Investment funds are on the prowl again. Over the past couple of months a number of big deals have been reported, mainly in the North American midstream sector – a market where funds can reap the consistent rewards they are looking for.
The biggest deal of all was announced last month, with Buckeye Partners LP agreeing to be acquired by IFM Investors in an all-cash transaction valued at $10.3bn. Perhaps not surprisingly, Buckeye’s board of directors gave its unanimous support to the deal.
On the same day that the Buckeye deal was revealed, NuStar Energy LP said it had signed a definitive stock purchase agreement to sell its St Eustatius bulk liquids storage terminal in the Caribbean to Prostar Capital for some $250m. As with its earlier sale of its European terminals to Inter Pipeline Fund, the transaction will allow NuStar to “improve its debt metrics” and focus on and invest in its core business in the US, primarily on the rapidly growing Permian Basin crude gathering and export network.
Another interesting transaction was announced a few days before those deals, with A&R Logistics being acquired by Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm. A&R is the largest provider of integrated dry bulk logistics for the chemical and plastics industries in North America. As is customary in such acquisitions, both parties were at pains to point out how the new arrangement will provide access to capital to expand operations; in this case, A&R is now planning to build major facilities in the ports of Charleston and Savannah to support the packaging and export of polymers.
Ownership by investment funds places a corporation somewhere between a public and a private company. On the one hand there is still
a shareholder to satisfy, with a thirst for dividends and capital growth, but on the other there is not the desperation to maintain the share price by hitting quarterly targets for profits, ROI and dividend payments. Equity funds typically have an investment horizon of three to five years – although in the case of IFM Investors, it says that it is taking a longer-term approach, with no pre-determined divestiture horizon.
The oil and gas and petrochemical sectors have a tradition of private ownership in the logistics sphere, particularly in Europe, where almost all the major road and intermodal operators remain family-controlled if not still family-owned – companies such as Suttons, Den Hartogh, Hoyer, Bertschi, Kube & Kubenz and so on. That structure certainly provides long-term stability, with a financial focus on passing on a viable corporation to generations to come.
Equity investment funds generally do not take such a longterm view, and while the US midstream sector, leveraging the opportunities provided by the availability of low-cost feedstocks derived from shale oil and gas extraction to boost domestic refining and petrochemical production and open up new export streams, currently offers the sorts of dependable income and capital growth that they are seeking (especially at a time when traditionally investment routes are not paying well), they may not be keen on the sector for ever.
But as individuals we should be happy with their interest. After all, the funds that these firms are investing are, in part, the money that most of us are relying on to keep us warm and fed in our retirement.
Peter Mackay
Shock therapy
Blackmer avoids cavitation
Winds of change Gardner Denver/Ingersoll Rand merge 27
Hazardous flows CP Pump adds bigger unit
Letter from the Editor
Years Ago
by Training
Secure the future Hoyer plans investments
All is possible Thielmann builds with experience
Part of the solution Goodbye FPS, hello UKIFDA
Certified excellence Implico is secure
Map makers Miniclipper adds routing software
A long way to go Hupac identifies rail drawbacks
Rail revolution UWC’s new wagon designs
Hub Med Tarragona leads the way
News bulletin – tanks and logistics
A strong start Brenntag off with a bang
Stack ‘em high Raben builds in Poland
Future storage Broekman adds to Limburg space
News bulletin – chemical distribution
Time is tight Operators keep control of fleet
Epic success BW investment opens growth path
Major FP/SR fleets
Major fully refrigerated fleets
Recycling round France Schütz expands Recobulk list
Batteries packed CHEP adds UN unit for batteries
Training courses 42 Conference diary 45
Incident Log 46
Ask the Expert Labelmaster on battery packaging 48
Under control CBA surveys risks
Know the risk NTSB reports on barge explosion 52 News bulletin – safety 53
Europe and beyond Joint Meeting reviews decisions 54
Going global
ADR not just for Europe 61
All the fun of the fair Reporting back from GGS 62
Not otherwise specified 64
The annual HCB Tank Guide Report from the ITCO Village
Editor–in–Chief
Production
Deputy
Campaigns
Cargo
Thirty years ago, HCB readers were presented with a bumper 100page issue, not unlike that we sent out last month, which weighed in at 112 pages. Both issues had one thing in common: a focus on tank containers.
Back in 1989, we reported that the tank container industry had emerged from a brief slump and, after two years of double-digit growth, the world fleet had reached an estimated 45,000 units. Little did we suspect then that, thirty years on, the fleet would have expanded to more than 600,000 tanks.
And there are other common factors between 1989 and 2019: back then, some commentators felt that the growth in the tank container fleet was more to do with finance than with underlying trade demand; similarly today, it is widely taken to be the case that leasing companies are taking advantage of over-production by Chinese manufacturers and the resulting low newbuild prices to build their fleets.
What is perhaps most surprising, given that the global tank container fleet has expanded by more than 13 times since 1989, is that among the major lessors and operators we listed in the June 1989 issue, several are still among the front runners: the two biggest tank leasing companies thirty years ago were Eurotainer and Sea Containers (now still numbers two and three in the list) and among the major operators were Hoyer and Stolt Tank Container, although Trafpak, then the third largest operator, is no more: it was originally part of Pakhoed, which merged with Van Ommeren to form Vopak and subsequently span off all its non-tank storage activities.
Elsewhere in 1989’s June issue, there was a lot of talk about the new UN packaging certification requirements which, after a seemingly endless transitional period designed to allow industry to get tooled up, were about to start coming into force. Pira International’s Martin Castle provided readers with a very lucid explanation of the whys and wherefores of the new scheme – and explained why industry was going to have to start to pay for it.
There was at the time confusion about the approval of combination packagings, something that some users still seem to struggle with, and also the certification of IBCs, at least in part because these packagings had not yet been permitted for use in international transport (although that was also about to change).
Another article, from Robert Schaeffer of DelValCo Consultants, explained the rather different approach being taken by the US authorities, which allowed packaging manufacturers and users to undertake their own tests. A major issue here was getting those companies to understand the rationale behind the tests and to have in place the necessary facilities. Schaeffer was, though, adamant that the UN system, however it was to be applied, did offer a sound basis for the assessment of container quality, even if it could not be described as the finished product.
We remember 1989 now not least for the oil spill in Alaska caused by the grounding of the tanker Exxon Valdez on 24 March. Our June 1989 issue noted that Exxon Shipping’s calendar for the year, which had been circulated to clients and contacts, had for the month of March a glossy picture of … you’ve probably guessed it … Exxon Valdez herself.
When energy companies buy other organisations, they are not just taking over assets such as buildings, storage tanks, pipelines or jetties, but also the people who work there. Some of them have worked there for decades and developed a modus operandi which does not always fit the vision of the new owners. That is what I am observing all over the world.
We are often asked to train people because their work ethic or culture does not yet correspond with the expectations of a ‘no nonsense’ policy or the new performance demand. When this is the case, the new culture of managers who aim to make profit could clash with an existing culture that claims ‘we have always worked like that’, or ‘before we were taken over, we were happier and things were done in the right way’.
When this occurs, the new company can do two things: management needs to assess the overall performance of the employees and, secondly, management must look into a mirror and self-reflect. New management can’t demand different and better performance alone. No, management must earn and deserve it.
But how can a manager earn respect so people will do something they want to, not just because they must? First a manager must understand that people are just people and that their lives, their perception of reality through experiences, their memories and social environment form their behaviour. This makes each individual unique, because he or she alone learned to be him or her through personal perception.
So, how can you test perception? Well you can’t, but when one creates a two-way communication path between manager and worker through conversation, both manager and worker will get
to know each other, which then hopefully leads to trust, mutual respect, understanding and improved cooperation. You see, ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink’.
This finding brings me back to the science of communication and control in man and machine, named cybernetics. Because all living systems, which include energy companies and people who work there, prosper by the exchange of information. It then becomes quite simple that in order to change a persistent culture, all one needs is to talk and to keep talking towards mutual benefit. It is all about a re-humanisation of the workplace. Companies are only as good as the people who work there. Technology or regulations can’t change people’s mindsets, their perceptions or their work culture, only people can do that by goodwill and ethics.
So, when I train a group of operators or managers my first question is: ‘Are you talking to each other? Are you genuinely interested in each other’s wellbeing and lives? When one makes a mistake, will you shout at him or help him do better? It is all about teambuilding, conversation and cooperation that will create a total, shared culture of operational excellence, safety and sheer happiness. People who work for such a company will be proud of having been selected to work there and therefore like to boost performance.
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.
THE HOYER GROUP has reported 2018 turnover of €1.17bn, slightly down on 2017’s record figure of €1.20bn, with pre-tax earnings virtually flat at €40.2m.
A salient feature of 2018 was the expansion of Hoyer’s activities in Asia, with its Supply Chain Services (SCS) division taking on more on-site logistics and providing more value-adding services at industrial locations in Shanghai. It also expanded its transport operations in China and began a move into a new market through the creation of the Hoyer Logistics Australia joint venture, which is bringing business in both its deepsea and Chemilog divisions.
Chemilog and deepsea both recorded slight turnover growth in 2018; together they account for 58 per cent of group turnover. The Petrolog business unit contributed 24 per cent of total turnover in 2018. Despite a 7.2 per cent drop in turnover, a strategically important field was opened up by supplying fuel to airports and aircraft in Europe. The Gaslog business unit, which earned 10 per cent of total turnover, recorded 4.5 per cent turnover growth.
The transport logistics business with industrial, chemical and special gases developed “satisfactorily”, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. Some 8 per cent of total turnover was contributed by the Netlog business unit, which is responsible for worldwide container management and technical services such as cleaning and maintenance, as well as depot services.
The most significant turnover growth was shown by the IBC business, where an acquisition in 2017 had a considerable effect, and the market showed a sustained positive trend, Hoyer reports.
Hoyer invested €83.9m in 2018 in asset replacement and modernisation and in expanding its transport fleet; the Hamburgbased company has more ambitious plans for 2019, more than doubling its investment budget to €173m. This will be spread over business development, investment in fixed assets, further replacement and expansion of its transport fleet, and – perhaps most significantly – continuation of its Smart Logistics digitisation strategy.
Thomas Hoyer, chairman of the Advisory Board of the Hoyer Group, says: “We will also use the 2019 investment budget to determinedly achieve further expansion of Smart Logistics and Supply Chain Services –and thus of our competitive advantage.”
Digitisation of the tank container fleet took another step forward during 2018 and more than one-third of Hoyer’s tanks have now been fitted with telematics systems to convert them into Smart Tanks. Further measures were also initiated in the Added Value Services area.
The Digital Supply Chain is part of an overarching digitisation strategy being followed up consistently by Hoyer, which sees itself as one of the sector’s pioneers. According to Ortwin Nast, CEO of the Hoyer Group: “We recognised the growing demand for specialised logistics services extending beyond transport. So that’s exactly where we are targeting our logistics solutions by giving large parts of the supply chain structure a transparent image – worldwide and at all times.”
Hoyer now has more than 6,400 employees in over 115 countries to support clients with logistics solutions. Hoyer owns around 2,400 trucks, 2,700 road tankers, 43,100 IBCs, 39,200 tank containers and numerous logistics installations with depots, cleaning plants and workshops. HCB www.hoyer-group.com
ANYONE OPERATING WITH dangerous, toxic or unstable substances understands the importance of top-quality manufacturing standards for the vessels that transport, store and dispense them. The consequences of accidents, spills and leaks when dealing with nuclear, chemical or oil and gas loads can be extensive and devastating – both for the health and safety of handling personnel, the environment, and the bottom line of the companies involved.
For operators that need to transport dangerous substances in harsh handling conditions – often across complex road, rail and sea supply chains and within extreme climatic conditions – the situation becomes
even more complicated. Furthermore, supply lines can easily cross national borders or continents, with different regulations and certifications applicable in different states that may impede the passage of goods on the journey between supplier and customer; while the substances themselves may require heating or cooling throughout their journey to maintain safe characteristics. All of which adds pressure on the operator to make sure each tank container system can safely and securely store, transport and dispense the substances they deal in.
“What all of this boils down to is manufacturing processes,” Sebastian Bojarski, THIELMANN’s product line director, says. “Customers don’t have the head space to ensure that each and every requirement can be ticked off when considering new tank container solutions, they want to know that the container will transport and store
their substances safely because that safety assurance has been built in to the design when it was on the drawing board.”
THIELMANN has built its reputation around its industry-leading manufacturing processes. It works in a range of design options for its tank container solutions, including singleand double-shell tanks that comply with the German Water Budget Law (WHG). It builds its tank containers systems from top-quality carbon and stainless steel, most commonly V2A/V4A in all grades, but also including special materials such as Hastelloy, nickel and titanium. Critically, the company has also pioneered the design of tank containers that are safer and more robust during transport, by housing its tank containers within standard or non-standard ISO frames - usually 20-ft frames, with options ranging from 5 ft to 40 ft.
These frames provide a safer, more reliable and intermodal way to transport tank containers and the substances carried within them. Unlike traditional tanks that are welded within their frames or the bed of the truck or trailer on which they are being carried, which creates a highly unstable environment for the transport of dangerous or sensitive substances, the THIELMANN design separates the tank from the frame, which takes the pressure off the tank body, offering a
much more reliable envelope. It also provides a system that has fewer areas for wear and tear to take their toll, offering a longer service life.
The design work continues inside the tank, where optional inner linings – Chemline, Proco-EMAIL, Säkaphen – provide the extra protection required for the storage and transport of acids or alkalis. Further variants of inner linings are available, including plastic coating – PFA, FEP, Teflon – as well as special interior lacquers, lead linings and glassenamel coatings.
For water and drinking water solutions THIELMANN tank containers can also be equipped with feed pumps, hose reels, UV drinking water maintenance systems, chlorine dosing units and also reverse osmosis units. In the fuel sector, stationary
and independent mobile system solutions are offered, which are suitable for diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel.
Where temperature control is required, heating and cooling systems in various designs are used. Thermal oil, water/ steam heating systems, electric heating systems, heating and cooling systems with documentation recorders for media which may only be transported within special temperature ranges can be supplied. Insulations of the tank container are calculated and determined individually during the design stage, depending on the temperature range and end use. Insulation cladding can also be applied to meet different needs; often stainless-steel claddings matt or high gloss are used, but aluminium and fiberglass claddings are also possible.
“The fact is, THIELMANN makes all possibilities possible, and the assurance
we provide our customers is documented, certified and tested during our manufacturing process,” Bojarski says. “There are many inferior tank container designs in the market at present, which take a basic one-sizefits-all design and patch on solutions in a haphazard way. At the end of the process, the user cannot be entirely sure what they are operating with – is the unit going to meet required regulations? Will it provide safe passage for dangerous goods? Will it quickly degrade during rough transit? It can end up as a guessing game with dangerous and farreaching effects.
