Letter from the Editor

EDITOR’S LETTER

We are reminded often that the Stone Age didn’t end because humans ran out of stones, and the Oil Age won’t end because we run out of oil. Instead, many governments are pressing industry and consumers to move away from hydrocarbonbased fuel sources and switch instead to cleaner fuels.

They tell us, in fact, that within 20 years, gasoline- and diesel-powered cars will no longer be manufactured and that in perhaps 40 years there will be few left on the roads. I’m unlikely to be here to see it, but it’s clear that within a couple of generations the young will be baffled as to why we ever felt it necessary to use dirty fuels – or even to own our own cars.

The process towards a decarbonised future is likely to be gradual. Look at marine fuels, for instance. There has been an awful lot of fuss about the new IMO restrictions on sulphur levels in bunker fuels, which come into effect in 2020. There has been an increasing rush to fit new ships with engines capable of running on LNG, as there is plenty of that about at a relatively attractive price and it avoids all the sulphur (and other emissions) concerns.

But that is only one step. LNG is still a hydrocarbon – the simplest hydrocarbon of all. Ultimately the shipping industry will have to move past that and into non-carbon fuels, which probably points to hydrogen power.

It will be the same on the roads. Certainly in Europe the move towards electric-powered vehicles (including heavy goods vehicles) is well under way. Practical concerns about cost, performance, charging time and range are being overcome, and in some countries the electricity that fuels vehicles is heavily subsidised.

But that electricity has to come from somewhere, and at the moment a lot of it is generated from hydrocarbon sources. The switch to electric vehicles merely moves the emissions problem back up the fuel supply chain. It might be easier to manage emissions control at the power plant but the endto-end calculation has to take into account efficiency losses along the way.

Maybe at some time in the future alternative power sources – solar, wind, geothermal, etc – will be able to generate all the power we need. I have heard one futurologist point out that the increasing efficiency and falling cost of solar panels will mean that electricity will one day be essentially free.

But all this is still some way off. So far off, in fact, that companies that are involved in the movement, storage and handling of oil- and gas-based fuels and other liquids are still investing heavily in new assets. Our annual review of bulk liquids storage terminal construction in this issue, for instance, takes up just as many pages as ever and a further article on recent M&A activity indicates that there is still a huge appetite for opportunities in the sector among institutional investors.

It looks likely that there will be demand for this new tank capacity, at least in the medium term. But it is also certain that there will be changes in the products being handled. Refiners are already grappling with that and terminal operators will need to be ready to engineer into their assets the flexibility that will be needed as the world gradually weans itself off hydrocarbons.

Cargo Media Ltd Marlborough House 298 Regents Park Road, London N3 2SZ www.hcblive.com

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

Deputy Editor Sam Hearne Email: sam.hearne@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4041

Managing Director Samuel Ford Email: samuel.ford@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8371 4035

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

Campaigns Director Craig Vine Email: Craig.Vine@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 8371 4014

Managing Editor Stephen Mitchell Email: stephen.mitchell@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 8371 4045

Associate Editor Brian Dixon

Designer Natalie Clay

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.

ISSN 2059-5735

CONTENTS

VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 06

UP FRONT Letter from the Editor 30 Years Ago View from the Porch Swing Learning by Training 01 04 06 07

STORAGE TERMINALS If you build it… Global terminal expansion survey 09 Value added M&A deals show value of terminals 23 Little Rock and roll Building a distribution hub in Arkansas 26 The key to success Sofis helps with partial automation 28 Up the wall Eddyfi improves NDT technology 29 Foam on tap SK firms automating foam making 30 You’re so vane Sliding vane pumps a good fit for terminals 32 News bulletin – storage terminals 34

TANKS & LOGISTICS Fixture for fittings Reporting back from FPS Expo 37

The vault is locked BDP signs up for blockchain 41

Shipa to shipper Agility moves into online logistics 42 Dutch barns Broekman invests in warehousing 44 Alpha tanks Thielmann designs tanks for Class 7 46 Pay it forward Hoyer’s investments get results 47 News bulletin – tanks & logistics 48

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION Nice in Nice Fecc meeting has a lot to deal with 50 The gong show CBA recognises quality 52 Follow the market Brenntag invests around the world 54 Top table New deals for Nexeo 55 To Russia with rubber Safic-Alcan makes strategic move 56 Going for an Indian Azelis expands in Asia 57 News bulletin – chemical distribution 58

COURSES & CONFERENCES Training courses Conference diary

SAFETY Incident Log 64

Outside the box New packagings for battery shipments 67 Silver safety Changes ahead as SQAS passes 25 years 70 Pass the port Exis moves forward with restrictions database 72 Block the blast Welcome to CellBlock EX 73 News bulletin – safety 74

REGULATIONS Crunch time RID/ADR/ADN 2019 on their way 76 Testing, testing Handling the 38.3 test report 82 Get the show on the road Labeline Biennial Roadshow is on its way 84 News bulletin – regulations 86

BACK PAGE Not otherwise specified 88

NEXT MONTH The HCB Tank Guide 2018/2019 – free to all subscribers