for Consignors • February 13-14 – Aberdeen • March 12-13 – Aberdeen

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser • February 26-28 – Aberdeen GLOBAL TRANSPORT TRAINING 54 Norristown Road Blue Bell, PA 19422, USA T (+1 215) 283 0983 www.gttstraining.com Multi-Modal - IATA/IMDG/DOT 49 CFR – Initial • January 27-31 – Jacksonville • February 3-7 – Cincinnati • February 3-7 – Philadelphia • February 10-14 – Chicago • February 17-21 – San Francisco • February 24-28 – Baltimore • February 24-28 – Houston • March 2-6 – Atlanta • March 9-13 – Indianapolis • March 9-13 – Los Angeles • March 16-20 – Seattle • March 16-20 – Newark • March 23-27 – Miami • March 30-April 3 – Boston ICC COMPLIANCE CENTER 2150 Liberty Drive Niagara Falls, NY 14304, USA T (+1 888) 442 9628 88 Lindsay Avenue Dorval, QC H9P 2T8, Canada T (+1 888) 977 4834 www.thecompliancecenter.com Shipping Hazardous Materials by Ground in USA: Refresher • February 28 – Houston • March 17 – Niagara Falls, NY Shipping Dangerous Goods by Ground in Canada: Initial • February 11-12 – Toronto Shipping Dangerous Goods by Ground in Canada: Refresher • March 10 – Toronto Shipping Dangerous Goods by Ground in Canada: Initial/Refresher • February 11 – Vancouver Shipping Dangerous Goods by Air: Initial • February 4-6 – Montreal Shipping Dangerous Goods by Air: Refresher • February 4 – Montreal • February 26 – Houston • March 11 – Toronto • March 18 – Niagara Falls, NY

Shipping Dangerous Goods by Sea using IMDG Code: Refresher • March 12 – Toronto GHS Classification • March 17-19 – Toronto INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION 800 Place Victoria, PO Box 113 Montreal H4Z 1M1 Quebec, Canada.

T (+1 514) 874 0202 www.iata.org/training Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Initial, Category 6 • January 27-31 – Lagos • February 17-21 – Amsterdam • March 2-6 – Singapore • March 30-April 3 – Lagos Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Recurrent, Category 6 • February 5-7 – Singapore • March 25-27 – Amsterdam Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Instructor Refresher • February 26-28 – London • April 6-8 – Singapore Professional Skills for DGR Instructors – Categories 1,2,3,6 • February 3-5 – Geneva • February 10-14 – Taipei • March 2-6 – London • March 9-13 – São Paulo • March 23-27 – Singapore Instructional Techniques for DGR (for categories 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) • February 17-21 – Frankfurt DGR for Auditors and Inspectors • March 9-13 – Johannesburg Shipping Lithium Batteries by Air • January 30-31 – Geneva • March 2-3 – Singapore • March 16-17 – Miami • March 26-27 – Milan Transport of Dangerous Goods by Sea (IMDG) • March 18-20 – Miami

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CONFERENCE DIARY JANUARY European Oil Storage Conference January 22-23, Amsterdam Platts’ 13th annual conference on oil markets for terminal owners, ports, oil traders, financiers and analysts www.spglobal.com/platts/en/events/emea/ european-oil-storage/summary COHMED January 27-31, Louisville Annual conference of the Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development (COHMED) programme https://cvsa.org/eventpage/events/cohmedconference/

FEBRUARY Annual LNG Conference February 12-14, Houston 19th annual S&P Global Platts conference on the international LNG market www.spglobal.com/platts/en/events/americas/lngconference/summary Storck Symposium 2020 February 17-18, Hamburg 36th annual conference on dangerous goods transport (German language) www.ecomed-storck.de/Veranstaltungen/ Battery Recycling Europe February 19-20, London Conference for the battery recycling and manufacturing sectors www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/battery-recyclingeurope/ International Petroleum Week (IP Week) February 25-27, London Annual week of meetings, lunches, conferences and seminars in London www.ipweek.co.uk/_nocache Hazardex 2020 & PPTEx February 26-27, Harrogate Conference and exhibition on hazardous area operations and personal protective technology www.hazardexonthenet.net/event.aspx?EventID=4848

MARCH ChemCon The Americas 2020 March 2-6, Philadelphia Global conference on chemical regulation https://chemcon.net/upcoming.shtml

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

PPC Spring Meeting March 8-10, San Antonio Bi-annual meeting and tradeshow of the Petroleum Packaging Council www.ppcouncil.org/upcoming-meetings.php

LNG Congress Russia March 18-19, Moscow Seventh annual congress and exhibition on developments in Russian and Arctic LNG www.lngrussiacongress.com/en

IATA World Cargo Symposium March 10-12, Istanbul 14th global conference on air cargo www.iata.org/events/wcs/pages/index.aspx

AFPM Annual Meeting March 22-24, Austin AFPM’s annual meeting for refiners and marketers www.afpm.org/Conferences/

NACD Regulatory and Responsible Distribution Workshop March 10-12, Long Beach Meeting for code coordinators and others subject to Responsible Distribution www.nacd.com/education-meetings/ meetings/2020-spring-regulatory-and-responsibledistribution-workshops/ StocExpo 2020 March 10-12, Rotterdam The main annual exhibition and conference for the European tank terminal industrywww. stocexpo.com/en/ BADGP March 12, Coventry Annual AGM and seminar of the British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionalswww.badgp.org/event-3391957 Tanks and Terminals 2020 March 16-18, Dubai Conference and workshop on integrity management of aboveground storage tanks www.marcusevans-conferences-middleeastern.com/ Intermodal Asia March 17-19, Shanghai Seventh annual exhibition for the Asian intermodal sector www.intermodal-asia.com Intermodal South America March 17-19, São Paulo International exhibition on intermodal logistics, cargo transport and international trade www.intermodal.com.br/en

BDP Supply Chain Summit March 25, Antwerp Seminar on trade and compliance issues https://www.bdpinternational.com/2020-antwerpsupply-chain-summit SCHC Spring Meeting March 28-April 1, Charlotte Biannual meeting of the Society of Chemical Hazard Communication www.schc.org/meetings AFPM IPC March 29-31, New Orleans AFPM’s annual International Petrochemical Conference www.afpm.org/events/2734f40000093b

APRIL Argus West Africa LPG April 1-2, Lagos Conference exploring the potential for LPG in West Africa www.argusmedia.com/en/conferences-eventslisting/west-africa-lpg Ouray Transportation & Response Symposium April 5-8, Denver First symposium to spread technical knowledge on hazmat response www.ourayservices.com/trs2020/

LogiChem March 17-19, Rotterdam Chemical supply chain and logistics conference http://logichem.wbresearch.com/

NISTM April 15-17, Orlando National Institute for Storage Tank Management’s 22nd annual international aboveground storage tank conference and trade show www.nistm.org

International Transport & Logistics Week (SITL) March 17-20, Paris Annual transport event, including Dangerous Goods Logistics Pavilion www.sitl.eu/en-gb.html

Chemspec India April 16-17, Mumbai Exhibition for the fine and speciality chemicals sectors, incorporating ChemLogistics India www.chemspecindia.com

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PREPARE FOR 21 PREVIEW • DG PROFESSIONALS CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE NEXT YEAR AT LABELINE’S BIENNIAL DANGEROUS GOODS ROADSHOW

FOR MORE THAN 25 years Labeline International has been committed to providing industry with a one-stop dangerous goods service, and the company has recently been recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as its Top Regulatory Distributor Worldwide for the 11th year in succession. Labeline remains at the forefront of dangerous goods compliance as a leading supplier of publications, labels, documentation, software and training.

As a global leader for DG regulatory information, Labeline took the decision five years ago to do more to create awareness of the changes to the regulations in advance of their publication. It was also recognised that this information needed to be shared, not just with DG specialists, but to a wider audience, including management, warehouse, purchasing, administration and others in the supply chain. This led to the first Biennial Dangerous Goods Roadshow in 2016.

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Now firmly established as one of the most informative international events in the industry, preparations are well underway for the third series, scheduled to take place in September 2020. The ‘Biennial’ is a non-profit event with the same agenda at both of the carefully chosen venues. This year’s programme will highlight the changes to the regulations that will take effect from 2021, explain the reasons behind them and reference incidents that have effected these changes.

Industry experts will also give presentations on the technological developments that will impact on how dangerous goods will be shipped in future. It is the ideal forum for learning and interacting with industry colleagues as it is a coming together of DG professionals, suppliers and shippers.

With the emphasis on training and awareness, the organisers are delighted that the event has been accredited by the CPD Certification Service. The delegate price is just £135 plus VAT, representing excellent value for money,

so it is expected that some organisations will encourage more than one representative to attend.

The programme for this year’s Biennial event includes presentations on what’s new and what’s around the corner in the world of dangerous goods. It will include a comprehensive regulatory update session with a panel of world-renowned dangerous goods leaders explaining the changes in the rulebooks that govern the different modes of transport. For many delegates, this will be a crucial session as it will inform them of how changes to the regulations will affect their business.

According to the feedback from the 2018 Biennial, delegates supported the panel format as it helped to create a less formal ambience.

The willingness of the presenters to engage with the delegates during the intervals was also greatly appreciated.

The 2018 panel members (pictured above) were: Jeff Hart, OBE, retired former head of the Dangerous Goods Division at the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and former chair of the UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods; Geoff Leach, former head of the dangerous goods office at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and now principal of The Dangerous Goods Office Ltd; Richard Masters, DGSA, author and a chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH); and

LABELLING & COMPLIANCE 41

Gene Sanders, experienced dangerous goods trainer and consultant, and occasional HCB contributor. The panel session was moderated

by Peter Mackay, HCB’s editor-in-chief, who says he is looking forward to playing the same role this year and to catching up with those experts who can teach him a thing or two.

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS As the dangerous goods sector moves towards paperless and mobile data transfer, the session on e-freight and the options open to customers for accessing digital versions of the dangerous goods regulations will be of interest to many. This discussion will show how online software can create digital dangerous goods data and shipping documents and the various options available to access the DG regulations online.