“Here at THIELMANN we take the guess work out of the equation, and build safety, assurance and engineering excellence into the system from the outset, resulting in a superior product and operating experience for the customer.”
HCB thielmann.com
SHOW REPORT • THE 2019 FPS EXPO, WITH PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT, WILL BE THE LAST UNDER THAT BANNER AS THE ASSOCIATION WILL ENTER 2020 WITH A NEW NAME AND A WIDER FOCUS
Each stand showcased the finest products and services available to the industry, in areas as diverse as shipment tracking, static grounding, logistics recruitment and even concrete on a roll. Valves, hoses and pumps of all shapes and sizes adorned the stands while brightly coloured tankers scattered the exhibition hall making for some great social media posts.
on. It is often said that some of the most important business conversations happen on the golf course.
LIVERPOOL WAS ONCE again the host city for FPS EXPO this past 15-16 May and it was a full house for exhibitors and attendees at the 39th event. The stalls were packed with the latest offerings from providers and eager visitors were treated to demonstrations of some of the newest innovations in the fuel distribution industry.
This year was the first time that the organiser, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), had hosted a dedicated seminar area for attendees and exhibitors –all of which thoroughly enjoyed the addition. It proved to be a great opportunity for industry members to discuss sector-specific issues and to network with a range of business leaders.
Further enjoyment and excitement could be found in two non-industry activities. Patrons to the show were able to take part in a game of inflatable American football and practice their kicking abilities when taking a break from talking tanks and hoses. Also, a miniature golf course was set up for people to go putting
The environment took centre stage at this year’s event, with a strong focus on reducing – and ultimately eliminating – the impact industry has on the planet. Whether it is finding practical answers to reducing greenhouse gas emissions or seeking the most effective way to prepare for (and contain) any damaging environmental spills, there are FPS members with specialist credentials.
Dipetane International, based in Ireland, provides an eponymous fuel treatment that reduces emissions and improves fuel consumption – two prime benefits for any transport company. Dipetane is a treatment that is able to upgrade petroleum fuels without any additives or mechanical devices.
It is a 100 per cent hydrocarbon liquid fuel treatment as opposed to an additive that contains nothing not already in the fuel. Dipetane uniquely interacts with the carbon chains enabling oxygen in the air to attach and burn the carbon chains in a way that ensures more complete combustion, increasing the air-to-fuel ratio and reducing fuel usage by up
to 10 per cent. Outside of petroleum fuel use, it can also assist in burning lower carbon biofuels more completely.
Aside from providing cost-saving benefits with fuel consumption, Dipetane is the only combustion fuel treatment worldwide that significantly reduces greenhouse gas problems associated with standard fuels. Dipetane reduces NOx by up to 30 per cent, CO2 by up to 25 per cent, carcinogenic particulate matter by up to 24 per cent and smoke by up to 60 per cent. Added benefits include assisting engines to pass everstricter emission tests, protecting injectors against low-sulphur fuels due to increasing lubricity and keeping exhaust treatment units clean as a result of the more complete combustion of carbon.
Storage Solutions provides systems for those looking to safely store and use AdBlue. AdBlue, one of the main additives that is able to improve fuel consumption and efficiency, is highly corrosive and therefore needs specialised storage. It is used to clean up diesel engines where selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is implemented. SCR technology is applied to reduce harmful gas emissions from diesel engines and meet the Euro4, Euro5, Euro6 and Euro7 standards. Storage Solutions can equip private transport organisations and fuel station forecourts with smart pumps, specialised tank trailers, blending equipment for fertilisers and also custom-made automatic and manual filling lines for IBCs, cans and drums that perform perfectly with AdBlue.
There was also representation from the Oil Recycling Association (ORA). ORA promotes, protects and assists the interests of its members within the hazardous waste industry, including the recovery and recycling of a variety wastes such as oil filters, lubricants, catalysts, batteries and other waste products. This includes wastes arising mainly from the servicing of automotive engines and other mechanical equipment, but also wastes arising from contaminated fuels, spillages, ships’ slops, tank bottoms and water contaminated with oil. The longterm goal for ORA in Europe is to achieve a society that avoid wastes wherever possible
but can use any unavoidable waste as a resource – a hierarchy of reuse, recovery and recycling objectives.
The collection of dangerous waste and preventing spills is a key part of the fuel industry, and planning for the off-chance of an accident goes a long way to protecting the environment. Refineries and tank terminals require secure concrete and earth bunds to provide the secondary containment needed in the event of a spill. Rawell Environmental showcased its Rawmat HDB system, an environmental protection in secondary containment liners, that is now in use globally by some of the biggest names in the petrochemical industry.
The Rawmat HDB has been specifically designed for environmental protection applications by providing long-term resistance to contamination for a diverse variety of projects. It utilises a polyethylene upper layer and a non-woven geotextile lower layer to sandwich its unique pre-hydrated high-density sodium bentonite clay core. The addition of the plastic sheet offers greater resistance from the weather to the swellable bentonite core, allowing the membrane to be left uncovered for longer periods of inclement weather during civil works. Key applications include tank farms, filling station forecourts, transformer bunding and trench lining as
well as landfill bases, landfill caps and the impounding of waste on site.
Few jobs in the modern world involve handling goods that can, in the wrong scenario, be lethal – which is why ensuring the safety of users throughout the supply chain and guaranteeing the quality of product is of utmost importance. The exhibitors at FPS EXPO displayed equipment that is the result of decades of engineering and refining to implement the finest in safety protection.
In the sphere of static grounding and monitoring levels, safety is of course the highest priority. The relative ease of transferring hazardous goods in a modern facility can easily mask the dangers that are ever-present. Scully’s motto of “controlling fills and eliminating spills” succinctly defines its attitude when inventing a self-checking technology providing safe, efficient, and reliable transport, storage, and handling of hazardous fluids. The industry-leading equipment provided by Scully is designed to ensure every single movement of dangerous liquids and chemicals through a large range of specific monitors. Whether being used to monitor a road tanker, storage terminal or simply running tests to ensure the quality of a unit, Scully has a solution. »
Continuing with the safety theme, Elaflex exhibited a wide range of options for the safe and efficient transfer of different dangerous goods and sensitive fluids through an extensive portfolio of hoses and connections. Its strengths are in the designs of standard-compliant, longlasting hoses, fittings, couplings, expansion joints and nozzles. Elaflex has diverse solutions ranging from everyday use at fuel stations to highly complex pharmaceutical requirements. The company’s products are state-of-the-art in accordance with the highest safety measures and set standards.
Over at UK Sampling Gauges, the onus is on delivering the most accurate and versatile readings possible. It has designed equipment used to obtain spot samples from any level or depth within a liquid, to check for quality, density or chemical purity. The equipment can also be used to obtain samples from the bottom – or at a specified distance from the bottom – of a tank or reservoir, to detect water underneath oil or fuel and is ideally suited to taking samples from the liquid interface to obtain evidence of microbial growth.
UK Sampling Gauges is also able to provide closed sampling systems that are ATEX and IECEx approved. These kits can accommodate 2 to 6-inch vapour control valves and
maintain safety, operator and environmental friendliness while taking reliable and uncontaminated samples.
Three years on from the UK referendum, no one seems any the wiser about what to expect from Brexit and many of those attending industry events are beginning to grow weary of the circular conversations. As FPS EXPO is primarily focused on the fuel distribution industry in the UK and Ireland, the uncertainty of Brexit developments and what it will mean for future trade has left many shifting their focus to short-term priorities.
One of the strongest similarities that the UK-based businesses at the show have with each other is that they are no longer putting the levels of effort into larger, long-term business aspirations, deciding to focus on day-to-day dealings. There is an attitude of “carry on as normal” as no one feels they have any control over the situation but sitting around and worrying about it is not going to bring any solutions. The downside is that larger projects involving international collaborations and partnerships have been put on hold indefinitely until some clarity shows itself.
Fortunately for FPS members, as the majority are UK-based and conduct a large portion of their business within the British Isles, most deals and developments have gone relatively unscathed. Any impacts that have affected the members tends to affect them all, so disruption has been minimal. However, problems begin to arise when including Ireland in the equation. The fiasco with the UK-Irish border looms large in the minds of many logistics companies working on the island, but many businesses aim to carry on regardless as it is a situation out of their hands. There is a strong sense of hope that a disruption-free arrangement will be agreed – only time will tell. Perhaps the next show in 2020 will provide some answers as to where businesses are heading, or perhaps it will be another 12 months of uncertainty.
Arguably the biggest news of the flagship event was that, after forty years, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers is undergoing a rebranding. No longer will it be known as FPS – say hello to the United Kingdom and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA). »
The main reason for the rebrand is that the association wants a name and brand that provide more of an insight into all it stands for and what its members do. There is a tremendous level of diversity in businesses associated with FPS and members want this portrayed in a more visible manner. The short version is that ‘petroleum’ as a term excludes a lot of what the members offer, whereas ‘fuel’ is far more inclusive. Part of the move to rebrand is also to highlight that no matter what may happen on the global political scene, the members of this association are international in scope.
“The industry in which we operate has undergone tremendous changes over the past four decades and FPS has continually adapted over that time to ensure that it represents, supports and informs its growing membership. The future vision will ensure that it continues in the same vein, supporting
the UK and Ireland changing energy landscape,” says Guy Pulham, FPS chief executive.
“Our rebrand and future vision reflects where we are today and our ambitions for the future,” Pulham continues. “Together with our members we agree and support the principle of decarbonisation, clean growth and clean air. We believe that we can play a part in achieving the net-zero aims recently published by the Committee on Climate Change. Liquid fuels are changing and will continue to change to meet the aims of the Paris Agreement.
“Our name should reflect the fact that we are an association not a federation and our members distribute not supply. Including both UK and Ireland in the new name highlights that our members operate across both the UK and Republic of Ireland and that both are important to us. Liquid fuels are key if we are to reach the government’s decarbonisation
targets and in a way that meets the needs of the consumer too, and we wanted our support for this to be more obvious from our name –UKIFDA enables us to display all we stand for, simply and effectively.”
The conclusion of this rebranding transition will coincide with the 40th anniversary dinner on 31 October 2019. Tickets for the event will be on sale soon for and updates can be found at www.fpsonline.co.uk.
Exhibitors and visitors alike showed plenty of enthusiasm for next year’s show, with many having already signed up. The first UKIFDA event will take place on 10 and 11 June 2020; for more go to www.fpsshow.co.uk. HCB
“The ISMS certification is a big accomplishment for Implico,” adds Nina Ehlert, information security officer at Implico.
“We have invested heavily in our information security and we are happy that our efforts have yielded fruit. We will continue to build upon this from now on – steadily revising processes, implementing measures and making advancements. Our ambition for security excellence assumes that we always aim for an exemplary safety level.”
“In an information-driven industry like oil and gas, security and confidentiality are paramount,” adds Stephan Buhre, managing director at Implico. “The ISMS certification classifies Implico as a trustworthy partner with whom even sensitive data is in safe hands. We have heaved security at Implico to a new level.”
UNDER LOCK AND KEY
The certification by TÜV Nord confirms that the company’s internal processes and regulations comply with the ISO 27001 definitions, guaranteeing a high level of information security that is subject to regular testing and continuous improvement.
ISO 27001 is the leading international standard for information security management systems. It provides clear rules and regulations for planning and executing as well as monitoring and improving data and information security within a company. Implico has cemented itself as a leader in consulting services, data services and software solutions for the entire supply chain and this recent ISMS certification only strengthens its standing.
IMPLICO HAS ACHIEVED another milestone by becoming certified according to the ISO 27001 standard for information security management systems (ISMS). Specialising in the optimisation of logistics and business processes for oil and gas downstream companies, Implico has further expanded the diverse range of solutions available to customers.
In order to meet the required standards, Implico has invested heavily in the documentation and optimisation of its work and business processes. As of 20 April 2019, its OpenTAS, iGOS, IT and SAP hosting have been recognised as complying with the ISO 27001 standard. In the course of the two-stage audit, TÜV Nord did a comprehensive check of information security at the company’s headquarters in Hamburg; Implico convinced the auditors with its resilient information technology, exemplary documentation and strong security awareness. Additionally, Implico has clear regulations for information transfer and holds regular employee training sessions.
Leading global oil and gas companies trust in Implico’s industry expertise and high-performance IT solutions, which include OpenTAS, Implico Global Operation Services (iGOS), and the SAP downstream solutions
SAP Secondary Distribution Management (SDM) and SAP Retail Fuel Network Operations (RFNO).
OpenTAS automates the storage and transport of hydrocarbons for refineries, tank farms, and service station networks; iGOS offers innovative downstream solutions out of the Cloud; SAP SDM steers and optimises the complete order-to-cash process; and SAP RFNO automates all payment and quantity flows of service station networks.
Implico is a Microsoft Gold Partner, a Software Development Partner of SAP and a member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork. HCB www.implico.com
“Miniclipper Logistics offers next day and economy delivery services for palletised and hazardous freight. Paragon is enabling us to transform the service we provide to our customers, dramatically increasing ontime deliveries, helping to streamline our operational processes and enabling us to customise each client’s requirements, so that their individual warehouse operating times are incorporated to ensure we run to schedule,” explains Dave Lightfoot, transport operations director at Miniclipper Logistics. “On top of this, the added visibility and control the software has provided over fleet resources is allowing us to take advantage of higher margin work, win new business and gain a better understanding of our transport costs.”
Miniclipper has also adopted smarter mapping tools – street level mapping, average road speed data and truck attribute data – as part of the Paragon solution to gain added peace of mind that transport plans are both realistic and achievable. This ensures the company can create the most accurate routes possible and factor in anything that can impact on the reality of a plan such as one-way streets, low bridges and other road restrictions.
MINICLIPPER LOGISTICS, A fast-growing UK-based third-party logistics business, has started using Paragon’s routing and scheduling software to enhance service delivery and maximise profitability within its nationwide operation. The transport planning tool is helping to better manage its fleet of 40 rigid and articulated vehicles that are used to handle palletised freight and hazardous cargoes. As a result, the company has been recognised by Palletline for achieving a service success rate of 99.39 per cent and providing accurate ETAs for 97.69 per cent of deliveries.
Miniclipper’s fleet of 40 trucks - ranging from 7.5 to 44 tonnes - and 35 trailers operates from a 24-hour distribution centre and four warehouses in Bedfordshire. As well as its in-house distribution operation, the company is a shareholder member of the Palletline and Hazchem networks, which creates complex transport planning requirements. To keep up with demand, Miniclipper had previously employed three full-time planners, but since adopting Paragon’s routing software it has been able to re-deploy two of the planners to other roles within the transport office.