A significant amount of paperwork is normally generated throughout the journey of a shipment and important information – often the same data – is manually entered a number of times. Apart from the obvious benefits of using paperless systems, e-freight will avoid multiple data entry repetitions and reduce input errors that often result in consignments being held en route.

The DG software is available from Labeline and can be tried without obligation.

Staying with online solutions, there will be a panel discussion on the recent upturn in the demand for online training across all modes in the sector. While not always a replacement for the classroom, online training does give candidates the freedom to work at their own pace and at times to suit them. It may also help overcome some of the conundrums that will come with the move to competency-based training in future.

group will highlight what they are looking for when checking vehicles and consignments of dangerous goods. They will also be looking at how the regulations are enforced around the world.

“THIS YEAR’S BIENNIAL ROADSHOW WILL HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES TO THE DANGEROUS GOODS REGULATIONS THAT WILL TAKE EFFECT IN 2021”

Of course, some of the areas of compliance that enforcement officers from all modes look for involve packaging and labelling. Getting the packaging right for the transport of dangerous goods can be difficult to understand and there will be an overview of how to use the regulations to ensure that packaging is compliant.

There will also be a discussion surrounding emergency response. At the time of an incident there are three globally recognised levels of response and this talk will cover the resources that are needed to ensure that robust and appropriate procedures are in place. It will highlight the international requirements for emergency telephone numbers and the capabilities of specialist clean-up contractors to deal with incidents.

Not only is the Biennial a comprehensive day of learning, it is also an excellent networking opportunity. On the evenings prior to each event, delegates are invited to attend the popular ‘ice-breaker’ reception.

An excellent hot buffet lunch is provided with the compliments of Labeline and industry-leading sponsors. Furthermore, the lunch breaks are staggered to maximise the time that delegates have to speak with the exhibitors and interact with industry colleagues.

The last two events have received excellent feedback with delegates leaving informed and prepared for the future with a comprehensive ‘DG Professional’ delegate package. More details about the events, which will take place on 15 September at Heathrow and 17 September at the Radisson Blu, East Midlands Airport, can be found on the Labeline website at www. labeline.com/events/dangerous-goodsroadshow/.

OUT IN FORCE The Carriage of Dangerous Goods (CDG) Practitioners Forum is made up of representatives from across the enforcement agencies in the UK and officers from the

 DG PROFESSIONALS HAVE TWO CHANCES TO ACCESS THE EXPERTISE OF WORLD-LEADING REGULATORS, TRAINERS AND CONSULTANTS AT THE LABELINE BIENNIAL

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FULLY CHARGED BATTERIES • CHANGING REGULATIONS AND NEW EFFORTS TO ADDRESS NON-COMPLIANCE MAKE PROPER PACKAGING AND LABELLING MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER IN 2020, SAYS LION’S ROGER MARKS* IN A PRESS release issued in December 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) gave a stark warning to lithium battery shippers who fail to comply with the latest regulations. Together with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) and other industry groups, IATA renewed its call for governments to crack down on counterfeit battery manufacturers and non-compliant lithium battery shipments.

Industry is urging governments to bolster

For businesses and shippers who do put investment in employee training, proper packaging and labels and dangerous goods compliance, rogue shippers who flout safety standards and regulations pose a serious problem. Their refusal to comply with accepted requirements undercuts the competitive advantage that companies earn by shipping lithium batteries (and other dangerous goods) properly.

What is more, the recent uptick in lithium

enforcement efforts and “get much tougher with fines and penalties.” Increased scrutiny on lithium battery shipments means that compliance with domestic and international shipping regulations for packaging and labelling these batteries is more important than ever in 2020.

battery air incidents – many of which are caused by undeclared or ‘hidden’ lithium battery shipments – has raised concerns among the general public about batteries that, when shipped and handled properly, are safe to transport and use. Simply put, rogue shippers have given lithium batteries a bad name.

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Efforts to make shipping dangerous goods as safe as possible enjoy broad support among shippers and other stakeholders. But when the rules frequently change, as the lithium batteries rules have, it puts a strain on industry professionals doing their best to ensure compliance. Only last year, lithium battery shippers had to update their procedures again to stay on top of changing regulations.

Following a two-year transition period, new lithium battery marks and labels became mandatory on 1 January 2019. The label currently required for fully regulated lithium batteries is a special Class 9 hazmat label featuring an illustration of lithium batteries.

Also newly required in 2019 is the lithium battery mark for excepted lithium battery shipments – that is, smaller batteries and batteries packaged in or with equipment.

It is hoped that regulators will allow these new labels to be used for a long while before they change them again.

US DOT ADDS EXTRA WRINKLE In March 2019, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) finally harmonised Title 49 of the US Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) with the latest international standards for shipping lithium batteries by air. In its harmonisation Interim Final Rule (HM-224I),

LABELLING & COMPLIANCE 43

DOT adopted three provisions that those shipping batteries in and out of the US are likely to be familiar with: a prohibition against lithium ion cells and batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft, a 30 per cent limit on state-of-charge and a limit of one package per consignment for “small” or “excepted” lithium batteries.

In that same rulemaking, DOT also introduced a new labelling/marking requirement all of its own.

In addition to harmonising 49 CFR with updated international rules, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) added a new, never-before-seen requirement at 49 CFR 173.185(c)(1)(iii).

Under this ‘extra’ rule, certain lithium battery shipments must display the Cargo Aircraft Only (CAO) label (or one of three alternative markings) – even if these shipments travel only by ground.

Under DOT regulations, the CAO label or an alternative is now required on the following shipments: •E xcepted lithium batteries shipped alone (UN 3480 and UN 3090); and •E xcepted lithium batteries with a net weight greater than 5 kg shipped in or with equipment (UN 3481 and UN 3091).

For the unfamiliar, the CAO label is a striking orange label that is intended to prevent materials or quantities that are prohibited from carriage aboard passenger aircraft – like oxygen generators – from being accidentally loaded onto one.

Using the CAO label on a ground shipment is unusual - so unusual, in fact, that stakeholders fear that the presence of the label (or the alternative marking) may lead to shipments meant for highway or rail transport being misrouted to cargo aircraft.

During the public comment period, some expressed concerns about the new DOT rule.

Joel Gregier, an instructor with Lion Technology who has trained thousands of

lithium battery shippers in the past decade, says: “International harmonisation was making things easier and more straightforward for lithium battery shippers, and DOT seemed to finally be on board. But this new, unique DOT label requirement adds an additional level of complexity to an already difficult and confusing process.”

Now that the public has had a chance to comment on the Interim Final Rule, DOT plans to officially finalise its revised lithium battery air regulations in May 2020. At that time, the agency may remove or revise the unique requirement they added for ground shipments – or not. Only time will tell.

INDUSTRY LEADS THE WAY With demand for lithium batteries rising every year, incidents involving these batteries have become more and more common.

Undeclared and mis-declared lithium battery shipments put all air cargo at risk – when lithium batteries enter thermal runaway in transit, the damage can quickly spread to other cargo before the fire can be extinguished. On passenger aircraft, lithium battery fires can cause terror among passengers, emergency landings – or worse.

By calling on governments to do more to combat unsafe shipping practices, industry is leading the way toward safer transportation of dangerous goods. Not only are they urging regulators to do more – they are stepping up their own efforts, too. IATA’s recent announcement also lays out a three-pronged campaign to raise awareness of the existing regulations and improve safety.

The campaign will include outreach in nations where dangerous goods compliance is a challenge, as well as a new incident reporting system that targets mis-declared and undeclared shipments.

The hope is that by raising awareness, industry stakeholders can reduce the number of shippers who ignore the regulations. Ultimately, this effort has the potential to greatly improve the transport of lithium batteries. What’s more, it may lead the public to recognise lithium batteries for their incredible energy storage potential and myriad applications – and not just the hazards they sometimes pose. *Roger Marks is a content writer with Lion Technology, a leading provider of dangerous goods and EH&S training, consulting and labels in the US. www.lion.com

 NEW LABELLING REQUIREMENTS INTRODUCED A YEAR AGO PROVIDE ENHANCED HAZARD COMMUNICATION, BUT THE US IS CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL LABELLING THAT WILL CREATE DISHARMONY

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INCIDENT LOG ROAD/RAIL/AIR INCIDENTS Date

Location

1/10/19

Details

Source

Nanfangao, road tanker oil Taiwan

Bridge over bay in small fishing port collapsed in wake of Typhoon Mitag; road tanker on bridge fell onto three boats below, spilling oil to waters; several people died, many others injured on and under bridge

PA

2/10/19

Kpone, road tankers petroleum Accra, Ghana

At least 15 road tankers were destroyed when fire ripped through fuel storage depot; tankers in neighbouring oil marketing yard were also burned; thought that fire may have started during illegal transfer of fuel

Graphic Online

2/10/19

Minna, road tanker gasoline Niger, Nigeria

Road tanker overturned on Minna-Paikoro Road, despite being driven slowly to avoid potholes; gasoline spilled from tanker, close to college, but rapid response prevented fire

New Telegraph

3/10/19

Kosciusko county, road tanker ethanol Indiana, US

Tank truck with 7,700 gal (29.1 m³) ethanol ran onto shoulder of CR 800; sloshing cargo caused rig to fall over, spilling ethanol that ignited; fire spread across field; driver suffered minor injuries

WNDU

6/10/19

Sakubva, road tanker — Mutare, Zimbabwe

Road tanker, said to be empty, exploded during welding work; fortunately the area was quiet at the time and no injuries were reported; police warned about dangerous operations in ‘backyard industries’

Zimeye

8/10/19

Milltown, road tanker New Jersey, US

Tank truck struck guardrail on NJ Turnpike, overturned; driver killed in crash; another vehicle hit wreck but no leak of acid reported; severe disruption as road had to be closed to recover damaged vehicles

nj.com

8/10/19

Fairfield, freight trains butane Ohio, US

Norfolk Southern freight train ran into rear of another NS train, derailing last three wagons, two of which were carrying butane; no leaks reported but specialist responders were despatched to oversee recovery

RSOE

9/10/19

Houston county, freight train Georgia, US

More than 20 wagons derailed in wooded area, blocking Ga 247; train was carrying hydrochloric acid and automotive parts; no spill of acid reported; highway closed for two days

The Telegraph

10/10/19

Obio-Akpor, road tanker diesel Rivers, Nigeria

Conoil road tanker overturned on bend on bridge in Port Harcourt suburb, spilling some of 33,000-litre diesel cargo; residents said to be scared for their lives but that did not stop many from collecting spilt fuel

PM News

11/10/19

Orange, road tanker CNG Massachusetts, US

Kenan Advantage tank truck crashed, killing driver and leaking methane; nearby residents evacuated; local authorities critical of PHMSA special permit that allows CNG transport in carbon fibre tanks

DeSmog

11/10/19

Dearborn, freight train hazmat Michgan, US

Several wagons of freight train derailed; responders found one wagon with possible hazardous materials; seemed to have been a failure of hazard communication if they did not know; nearby roads closed

ClickOn Detroit

13/10/19

Psare, road tanker unknown Czech Republic

Road tanker was involved in multiple-vehicle accident on Prague-Brno motorway, causing serious fire; one person killed in fire; several injured, including one policeman struck by a car as he was directing traffic

CTK

13/10/19

Tegucigalpa, road tanker fuel Honduras

Road tanker crashed into house, thought to have been due to brake failure, exploded on impact; driver killed; fire spread to at least 10 houses in Germania district, as well as one factory and several vehicles

La Tribuna

13/10/19

La Llosa, road tanker LNG Castellón, Spain

Road tanker found to be leaking LNG at service area on A-7 motorway; service area evacuated as responders dealt with leak, thought to be result of faulty valve or overpressure; second tanker arrived to reload cargo

Valencia Diari

14/10/19

Ndaragu, road tanker gasoline Kiambu, Kenya

Road tanker crashed, overturned on Thika Superhighway, spilling gasoline along road; reports showed other drivers rushing to collect spilling fuel; no reports of fire or injury

Pulse

15/10/19

Alma, truck acid Wisconsin, US

Fire broke out in engine of truck hauling 75 gal (285 litres) unspecified acid, similar amount of ‘chlorine’; driver unable to stop fire spreading but fire crews prevented it reaching cargo

WQOW

16/10/19

Onitsha, road tanker gasoline Anambra, Nigeria

Driver lost control of road tanker on Enugu-Onitsha expressway, crashed into wall of hospital; leaking fuel spread to nearby shops, houses; one woman and her baby were killed in the fire

This Day

16/10/19

Talisay City, truck butane Cebu, Philippines

Pickup driver crashed into tree to avoid hitting crashed road tanker; pickup fell, spilling “thousands” (?) of butane cylinders to road; both drivers suffered minor injuries but no release of product reported

SunStar

16/10/19

Helena, rail tank cars propane Montana, US

Four rail cars, two with propane, derailed during switching in Montana Rail Link yard; no leak of product found but rail crossing closed as a precaution; no report of injuries

MTN News

17/10/19

Maai Mahiu, road tanker gasoline Nakuru, Kenya

Road tanker overturned on main road, spilling gasoline; police were unable to prevent locals rushing to site to collect spilling fuel, but no fire was reported

Kenyans. co.ke

18/10/19

Porto Ferreria, road tanker ethanol SP, Brazil

Bus ran into rear of tanker with ethanol on Anhanguera Highway; some 5,000 litres ethanol spilled as a result; no fire but 13 people needed hospital treatment after breathing fumes; remaining ethanol transferred

Globo

18/10/19

Mumbai, train chemical kit India

Three people on a passenger train were injured by an explosion in chemical kit for recharging air conditioners; youth was carrying the kit in a bag, which was damaged as he got on the train, causing leak of gas

Times of India

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Vehicle Type

Substance

sulphuric acid

hydrochloric acid

SAFETY 45

ROAD/RAIL/AIR INCIDENTS (CONTINUED) Date

Location

18/10/19

Vehicle Type

Substance

Details

Source

Onitsha, road tanker gasoline Anambra, Nigeria

Road tanker overturned on Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, spilling gasoline to drains; nearby residents fled in case of explosion; leaked fuel ignited, spreading fire to several buildings and vehicles; no injuries reported

Punch

20/10/19

Wayne, road tanker gasoline Ohio, US

Driver was trapped in cab of tank truck with 6,000 gal (22.7 m³) gasoline after running off road into ditch; tanker caught fire, damaging utility lines, but did not explode; driver was cut free with only minor injuries

WHIO

21/10/19

Chicago, tank container corrosive Illinois, US

Truck overturned while making turn onto I-94; ITT isotank fell from trailer but did not leak; all roads closed in case of spillage; contents not identified but said to be “very corrosive”

Chicago Sun-Times

23/10/19

Ndara, road tanker gasoline Taita-Taveta, Kenya

Blown tyre caused fire that spread to tanker with gasoline; driver was alerted and ran through village shouting for people to flee; tanker said to have then exploded but no injuries were reported

Kenyans. co.ke

25/10/19

Spokane Valley, rail tank car Washington, US

Passing motorist alerted Kemira Water Solutions to red liquid leaking from tank car on its site; staff said valve or piping cracked during transfer, leaking 6,500 gal (24.6 m³) product to sump; no injuries

SVFD

27/10/19

Kanifing, road tankers LPG Gambia

Hose leaked during transfer of gas (presumably LPG) between two tankers at Hadeem Gas Industry site; leak caused massive explosion, destruction of several businesses; no reports of injuries

The Voice

27/10/19

Gainesville, road tanker fuel Florida, US

Tank truck crashed while trying to make U-turn, sparking fire and explosion, which brought down power lines and complicated response; nearby airport supplied foam tender to assist; driver killed

WVLT

31/10/19

Kelly, road tanker fuel SA, Australia

Road tanker rolled, caught fire on Eyre Highway 15 km east of Kimba; driver uninjured; road blocked in both directions and needed repairs; fire allowed to burn out; locals advised to shelter in place

Eyre Pen Tribune

31/10/19

Rahim Yar Khan, train LPG Punjab, Pakistan

At least 74 people died when fire broke out on passenger train from Karachi to Rawalpindi; gas cylinder in cooking stove exploded while passengers were cooking breakfast, possibly after leak of gas

BBC

4/11/19

Bridgeville, road tanker diesel Delaware, US

Tank truck crossing Route 13 collided with car, overturned and spilled diesel cargo to road; car driver died in crash; lanes closed while responders dealt with large spill of fuel

WGMD

ferric chloride

40

YEAR S

LIVE WEEKLY

cribe s b u S for y a d to 1 just £

MONTHLY

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BRINGING NEWS AND ANALYSIS OF THE DANGEROUS GOODS SUPPLY CHAIN FOR 40 YEARS

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46

MARINE/INLAND WATERWAY INCIDENTS Date

Location

11/10/19

Vessel

Substance

Details

Source

off Jeddah, Sabiti crude oil Saudi Arabia

Iranian tanker (150,000 dwt, 1999), thought to be in cargo, was apparently hit by a number of missiles; tanker was holed and some signs of pollution but no fire; vessel made it to Eritrea for inspection

Reuters

21/10/19

Bizerte, Tamgout unknown Tunisia

Two crew died during work in cargo tank of Algerian tanker (5,000 dwt, 1995), heading from Algeria to Yuzhnyy; vessel had evidently experienced some accident and had diverted; cause of deaths unknown

FleetMon

24/10/19

Chittagong, Desh-1 diesel Bangladesh

Product tanker (1,120 dwt, 1976) collided with lighter in port waters, causing hull breach and leak of diesel cargo; spill said to be “substantial”; anti-pollution boats deployed

FleetMon

24/10/19

Mormugao, Nu Shi Nalini naphtha Goa, India

Chemical tanker (16,700 dwt, 2012) with 3,000 t naphtha ran aground after anchor dragged in storm; no sign of pollution; vessel unmanned and had arrived under tow; litigation prevented tanker from berthing

FleetMon

Details

Source

MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS Date

Location

29/9/19

São José dos Campos, oil refinery fuel oil SP, Brazil

Fire broke out in storage tank or tanks with fuel oil (possibly residual) at Petrobras’s Henrique Lage refinery; dense smoke affected nearby residential areas; no injuries reported; Petrobras investigating cause

News Beezer

2/10/19

Bukit Nanas, Neg Semb, Malaysia

Fire broke out in storage area at Kualiti Alam integrated waste treatment plant, reportedly in containers with flammable liquids; press pictures showed flames among piles of IBCs; public encouraged not to panic

The Star

2/10/19

Belle Chasse, oil refinery crude oil Louisiana, US

More than 1,200 bbl crude oil leaked at Phillips 66 refinery; state authorities said nearly all the spill had been cleaned up, most having been retained by berms and stormwater system; not clear what caused the leak

Nola.com

3/10/19

Miller Grove, pipeline diesel Texas, US

Some 8,000 bbl diesel spilt to creek after rupture of 6-inch line being brought back into use after maintenance; pipeline shut in; booms deployed, dams built to prevent spill flowing downstream

KSST

6/10/19

Orito, Putumayo, pipeline crude oil Colombia

Bomb attack on Transandino pipeline caused fire and spill of crude oil to Guamues River; operator Ecopetrol said it was the 19th incident on the line this year; line was not pumping but still had oil in it

RT

8/10/19

Villeurbanne, warehouse batteries Lyon, France

Major fire broke out in warehouse said to be used to store batteries in industrial zone reserved for start-ups; 30 fire tenders, 100 firefighters fought the blaze, which caused thick smoke across Lyon

20minutes

13/10/19

Benavídez, BA, Argentina

waste recovery chemicals plant

Major fire broke out at Distillery Braunco chemical waste recycling and distillation facility in industrial area; fire thought to have started in depot area but fire brigade unable to determine what caused it

Minuto Uno

13/10/19

Kannauj, UP, India

fireworks LPG factory

One died, six badly injured by powerful explosion in licensed firecracker factory; thought that blast was caused by leaking gas cylinder being used to cook food; factory had big stores of explosives, fireworks