“We are committed to using leading technology across our operation to deliver practical and cost-effective logistics solutions that solve realworld problems,” adds Mark Turner, general transport manager at Miniclipper. “The Paragon software is playing a crucial role in helping us to deliver on our service promise as well as providing visibility of any operational delays and potential areas of improvement. In particular, this has led to a reorganisation of our loading procedures and the implementation of an electronic scanning system within our warehouse network.”
William Salter, managing director of Paragon Software, comments: “The logistics sector is under significant pressure with unprecedented skills shortages, rising costs and increasing customer expectations. Our proven transport planning expertise means we are best-placed to help our customers meet these challenges. That is why companies such as Miniclipper are selecting Paragon to implement and support business critical routing and scheduling solutions.” HCB www.miniclipper.co.uk www.paragonrouting.com
SWITZERLAND-BASED COMBINED transport operator Hupac reports that traffic volumes increased by 21.4 per cent in 2018, helping it increase its sales by 19.4 per cent to SFr 579.7m (€502.1m). Hupac says this growth reflects continued development of its core business of combined transport through Switzerland, the recovery in Rhine corridor traffic after the Rastatt disruption in 2017, and the added contribution of ERS Railways, which was acquired in June 2018.
As a result, Hupac generated a net profit of SFr 7.9m. This was a decline of 29.1 per cent from the 2017 figure but in line with expectations in light of some one-off costs.
The volume of transalpine traffic through Switzerland improved by more than 14 per cent, with 67,000 additional road consignments moved onto the rail. Around half of this volume represented a rebound following the Rastatt disruption in the third quarter of 2017 but
there was nevertheless an 8 per cent overall increase in transalpine traffic, led by semitrailers.
While these figures are good, Hupac believes they show the limitations in the current rail industry in Europe. For instance, it says that two years after the opening of the Gotthard base tunnel, the productivity improvements envisaged for transalpine combined transport can only be achieved in part.
On the one hand, the elimination of double traction on mountain routes, allowed by the introduction of gentler gradients, has reduced costs. Further gains are expected with the used of longer trains and the planned opening of Hupac’s Busto Arsizio-Gallarate terminal at the end of 2020. However, Hupac says, “there is a considerable gap compared to the current operating subsidies which expire in 2024”. This will make combined transport more
expensive than road transport, endangering the modal shift that has been achieved so far.
Hupac says there are a number of factors that reduce the competitiveness of combined transport on the Rhine-Alpine corridor.
Firstly, connecting routes in Germany limit train lengths to 690 metres, rather than 740 metres. Extension of the Rhine-Alpine corridor into these connecting routes is not expected before 2030.
Secondly, despite work on the Gotthard base tunnel, some routes have gradients that still require double traction: the Domodossola line has a gradient of 26 per cent and Chiasso around 17 per cent, whereas single traction is viable with gradients only up to 12.5 per cent. The upgrade of the Lugano-Chiasso line is not expected before 2050.
Hupac would like to see trains weighing more than 1,600 tonnes used in Italy but power supply issues currently place a limit on train weights. While the Gotthard base tunnel has increased access to transalpine routes, any efficiencies gained are nullified by a lack of synchronisation of the timetables between Switzerland and its neighbours, Hupac says. And ongoing construction work along the Rhine-Alpine corridor means that sub-optimal operating conditions must be expected beyond 2030.
To achieve the modal shift that is desired, both by governments and by industry, Hupac believes that action needs to be taken to support combined transport activities. The company has been preparing itself for the abolition of subsidies in Switzerland at the end of 2023; that means looking for lower costs and greater payload per train. Hupac calculates that it can compensate for half the loss of subsidies through improved train parameters, while lower track access charges coming in in 2021 will also help. However, those track access charges are still high compared to those in force elsewhere in Europe and, as Hans-Jörg Bertschi, president of Hupac, notes, both Germany and the Netherlands are reducing their charges even further.
“In order to continue the positive dynamics of the modal shift, Switzerland’s operating subsidies should be provided at a lower level until around 2030 to bridge the existing deficits,” Bertschi says. By then, Hupac hopes, the upgrading of the Rhine-Alpine corridor will be complete, helping to restore smooth traffic on a disruption-free rail infrastructure. Only then will combined transport be able to take advantage of the full productivity benefits and operate self-sufficiently.
Hupac itself continues to invest, both in rolling stock, terminal facilities and digitisation. Last year it increased investment significantly, spending SFr 71.3m. That increased its wagon fleet by 16 per cent, with expansion focused on 48-foot flat wagons and type T3000 pocket wagons to help handle rising demand for megatrailer transport.
Transhipment terminals are crucial to the development of intermodal transport, Hupac says. In order to secure capacity for further growth, Hupac together with partners is pursuing terminal projects at Milano Smistamento, Piacenza and Brescia in Italy, Gateway Basel Nord in Switzerland and Brwinów/Warsaw in Poland, with completion
scheduled for 2023. Last year it acquired a stake in the RTC Geleen terminal in the Netherlands and this year has increased its stake in the Novara CIM terminal from 3.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent. In summer 2019, the Italian subsidiary Hupac SpA will start operating the Pordenone terminal in northeastern Italy.
The frequency of numerous services was increased last year, with new connections also added, and that process is continuing this year, especially in the Company Shuttle business and ERS Railways.
Hupac is also riding the digitisation train, as CEO Beni Kunz explains: “By the end of 2019 we will make the ‘Hupac Train Radar’ available to all customers for tracking their shipments.” The system will be able to generate reliable arrival forecasts and make them available to customers. Other initiatives include new terminal gate access systems, reliable capacity management and an integrated booking-to-billing platform.
In the first four months of this year, the Hupac Group recorded extraordinary traffic growth
of 28 per cent; however, much of this can be attributed to the addition of ERS Railways, which Hupac acquired in June 2018. Traffic development at Hupac Intermodal remained slightly below expectations, with a growth of 3 per cent. Overall, Hupac expects traffic demand to stabilise in 2019 as a result of the economic slowdown in Europe. “Despite the emerging economic stagnation, we assume that we will achieve traffic growth in a high singledigit percentage range and thus touch the one million mark,” says Kunz. Challenges are expected in 2019 related to construction sites for the expansion of the access routes to the Gotthard base tunnel. However, these will lessen by the time the 4-metre corridor opens up. Kunz says: “With the start-up of the 4-metre corridor via Gotthard and Ceneri in 2021 we anticipate considerably more efficiency and reliability in favour of a further shift of goods transportation from road to rail.” HCB www.hupac.com
United Wagon Company (UWC) is benefitting from the expansion of the use of rail to move chemicals in bulk in the Russian Federation and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets. UWC, which manufactures rail wagons at the Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant, 200 km east of St Petersburg, has this year signed two significant deals with local rail carriers.
In March this year, the Texol group, one of Kazakhstan’s biggest railway operators, signed a contract for the supply of 400 articulated tank cars for the transport of LPG, primarily from Irkutsk Oil Company, one of Russia’s largest independent oil and gas producers.
UWC says the new tank car, the 15-9541-01, outperforms all other models available on the CIS market. The design features provide significant savings, particularly on long routes without depots. The tank car has a cargo volume of 163.1 m3 and a payload capacity of 90 t, allowing the fleet size to be reduced drastically.
The tank car consists of two tanks connected by an articulated joint able to sustain increased lateral and vertical loads. Even at a car length of 24 m, the coupler design ensures unobstructed passing of both a single articulated car and an articulated car connected to standard cars along straight and curved sections of track. As the location
of the tank fittings matches that of standard 12-metre cars, UWC’s articulated cars can be easily serviced at standard terminals.
Andrey Krivchenkov, executive director at UWC, says: “We have rolled out a railcar unmatched in the market. It allows [an increase in] their useful length and carrying capacity without having to spend much on renovating the infrastructure.”
Sergey Gorsky, a member of the board of directors of TexolTrans, adds: “Starting to ship freight in articulated cars represents a huge breakthrough for the entire rail freight industry. Operating these revolutionary cars will bring a raft of advantages to each party involved in the transportation process, from the freight owner to the owner of the rolling stock and the railway infrastructure operator.”
In Russia, UWC has extended its partnership with industrial chemicals producer Shchekinoazot with a deal to supply 101 tank cars for the transport of liquid chemicals in bulk. The order includes 66 model 15-6880 tank cars for methanol transport and 35 model 15-6926 units for ammonia use. Their delivery will bring the total number of UWC cars in the Shchekinoazot fleet to 396.
“For several years now, the company has made robust efforts to renew its fleet of rolling stock, and the fleet of 295 tank cars previously acquired from UWC has been in active operation on the Russian Railways network and in the territories of neighbouring countries,” says Eugenia Khomyakova, director general at Shchekinoazot. “Due to the significant growth in volume of goods produced and transported as rail freights, the company is seeking to acquire new generation rolling stock in order to provide high levels of efficiency and maximum reliability.”
The latest tank cars offer increased payload (73 t for the 15-6880 model and 60.2 t for the 15-6926 model) and larger tank volume (88 m3 and 92.7 m3, respectively). The overhaul mileage has also been increased to 1,000,000 km (8 years), considerably extending the lifecycle of the car. HCB www.uniwagon.com
This new situation forces the ‘Old Europe’ to be more flexible than ever, to lead technological change and to invest more in its human capital, merely in order to remain competitive. The energy transition is an added challenge for Europe, which is leading the world on the process towards a circular, sustainable and decarbonised economy.
WITHOUT DOUBT, WE live in a time of profound global change. Technological developments, energy transition and socio-political relations are impacting the pace of economic development in all regions of the world.
The deep financial crisis we have experienced over the past decade or more has led to rationalisation in the petrochemical industry, with the closure of many production facilities in Europe and new investments being concentrated in locations that are close to the raw material, such as the Middle East or the US, or to places near end demand, such as China and south-east Asia
After the rationalisation experienced during the years of the crisis, there is little room for more large-scale closures of petrochemical plants in Europe, other than in those cases where ageing plant cannot achieve the desired levels of efficiency. Europe’s chemical industry has responded by becoming more specialised, a scenario in which its skills in R&D and its investment in human capital are more relevant. The added value provided allows European producers to compete on the global stage, something that cannot be achieved in commodity markets.
After the economic downturn, 2017 turned out to be a year with historic results for the chemical industry globally, and this was also the case in Europe. This trend has been maintained during 2018 and the beginning of 2019, although at a somewhat lower rate. It seems likely that economic cycles will become shorter and that, while in the past cycles ran for four or five
years, in the future we will experience business cycles of only two or three years.
From the point of view of chemical production, the main focus of attention in northern Europe is undoubtedly the ARA area (Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp). In southern Europe, Tarragona is the only comparable port, having a modern and integrated chemical complex, with port and land infrastructures unique in the Mediterranean, and an investment in human capital that gives it a sustainable advantage.
Recent announcements of investment in petrochemical production, in both northern and southern Europe, have begun to switch back to focus on the expansion of production capacity, rather than dealing with efficiency improvements at existing facilities.
The competitiveness of the European petrochemical industry depends on the levels of efficiency and flexibility that can be achieved. In this process of improving efficiency, all the elements of the supply chain are relevant, so all those who are active in the supply chain have an important role to play.
From the point of view of bulk liquids storage, increasing flexibility is needed to help operators meet the changing demands of their customers. For the Port of Tarragona,
that means prioritising management of change procedures to guarantee the highest safety levels at the terminals within the port.
Port authorities must also look at investment in infrastructure necessary to support sustainable economic activity, such as appropriate public onshore infrastructures – including hinterland transport linksand efficient port infrastructure with the opportunity to grow in the medium and long term. On the other hand, agile administrative processes are also key in the recipe for economic growth.
The energy transition will mean a profound change for the entire petrochemical industry, first in Europe and then in the rest of the world. The effect on the tank storage industry will therefore be diverse, and uncertain regarding its size and timing. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that it is going to happen. It seems clear that the need for storage capacity for petroleum products will not increase in Europe, while on the other hand the storage of chemical and gas
products may offer growth opportunities in the future. Alternative energies are giving rise to innovative projects, such as those related to the storage of hydrogen.
Innovation and digitalisation in the industry are not an option any longer; they will be obligatory for survival in such a changing environment. The incorporation of technological elements that provide more and better information in real time throughout the logistics chain will be needed to eliminate the multiple inefficiencies in the system.
These and other current issues that affect the petrochemical industry as a whole will be discussed at the Annual General Meeting of the European Federation of Tank Storage Associations (FETSA), due to take place between 11 and 13 June in Tarragona, with the collaboration of the Port of Tarragona. The event has speakers of recognised prestige who will discuss key issues to understand the environment in which we find ourselves, during conference sessions presided over by HCB’s editor-in-chief, Peter Mackay, on 12 June.
The Port of Tarragona will also play host to the inaugural Mediterranean Refining &
Petrochemicals Summit, organised by S&P Global Platts, which will take place at the Grand Palas on 26 to 28 June. Josep Maria Cruset, CEO of the port, will update attendees on current developments and there will be a focus on the challenges and opportunities in the petrochemical and oil storage sectors. HCB www.porttarragona.cat www.chemmedcluster.com www.fetsa.eu
“We are very excited to work with Wind Point to grow A&R Logistics, and we see significant opportunities ahead for our company, customers, employees and partners as we grow the business organically and through acquisition,” adds Mark Holden, president/CEO of A&R.
That growth strategy will focus on expanding transport infrastructure and A&R’s nationwide network of warehouse facilities. A&R says it will also “aggressively support its customers’ needs for export solutions by establishing what will become among the nation’s largest and most flexible export networks for plastics resins”, and will set up major facilities in Charleston and Savannah to handle the packaging and export of numerous resins.
Den Hartogh has revealed some technical details of the new tank containers it has taken into its fleet for the transport of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). It chose two new tanks: 26,000-litre swap tanks equipped with an onboard heating system, and 28,000-litre composite tanks from Tankwell, both built to the standards defined by the European Diisocyanate and Polyol Producers Association (Isopa).
The hybrid heating system used on the swap tanks can keep product at the right temperature for up to 12 hours and is, Den Hartogh says, highly efficient. The tanks are also fitted with a two-way communication system that allows the company to locate and monitor the tanks and also to adjust temperatures remotely.
The composite tank uses materials that combines strength with a low weight. The tare weight of these tanks is 2,900 kg, around 25 per cent lower than comparable stainless steel tanks. The composite material also has very good insulating properties, reducing heat loss during transport.
Den Hartogh has also relocated its Brazilian office away from downtown Rio de Janeiro to a new, larger facility on the western side of the city. The Universe Empresarial building is, Den Hartogh says, very close to good hotels, a mall and the Olympic park and offers staff more space in a modern office environment. The address is: Den Hartogh Global Logistics Brasil, Av Julio de Sá Bierrenbach, 65/706 Bloco 1, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22775-028. www.denhartogh.com
A&R Logistics has been acquired by Chicago-based private equity firm Wind Point Partners. A&R, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is said to be North America’s largest provider of integrated dry bulk logistics solutions for the chemical and plastic industries. A&R provides a comprehensive suite of services including transportation, warehousing, packaging, and fully outsourced logistics management for many of the world’s largest producers and distributors of chemicals and plastics,” Wind Point notes.
VTG has started offering the rCE Powerpack for use in the carriage of refrigerated goods by rail. Aimed largely at the pharmaceutical and foodstuffs sectors, the system uses the kinetic energy of the wagon to drive a generator to supply the refrigeration unit as well as an integral telematics system that sends data on location, speed and other metrics to the shipper via the cellular network.
“The intelligent railCare solution enables us to make rail freight transport accessible for completely new kinds of cargo,” says Sven Wellbrock, managing director of VTG Rail Europe. “In doing so, we are not only improving our services for our customers, but also boosting the railway as a mode of transportation.” www.vtg.com
Trifleet Leasing has added 20 new 22,000-litre cryogenic tank containers to its fleet, designed for the transport of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and LNG. The 20-foot tanks are optimised for a higher payload, having a
lower weight than earlier tanks. The last of the new tanks arrived this month.
“As an established tank container leasing company, we entered the cryogenic business in early 2018,” says Philip van Rooijen, Trifleet’s managing director. “The feedback we have received so far from the cryogenic industry confirms our technical abilities as a reliable partner offering superior cryogenic tanks and equipment. This early success and the market growth expectations for cryogenic gases encouraged us to invest in additional cryogenic tanks, and we are ready to expand this specialised fleet further.” www.trifleet.com
Suttons Tankers has agreed a new five-year contract with Tradebe UK, which offers waste reclamation and recycling solutions. Suttons will transport chemical waste to and from Tradebe sites in Heysham, Gwent and Knottingley.
“We’ve been working with Tradebe since 2015 and this updated agreement, which includes Syngenta, further strengthens our position in the waste sector which is a core strategy for the company,” says Michael Cundy, managing director of Suttons Tankers.
“We’re committed to recycling waste efficiently and this new agreement with Suttons will help our relationship grow even stronger,” adds Brendan Pope, business services director at Tradebe UK. “We know Suttons deliver an excellent service and we’re confident this latest deal will benefit all parties and provide other opportunities of working together in the months and years ahead.”
Last year Suttons acquired the trade of Bullard, a UK transport company specialising in the chemical waste and fuels sector. www.suttonsgroup.com
Greiwing has completed a €6m expansion of its Logport facility in Duisburg, adding 8,000 pallet spaces for the storage of food and pharmaceuticals. The work included a new hall with two silage areas to allow the decanting of goods from big backs and sacks into trailers in clean-room conditions. In order to offer customers from the pharmaceutical and food industry the greatest possible safety for their sensitive products, the new building has been designed in accordance with HACCP standards.
The Logport facility, located adjacent to an intermodal terminal, now offers 77,000 pallet spaces, including the 3,000 added last year specifically for dangerous goods. It also has a 44-tonne gantry crane and container tipping station. www.greiwing.de
Talke USA has been handed a 10-year contract by US petrochemical distributor Vinmar to manage logistics operations at its Houston site. The work covers the handling of plastics
granules, including the unloading of hopper cars to silos, bagging, storing and loading product for onward transport.
The contract “serves to further confirm our strategy of integrating ourselves into the supply chains of our customers in the chemical and petrochemical industries by providing first-class, dependable and efficient logistics services combined with professional advice,” says Richard Heath, president/CEO of Talke USA.
RSA-Talke, Talke’s joint venture in the Middle East, has received the Energy Supply Chain Provider of the year award at the Logistics Middle East Awards 2019 while the Talke Group GCC was presented with the Excellence in Gulf SQAS Award at the 11th GPCA Supply Chain Conference. It is the first time that RSA-Talke has won Energy Supply Chain Provider of the year, and reflects its willingness to continuously evolve and implement wide-ranging solutions to assist energy majors and chemical producers address their most complex operational needs, the company says. www.talke.com
THOSE WHO KNOW about pump technology know the problem posed by cavitation: the formation of bubbles or cavities in liquid, developed in areas of relatively low pressure around an impeller. The imploding or collapsing of these bubbles can trigger intense shockwaves inside the pump, causing significant damage to the impeller and/or the pump housing.
Blackmer, part of Dover’s Pump Solutions Group (PSG), has developed a new video to help illustrate why cavitation occurs, the potential harmful effects it has on pumping components and possible solutions to avoid this common pumping challenge.
The solution Blackmer offers to the challenges of excessive cavitation is its unique Cavitation Suppression Liner. Available as a component on Blackmer CRL, LGL, SGL, XL, XLW and TLGF Series sliding vane pumps, the Cavitation Suppression Liner has been specifically developed to eliminate the vibration, excessive noise and pump-component damage that results from cavitation.
The Blackmer Cavitation Suppression Liner defeats cavitation through a design that mutes destruction before vapour implodes. This unique feature creates internal recirculation jets that break apart vapour bubbles before implosion. While the vapour levels are not reduced, the size of each vapour bubble becomes a fraction of what it would have been.
The Cavitation Suppression Liner also allows a controlled amount of fluid at discharge pressure to bleed back toward the suction of the pump. This breaks the larger vapour bubbles apart into smaller vapour bubbles before they have a chance to implode. The net result is less noise, less vibration and less wear, which Blackmer has verified
by conducting side-by-side tests of one of its sliding vane pump models with and without Cavitation Suppression Liners.
Blackmer describes itself as a global leader in positive displacement, regenerative turbine and centrifugal pump, and reciprocating compressor technologies. The video on cavitation is available on Blackmer’s YouTube channel and its own website.
In other news, Dover Corp has completed the acquisition of All-Flo Pump Co, which is now part of PSG. All-Flo, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, manufactures speciality air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps used in a wide range of industrial applications to transfer hazardous, viscous and abrasive fluids, sludges and slurries. The addition of All-Flo further enhances PSG’s leading AODD pump portfolio and expands its geographic and channel reach, says Dover.
“We’re excited to add All-Flo to our bestin-class portfolio of pump businesses,” says Richard J Tobin, Dover’s president/CEO. “This acquisition strengthens PSG’s market-leading position and is consistent with our strategic approach of deploying capital in close-to-core markets that offer sustainable, profitable growth, and where we can confidently create value for shareholders.”
With approximately $12m of revenue generated in 2018, All-Flo is expected to be accretive to margins of Dover and its Fluids segment.
Illinois-based Dover Corp is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenues of approximately $7bn. It delivers innovative equipment and components, specialty systems, consumable supplies, software and digital solutions, and support services through three operating segments: Engineered Systems, Fluids and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. HCB www.blackmer.com www.psgdover.com
and trade under Ingersoll Rand’s existing ticker on the New York Stock Exchange.
IndustrialCo will be composed of the entirety of Gardner Denver and Ingersoll Rand Industrial, including, subject to closing, Ingersoll Rand’s pending acquisition of Precision Flow Systems, which is expected to be finalised in mid-2019.
whom will be selected by Gardner Denver’s board of directors and three by Ingersoll Rand’s board of directors. Once the merger has been finalised, corporate operations will move to Davidson, North Carolina.
“This transaction will create a global leader in mission-critical flow creation and industrial technologies, and accelerate both companies’ strategic priorities of deploying talent, driving growth, expanding margins through increased efficiencies and allocating capital effectively,” says Reynal. “Together we believe we will create meaningful value for shareholders through our increased scale and reach, unmatched portfolio of iconic brands, highly compelling service and aftermarket platform, exposure to diverse and attractive end markets and geographies, and the expected realisation of significant synergies. We look forward to combining the strengths and talents of our teams and providing our customers with more comprehensive solutions and broader, industry-leading product, service and aftermarket offerings.”
GARDNER DENVER IS to combine with the industrial segment of Ingersoll Rand. The two entities have entered into a definitive agreement under which Ingersoll Rand will separate its Industrial segment (Ingersoll Rand Industrial) by way of a spin-off to Ingersoll Rand’s shareholders and combine it with Gardner Denver. The combined entity, currently referred to as ‘IndustrialCo’ is expected to take the name Ingersoll Rand
The HVAC and transport refrigeration assets of the current Ingersoll Rand will become a pure play expert in climate control solutions for buildings, homes and transport. This new entity will, at the time of closing, receive $1.9bn in cash from Ingersoll Rand Industrial, funded by newly issued debt assumed by Gardner Denver in the merger. The terms of this agreement have been unanimously approved by the boards of directors for both Gardner Denver and Ingersoll Rand.
The new Ingersoll Rand’s management team will be led by current Gardner Denver CEO, Vicente Reynal, and comprise executives from both companies. Its Board of Directors will be led by Gardner Denver’s chairman, Peter Stavros, and consist of 10 directors, seven of
The transaction is expected to close by early 2020, subject to approval by Gardner Denver stockholders, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The pro forma revenue is predicted to be $6.6bn, with approximately 40 per cent recurring services and aftermarket revenue, and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $1.6bn, including annualised cost synergies of approximately $250m expected to be achieved by the end of year three.
Upon closing, IndustrialCo intends to grant all employees who are not already equity eligible with an equity award totalling approximately $150m. “In the same spirit in which we granted stock to our employees during Gardner Denver’s IPO, we feel strongly that all employees of IndustrialCo should be owners of their business,” says Stavros. “We believe in fostering an ownership mentality, and that this drives motivation and engagement, something that has been clear in Gardner Denver’s strong performance. We look forward to offering this equity award to all eligible employees of the combined company and working together to drive the business forward to create value for all of our shareholders.”
PUMPS • CP PUMP SYSTEMS HAS EXTENDED ITS ESTABLISHED RANGE OF MAGNETIC DRIVE PUMPS WITH A NEW HIGH-FLOW UNIT DESIGNED TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF INDUSTRY
THE ROLE OF pump manufacturers around the globe has become more challenging in recent years. Industrial users are demanding higher flow rates, with efficiency, safety and environmental protection as standard. That has led pump manufacturers to develop new products. One of those manufacturers, Switzerland-based CP Pumpen, has launched a new, high-volume pump to its well established MKP range of sealless magnetic drive pumps.
The new MKP 300-250-315, launched in March, provides flow rates of up to 1,200 m³/h with differential heads of up to 50 metres. Sealless pumps are ideal for hazardous and aggressive media, as they are completely leak-free and can even handle media containing solids. They offer plant engineering contractors and operators the highest operational safety, low maintenance and adherence to strict environmental standards.
Magnetic drive pumps are widely seen as displacing centrifugal pumps with a double mechanical seal as they are a more cost-effective solution for hard-to-seal applications and the handling of hazardous, volatile and aggressive chemicals, CP Pumpen says. The use of a mechanical seal does not ensure complete sealing, meaning leakage of one gram per hour is regarded as normal. This of course leads to inefficiency, lost revenues and environmental hazards.
The intelligent modular system of CP’s pumps simplifies assembly and lowers costs for spare parts, maintenance and service to a minimum. The pumps are available with various options and monitoring capabilities that can be adjusted to meet individual customer specifications.
Furthermore, the MKP pumps can handle fluids containing solids in concentrations up to 30 per cent and a particle size of 1 mm,
allowing for a greatly diversified range of uses. The single, centrally located impeller bearing assembly, which receives optimum lubrication and cooling by the provided fluid, enables the handling of solid laden and low-boiling liquids.
The MKP’s compact design ensures a short heating time and even distribution preventing cold zones.
There are several important challenges that can occur during pump operation, including malfunction, chemical resistance, leakage and hygienic cleanness. Working with a wellestablished and experienced manufacturer can help reduce the likelihood of these happening, CP says.
CP is a Swiss precision engineering company founded in 1948 and known for producing zeroleakage magnetic drive pumps. It has a strong and wide-ranging history regarding the research, development and manufacturing of chemical process pumps. CP produces magnetic drive pumps for a wide variety of customers around the world, including to those in the chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and beverage, and pulp and paper industries.
Working with a network of representatives in more than 40 countries, CP offers firstclass advice and customer service around the world. CP has a deep commitment to energy efficient products and services, delivering environmentally friendly solutions with maximum safety and economy. HCB www.cp-pumps.com
“A slowdown in global economic momentum was already evident at the end of 2018 and, as expected, this trend impacted on our results in the first quarter of 2019,” says CEO Steve Holland. “In our EMEA region in particular, we recorded a decrease in demand, which is reflected in earnings. However, even amid these conditions, Brenntag achieved stable results overall due to our global diversification.”
IT HAS BEEN a strong start to 2019 for Brenntag with the acquisition of Marlin Company in the US and widespread growth in the first quarter. Three of Brenntag’s operating regions showed solid growth, contributing to increases in operating gross profit and operating EBITDA at the group level.
The most positive regions for growth have been Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America. The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, however, displayed weaker performance due mainly to lower demand.
In Brenntag’s Asia Pacific operations there have been positive contributions from both existing businesses and acquisitions. Operating gross profit reached €60.4m, a rise of 18.0 per cent on a constant currency basis (+23.5 per cent as reported). Operating EBITDA was up by 18.1 per cent on the prioryear figure on a constant currency basis (+23.6 per cent as reported) to €21.5m.
The North America region has continued to display positive performance, with growth in the two key performance indicators.
Compared with the prior-year quarter, operating gross profit rose by 5.5 per cent on a constant currency basis (+13.7 per cent as reported) to €292.8m. Operating EBITDA reached €112.0m, an increase of 17.9 per cent on a constant currency basis (+27.1 per cent as reported).
Latin America has surprised many by continuing the growth shown in the latter half of 2018, despite the challenging economic and political environment. Brenntag generated operating gross profit of €42.6m in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 8.7 per cent on a constant currency basis (+12.4 per cent as reported). Operating EBITDA grew by 40.2 per cent on a constant currency basis (+42.0 per cent as reported) to €11.5m.
Brenntag’s EMEA division – its largestgenerated operating gross profit on a par with the previous year (-0.6 per cent as reported) at €287.7m. Operating EBITDA was up by 1.6 per cent on the prior-year figure on a constant currency basis (+0.4 per cent as reported) to €101.8m. Not only did the company experience weaker demand but costs were also higher, particularly relating to transport.