Times of India

14/10/19

Hardinsburg, Kentucky, US

fertiliser chemicals plant

Fire broke out at GreenPoint AG fertiliser plant; fire crews said blaze started in building used to store various chemicals, none of them flammable; shelter-in-place ordered until EPA gave all-clear on air quality

WAVE

15/10/19

Yulin, Guangxi, China

chemical phenol plant

Four workers killed, six more injured by explosion at chemical plant, reportedly during upset in reaction involving phenol and formaldehyde; cause under investigation

Xinhua

15/10/19

Crockett, oil terminal ethanol California, US

Two storage tanks caught fire, exploded at NuStar’s Selby terminal; both tanks were almost empty; fire spread to nearby vegetation; fire crews arriving at site found gates locked, fire suppression inactive; cause unknown

East Bay Times

21/10/19

Barpeta, Assam, India

12 people injured by explosion, fire at factory busy making firecrackers ahead of Diwali celebrations; fire crews managed to prevent blaze from spready; Barpeta is well known as a centre of firework production

India Blooms

22/10/19

South Cimahi, pipeline diesel W Java, Indonesia

Crane operator was killed by explosion on Pertamina pipeline during construction work on new high-speed rail line; presumed that drilling work punctured pipeline, which was carrying ‘Dex’ grade clean diesel

Jakarta Post

26/10/19

Três Lagoas, warehouse MS, Brazil

Large fire destroyed chemical storage unit (possibly warehouse) in eastern part of Mato Grosso do Sul state; fire crews reported six explosions, spent 11 hours fighting blaze; no casualties reported

Globo

28/10/19

Qilicun, oilfield crude oil Shaanxi, China

Five workers were killed by explosion at Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group facility, reportedly during testing thermal technology to improve oil output; three others missing, five injured; cause under investigation

SCMP

29/10/19

Edinburg, pipeline crude oil Texas, US

At least 9,000 bbl crude oil spilled from Keystone pipeline, contaminating wetland; operator TC Energy brought in cleanup crews, who had to work in freezing temperatures; line still operating at reduced pressure

Gd Forks Herald

30/10/19

Dhaka, gas cylinder gas Bangladesh

Gas cylinder being used to fill balloons outside a school exploded, killing five children and injuring 17 other people; cause not immediately known but police suspected substandard gas cylinder

RSOE

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Plant type

Substance

waste treatment flammables plant

fireworks firecrackers factory

flammable chemicals

SAFETY 47

EMISSIONS IMPOSSIBLE LEAK DETECTION • THERE ARE A GROWING NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH METHANE EMISSIONS CAN BE REDUCED, BUT DETECTING THEM IN THE FIRST INSTANCE REQUIRES INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS METHANE EMISSIONS ARE a hot topic in the industry, particularly as natural gas demand grows and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions are front-page news. In response to this, The Sniffers, a global service provider in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry that develops emissions reduction, energy saving and pipeline integrity programmes, has launched its Methane Accounting Programme designed to create an in-depth understanding of all potential emitting sources that can be tailored to each individual site.

 THERE IS STILL A ROLE FOR SNIFFER DOG MEKI AND HANDLER LUC IN LOCATING GAS LEAKS

According to The Sniffers, “every player in the gas value chain is confronted with methane emissions,” which makes being able to manage methane emissions with credible, auditable figures all the more essential.

Using data based on actual emissions from a site, The Sniffers develops a fit-for-purpose strategy that can include measurements with toxic vapour analysers (TVAs), high flow sampling or new technologies. Once this has been completed, a team of emission specialists performs field surveys to detect and quantify the recorded emissions, providing a complete and detailed picture of the emissions situation per asset.

The third and final step is the use of the data to continuously reduce methane emissions

from a site. Staff assess the methane emission baseline by aggregating the methane intensity to further develop a plan of sustainable improvement to reach environmental targets.

Currently, the Methane Accounting Programme is live in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and The Netherlands and discussions are taking place to introduce it to sites in Canada, Malaysia, Nigeria, Romania and Russia.

CANINE SOLUTIONS Even though new technologies are being designed and evaluated to reduce emissions, sometimes the old tried and tested methods can still work wonders. Aside from its new Methane Accounting Programme, The Sniffers is continuing to work with sniffer dogs. The Sniffers claims that using sniffing dogs is the fastest, most flexible and most cost-efficient technique to source issues such as gas leaks, illegal tapping and even electrical short circuits.

Most recently, sniffer dogs have been used for a unique leak detection project on underground road crossings in Singapore for ExxonMobil.

Speaking about the project, Dr Tiow Wee Teck of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, states: “It was challenging for us to find an accurate and efficient way to evaluate the integrity of pipelines that are only very locally underground, for example at road crossings. Measurement equipment had too many limitations so we had to look for another method.”

This is not a new development for The Sniffers team, as Kristof Verwaest, pipeline division operations director at The Sniffers, explains: “Leak detection on underground pipelines with sniffing dogs is the reason The Sniffers was founded back in 1991. When this opportunity in Singapore came along, our team was looking forward to working on such a unique project.

“It’s great to see that a giant company like ExxonMobil is not afraid to think outside the standard box and is willing to pioneer with The Sniffers’ dogs to achieve their integrity ambitions,” concludes Verwaest. “It’s even better when this leads to a great success. We are proud to have been able to work with ExxonMobil Asia Pacific on such a unique project and to help them with their challenge.” www.the-sniffers.com

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HIDE AND SEEK UNDECLARED CARGO • CONCERN OVER THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CONTAINERSHIP FIRES HAS PROMPTED FURTHER WORK TO HELP DETECT UNDECLARED DANGEROUS GOODS National Cargo Bureau (NCB) and its subsidiary Exis Technologies have created a cargo screening service to address the problem of mis-declared and undeclared dangerous goods in the containerised logistics chain. The new industry solution, Hazcheck Detect, which will be officially launched in early 2020, complements NCB’s existing cargo inspection operation.

NCB president Ian Lennard says: “We are delighted to be working with Exis on this ground-breaking project. Ship fires are an ongoing problem and we hope this new service will help to stop mis-declared and undeclared goods making it onto the ships in the first place.”

Hazcheck Detect is a cargo screening solution that can scan all booking and shipping instruction details for key words, validate against rules and highlight suspicious shipments to identify mis-declared and non-declared dangerous goods. It will be possible for container vessel operators to share information with partner lines to avoid the issue of shippers moving their undeclared consignments to unprepared carriers.

Hazcheck Detect is designed to look for

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

undeclared dangerous goods by searching for suspicious terms, while also looking at declared dangerous goods that may be misleading. To do this, it uses a standard library of data on proper shipping names, substance variants and technical names.

Users are invited to share their own standard libraries in order to enhance the ability of the system to detect non-compliant shipments.

Hazcheck Detect will be delivered as a software-as-a-service solution, hosted and maintained by Exis Technologies. It will include a web user interface so that users can enter and maintain their own data search terms, keywords and rules.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? It is estimated that around 10 per cent of the 60 million or so packed containers moved each year contain declared dangerous goods – though this may be an under-estimate. The existing Hazcheck system, used to verify that declared dangerous goods comply with the provisions of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, already finds that around 1 per cent of ostensibly compliant shipments do not meet the requirements;

NCB’s physical inspection programme finds a non-compliance rate of 9 per cent. Put together, that equates to a significant number of containers that present an unknown risk during transport by sea.

NCB quotes US Department of Transportation (DOT) findings, which indicate that the most commonly shipped undeclared hazardous materials include: agricultural materials (ammonium nitrate fertilisers, pesticides, etc); refrigerant gases; various automotive items, such as air bag inflators, batteries, fuel, etc; camping and outdoor equipment; fire extinguishers; medical oxygen tanks; pool maintenance chemicals (especially chlorine compounds); adhesives, sealants and tars used in the construction industry; motorised vehicles, tools and equipment; and a range of household goods such as aerosols, perfumes, fireworks, paints, drain cleaners, lighters, and so on.

Any and all of these products have the potential to start or contribute to a fire on board a vessel; mistakes can be made during the declaration process, or shippers may deliberately not declare cargo as dangerous in order to save time and money. Even if the cargo is properly declared, mistakes can be made in the packing and stowage of cargo.

And unless each container is opened and inspected, there is no way to know whether the cargo is safe for transport.

The launch of Hazcheck Detect will be another tool that shipowners can use to reduce the risk to their ships, their crew and the environment. More information is being made available at https://hazcheck.existec. com/hazcheck-systems/hazcheck-detect.aspx.

SAFETY 49

FIRE RETARDANT CONTAINERS • LED BY CINS, THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY HAS PRODUCED SOME CONCRETE ADVICE TO HELP SHIPPERS AND LINER OPERATORS REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE ABOARD SHIPS NEW SAFETY GUIDANCE for the stowage of classified dangerous goods on board containerships has been published by the

years, often caused by deficiencies in cargo declaration and cargo packing. It both recognises and takes into account the

Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS). The new publication, Safety Considerations for Ship Operators Related to Risk-Based Stowage of Dangerous Goods on Containerships, has been prepared by CINS, the international container shipping line organisation, as part of its efforts to reduce the number of cargo incidents onboard ships and to highlight the risks caused both by certain cargoes and by packing failures.

These new safety considerations complement - but do not replace – the existing measures already developed and implemented by ship operators for the carriage of properly declared dangerous goods. Likewise, they do not replace the requirements for stowage and segregation contained in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. Rather, CINS says, they will enhance the requirements of these regulations.

“Cargo-related incidents which result in fire and explosions are rooted in cargo problems.

Subsequent investigations demonstrate a wide range of deficiencies relating to cargo presented for shipment,” observes Uffe Ernst-Frederiksen, CINS chairman. “These deficiencies include erroneous classification and declaration; packing, segregation and securing not complying with IMDG or not following the CTU Code; and packaging not complying with IMDG. This new best-practice guidance for DG stowage is intended to help improve fire safety in our industry.”

The publication has been created in response to a number of serious fire incidents in recent

significant complexities involved in achieving effective and compliant stowage of containers on board ships.