Brenntag Group has confirmed its outlook for 2019 and is expecting to see growth in operating gross profit and operating EBITDA, particularly in the second half of 2019. This forecast takes into account the very difficult environment presently, especially in Europe, but does not assume a further slowdown.
Meanwhile, in the US, Brenntag has acquired North Carolina-based Marlin Company, which is expected to bolster Brenntag’s value-added service strategy and mixing and blending business Markus Klähn, CEO of Brenntag North America, says: “Marlin’s unique powder and liquid blending services for many different industries and their professional packaging and labelling system are an excellent addition to Brenntag’s value-added services business.” Marlin generated sales of some $7m in its 2018 fiscal year. HCB www.brenntag.com
41,000 pallets, bringing the total floorspace to 120,000 m2 and capacity to 185,000 pallets. Furthermore, the logistics centre now has 18,000 m2 of cross-dock area and 5,000 m2 of production space.
Divided into five distinct areas with highstacking capabilities, the new warehouse features state-of-the-art safety equipment that has been designed to contain and stop a variety of incidents that could arise from a wide variety of stored dangerous goods.
Each zone is separated with REI 240 fire division walls and fire gates with EI 120 fire resistance. The ceiling and in-rack sprinkler systems have been designed in accordance with the FM Global standard.
To minimise the risk to the environment the floor in new facility is resistant to paraffin, alcohol, solvents, aerosols and lubricants, in accordance with the German regulation WGK-2.
THE LATEST ADDITION to Raben Group’s expansive logistics centre in Robakowo, near Poznań, Poland, has officially opened. This new warehouse is a part of ongoing expansion in the region for Raben as it seeks to upgrade and improve its storage capabilities in central and eastern Europe.
The new high-storage facility adds an additional 21,000 m2 to Raben’s existing hub in the area and is able to accommodate
“The safety of our employees and our neighbours is a non-negotiable value in Raben Group. Hence, when building new facilities, we equip them with the most modern systems, such as the modern automatic foam extinguishing system,” says Wojciech Szafran, regional director of Raben Logistics Polska.
Some of the five areas are specialised to allow for the storage of aerosols or oxidants.
Additionally, in order to supplement the range of items that can be stored by Raben, one of the chambers in the existing facilities has been adapted to store a wide selection of goods classified as flammable liquids IA, IB, IC according to the US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard. Such an assortment requires appropriate fire protection; a high expansion foam system is installed in one of the warehouses in accordance with the FM Global standards.
Due to the modern design, focus on staff welfare and aim to utilise all available space, interesting solutions have been implemented, including tall racks with narrow aisles, requiring the use of special forklift trucks.
“In our warehouse, we have semiautonomous VNA trucks, which certainly helps the work of operators. We also lease high-reach trucks powered by lithium-ion batteries instead of the most commonly used acid batteries,” explains Szafran.
The facility has also been designed for co-packing operations. Specialised surfaces have been prepared and equipped with new technology. The new equipment includes automatic welding machines, labelling devices, palletisers, special packaging robots and automatic solutions supporting the processes of picking and packing, such as the line for the production of stands.
The new warehouse shares the same great transportation links that the previous facilities take advantage of. Located close to the S11 expressway and only 5 km from the Krzesiny junction connecting to the A2 motorway, the Raben hub has easy access to a range of major networks across Central Europe. HCB www.raben-group.com
BROEKMAN LOGISTICS AND Heylen Warehouses opened their latest venture in Venlo, Netherlands at the beginning of May. Boasting state-of-the-art technologies to comply with – and surpass – the most stringent of regulations, the 65,000-m2 facility will be used by Broekman for the storage, logistics and assembly activities of various products, including hazardous goods.
In addition to 53,000 m2 of warehousing space, there is 10,000 m2 of mezzanine floors and 2,500 m2 of office space, providing plenty of space for the 300 jobs predicted to be created.
Management from both Broekman and Heylen attended a recent opening ceremony, alongside local representatives and aldermen, providing speeches to a crowd of 200.
“We are proud to now also be located in Venlo and to contribute to the strengthening of logistics in Limburg,” says Willem Jan van Amersfoort, managing director warehousing and distribution at Broekman Logistics.
“This triple-AAA high profile location is ideally situated – the barge terminal and rail terminal are around the corner of our site, [as are] the A67 and A73. The extension of warehousing capacity in Venlo is part of Broekman Logistics’ growth strategy.”
Located close to the Dutch border on the site of a former DSM Pharma project, the warehouse at Venlo is perfectly located for Broekman to enhance its logistics services across Germany and the Benelux and provide combined storage solutions.
“This warehouse is used to store different material than in a regular warehouse”, says Ralph Caspanni, CEO of Heylen Warehouses. “This building is suitable for storing and handling a large quantity and variety of dangerous and non-dangerous goods.”
Furthermore, two extinguishing systems are available – gas or water – to cover a range of potentially hazardous emergencies. The warehouse is highly compartmentalised,
meaning goods in other compartments remain unaffected should something happen.
During the construction phase, Heylen applied its expertise to develop an environmentally secured warehouse, further ensuring safe operations for the storage of a host of different materials, as Caspanni explains: “The ultramodern warehouse is designed to be 30-cm liquid-tight and has special industrial doors with a liquid barrier to prevent all forms of leaks into the environment. These measures are needed to ensure the safety of people, goods and the environment.”
Aside from enabling Broekman’s to keep moving forward in offering clients combined storage solutions, the Venlo warehouse is also a physical representation of Broekman’s BLUE4C concept. BLUE stands for ‘Broekman Logistics Unlocking Europe’, and the 4C for ‘Coordinates, Combination, Customised and Compliant’. The concept addresses four recent industry trends: shifting modalities, rising productmarket combinations that require different warehouses, changing safety standards, and the globalisation of production and logistics.
During a tour through the warehouse as part of the opening ceremony, all attendees had the opportunity to experience the possibilities regarding the storage of hazardous and non-hazardous goods themselves, seeing first-hand how the property meets the strictest safety and environmental standards as well as the BLUE4C project.
Broekman now has 43 offices, terminals and warehouses across the Netherlands, China, India, Singapore, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic. Broekman specialises in providing a suite of supply chain services such as forwarding, shipping and distribution via its specialised breakbulk terminals and combined hazardous and non-hazardous class warehouse locations. HCB www.broekmanlogistics.com
2M Holdings has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The Queen’s Award is presented in recognition of significant export growth. The coveted award is a second accolade in as many months for 2M Holdings, as it was also declared one of the 2019 Export Champions by the Department for Trade and Industry in March.
“The chemical industry is essential in connecting the building blocks of everyday life. Britain is an island with a rich history of trading across the world. We hope to continue our international business, more and further, to deliver the essential building blocks of everyday life for hundreds of business worldwide,” says Mottie Kessler MBE, chairman and CEO of 2M.
“2M Holdings winning the Queen’s Award for International Trade sends a very strong and positive message to the UK chemical industry in the North of England and we are very proud
of our dedicated team and our partnership with the Department for International Trade,” adds Dr Maggie Kessler, export director and 2M co-owner (above). www.2m-holdings.com
Krahn Chemie has acquired eMBe Products and Service as of 1 May 2019. EMBe is one of the leading additive manufacturers for the ceramics and powder metal industry in Europe and the acquisition by Krahn will further strengthen its position as a leading provider in this sector.
“The acquisition of eMBe is closely linked with our strategy of supporting customers in a targeted fashion in all stages of their production processes, from the raw material to the end product,” says Axel Sebbesse, managing director of Krahn Chemie. “We are now going a step further and bundling our competence with the technical know-how of eMBe in order to be able to address the wishes of customers even
more individually and also convince companies that don’t yet use ceramics of the advantages of this material. This is because ceramics are and remain materials with a future, the application portfolio of which is still far from being exhausted.”
Elsewhere, Krahn Chemie and Lanxess have expanded their collaboration into Austria. A distribution agreement for biocides, antimicrobial agents and preservatives manufactured from them has been in place in Germany and the Benelux countries since 2017. The products, Preventol® and Biochek®, will now be distributed in Austria for uses in industrial preservation and disinfection. www.krahn.eu
In partnership with South Korea-based Inopol, Blagden has launched a new range of polyester resins and functional additives for powder coatings. Alymers is a 100 per cent solid
polyester resin, assisting in the creation of a thick coating film. It is an energy-efficient material and, as it contains no solvents, is a good solution to avoid concerns about air pollution, odour, fire hazard and toxicity. www.blagden.com
Biesterfeld Spezialchemie has been appointed by Quarzwerke as official distributor for its Pharmakaolin B 860 in Austria, the Benelux countries, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
“We are very pleased with the trust our partner Quarzwerke has shown in us by granting these exclusive distribution rights,” says Dominik von Borstel, product manager essential chemicals at Biesterfeld. “The closer partnership will allow us to make even better use of our product expertise and knowledge of the market.” www.biesterfeld-spezialchemie.com
DKSH has received a silver rating from EcoVadis for sustainability in recognition of its commitment to sustainable business practices, placing DKSH within the top 14 per cent of businesses in the industry. The methodology used by EcoVadis rates companies according to
21 sustainability criteria in four main areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Looking forward, DKSH’s vision for sustainability is to support economic and social progress in the Asian communities in which it operates.
Stefan Butz, CEO of DKSH, says: “The silver rating from EcoVadis is a significant recognition, both for us as well as for our clients and customers around the world. As a company with a history that spans more than 150 years, being a responsible corporate citizen has always been part of the DKSH mindset. Subjecting ourselves to Ecovadis’ independent assessment clearly demonstrates how committed we are to make continuous progress in the area of sustainability.” www.dksh.com
IN THE NORTH
Caldic and Cargill have strengthened their ongoing collaboration. Caldic will have exclusive distribution rights for Cargill’s pectin, carrageenan and xanthan range in the Nordic region. There has been a strong connection between Caldic and Cargill as the former has been handling the latter’s starches and sweeteners portfolio for several years.
“During the past years, Caldic has proven to be a strong partner for us,” says Alain Dufait, managing director for Cargill Starches,
Sweeteners and Texturisers in Europe. “They have an excellent customer approach and a strong organisation. We are impressed with the way Caldic develops solutions for their customers and their entrepreneurial spirit. This partnership bodes well for the future, as it allows us to better reach the Nordic food market.” www.caldic.com
The latest bi-annual satisfaction survey completed by 100 principals for Azelis shows continued good performance in principal management, long-term partnership, staff friendliness, strategic alignment, transparency and professionalism. Compared to the previous results in 2016, Azelis has improved most in sales forecasting, in-depth knowledge of principal products, limited staff turnover and raising and handling customer complaints.
Dr Hans-Joachim Müller, Azelis group CEO, says: “Partnerships are at the heart of our business and I am grateful that our partners took the time and effort to share their perception about our work with us. Without their feedback, we would not be in the position to fine-tune our actions and constantly improve our service. We are proud of our continued enhanced performance but will not stop there – continuously driving improvement is a core value of Azelis.”
Azelis has also joined the International Chemical Trade Association (ICTA). ICTA represents the interests of more than 1,300 chemical distributors, fills the need of a global chemical association coordinating on issues and programmes of international interest, and provides a platform for chemical distributors to discuss a host of topics.
Müller says: “Joining ICTA allows us to be on the front row for all updates on regulatory developments at UN level and to collaborate with the national associations working with the authorities and regulators who impact the chemical business. By participating in ICTA’s workshops and meetings, we can get a better understanding on how we can contribute to global regulatory developments on an international level.” www.azelis.com
with strong retail demand across the region. The semi-refrigerated segment is also benefiting from new flows of petrochemical gases around the world.
HCB LAST PROVIDED readers with an update on the global LPG tanker fleet two years ago, since when an awful lot has happened in the world of gas shipping –but in many ways very little has changed. Most of the same operators are featured in this year’s lists and some have slightly larger or smaller fleets; there have been a handful of exits – most notably IM Skaugen’s Norgas Carriers – but on the whole the picture has been surprisingly stable.
To a large extent that stability is due to the fact that the established LPG tanker operators – in all segments of the market –
are long-term players with a vested interest in avoiding the boom-and-bust cycles that characterise other parts of the merchant shipping business.
Newbuilding activity has been sufficient to meet fleet replacement and expansion demand but no more. And there has been no return to the speculative contracting in the VLGC sector, prompted largely by the arrival of investment funds in the business, that was a feature of the market earlier in this decade.
What has changed over the past two years is the nature of the trade that drives demand for LPG tankers. In particular, continued growth in exports of LPG – including ethane –from the US is providing new employment, not just for VLGCs. And while the pace of import growth in China has cooled to some degree, Asia is still the motor of new consumption,
At the end of the first quarter, the global VLGC fleet numbered 268 vessels, according to Avance Gas, with an orderbook of 38 ships, equivalent to 14 per cent of the active fleet –compared to as much as 60 per cent only a few years ago. Of the new ships, 18 are due for delivery in 2019 and 19 in 2020. At the same time, there were 27 VLGCs of 25 years or older; BW LPG expects to see five of those sent for demolition this year.
Among smaller fully refrigerated LPG tankers (~35,000 m³), there has been a similar shrinking in the orderbook, which is now standing at around 6 per cent of the active fleet, according to Exmar, after peaking at more than 50 per cent in early 2016.
So while there is expected to be some expansion in the VLGC fleet this year, it seems likely that the new capacity will be accommodated, with further growth expected in US exports of LPG. BW LPG quotes the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) figures, which indicate that US LPG
production is likely to grow by 9.8 per cent this year, slightly below the 10.5 per cent recorded in 2018, and with domestic demand comparatively flat, net exports could expand by 13.6 per cent to 35m tonnes.
Not only are US exports rising consistently, they are also contributing to tonne-mile demand for LPG tankers; according to Avance Gas, in 2016 some 52 per cent of US exports went to the Far East, a proportion that has risen to 63 per cent in the first quarter of 2019.
In total, according to BW LPG, global seaborne LPG trade was 15 per cent higher in the first quarter of 2019 than in the same period last year. Exports from the Middle East were essentially flat, with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait increasing volumes to compensate for the loss of Iranian product on the world market after the reimposition of sanctions, while exports from North America overtook those from the Middle East.
One concern has been the effect of the USChina tariff war on LPG trade. During the first quarter Chinese imports fell 2 per cent yearon-year but also switched mainly to Middle Eastern sources; US exports shifted to buyers in Japan and South Korea. The first quarter of this year also witnessed strong demand growth in India, with imports up 16 per cent year-on-year and the first VLGC cargoes arriving from the US. South-east Asia also increased its imports, particularly Indonesia, where imports were up 16 per cent on the year at 1.4m tonnes.
The situation is rather more complex in the Handysize segment, with its range of cargoes and diverse vessel types. Leading operator Navigator Gas identifies a fleet of 85 vessels in the 15,000-m³ to 25,000-m³ size range, of which 63 are semi-refrigerated; of these, 16 were delivered before 1995 and are now potential demolition candidates, while there are only eight new ships on order, of which seven are due for delivery this year.
Importantly for Navigator Gas, 33 of the Handysize vessels can operate in ethylene and ethane transport, along with 22 larger ships, including eight new very large ethane carriers (VLECs), a new segment for the
LPG tanker business. And it is in ethane and ethylene that Navigator Gas sees potential, saying: “Growth in seaborne LPG and ethylene trade is expected as the current infrastructure bottleneck will be removed through commissioning of additional export infrastructure currently under construction.”
Navigator Gas is particularly referring to North America, where it is itself active in developing such infrastructure. It has a joint venture with Enterprise Products Partners to build a new ethylene export terminal on the Houston Ship Channel, due to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2019 with an annual throughput capacity of 1m tonnes. Navigator Gas notes that current ethylene exports from the US are constrained only by terminal capacity and that domestic production is expected to increase by 47 per cent from its 2017 level by 2022, with nearly 19m tonnes of annual production capacity due onstream by then.
Navigator Gas also points to the opening this month of the AltaGas propane export terminal in Ridley Island, British Columbia, expected to deliver more VLGC cargoes for export to Asia and Latin America, and the opening of the Mariner East pipeline system by Energy Transfer, which is already delivering more LPG for export from Marcus
Hook on the east coast of the US. In addition, Pembina Pipeline has a new LPG terminal under construction at Prince Rupert, British Columbia; Navigator Gas says this will export LPG in semi-refrigerated tankers for delivery to Asia and Latin America.
Perhaps surprisingly, the increase in LPG exports from the US has also had a significant impact on employment of smaller gas tankers. While most such liftings have been for discharge in the Caribbean and Central America, a consistent slice head to the Mediterranean. Indeed, according to Epic Gas, US exports of LPG on fully pressurised and smaller (sub-12,000 m³) semi-refrigerated gas tankers almost doubled year-on-year.
Epic Gas also points to propane deliveries into China for propylene manufacturers. Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) capacity has increased sharply in China since 2013, in line with domestic demand for polypropylene but, with propylene imports flat at around 3m tonnes per year, there is a consequent firm demand for imports of propane.
Epic Gas also cites rising LPG demand in various parts of the world, not least in Indonesia, as was noted in terms of VLGC utilisation, but also in the Philippines, Vietnam »
and West Africa. South African imports are also rising, particularly since terminal operators have invested in handling capacity. Morocco remains an important driver too, although import volumes here are not expected to increase in coming years. These underlying trends once more indicate an increasing tightness in the market; Epic Gas says there are only ten fully pressurised and five small semi-refrigerated tankers currently on order, while scrapping continues as elderly vessels some to the end of their useful lives. “Continued tight spot market conditions and a limited orderbook maintain a solid outlook for the pressurised vessel segment,” Exmar agrees.
Although owners are being responsible about ordering, given the expected supply tightness in most gas tanker segments, there are new ships coming forward and many of them include innovations to help meet the changing needs of a more sustainable future. Exmar, for instance, has ordered two VLGCs
to meet a long-term charter from Equinor and has gone out of its way to make them as environmentally friendly as possible.
The process has not been without its problems, however; the project goes back as far as the end of 2017, when Exmar contracted with Hanjin Heavy Industry for two 86,000-m³ carriers for 2020 delivery. The salient aspect of the order was that the new ships would be fitted with LPG-fuelled engines, allowing them to meet current and future emissions regulations, not least the ‘IMO 2020’ rule on sulphur oxide emissions.
As it turned out, Hanjin ran into financial difficulties and filed for ‘rehabilitation’ in early 2019. Exmar cancelled the contract and received a full refund from the Korea Development Bank. Last month it signed a new contract with Jiangnan Shipyard for the same vessels, now expected to be delivered in mid-2021.
The other major technological development has been the creation of a segment of the fleet equipped to carry ethane. Unlike other LPGs such as propane and butane, ethane liquefies at a cryogenic temperature close to
that of ethylene. As such, ethane carriers are analogous to ethylene carriers – except that, as the trade has developed, ethane carriers have become much larger.
The latest ethane-capable ships to be delivered are two 83,750-m³ VLECs ordered by Evergas to carry ethane from the US to China under contract from Ineos Trading and Shipping. The first of the two, JS Ineos Marlin, was delivered in April from Dalian Shipbuilding; technical operator is Hartmann Gas Carriers. These vessels have the largest Type-C cargo tank ever made, using the trilobe design pioneered by Evergas. They also have 16,000-Kw MAN main engines running on ethane, with the option to burn fuel oil, diesel or LNG.
This latest pair for Evergas build on the concepts used in eight 27,500-m³ ethane carriers delivered by Nantong Sinopacific between 2015 and 2017, again for charter to Ineos. As the world moves towards tighter rules on greenhouse gas emissions, the development work put in by Evergas may show a way forward for other ship operators. HCB
EPIC GAS HAS reported strong growth in the first quarter of 2019, with revenue up 3.1 per cent year-on-year at $39.6m and adjusted EBITDA ahead by 20.4 per cent at $11.0m. “The year-on-year improvement in business performance and EBITDA reflects our continued focus on quality, cost control and fleet optimisation, as well as improving underlying market fundamentals,” says CEO Charles Maltby. “The increase in our timecharter equivalent and improved fleet operational utilisation shows the underlying and growing demand for our vessels.”
During the quarter Epic timechartered in a modern 7,500-m³ vessel, the 2011-built Emmanuel. Since the end of the quarter it took
the 9,500-m³ Westminster, also built in 2011, on timecharter.
More importantly, during the second quarter BW Group completed its voluntary tender offer, now controlling some 83 per cent of Epic Gas shares. With that backing behind it, Epic Gas has signed a letter of intent to buy four modern Japanese-built LPG carriers on the secondhand market for a total sum of $106.5m.
“We have commenced initiatives to capture further profitable growth, including the time charter-in of additional pressurised LPG vessels and the proposed purchase of four modern second-hand carriers. These measures are well aligned with our vision of being the
leading provider of pressurised LPG shipping solutions,” adds Maltby, who as part of the takeover by BW Group has now stepped down as chairman, making way for BW’s chairman, Andreas Sohmen-Pao.
“The new initiatives position Epic Gas to benefit from the improving fundamentals of the LPG shipping market,” Maltby continues. “These include global seaborne LPG volume expected to surpass 100m tonnes in the next 18 months, with growth of 9 per cent forecast for 2020; fleet supply in the smaller vessel segment constrained for at least the next two years; a growing pool of scrapping candidates from older vessels and increased activity in the second-hand market.”
Epic Gas currently has 40 LPG carriers in the water, all fully pressurised and ranging in size from 3,500 m³ to 11,000 m³. That fleet accounts for some 12 per cent of the global fully pressurised fleet (excluding domestic Chinese vessels) and, with only 10 new ships currently on order and at least 20 of an age that means they are likely to be candidates for demolition, Epic believes that the supply/ demand balance will be swinging significantly back into owners’ favour – something that BW Group has evidently picked up on.
While there has been continued growth in LPG imports in many Asian countries –growth that is expected to persist over the coming decade – Epic Gas has enjoyed significant demand for breakbulk operations, transferring cargoes from larger vessels for delivery into ports unable to handle them. This business took off in 2015, when it handled 108 ship-to-ship transfers, a number that increased to 413 in 2017 and 358 in 2018; it undertook 67 such transfers in the first quarter, with demand staying strong in the Caribbean and growing in the Middle East and East Africa.
Another strong point for the fully pressurised fleet is the propylene demand balance; although Chinese imports have remained fairly flat at around 3m tpa over the past three years, there is a growing deficit prompted by polypropylene demand. HCB www.epic-gas.com
Number of ships Total Average Notes FP FP SP/FR SP/FR capacity age <3,000 >3,000 <10,000 >10,000 (m3)
Anthony Veder 24 2 156,808 14
Includes 15 LEGs, 4 LEG/LNGs; also 3 LNGs
Benelux Overseas 5 4 105,755 17 3 are ethylene-capable
B-Gas 6 7 44,184 14
Chemgas Shipping 6 7 38,778 12 Plus large inland fleet
Daelim Corp 16 64,591* 15
Eletson Gas 15 283,607* 3
Epic Gas 40 276,900 9 Owned by BW LPG Evergas 6 15 334,057 6 Plus one VLEC
Exmar 10 1 51,846 12
GasChem Services 2 13 8 277,932 14
Geogas Trading 21 132,900 12
Harpain Gas 6 101,000 13 5 are ethylene-capable Hartmann Gas Carriers 9 14 4 231,400 13 16 are ethylene-capable Hyproc Shipping 5 128,000 9
Iino Gas Transport 17 4 1 49,230 13 Mostly coastal vessels
Iwasaki Kisen 6 7,463 17 Japanese coastal ships
KSS Line 4 15,500 15
Lauritzen Kosan 7 24 4 249,847 10 19 LEGs, 2 LEG/LNGs
Lumaship 4 12,526 14
Mitsubishi Chemical 4 6,209 na Japanese coastal ships
Naftomar 7 5 5 181,250 14
Navigator Gas 31 722,553 9
Nippon Gas Line 18 5 47,858 13 Mostly Japanese trades
Odfjell Gas 2 17,844 11 Ethylene; due to be sold Pacific Gas 3 56,000 1 Ethylene; 2 more due 2019
Paradise Navigation 2 4 44.500 8
Petredec 21 6 105,604 8
Qatar Shipping 2 45,000 15
Schulte Group 1 6 6 149,775 13 7 ethylene carriers
Shinomiya Tanker 3 1 10,130 18
Sloman Neptun 8 2 90,333 14 Solvang 5 81,000 14 All ethylene carriers
Stealthgas 41 4 296,464 10
Teekay Gas 4 4 71,728 12 Transgas 6 2 1 57,032 23
Ultragas 8 10 254,820 11
Unigas 1 24 6 246,253 14 Schulte/Sloman/Ultragas
Wideshine Enterprises 3 6 28,017 13 Chinese domestic trades
Number of ships
Average Notes
capacity age
Anthony Veder 3 71,440 20
Astomos Energy 21 Company statement
Avance Gas 14 1,165,200 7
Benelux Overseas 4 305,894 31
BW LPG 2 45 3,851,720 9 2 nb on order
Carboflotta 4 151,000 11 Plus 2 SR ships
Dorian LPG 22 1,842,000 6
Exmar 20 8 1,425,369 8 2 x 80,200 on order
GasChem Services 3 105,548 9 Hartmann vessels
Geogas Trading 8 1 6 757,900 12
Gulf LPG Transport 4 328,800 11
Hartmann Gas Carriers 4 143,000 7
Helios LPG Pool 29 2,407,673 5 Dorian/Phoenix pool
Idemitsu Tanker 5 273,361* 8
JX Group 10 520,391* 12
‘K’ Line 2 5 480,573 9
KSS Line 3 8 774,000 5
Kumiai Navigation 4 215,534* 6 2 nbs due 2020/21
Kuwait Oil Tanker Co 2 161,040 12
Latsco (a) 2 7 691,848 4
Naftomar 3 4 391,571 14
Nakilat 4 329,770 11
Navigator Gas 7 173,000 8
Neu Gas 3 3 413,061 10
NYK Line (a) 1 10 517,853* na Pacific Gas 9 747,353 6
Petredec 2 28 2,509,205 6 4 x 84,000 due 2020
Phoenix Tankers 8 657,229 10
Prime Marine 6 1 204,716 11
SK Shipping 6 329,441* 8 Also coastal FP ships
Solvang 10 5 977,100 10
Teekay Gas 20 1 837,344 8
Thenamaris 4 152,000 2
Transpetrol 3 248,793 6
Unique Shipping 2 5 485,614 11
Zodiac Maritime 3 2 265,956 11
*dwt figure
data
THERE IS LITTLE doubt that sustainability is a core consideration for users of industrial packaging, as well as manufacturers, now that environmental issues are front-page news and the allure of saving costs through reconditioning has never been stronger.
Schütz has been leading the charge for sustainable, environmentally friendly industrial transport packaging for more than three decades and has constantly been developing its own recycling systems for collecting and reconditioning used intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).
According to a recent survey among leading brand owners and retailers in Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain, 62 per cent said they anticipate a growing demand for sustainable packaging. With nearly two-thirds of businesses expecting demand to keep on increasing across the continent, companies such as Schütz are positioning themselves to meet that demand.
To continue delivering the highest-level quality goods to clients, Schütz has recruited Duo Emballages into the Schütz Recobulk partner programme, certifying Duo Emballages as a manufacturer of Recobulk IBCs. Duo Embellages is a highly experienced provider of chemical packaging solutions, treating some 220,000 plastic drums, 155,000 containers and 300,000 metal drums each year.
Within the scope of a special cooperation, selected companies are licensed to manufacture Recobulk IBCs to meet the
original Schütz quality. A Recobulk is on a par with a Schütz Ecobulk IBC in terms of safety and quality. Recobulks are only manufactured on certified production lines using resourcefriendly processes in compliance with the highest environmental and safety standards. The strict criteria a company must meet to become a licensed manufacturer of Schütz IBCs ensures that the industry-leading levels of quality are not compromised, Schütz says.
Schütz equips partners with the necessary equipment and instruction for production, plus original spare parts. Duo Emballages is committed to fully and comprehensively adopting the uniform process standards. To monitor progress and processes,
compliance is regularly audited by Schütz, giving customers the confidence of knowing that they can use a Recobulk to transport their products without hesitation – regardless of whether the containers are produced by Schütz or by Duo Emballages.
Schütz operates a worldwide and sustainable collection and reconditioning system for used IBCs. The used inner bottles are removed and ground up in a closed-cycle washing and cleaning process to produce pure HDPE recyclate. Furthermore, each Recobulk saves approximately 100 kg of CO2 emissions compared with a new IBC. Even the washing water for cleaning in the process is recycled in a closed loop and reused.
Duo Emballages is a French family-owned company specialising in recycling used industrial packaging such as IBCs and plastics and steel drums. It currently operates a total factory area of 130,000 m2 over four locations in France, drastically increasing the efficiency of delivery for Schütz Recobulk products in western Europe. Each Duo Emballages site specialises in different processing methods and packaging types. The company was founded in 1996 by Thierry and Hervé Obaton in Willems, near Lille; since then it has opened a branch in Arras, followed by a subsidiary in Compiègne and a production facility in Castres. HCB www.schuetz.net www.duoemballages.com
A NEW REUSABLE packaging solution from the CHEP IsoBin collection promises to make a major contribution to the transport of automotive batteries. Originally revealed at the Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart, Germany last month, the new UN-certified IsoBin containers have been specially tailored to the transport requirements of OEMs and battery manufacturers in the automotive supply chain.