TRIED AND TESTED Prepared by a work group comprising CINS shipping line members, together with representatives of classification societies and insurance organisations, these safety considerations are intended to be used by ship operators, cargo carriers, and port personnel. They provide a risk-based dangerous goods stowage strategy, applying to all sizes of containerships.

The guidelines have undergone an infield trial and provide safety considerations designed to improve stowage planning and hazard mitigation for dangerous goods transport, notes ABS, which facilitated the collaboration between CINS members.

“This guidance is developed from key lessons learned provided by CINS members from past incidents. This experience informs the risk-based approach which frames goals, functional requirements, and strategies associated with dangerous goods stowage,” says Gareth Burton, vicepresident for technology at ABS. “Dangerous goods, not properly identified or accounted for, can be detrimental to the safety of the ship and more importantly the people on board that ship. This guidance is practical advice that will advance safety on container vessels.”

Another participant in the process was Exis Technologies, along with its parent company National Cargo Bureau (NCB).

Exis used its detailed knowledge of the Dangerous Goods List and stowage requirements in the IMDG Code, together with input from industry experts, to categorise specific UN Numbers into the appropriate Risk Zones (RZ) based on risks presented by the IMDG Code, including the corresponding Emergency Schedules.

In order to support the current and future use of the CINS stowage guidelines, Exis will supply and maintain the Hazcheck Risk Zone (RZ) data free of charge as a resource available to the container shipping industry.

The CINC guidelines can also be downloaded free of charge from the CINS website, www.cinsnet.com.

 THE INCREASING SIZE OF MODERN CONTAINERSHIPS MAKES ONBOARD FIREFIGHTING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

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MORE TO FOLLOW

The UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) held its 55th session in Geneva this past 1 to 5 July.

This was the first of four planned meetings to develop the changes to the UN Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods that will appear in the 22nd revised edition, due for publication in early 2021. Those changes will then be picked up by the modal, regional and national authorities for implementation beginning in 2023.

The meeting was chaired by Duane Pfund (US) with Claude Pfauvadel (France) as

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and 32 non-governmental organisations.

The first part of this two-part report (HCB December 2019, page 57) covered discussions relating to the transport of explosives and a number of proposals on classification and packaging. This second part covers the remaining proposals and deliberations.

ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS Given the pace of technical development in the

(MDBTC) and the Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA), querying the correct classification of small, wireless audio headphones (‘earbuds’) and hearing aids, along with their associated charging cases.

There is confusion as to whether these should be shipped under UN 3480 or 3481, or both, with the paper proposing an additional paragraph in special provision 188 to clarify that UN 3481 (“packed with”) is appropriate.

The Sub-committee had some concerns with the potential scope of the proposal and MDBTC offered to refine the proposal, taking account of the comments made.

MDBTC also had some queries about the lithium battery test summary (TS) document.

It asked for changes 2.9.4(g) to clarify that the TS document is not intended as a transport document, and that it applies only to cells or batteries shipped under UN 3480 or 3090. The Sub-committee agreed that the TS document does not need to accompany the transport document but felt that the current text is clear enough; it did not agree with the second point,

vice-chair. It was attended by experts from 19 states, observers from Croatia, DR Congo, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey, and representatives of the EU, the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the

sector, it was perhaps not surprisingthat there were a lot of proposals relating to batteries, cells and other articles in the area of energy storage – and not all of them concerning lithium batteries. One that did appeared in the form of an informal document from the Medical Device Battery Transport Council

clarifying that test summaries are intended for standalone batteries as well as batteries installed in equipment, so information should be provided in all cases.

PRBA and the European Association for Advanced Rechargeable Batteries (Recharge) sought changes to 38.3.3(d) and (g) in the

MULTIMODAL • THE UN EXPERTS’ FIRST SESSION OF THE NEW BIENNIUM SAW MOST PROPOSALS BATTED BACK FOR FURTHER INFORMATION BUT SOME DECISIONS WERE MADE

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

REGULATIONS 51

Manual of Tests and Criteria, to clarify the exemption for assembled batteries fitted with overcharge protection. There was general support for the idea, although some delegations asked for more time to review the details. A new official document will be submitted at a forthcoming session.

France reported on progress made so far by the informal working group on hazard-based classification of lithium batteries and cells, which had held its third meeting after the previous session of the Sub-committee in December 2018. Since then, inter-laboratory cooperation had organised a testing programme, which was expected to produce results at the next meeting of the working group in October 2019. A lunchtime meeting was arranged during the Sub-committee’s session, where it was agreed that clear guidance should be given on the testing methodology.

A lengthy paper from China presented the results of extensive testing on different types of battery to establish any linkage between thermal runaway and the state of charge (SOC), noting that ICAO had already introduced an SOC limit of 30 per cent in the Technical Instructions. The research had found that only lithium ion cells and batteries show a correlation between the SOC and their safety risks, and China proposed to insert a similar specification in Chapter 3.3 of the Model Regulations, requiring lithium ion cells with a total mass of more than 500 g, and batteries comprising them, to be transported at an SOC of no more than 30 per cent.

The Sub-committee welcomed the work that China had done and the detail in its report, but some comments were made and it was felt that further review is necessary. China also offered to collaborate with the hazard-based classification working group, as its search for a method to assess the reactivity of batteries in general may also be used to assess the reactivity in relation to the level of charge.

The last meeting of ICAO’s Dangerous

that is required on the lithium battery mark.

It was considered vague as it does not specify the entity for which the number is needed, the circumstances under which additional information might be required, or what that additional information might be. It was noted that the requirement for a phone number was introduced at a time when there were a number of safety recalls and the process for handling them was relatively new. Now that there is greater awareness, it was suggested consideration could be given to achieving the original objective in a less ambiguous manner.

Some thought requiring a phone number is unnecessary, especially as it is not required for fully regulated shipments of lithium batteries.

The Sub-committee agreed to examine the current provisions and to identify if the original intent of the phone number has been achieved in other ways. Recharge offered to prepare a proposal for consideration at the next session, including provisions for an appropriate transitional period.

Another paper from MDBTC referred back to earlier discussions on the transport and definition of damaged or defective lithium cells and batteries. The Council felt that special provision 376 could be more explicit in removing those cells and batteries that have experienced a thermal event and no longer present a hazard in transport from the scope of the regulations. MDBTC said this has become a very common scenario.

The Sub-committee did not support the proposal as it lacked any assessment criteria.

MDBTC offered to refine its proposal for consideration at a later date.

The UK continued with its work to get an appropriate classification for sodium ion batteries. Discussions at earlier sessions has shown the Sub-committee to be sympathetic to the idea that these batteries do not pose a hazard during transport and should therefore be exempted from the Model Regulations; however, more information had been

Goods Panel had discussed the intent of the “telephone number for additional information”

requested. The UK’s latest paper aimed to answer the remaining questions and came with a proposal for a new special provision to exempt sodium ion cells and batteries, transported in a shorted or discharged state, from the provisions of the Model Regulations other than a general packaging requirement. »

 THE UN EXPERTS HAVE GOT A LOT TO GET THROUGH BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR

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The UK’s paper was, though, overtaken by an informal document from France which, while supporting the UK’s efforts, felt a better approach would be to assign a UN number to sodium ion cells and batteries, with applicable provisions that could include exemptions from the provisions under specified conditions. The UK bowed to France on this issue. It was also clarified that the aim of the proposal was to create a separate entry for sodium ion batteries and to establish the corresponding transport conditions. The existing entry for sodium metal batteries would not be amended, at least not for the time being.

The Sub-committee wants to take a careful approach to this subject, perhaps being alert to the problems caused by the repeated changes to the lithium battery provisions, and also wanted to consider the intrinsic hazards posed by sodium ion batteries. France and the UK will work on the subject with the aim of finalising a text by the end of the current biennium, that is, by December 2020.

OTIF reported on issues facing the rail industry in the use of the UN 3536 entry for lithium batteries installed in cargo transport units. It noted that, when the subject was first

discussed in 2016, the term ‘transportable battery power system’ had been offered as a proper shipping name, but not used. The Sub-committee had adopted special provision 389, which includes provisions for the placarding and marking of cargo transport units; once this was introduced into RID, ADR and ADN, it became a problem since the placarding requirements of RID and ADR differ.

OTIF had brought this to the attention of the spring 2019 Joint Meeting and its paper to the Sub-committee included a precis of that discussion, which had raised some questions that only the Sub-committee could answer.

Firstly, what is meant by ‘cargo transport unit’ in the proper shipping name of UN 3536?

Does that cover containers as well as wagons and vehicles, as in its definition in 1.2.1? Would another term, such as ‘power storage unit’, be more appropriate? And was there a conscious decision to align the placarding and marking provisions in SP 389 with the essential provisions in 5.3.1.1.4 and 5.3.2.1.2?

Some delegations agreed that the term ‘cargo transport unit’ as defined in the Model Regulations is not appropriate and that the use of the term needs to be clarified in relation

to UN 3536. Others recalled that similar discussions had already taken place several times and that the term had been chosen on purpose. However, the Sub-committee did agree to continue discussion of the subject at the next session and invited OTIF and PRBA to draw up proposals for revision.

Another paper from PRBA reported on what the Association said was confusion, including on the part of some authorities, about the use under packing instruction P903 of packagings with a net mass exceeding 400 kg. There appears to be a misunderstanding, PRBA said, that in such cases, batteries or equipment must be packaged in large packagings in accordance with LP903. It sought clarification in the Model Regulations that this is not the case.

The Sub-committee confirmed PRBA’s interpretations but did not care for the solution that had been offered. PRBA will refine its proposal for the next session.

On a similar topic, PRBA and Recharge sought changes to P903 to remove confusion arising from inconsistencies in the language used in the Model Regulations and in the ICAO Technical Instructions. Their paper offered a change to paragraph (2) of P903 but this did not meet with approval, some experts being of the opinion that it made matters even less clear.

PRBA and Recharge will refine the proposal for future consideration.

The same two organisations also sought a correction to special provision 377 which, they said, is now incomplete since the introduction of P911 and LP906 and the modification of SP 376. They offered two options. There was broad support in the Sub-committee, with some experts saying a revision of SP 310 might also be necessary. Recharge offered to prepare a revised proposal for discussion at the next session.