“The switch to electromobility and the widespread use of lithium ion batteries are making their transport a core topic for the automotive industry,” says Sanjiv Takyar, head of innovation, solutioning and implementation, Europe at CHEP. “The big challenge is to ensure that different national dangerous goods requirements are met along automotive supply chains, while at the same time working efficiently, safely and sustainably. Only in this way automobile manufacturers and their suppliers will be able to lay the
foundations for stable series production of electric vehicles. With the mass production of batteries, one-way solutions are approaching their limits.”
The transport of lithium ion batteries is not without its hazards. They are known to react with numerous substances, overheat, catch fire or even explode, and are therefore classified as Class 9 dangerous goods and subject to special transport regulations, depending on the mode of transport.
Improperly packaged batteries greatly increase the chances of dangerous problems arising, which can shut down the entire supply chain, causing not only enormous costs but also damage to a company’s image or loss of confidence from consumers.
The latest hardware from CHEP is based on the EuroBin FLC container types and the IsoBin 33, used in European and
international supply chains, respectively.
CHEP has adapted its existing container solutions to meet the UN provisions, equipping the containers with an additional lid and inner pocket, plus four banding straps. The new containers are certified according to UN standards for the transport of dangerous goods by sea and on the road, allowing for a great diversity of use. The IsoBin has a maximum load weight of 907 kg and an empty weight of 48 kg; the EuroBin FLC has similar dimensions but optimised for European transport.
To combat the limitations of one-way solutions, the latest additions to the CHEP portfolio are reusable and manufactured with 100 per cent recyclable polypropylene. Users of the product can reduce their carbon footprint and are likely to recoup capital costs within two trips, CHEP says.
CHEP has been active as a packaging partner for the automotive industry since 1975. The company operates 62 automotive centres worldwide and a pool of 300 million fast moving containers and pallets in global supply chains. CHEP is part of the Brambles Group and is active in more than 55 countries worldwide, its largest operations being in North America and western Europe. HCB www.chep.com
730 Bridge St West, Unit 3
Waterloo, Ontario N2V 2J4, Canada
T (+1 519) 747 5075
www.acuteservices.com
Transport of Dangerous Goods
• June 27 – Waterloo
Confined Space Entry
• June 20 – Waterloo
• July 18 – Waterloo
Confined Space Rescue
• June 21 – Waterloo
• July 19 – Waterloo
HAZWOPER
• July 2-5 – Waterloo
HAZWOPER Refresher
• July 3 – Waterloo
GOODS TRAINING
8 Laurel Road
Hatton Vale, QLD 4341, Australia
T (+61 7) 5411 4415
www.amdg.com.au
Dangerous Goods – Initial Air Acceptance
• July 1-3 – Sydney
• July 8-10 – Melbourne
• July 15-17 – Brisbane
• August 5-7 – Sydney
Dangerous Goods – Air Transport Recertification
• June 20 – Melbourne
• July 4 – Sydney
• July 11 – Melbourne
• July 18 – Brisbane
• August 8 – Sydney
• August 15 - Melbourne
Dangerous Goods by Sea –Function-Specific, Initial
• June 24-25 – Melbourne
• July 1-2 – Brisbane
• July 17-18 – Sydney
• August 8-9 – Melbourne
Sully Moors Road
Sully CF64 5RP, UK
T (+44 1446) 743 913 www.barrytrainingservices.co.uk
ADR – Initial
• June 24-28 – Barry
• August 5-9 – Barry
ADR – Refresher
• June 17-19 – Barry
FREIGHT ASSOCIATION (BIFA)
Redfern House, Browells Lane Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7EP, UK T (+44 20) 8844 3625
www.bifa.org
Dangerous Goods by Air
• July 1-3 – Altrincham
• July 8-10 – Feltham
• July 15-17 – Coventry
• August 5-7 – Feltham
Dangerous Goods by Air –Revalidation
• July 4-5 – Altrincham
• July 11-12 – Feltham
• July 18-19 – Coventry
• August 8-9 – Feltham
Dangerous Goods by Road
• June 24-26 – Coventry
• July 15-17 – Feltham
Dangerous Goods by Road –Revalidation
• June 25-26 – Coventry
• July 16-17 – Feltham
Dangerous Goods by Sea
• June 27-28 – Coventry
• July 18-19 – Feltham
CAMEON
PO Box 17345
Edinburgh EH12 1DJ, UK T (+44 131) 334 1929 www.cameon.com
Dangerous Goods by Air
• July 1-3 – Manchester
Dangerous Goods by Road –Upgrade
• July 4 – Manchester
Dangerous Goods by Sea –Upgrade
• July 5 – Manchester
Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser
• September 2-6 – 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)
• June 24-26 – Dallas
• July 1-3 – Manchester
• July 8-10 – Heathrow
• July 8-10 – Houston
• July 15-17 – Birmingham, UK
• July 29-31 – Chicago
• August 5-7 – Dallas
• August 5-7 – Heathrow
• August 12-14 – Houston
• August 19-21 – Orlando
Dangerous Goods by Air –Revalidation
• June 25-26 – Dallas
• July 4-5 – Manchester
• July 9-10 – Houston
• July 11-12 – Heathrow
• July 18-19 – Birmingham, UK
• July 30-31 – Chicago
• August 6-7 – Dallas
• August 6-7 – El Paso
• August 6-7 – Houston
Dangerous Goods by Road – ADR (full course)
• June 24-26 – Birmingham, UK
• July 15-17 – Heathrow
Dangerous Goods by Road –Revalidation
• June 25-26 – Birmingham, UK
• July 16-17 – Heathrow
Dangerous Goods by Sea (IMDG)
• June 27-28 – Birmingham, UK
• July 11-12 – Houston
• July 18-19 – Heathrow
• August 1-2 – Chicago
• August 13-14 – Dallas
• August 15-16 – Houston
IMDG – Sea – Revalidation
• July 12 – Houston
• August 2 – Chicago
• August 14 – Dallas
• August 16 – Houston Dangerous Goods Multimodal
• July 15-19 – Houston
ADVISORY COUNCIL
7501 Greenway Center Drive, Suite 760
Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA T (+1 202) 289 4550
www.dgac.org
Multi-Modal Transportation –Initial
• June 24-28 – Las Vegas
• August 5-9 – Orlando
Multi-Modal Transportation –Recurrent
• June 20-21 – Las Vegas
• August 12-13 – Orlando
Classifying Hazardous Materials for Transportation
• August 19-21 – Orlando
UN Non-Bulk Packaging
• July 17-19 – Houston
PO Box 7325
York, PA 17404, USA
T (+1 717) 848 8840 www.hazshipper.com
49 CFR & International AirCertification
• July 15-17 – Houston
• August 6-8 – St Louis
49 CFR – Certification
• July 15-16 – Houston
• August 6-7 – St Louis International Air – Recertification
• July 17 – Houston
• August 8 – St Louis
DG AIR FREIGHT
PO Box 140
Botany, NSW 1455, Australia
T (+61 8) 8234 1622 http://dgair.com.au
DG by Air – Initial
• June 24-26 – Sydney
• July 8-10 – Melbourne
• July 15-17 – Sydney
August 12-14 – Brisbane
August 19-21 – Sydney DG by Sea – Initial
June 27-28 – Sydney
July 11-12 – Melbourne
July 18-19 – Sydney
August 15-16 – Brisbane
August 22-23 – Sydney
DGM TRAINING INSTITUTE
1813 Greens Road
Houston, TX 77032, USA
T (+1 281) 821 0500 www.dgm-usa.com
IATA/ICAO Dangerous Goods by Air – Initial
• July 8-10 – Atlanta
• July 22-24 – Houston
IATA/ICAO Dangerous Goods by Air – Recurrent
• July 11-12 – Atlanta
• July 25-26 – Houston
IMDG Code - Initial
• June 24-25 – Atlanta
• June 24-25 – Houston
• July 15-16 – Atlanta
• July 15-16 – Houston
• August 12-13 – Atlanta
• August 12-13 – Houston
IMDG Code – Recurrent
• June 26 – Atlanta
• June 26 – Houston
• July 17 – Atlanta
• July 17 – Houston
• August 14 – Atlanta
• August 14 – Houston
49 CFR Dangerous Goods by Road
– Initial
• July 8-9 – Houston
• July 22-23 – Atlanta
49 CFR Dangerous Goods by Road
– Recurrent
• July 10 – Houston
• July 24 – Atlanta
Multi-Modal (Air, Road and Sea)
– Initial
• August 5-8 – Atlanta
• August 5-8 – Houston
General Awareness
• July 11 – Houston
• July 25 – Atlanta
• August 15 – Atlanta
• August 15 – Houston
Shipping Lithium Batteries
• July 12 – Houston
• July 26 – Atlanta
• August 16 – Atlanta
• August 16 – Houston
Hermes House, St John’s Road
Tunbridge Wells TN4 9UZ, UK
T (+44 1892) 526171
www.fta.co.uk
Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser
• July 29-August 2 – Leeds
ADR – Initial
• July 1-5 – Leeds
• July 22-26 – West Thurrock
– Refresher
• August 6-8 – Tunbridge Wells
• August 13-15 – Stirling
Norristown Road
Blue Bell, PA 19422, USA
T (+1 215) 283 0983
www.gttstraining.com
Multi-Modal - IATA/IMDG/DOT 49
CFR – Initial
• June 24-28 – Boston
• July 8-12 – Charlotte
• July 8-12 – New York
• July 15-19 – Dallas
• July 22-26 – Cincinnati
• July 22-26 – Philadelphia
• July 29-August 2 – Chicago
• July 29-August 2 – Orlando
• August 5-9 – San Francisco
• August 5-9 – Seattle
• August 12-16 – Baltimore
• August 12-16 – Houston
• August 19-23 – Atlanta
SINGAPORE
146A Changi Road Singapore 419726 T (+65) 6542 5539
www.haz-mat-training.com
IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (Initial)
• July 8-12 – Singapore
IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (Recurrent)
• June 26-27 – Singapore
• July 11-12 – Singapore
• August 7-8 – Singapore IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (Awareness)
• July 8 – Singapore
IMDG Code Dangerous Goods By Sea
• June 24-25 – Singapore
• August 5-6 – Singapore Chemical Safety Awareness
• July 2 – Singapore
• August 13 – Singapore SCDF Hazmat Transport Driver Permit
• July 1 – Singapore
• August 12 – Singapore
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
• June 24-28 – Frankfurt
• July 1-5 – Singapore
• July 8-12 – Montreal
• August 5-9 – Geneva
• August 19-23 – Miami
Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Recurrent, Category 6
• July 31-August 2 – Amsterdam
• July 31-August 2 – Panama City
• August 14-16 – Miami
• August 14-16 – Singapore Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Instructor Refresher
• June 26-28 – Miami
• September 4-6 – Milano
Professional Skills for DGR Instructors – Categories 1,2,3,6
• July 8-12 – Brussels
• July 29-August 2 – Beijing Instructional Techniques for DGR (for categories 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
• August 26-30 – Geneva DGR for Auditors and Inspectors
• June 24-28 – Geneva
• August 19-23 – Singapore Shipping Lithium Batteries by Air
• July 16-17 – Montreal
• August 19-20 – Singapore Infectious Substances Transport
• July 29-31 – Geneva Transport of Dangerous Goods by Sea (IMDG)
• July 3-5 – Amsterdam
JOHN GERRISH & ASSOCIATES 500 McCormick Drive Glen Burnie, MD 21061, USA T (+1 410) 768 8356 www.jgatraining.com Hazardous Materials in Ground Transportation (Initial)
• July 15-16 – Glen Burnie Hazardous Materials in Ground and Air Transportation
• July 15-17 – Glen Burnie Air Force Manual (AFMAN 24-204)
• July 19 – Glen Burnie
• September 12 – Glen Burnie
NEW ALCHEMY
26 Hawkshead Street
Southport, Merseyside PR9 9HF T (+44 1704) 537094 www.newalchemy.co.uk Tank Container Operator
• August 27-Sept 5 – Santos
NOVADATA TAB LTD
3 Blackwell Drive Springwood Industrial Estate Braintree, Essex CM7 2QJ, UK T (+44 1376) 552999 www.novadata.co.uk ADR Core, Packages
• July 15-18 – Braintree
• August 12-15 – Braintree ADR Core, Packages & Tanks
• July 15-19 – Braintree
• August 12-16 – Braintree
ADR Tanks Add-On Course
• June 20-21 – Braintree
• July 18-19 – Braintree
• August 15-16 – Braintree
ADR Explosives
• September 21 – Braintree
504 Centennial Park
Centennial Avenue
Elstree, Herts WD6 3FG, UK T (+44 20) 8953 6721
www.petereast.com
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air – Certification
• June 24-26 – East Midlands
• July 1-3 – Heathrow
• July 15-17 – Stansted
• July 22-24 – Elstree
• August 6-8 – Heathrow
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation
• June 27-28 – East Midlands
• July 4 – Heathrow
• July 18-19 – Stansted
• August 9 – Heathrow
Carriage of Lithium Batteries by Air, Road & Sea
• July 15-16 – East Midlands
• September 2-3 – Southampton
Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser
• September 2-6 – Heathrow
• September 2-6 – Manchester
6 Venture Court Altham Industrial Estate
Altham, Lancs BB5 5TU, UK T (+44 1282) 687090
www.specialisttraining.co.uk
ADR Class 1
• July 8 – Accrington
ADR Initial – Packages & Tanks
• July 15-19 – Accrington
ADR Initial – Packages
• August 12-15 – Accrington
TRANSCHEM TRAINING
The Legion, Wigshaw Lane
Culcheth, Warrington WA3 4LY, UK T (+44 151) 488 0961
www.transchemtraining.com
ADR Initial
• July 15-19 – Wakefield
• July 22-26 – Warrington
• August 12-16 – Wakefield
• August 19-23 – Warrington
ADR Refresher
• June 24-26 – Warrington
ChemCon Asia 2019
JUNE 17-19, SEOUL
Conference on global chemical regulation chemcon.net/upcoming.shtml
China LNG & Gas International
JUNE 18-19, BEIJING
Fifth annual conference on LNG developments in China http://chinalngsummit.com/
Multimodal 2019
JUNE 18-20, BIRMINGHAM
12th annual exhibition for the supply chain management and logistics sectors www.multimodal.org.uk
PGLC 2019
JUNE 20-21, MARSEILLE
Inaugural Petrochemical Global Logistics Convention www.pglc.biz
World LNG Series: Asia Pacific Summit
JUNE 24-28, SINGAPORE
11th annual meeting for LNG buyers and sellers https://asiapacific.cwclng.com/
Oil & Gas Africa 2019
JULY 25-27, NAIROBI
Eighth annual exhibition for the upstream and processing sectors in east Africa www.expogr.com/kenyaoil/chemedge/
ChemEdge
AUGUST 13-16, LOUISVILLE
Conference for the North American chemical distribution sector https://www.nacd.com/meetings/ce/2019-chemedge/
AUGUST 25-27, SALT LAKE CITY
Semi-annual meeting of the Petroleum Packaging Council http://www.ppcouncil.org/ upcoming-meetings.php
AHMP National Conference
AUGUST 25-28, ATLANTA
Annual conference of the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals https://www.ahmpnet.org/page/ National_Conference
LNG Bunkering
SEPTEMBER 2-4, SINGAPORE
Fifth biennial conference on developments in LNG bunkering www.ibc-asia.com/event/lng-bunkering/
DGS XIV
SEPTEMBER 4-6, CHICAGO