 SODIUM ION BATTERIES ARE POSING A NEW CHALLENGE TO THE REGULATORS

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

REGULATIONS 53

TRANSPORT OF GASES A paper from Canada addressed what it said was an inconsistency in the marking requirements for cylinders and tubes. In 6.2.2.7.4(p), cylinders and tubes must be marked with ‘H’ when the steel of their construction is compatible with hydrogen embrittling gases. This applies to steel pressure receptacles and to composite pressure receptacles with steel liners, but the latter are omitted from P200(5)d. The Sub-committee agreed, inserting “or composite pressure receptacles with steel liners” after “steel pressure receptacles” in that special packing provision ‘d’.

A paper prepared jointly by the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA), the Compressed Gases Association (CGA) and the European Cylinder Makers Association (ECMA) reported on work to clarify the meaning of the term ‘pressure receptacle’ and to rationalise the use of that term and ‘pressure receptacles and their closures’, as both are used in Chapter 6.2. The paper included a long list of proposed

a revised document at the next session.

France proposed an amendment to 6.2.1.6.1 on the standards applicable to the periodic inspection and testing of pressure receptacles, to take account of the adoption of ISO 18119:2018 Gas cylinders – Seamless steel and seamless aluminium-alloy gas cylinders and tubes – Periodic inspection and testing, which has now replaced ISO 10461 and ISO 6406.

However, as there were no copies of the new standard available, the Sub-committee did not feel it could support the document. Discussion will resume at the next session, providing the text of the new standard is available.

EIGA looked at the use of a ring to carry information on the date of the most recent periodic inspection; in the Model Regulations, 6.2.2.7.8 allows this for acetylene cylinders, but RID/ADR allow it for other substances and on pressure drums as well as cylinders. This has been in place for several years with no reports of safety or technical issues. EIGA proposed a similar provision in the Model Regulations.

Some experts raised concerns about the possible loss of the ring and the need for fraud prevention but, after careful consideration, decided to adopt the proposed amendment.

As a result, 6.2.2.7.8 will now read: The marks in accordance with 6.2.2.7.7 may be engraved on a metallic ring affixed to the cylinder or pressure drum when the valve is installed, and which is removable only by disconnecting the valve from the cylinder or pressure drum.

In a joint paper with the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF), Spain returned to its plan to modify the labels for gases to enhance hazard communication and differentiate more clearly flammable and toxic gases from flammable liquids and toxic substances. The solution offered was to include the gas cylinder symbol within the red, green or white (as appropriate) diamond.

amendments, mostly affecting Chapter 6.2 but also the definitions in 1.2.1 and in 4.1.6.1 and 5.2.1.7.

The proposals were welcomed by the Sub-committee but there were also a number of requests for clarification. EIGA thanked the experts for their feedback and offered to submit

While recognising that emergency response services and safety of the emergency response personnel were of the utmost importance, there was no consensus on the merits of the proposal. Several delegations indicated that there have been no reports of incidents or problems in practice and that the label or »

SPAIN RETURNED TO ITS PLAN TO MODIFY THE LABELS FOR GASES TO ENHANCE HAZARD COMMUNICATION

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placard are not the only way to communicate hazards. They were reluctant to change a system that was considered to work well.

Others, though, saw some merit in the proposal; a clear way to distinguish gases in transport could represent in improvement in safety. The Sub-committee felt further investigation was needed, not least in terms of costs and benefits, but realised this would be a time-consuming exercise. Spain and CTIF offered to organise a correspondence group to review the proposal and to provide additional justification by an impact assessment in cooperation with the US delegation. They invited interested delegates to join that group.

PACKAGING ISSUES Germany drew attention to what it saw as an inconsistency in the way that intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) are addressed in 6.5.1.1.2, which allows for the use of alternatives to the requirements of the Model Regulations. This seems to be in line with the similar provisions in 6.7.1.1 for portable tanks and multipleelement gas containers, but differs from the

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

approach taken for other forms of packaging in 6.1.1.2, 6.3.2.1 and 6.6.1.3. It offered a new text for 6.5.1.1.2 which, after some discussion, was deemed acceptable. This will now read: The requirements for IBCs in 6.5.3 are based on IBCs currently used. In order to take into account progress in science and technology, there is no objection to the use of IBCs having specifications different from those in 6.5.3 and 6.5.5, provided that they are equally effective, acceptable to the competent authority and able successfully [to withstand the tests] described in 6.5.4 and 6.5.6. Methods of inspection and testing other than those described in these Regulations are acceptable, provided they are equivalent.

Belgium highlighted an issue with the permitted period of use for composite IBCs with a plastic inner receptacle. According to 4.1.1.15 this period is five years from the date of manufacture. This is, though, treated differently in various international and national modal regulations, with some applying the five-year limit to the entire IBC and some just to the plastic inner receptacle. This causes confusion, in particular with repaired and

remanufactured IBCs. Belgium’s paper proposed an explanatory note to 4.1.1.15.

Most experts felt this was useful to clarify the intent of that paragraph and, on a vote, the Note was adopted: NOTE: for composite IBCs the period of use refers to the date of manufacture of the inner receptacle.

The Stainless Steel Container Association (SSCA) proposed extending the terms of 4.1.1.10 to allow substances of packing group I to be transported in metal IBCs. SSCA justified this by pointing out that manufacturing processes have improved greatly in recent years, ensuring much better performance by metal IBCs. This is validated by improved test procedures and nondestructive test methods.

Most of those who expressed an opinion felt that there was a need for more data and information on the substances and quantities involved. Further work is also needed on the assessment method and criteria for such packagings. SSCA offered to revise the proposal before the next session.

REGULATIONS 55

The UK identified a need to introduce packaging performance tests for articles with the potential to produce excessive heat, following the emergence of articles and substances that present this particular hazard. This was not an issue when the packaging performance tests were first developed but in recent years there have been a number of accidents and incidents, not least with lithium batteries.

Most experts welcomed this initiative and it was agreed that more work needs to be done.

Recharge offered to share information with the UK on the ongoing work of the SAE standardisation group on packagings. The chair invited all experts to share relevant information with the UK. Once there is more information available, the Sub-committee will consider the best way to move forward.

The International Confederation of Plastics Packagings Manufacturers (ICPP) alerted the Sub-committee to its intention to submit proposals to extend the use of recycled plastics material in the manufacture of plastics packagings for the transport of dangerous goods. This is currently allowed only for plastics drums and jerrycans, with certain restrictions and requirements. Its paper noted that, given the experience gained in using recyclate, some of these controls may be modified or removed. It also remarked on approvals granted by the US competent authority for amended controls.

Delegates were invited to submit their comments to ICPP so that a more detailed exchange of views could take place at the next session on the basis of a revised document.

A joint paper from Recharge, PRBA, the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) and the Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA) looked at the applicability of packing instruction

Industry is looking at robust and quite massive packaging capable of containing the hazards of the large lithium batteries in case of thermal reaction. These packaging may also contain expensive specific devices for extinguishing or controlling the reactions hazards.

The issue raised by the paper is that packing instruction P911, which covers the same ground for smaller packagings, allows for the packaging to be used for multiple batteries but LP906, the provisions of which are identical in most respects to P911, cannot be used for packagings with more than one battery. The paper offered two solutions to change LP906.

There was general agreement that LP906 would benefit from clarification but the Sub-committee could not find a common position on the proposal as it stood. It was agreed that discussion would continue at the next session on the basis of a revised proposal.

LP906, which contains provisions for the packaging of damaged and defective batteries.

the informal working group.

A second paper from Russia looked at the use of FRP materials for the construction of valves, relief devices and manholes for portable tanks (not necessarily FRP tanks).

This was also passed to the informal working group for consideration. »

 BATTERIES IN CARGO TRANSPORT UNITS ARE CAUSING SOME CONFUSION

PORTABLE TANKS Three informal documents on the topic of fibre-reinforce plastics (FRP) portable tanks were passed to an informal working group, chaired by Steve Webb (US). The Subcommittee endorsed the recommendations of this working group, noting the work on new provisions to ensure an equivalent level of safety between metal and FRP tanks, and approved the plan to continue work on this subject during the 2019-2020 biennium.

Russia had put forward a plan to create a new 6.9.3 with requirements for the structure, manufacturing, inspection and testing of portable tanks constructed of polymeric composite materials and intended for the carriage of non-refrigerated liquefied gas of maximum permissible working pressure 20.0 bar and less. This too will be considered by

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Canada proposed removing the volumetric capacity limit of 450 litres from the definition of ‘large packaging’ in 1.2.1, citing the different approach taken to the topic in the definition of ‘combination packaging’. The UK followed up with further thoughts in an informal document and, as this had been submitted rather late, some experts asked for more time to study the proposals in detail. A revised proposal will be presented at the next session.

MISCELLANEOUS PROPOSALS Romania, with the support of Switzerland, had continued with its long-running work to examine the text of the Model Regulations closely and to rationalise the use of the terms ‘risk’, ‘hazard’ and ‘danger’, presenting a long list of proposed changes. The Sub-committee thanked them for their work and invited the experts to take a close look to determine which of the proposed changes could be deemed ‘editorial’ in nature and could therefore be adopted without discussion.

It was also pointed out that similar work is going on at the RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting and that the results of that work should be taken into account in any amendments to the Model Regulations. It was agreed to set up a correspondence working group, led by Romania, to finalise the proposals.

The European Aerosol Federation (FEA) and the Household and Commercial Products Association (HCPA) alerted the Sub-committee to the adoption by the European Commission of Directive 2016/2037, which amends the maximum pressure permitted in aerosol dispensers. This change followed a proposal from FEA to adapt the Aerosol Dispensers

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

Directive (75/324/EEC) to adapt to technical progress. The two organisations proposed that the Model Regulations follow the Commission’s lead, with proposals to amend SP 63.

There were a number of technical questions in response and, while there was general support for the proposal, the Sub-committee felt it premature to adopt it; discussions will continue on the basis of more detailed information.

Germany and the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) returned with more information on their earlier informal document to harmonise the application and meaning of the term ‘structurally servicable’, noting the different scope of this term in respect of its use for different types of container and different classes of dangerous goods in the various regional and modal regulations.

While the majority supported the proposed

MODAL HARMONISATION The secretariat provided an informal document outlining some concerns expressed by the RID/ ADR/ADN Joint Meeting Ad Hoc Working Group on the harmonisation of RID/ADR/ADN with the UN Model Regulations at its meeting in April 2019. The Ad Hoc Working Group had asked the Sub-committee to offer its views before the topics were discussed by the Joint Meeting.

However, the Sub-committee felt unable to make decisions on the basis of a lengthy informal document (and perhaps also being short of the time it would take to give the lengthy paper its full attention) and asked the secretariat to submit a working document before the next session.

Similarly, ICAO submitted a paper containing observations made by its Dangerous Goods Panel in April 2019 on problems it was having in transposing some of the new provisions in the 21st revised edition of the Model Regulations into the Technical Instructions.

Again, though, the Sub-committee had concerns of its own, particularly regarding the potential for divergence among the modal regulations, and asked for another chance to look at the subject at the next session.

Likewise, IMO submitted a paper containing a report of the Editorial and Technical (E&T) Group’s April 2019 session, where it was agreeing amendments to the International

amendments, some concerns were raised, although Germany insisted that the proposal reflects current practice in the transport of dangerous goods in all cargo transport units.

Once again, the Sub-committee requested more information and will continue discussions at a future session.

Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and its Supplements on the basis of the 21st revised edition of the Model Regulation. It too wanted to draw the Sub-committee’s attention to some issues it was facing in the process. The Sub-committee noted that some of the more editorial problems had already been dealt with

REGULATIONS 57

and asked for a working document at the next session if there were any technical issues that needed to be addressed.

A number of papers dealt with work going on at the UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS); although great care is taken not to tread on the toes of the sister TDG Sub-committee, there are times when collaboration is required. One of those is the testing of oxidising liquids and solids and France reported on recent work. In particular, the GHS Sub-committee is looking at the potential modification of existing classification criteria for coated materials.



THE REGULATORS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE NEW BREED OF FRP PORTABLE TANKS

The EU thanked the Sub-committee for adopting its suggested changes to the references to OECD Test Guidelines in 2.8.3.2 of the Model Regulations but came back with some more amendments that it thought would clarify the requirements. This was accepted and adopted.

OTHER BUSINESS The Sub-committee noted that Friedrich Kirchnawy had retired in May and would no longer attend as head of the Austrian delegation. His colleague Ewald Haidl has also retired. The Sub-committee thanks both of them for the contributions over the years.

The 56th session of the UN TDG Subcommittee took place between 4 and 10 December 2019. A report on that meeting will appear in a forthcoming issue of HCB.

ICAO IS HAVING PROBLEMS TRANSPOSING SOME OF THE NEW PROVISIONS INTO THE TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

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A SMOOTH FLIGHT AIR • JUST AHEAD OF THE ENTRY-INTO-FORCE OF THE 2020 REGULATIONS, IATA ISSUED AN ADDENDUM THAT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE PRINTED TEXT

THOSE INVOLVED IN the shipment of dangerous goods by air should be aware that the provisions contained in the 61st edition of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations took effect promptly on 1 January 2020. They also need to be alert to the fact that an addendum to the 61st edition was issued by IATA on 2 December 2019 and that this 12-page document contains quite a number of significant changes and corrections to the printed text.

Users of the Regulations are advised to obtain a copy of the addendum either directly from their usual supplier or from the IATA website, where it can be downloaded in all five official languages at www.iata.org/en/ publications/dgr/#tab-2.

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CARRIER VARIATIONS A large part of the addendum is taken up by changes to the state and operator variations.

These include the insertion of new details for the Department of Civil Aviation of Aruba, included before Belgium in the state variations in 2.8.1.3. Updated contact details have also been provided for the relevant authorities in China and the UK. More significant are the operator variations. There have recently been a number of changes to the restrictions imposed by various airlines on lithium batteries, which in general involve greater restrictions. These apply for instance to Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, Emirates, FedEx Express, Jetstar Japan, Martinair Holland, Asiana Airlines and Jazz Aviation, Sky Regional Airlines and Oman Air. Several carriers have also changed their policies on the carriage of fissile material and other radioactives. Emirates has added restrictions on substances of Class 4 and 5.

Both Oman Air and Asiana Airlines have amended their requirements for the booking of dangerous goods and Oman Air has added several other restrictions: it will no longer accept UN 3356 chemical oxygen generators, UN 2803 gallium and, for carriage in passenger baggage, UN 1362 activated charcoal.

The largest list of changes relates to FedEx. Regular customer will likely have already been informed but others should take note, particularly to new provisions for the transport of compressed gases, hazardous waste, items shipped under special provision A183, data loggers, US segregation requirements, and the use of dangerous goods compliance software.

PACKAGING MADE EASY Among the provisions themselves, the most significant changes can be found in the packing instructions, where the single packagings table has been amended in packing instructions P360 to P364, inclusive. The change provides more choice for shippers, after it was deemed unnecessary to restrict the types of single packagings that could be used, notably the omission of drums manufactured from metal other than steel or aluminium. In addition, ‘fibre’ is changed to ‘fibreboard’ in all packing instructions for single packagings, although only for boxes and not for drums.

The remaining changes are largely editorial in nature and can be found in 2.3.2.3.2 (relating to wheelchairs and mobility aids), figure 8.1.F and 10.8.3.9.1.

Further information about IATA’s activities in the field of dangerous goods can be found at www.iata.org/en/programs/ cargo/dgr/.

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THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME Organisation’s (IMO) Sub-committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers held its sixth session (CCC 6) in London this past 9 to 13 September. The decisions it reached, which mainly affected the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code, have been forwarded to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) for approval and adoption.

Of particular interest to HCB readers would be the agreement of the next set of draft amendments (40-20) to the IMDG Code, which were still to be finalised by the Editorial &

the 102nd session of MSC, which is due to be held this coming May. The draft amendments relate to: segregation requirements for alcoholates; segregation in relation to liquid organic substances; classification and transport of carbon, following incidents involving the spontaneous ignition of charcoal; classification of UN portable tanks for multimodal transport; and provisions for labels.

Possibly more significantly, CCC 6 established a correspondence group to review the maritime special provisions in Chapter 3.3 of the IMDG Code, so as to

AWAY FROM THE CODE CCC 6 continued revising and updating the guidance on inspection programmes for cargo transport units (CTUs), including expanding the current guidelines for inspections related to transport of dangerous goods at sea to include all types of cargoes carried in CTUs. A correspondence group was instructed to further develop the draft amendments to the inspection programmes; review the draft guidelines to ensure they are up to date; and consider contamination and pest control matters with regard to CTU inspections, taking into account the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code).

CCC 6 also reiterated its call for IMO member states to undertake CTU inspections and report their findings to IMO. Draft amendments were also agreed to Annex 13 of the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) related to weather-dependent lashing, in an effort to reduce the number of containers lost overboard in bad weather.

Progress was made in developing the next set of draft amendments to the IMSBC Code, which will be further considered by the E&T Group in spring 2020. This set of amendments (06-21) will include updates to individual schedules and proposed new individual schedules, among other things.

CCC 6 discussed the need for a distinction between the phenomena of liquefaction and dynamic separation for Group A cargoes, noting that dynamic separation only applies to bauxite.

The issue was referred to the E&T Group for further discussion ahead of CCC 7.

CCC 6 also validated a new IMO Model Course on Safe Handling and Transport of Solid Bulk Cargoes, focusing on the mandatory measures for the handling and transport of solid bulk cargoes in the IMSBC Code.

One other topic addressed by CCC 6 was the growing use of alternative fuels, in advance of the IMO restrictions on exhaust emissions. The

Technical (E&T) Group prior to submission to

identify those that permit exemptions from the full application of the Code. The review is intended to address issues related to non-declaration and misdeclaration of dangerous goods and is expected to lead to the removal of what may be seen as loopholes in the provisions.

Sub-committee’s work in this area focuses on guidelines for the use of alternative fuels – CCC 6 discussed methanol/ethanol, fuel cells, LPG and low-flashpoint fuels – as well as the design and construction of cargo tanks.

CCC 7 will take place in London from 14 to 18 September.

CAULKING THE CODE MARITIME • IN AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE, IMO’S CCC SUB-COMMITTEE HAS STARTED WORK THAT MAY LEAD TO SOME EXTENSIVE CHANGES IN THE IMDG CODE

 THE EVER-INCREASING SIZE OF CONTAINER SHIPS MAKES THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING DANGEROUS GOODS YET MORE VITAL AND IMO IS TAKING STEPS TO TIGHTEN COMPLIANCE

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

REGULATIONS 61

NEWS BULLETIN

REGULATIONS

Manual contains criteria, test methods and procedures to be used for the classification of dangerous goods according to the provisions of Parts 2 and 3 of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods – the Model Regulations. As such, it is a vital tool for all those placing dangerous goods into the supply chain. The Manual also contains the test requirements for chemicals presenting physical hazards according to the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

ADR GOES GLOBAL

By 30 November, no ADR Contracting Party had registered its opposition to the protocol of amendment, adopted by a Conference of the Parties on 13 May, where it was agreed to drop the word ‘European’ from the title of the ADR Agreement.

As agreed, therefore, as from 1 January 2021 the new title will be the ‘Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road (ADR)’.

CHINA ALIGNS

CSB GETS ITS ACT TOGETHER

The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the reporting of accidental releases.

The proposed rule, which appeared in the Federal Register on 12 December, would ensure that CSB receives prompt and accurate information on any accidental release that meets statutory criteria.

Such a rule was envisaged by the enabling legislation that established CSB as part of the Clean Air Act Amendments in 1990; in 2004 the Department for Homeland Security urged CSB to fulfil this requirement, its Inspector General saying: “The CSB needs to refine its mechanism for learning of chemical incidents, and it should publish a regulation describing how the CSB will receive the notifications it needs.” The Government Accountability Office also recommended that CSB fulfil its statutory obligation in a report published in 2008.

An advanced NPRM was issued in June 2009 and in February 2019 a US District Court ordered CSB to complete the process within 12 months.

Comments on the NPRM must be submitted by 13 January.

IMDG STANDS CORRECTED

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has issued a corrigendum to Amendment 39-18 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, which became mandatory on 1 January. The changes are largely editorial in nature but do correct some significant mistakes in the printed version, which has been available for use for a year now.

Pending the availability of the corrigendum on the IMO website, Exis Technologies has kindly posted it on its Hazcheck Systems website at https://hazcheck.existec.com/ imdg-code-amendment-39-18-december-2019corrigenda.aspx.

MANUAL UPDATE

The Seventh Edition of the UN Manual of Tests & Criteria has been published by the UN and is available from authorised resellers. The

China’s Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with five other administrations, has published the new Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods, which took effect on 1 January 2020.

The Measures, which have been in development for five years, represent a major step towards aligning road transport regulations in China with the UN Model Regulations, particularly in areas such as the use of Limited Quantity and Excepted Quantity provisions, tank inspections, and the obligations of consignors and carriers.

CANADA EXPLAINS PLANS

Transport Canada has published an extensive summary of the changes introduced last year to the Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP) requirements in Parts 7 and 8 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations. A new page on the TC website details the objectives of the amendments, which were based on the work of a dedicated Task Force to enhance public safety in the event of an incident.

There are some significant changes to the

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responsibilities of participants in the transport chain, an extension of the requirements’ applicability and some changes in terminology that have implications for all involved. The scope has also been broadened to include certain infectious substances defined as Risk Group 4 human pathogens under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act. The amending regulations came into force on 1 June 2019 with a transitional period to the end of February 2020. Compliance with the amended requirements is therefore mandatory from 1 March 2020.

CANADA GOES ELECTRONIC

Transport Canada has opened what it calls its ‘Regulatory Sandbox’ – an open community for brainstorming and encouraging innovation in electronic shipping documents. “This project will allow us to test the use of electronic shipping documents for dangerous goods shipments in a safe way,” says Transport Canada.

The project will help the administration to analyse costs, benefits and safety performance in the use of electronic documents in the transport of dangerous goods, and inform any future rulemaking on the subject.

As part of the project, Transport Canada will issue an equivalency certificate to any Canadian consignor or carrier that can show it can communicate shipping document information

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to first responders, inspectors, and CANUTEC within five minutes, and fulfil a range of other obligations. Further information is available on the Transport Canada website, www.tc.gc.ca.

LNG BY RAIL ALLOWED

The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a special permit to Energy Transport Solutions, allowing the movement of LNG in rail tank cars between specified points in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and with a number of operational conditions.

PHMSA published a draft environmental assessment on this special permit application in June 2019 and says that the responses to that draft are also being used as input on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) under HM-264 on the transport of LNG by rail, issued on 24 October 2019. PHMSA is in particular seeking comments on whether the operational conditions imposed under the special permit should also be included in the HM-264 final rule. In response to requests, PHMSA has extended the comment period on that NPRM to 13 January.

UK CAA EASES SCREENING SHIPMENTS

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has issued a general exemption covering the carriage of

methanol solution (UN 1992) on passenger aircraft within the UK, when that methanol is related to cervical smear tests and is being shipped by mail. The exemption, published as ORS4 No 1337, supersedes ORS4 No 1214, which is revoked.

GET BETTER AT MIXTURES

The sixth EU-wide Enforcement Forum project, which focused on the classification and labelling of mixtures in accordance with the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals (CLP) Regulation, found that 44 per cent of the mixtures inspected were non-compliant in some way. The project inspectors checked nearly 3,400 mixtures and 1,620 companies in 29 countries; 43 per cent of companies were found to have at least one non-compliance issue.

“Manufacturers, importers and downstream users have to put more effort into deriving the right classification for mixtures and communicating it down the supply chain,” says the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). “This will prevent incorrect information being disseminated in safety data sheets and on labels. Industry should also work on improving the quality of safety data sheets which will in turn lead to improved information flowing through the supply chain.”

REGULATIONS 63

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY AGENCY MEETINGS, 2020 DATE

MEETING AGENCY

Joint meeting of Experts on the Regulations ECE Geneva annexed to ADN (WP15/AC2), 36th session

Jan 27-31

Joint meeting of the RID Committee of ECE/OCTI Geneva Experts and the Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15)

Administrative Committee of ADN, 24th 31 session

Jan

MEETING AGENCY

ECE

VENUE

Geneva

Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and IMO London Response (PPR), 7th session

Feb 17-21

Dangerous Goods Board, 116th meeting

Mar 12-14

IATA

Istanbul

Joint meeting of the RID Committee of ECE/OCTI Bern Experts and the Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15)

Mar 16-20

Editorial & Technical Group (IMDG and IMO London IMSBC Codes), 33rd meeting

Mar 23-27

VENUE

DATE Sep 14-18

Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP), WG/20 ICAO Montreal Sep 21-25* Editorial & Technical Group (IMDG and IMO London IMSBC Codes), 34th meeting

Sept 21-25

Working Group on the Evaluation of Safety IMO London and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals (ESPH), 26th session

Oct 5-9

Marine Environment Protection Committee IMO London Oct 19-23 (MEPC), 76th session Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15), 109th session

ECE

Marine Environment Protection Committee IMO London Mar 30(MEPC), 75th session Apr 3

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), IMO 103rd session

London

Nov 16-20

Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15), 108th session

ECE

Geneva

May 11-15

RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group (12th session)

OCTI

Nov 23-26

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), 102nd session

IMO

London

May 13-22

ECOSOC Sub-committee of Experts on the ECE Geneva Nov 30 Dec 8

RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group (12th session)

OCTI

Bern

May 25-26

ECOSOC Sub-committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (40th session)

ECE

Geneva

Dec 9-11

RID Committee of Experts, 56th session

OCTI

Bern

May 27

ECOSOC Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (10th session)

ECE

Geneva

Dec 11

ECOSOC Sub-committee of Experts on the ECE Geneva Transport of Dangerous Goods (57th session)

Jun 29Jul 8

ECOSOC Sub-committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (39th session)

Jul 8-10

ECE

Geneva

Joint meeting of Experts on the Regulations ECE Geneva annexed to ADN (WP15/AC2), 37th session

Aug 24-28

Administrative Committee of ADN, 25th session

Aug 28

ECE

Geneva

IMO

London

Containers (CCC), 7th session

*

Nov 10-13

ECE – UN European Commission for Europe; IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency; IATA – International Air Transport Association; ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organisation; IMO – International Maritime Organisation; OCTI – Central Office for International Rail Transport * Details to be confirmed

Dangerous Goods Board, 116th meeting IATA Singapore* Aug 31 Sep 3* Sub-committee on Carriage of Cargoes and

Geneva

Sep 14-18

GENERAL NOTE: These regulatory authorities are the international organisations responsible for the provisions governing the carriage of dangerous goods by various modes of transport. The list contains the major sessional meetings, together with certain scheduled working group and ad hoc group meetings. HCB will keep readers informed of further relevant meetings as and when they are called

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64 BACK PAGE

NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED GOT A LIGHT, BOY? Here’s one of those headlines that pull us up short: “Man ‘could have exploded at any time’ after swallowing lighter,” screamed Our Bitcoin News in November (we have a wide and varied reading list here on the Back Page). Reading further – how could we not? – it seems that the 25-year-old in Shenyang, China swallowed the lighter as a bet when out drinking with his mates. They had drunk perhaps more than was sensible.

A few days after the bet – which we assume he won, the prize probably being more beer – he began feeling ill and started vomiting.

Heading for hospital, a doctor in the endoscopy unit noticed a smell of gasoline from his mouth and the whole tale emerged.

The hospital said that his gastric juices had eroded the lighter, allowing flammable liquid to leak into his stomach. Had he come into contact with a naked flame, they said, he might have exploded. They managed to retrieve what was left of the lighter in what must have been an uncomfortable procedure, and identified some ulceration as a result of the leaking fuel.

Remarkably, the man had only started feeling ill after a second drinking bout, during which, he admitted, he had drunk “eight or nine beers”.

Even more remarkably, this is not the first time this has happened – the report notes that there was a similar case in March last year.

woman at the site, alongside the remains of the toilet.

A spokesman for the sheriff’s office said there were no reports of anyone missing and noted that, in 32 years of law enforcement, he had never heard of such an incident before. Detectives were said to be investigating the death.

FOWL PLAY Over in Hays County, Texas, there was another unusual explosion in November, involving a barn. The sheriff’s office found that a man in the house alongside the barn had been smoking a turkey (which end do you smoke?) when “things got out of control”.

Fire spread to the barn, causing the explosion of a vehicle inside.

Investigators also found gunpowder, ammunition and propane tanks in the barn.

Reports said the propane tank “might also have gone off” – one would think investigators could tell the difference between an entire tank and one that had suffered an explosion, but there we are.

The local paper, the Free Republic, also mentions that one chicken died in the explosion.

KILLED ON THE JOB Our Chinese friend was more fortunate than

THAT’S SPICY SAUCE! Less alarmingly, although this is not the first time we have reported on this, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland recalled a batch of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce back in November, saying that there was a “risk of the contents

some others who have come into proximity with flammable vapours lately. In St Augustine, Florida in September the sheriff’s office was called to an explosion and fire involving a portable toilet at a construction site after reports from neighbours. Responders wearing hazmat suits found the body of a young

exploding once the bottle is opened”, which could lead to eye or skin irritation.

Members of the public were advised to return any bottle of the sauce to the retailer or to dispose of them. The Authority noted that gas can build up in the sauce as a result of spoilage or contamination during manufacture.

HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020

ADVERTISERS INDEX ChemUK

02

CIMC Enric

29

Fort Vale

IBC

Freight Merchandising Services

59

Inter Terminals

09

IP Week

IFC

Labeline

51, 53, 55

Labelmaster

OBC

Mauser Packaging

33

NISTM

39

StocExpo Europe

06