14th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium hosted by Labelmaster www.labelmaster.com/symposium
Bulk Tanker Day
SEPTEMBER 5, BRISBANE
Annual road tanker event hosted by the National Bulk Tanker Association www.nbta.com.au/tankerday/
LogiChem US
SEPTEMBER 9-10, HOUSTON
Supply chain meeting for senior-level executives in North America http://logichemus.wbresearch.com/
Virginia Hazmat Conference
SEPTEMBER 9-13, NORFOLK
36th annual networking and training meeting sponsored by the Virginia Association of Hazardous Materials Response Specialists www.virginiahazmat.org/annual-hazmatconference/
SEPTEMBER 12, BRUSSELS
Update on Responsible Care implementation in European chemical transport www.ecta.com/event-3253523
Gastech 2019
SEPTEMBER 17-19, HOUSTON International conference and trade show for the LNG and LPG industries www.gastechevent.com
NEVA 2019
SEPTEMBER 17-20, ST PETERSBURG
15th biennial maritime exhibition and conference http://dolphin-uk.cergis.com/home/neva/
HCC China 2019
SEPTEMBER 19-20, HANGZHOU
China’s only dedicated trade show for hazardous chemical risk management http://hcchina.org/en/index.aspx
SEPTEMBER 21-25, ARLINGTON, VA
Biannual meeting of the Society of Chemical Hazard Communication www.schc.org/meetings
Hazards Asia Pacific
SEPTEMBER 24-25, KUALA LUMPUR Annual process safety conference www.icheme.org/career/events/hazardsasia-pacific/
FachPack 2019
SEPTEMBER 24-26, NUREMBERG Exhibition on the packaging process chain www.fachpack.de/en
World LP Gas Forum
SEPTEMBER 24-26, AMSTERDAM
32nd annual meeting of the World LP Gas Association www.worldlpgforum-aegpl2019.com/
IMHX 2019
SEPTEMBER 24-27, BIRMINGHAM International material handling and logistics exhibition www.imhx.net
Tank Storage Asia
SEPTEMBER 25-26, SINGAPORE
The main annual exhibition and conference for the Asian tank terminal industry www.easyfairs.com/tank-storage-asia2019/tank-storage-asia-2019/
TSA Conference & Exhibition
SEPTEMBER 26, COVENTRY
19th annual meeting of the UK Tank Storage Association www.tankstorage.org.uk/conference-exhibition/
2/3/19 ne Elko, road tanker diesel UP train clipped end of tanker truck that failed to clear grade crossing in time in rural area; some 4,000 gal Centre Nevada, US (15 m³) diesel spilled; SR 306 closed for rest of the day for cleanup; no injuries reported Daily
7/3/19 Carrollton, road tanker propane Tank truck rolled over, exploded on SR 332 near high school; not clear from reports how vehicle came to WOIO Ohio, US roll over or why the result was so dramatic; multiple fire departments called to deal with blaze
8/3/19 Coeur d’Alene, truck armaments Truck strayed off I-90, ran into snow bank at rest area; truck was carrying 32,000 lb load of missiles without Spokesm Idaho, US fuses; four miles of highway closed for three hours; driver cited Review
17/3/19 Los Angeles, road tanker gasoline Leak from 9,000-gal (33-m³) tank truck in South Los Angeles caught fire, spreading flames to nearby house; Daily California, US flammable vapour in storm drains ignited; two people injured Breeze
17/3/19 Bulawayo, road tanker sulphuric Road tanker with 30,000 litres sulphuric acid, heading to Zambia, overturned in crash, spilling acid to road; sulphuricZimbabwe acid weather was fortunately dry, otherwise acid may have been washed into drains; area cordoned off acid.com
18/3/19 Mansehra, road tanker oil Road tanker with 10,000 litres unspecified oil overturned after brakes failed; locals rushed to collect fuel Dunya KPK, Pakistan spilling from tanker; authorities slow to respond; no injuries or fire reported News
21/3/19 Rockledge, road tanker fuel Tank truck rolled over on I-95 in single-vehicle accident, likely due to driver inattention; some 7,200 gal click Florida, US (27.2 m³) unspecified fuel spilled, causing road closure; spill caused small grass fire nearby; no injuries orlando
22/3/19 Bégaar, freight train ammonia, Ten wagons of freight train derailed in south-west France; one car with ammonia, two with sodium thelocal.fr Landes, France caustic soda hydroxide involved; hazmat teams on site but no leak of dangerous products reported
22/3/19 nr Gerstungen, truck paint Fire broke out on truck on A4, resulting in series of explosions as drums of paint, lacquer were engulfed focus.de Thuringia, Germany in flames; road was closed during response; driver reported puncture just before fire started
22/3/19 Chaman, road tanker fuel Road tanker overturned on Pak-Afghan highway, reportedly after brakes failed while vehicle was speeding; Samaa Balochistan, Pakistan nearby residents gathered to collect spilling fuel, destined for NATO forces in Afghanistan; two hurt in crash
27/3/19 nr Creston, road tanker diesel, Road tanker ran off Kootenay Pass into Salmo River, spilling some 50,000 litres fuel to water; 14-km sheen Global BC, Canada gasoline on river; significant fish kill reported; booms deployed downstream; driver killed in crash News
27/3/19 nr Chidester, truck ammonium Driver stopped to call emergency services after noticing tyres on fire; area was evacuated; fire spread to BannerArkansas, US nitrate cargo, causing massive explosion that killed driver, damaged other vehicles and left crater in road News
28/3/19 Ratnagiri, road tanker DMA Driver lost control of tanker, loaded with dimethylacetamide, on Mumbai-Goa highway, veering off road; Times of Maharashtra, India tanker fell into ditch, spilling cargo; one elderly person died after inhaling fumes, 15 others needed treatment India
28/3/19 Ido Ekiti, road tanker fuel Road tanker rolled over after brakes failed as driver negotiated turn; unspecified fuel spilled from tanker, Punch Ekiti, Nigeria caught fire; blaze spread to motorcycles parked nearby; residents fled; four people injured
29/3/19 Chandler, truck phosphorus Box truck failed to stop at red light, struck another vehicle; policeman who was first on scene was exposed ABC15 Arizona, US to phosphorus leaking from drums in box truck; driver fled but was later arrested; nearby homes evacuated
29/3/19 Cincinnati, road tanker avgas Some 3,000 gal (11.4 m³) aviation fuel spilled at Lunken Airport due to equipment malfunction during Cincinnati Ohio, US aircraft fuelling; some spilt fuel reached storm drains but valves were closed to prevent it spreading Enquirer
29/3/19 Powell Junction, road tanker fuel Tank truck with unspecified fuel ran off Highway 12, causing 1,200-gal (4,500-litre) spill into ditch running News Idaho, US into river; tanker detached from cab in incident; driver was trapped, rescued by responders Tribune
30/3/19 nr Lintang, road tanker gasoline Fire started on side of road tanker, possibly in tyre, on Kuala Lumpur Expressway; fire spread to tanker, Malay Pahang, Malaysia causing highway to be closed; rapid action by fire crews prevented fire from spreading; no casualties reported Mail
30/3/19 Juab county, freight train propane 23 cars of 165-car UP train derailed south of Eureka; nine derailed cars carried propane, two biodiesel; Deseret Utah, US some propane leaked; responders determined best course of action was a controlled detonation News
31/3/19 Pingtung county, road tanker fuel
Brand-new Lamborghini crashed head-on into CPC fuel tanker on highway in southern Taiwan; tanker Taiwan Taiwan smashed through guardrail, fell 7 metres into ditch alongside road; some leak; both drivers trapped, hurt English
4/4/19 Abakaliki, road tanker fuel Car ran into back of fuel tanker that had slowed to deal with a burst tyre; car caught fire, causing tanker to Daily Ebonyi, Nigeria explode; car driver was trapped and died in fire; tanker driver suffered burns, died later in hospital Post
5/4/19
Tank truck with ethanol overturned after collision with SUV on I-70, apparently when one vehicle tried to WIBW Kansas, US avoid dog on the road; leak of ethanol reached nearby creek via drains; two people hospitalised
Topeka, road tanker ethanol
6/4/19 Yankaba, road tanker gasoline Road tanker overturned after driver lost control, causing spill of gasoline; locals ran to collect fuel, despite Within Nassarawa, Nigeria obvious dangers; traffic halted Nigeria
Date Location Vessel Substance Details
10/3/19 Bay of Biscay, Grande containers
Source
Fire broke out in containers aboard ro/ro en route Germany to Morocco; fire ran out of control, prompting FleetMon France America master to abandon ship; vessel capsized, sank two days later; no indication of contents of containers on fire
15/3/19 nr Yizheng, Chuan Wei 5
Chemical tanker suffered explosion while anchoring in Yangtze River; tanker said to be in ballast at time; Splash 247 Jiangsu, China one crewman missing; firefighting vessels put fire out in a few hours; cause under investigation
24/3/19 Brunsbüttel, Claudia bunkers
Bunkering tanker (1,340 dwt, 2003) was struck by out-of-control containership Calisto during bunkering of FleetMon SH, Germany moored bulker; hose broke, spilling small amount of bunker fuel to water; tanker severely damaged
25/3/19 off Fujairah, Aseem
SCI-owned LNG carrier (155,000 m³, 2009), inbound to Ras Laffan, collided with VLCC Shinyo Ocean Splash 247 UAE (281,400 dwt, 2001), at anchor in ballast; both vessels severely damaged, anchored for inspection
Date Location Plant type Substance Details Source
8/3/19 San Miguel, chemical chemicals Fire broke out in building supposedly containing administrative offices but also had lab with stores of various America Ayacucho, Peru factory chemicals; nearby residential homes affected by fumes; fourth incident reported at site, and most serious TV
11/3/19 Henrietta, factory MDI Demolition workers at Amesbury Health plant accidentally cut into pipes from storage tanks with residue of Democrat Texas, US methylene diisocyanate; product leaked as aerosol; two men in demolition crew in intensive care & Chron
13/3/19 Barcelona, heavy oil diluent Two storage tanks exploded at Petro San Felix plant in Orinoco belt; reports of high flames, black smoke Reuters Anzoategui, Venezuela upgrader from two tanks with light oil used to dilute heavy oil; PdVSA did not comment at the time
14/3/19 Ahvaz, pipeline natural gas At least five people were killed by explosion in natural gas line, said to have followed leak on stretch between RFE Khuzestan, Iran Ahvaz and Mahshahr; some vehicles were caught up in the conflagration
14/3/19 Irpinia, fireworks fireworks Explosion in storage unit at fireworks plant killed at least one, the proprietor; blast was so loud it was heard The WAM Campania, Italy factory several villages away; firefighters combed rubble looking for further casualties
15/3/19 Indian Orchard, postal oxalic acid Four people were hospitalised after exposure to an industrial cleaner containing oxalic acid after a package RSOE Massachusetts, US facility leaked at USPS distribution centre; package was isolated; sender being contacted
16/3/19 Baytown, oil refinery gasoline
Fire broke out in gasoline unit at ExxonMobil refinery; no shelter in place order despite black smoke spreading RSOE Texas, US across Houston; air monitoring revealed no issues; operator to investigate incident
17/3/19 Deer Park, storage benzene Major fire broke out in storage tanks at Intercontinental Terminals (ITC) facility; widespread shelter-in-place Houston Texas, US terminal order; Houston Ship Channel closed after chemicals found to have reached waterway; CSB investigating Chronicle
21/3/19 Yancheng, chemical chemicals
At least 47 killed, 640 injured by massive explosion at Tianjiayi Chemical fertiliser plant; pictures showed Xinhua Jiangsu, China plant fireball over site; locals thought there was earthquake; fire out in about 12 hours; cause under investigation
21/3/19 Ain Sokhna, fertiliser gas Gas tank exploded during testing at fertiliser plant on Red Sea coast; at least 12 people killed, others injured; AFP Egypt plant police referred incident to prosecutors for investigation
22/3/19 Mohali, chemical chemicals
Fire, several explosions at chemical factory; evidence suggested blaze started in underground tank with Times of Punjab, India factory thinner; fire crews battled to prevent blaze spreading to nearby factories; owner had been warned about safety India
23/3/19 Jurong Island, oil refinery
Fire broke out in empty storage tank undergoing maintenance at ExxonMobil refinery; fire involved residue Channel Singapore within the tank; SCDF and refinery fire crews dealt with blaze; no injuries reported; operator investigating NewsAsia
24/3/19 Bengaluru, pipeline natural gas
Fire broke out after leak on GAIL pipeline, causing panic in nearby prison; GAIL said line had been The Hindu Karnataka, India exposed following drain work; burning waste nearby damaged line, igniting leak; GAIL to investigate
24/3/19 Mongmao, warehouse gas cylinders
At least 16 people killed, 50 injured by explosion in warehouse used to store construction materials, including RSOE Shan, Myanmar gas cylinders, explosives; some of the injured had to be taken to China due to lack of local hospital space
27/3/19 Kropyvnytsky, filling gasoline
Fire broke out in service station, cause unknown, spread to five fuel tankers, ten cars, neighbouring building; 112.UA Ukraine station subsequent explosion injured three people, including two firefighters
29/3/19 Qingzhou, factory natural gas
Five workers were killed, three injured by explosion in perlite workshop, reportedly due to leakage from fuel AFP Shandong, China tank with LNG; investigation underway
30/3/19 Jodhpur, chemical chemicals
Massive fire in chemical factory in Bansi industrial area spread to nearby factories; no casualties reported; ANI Rajasthan, India factory no information on nature of products on site or possible cause of fire
31/3/19 Dickinson, rail loading mercaptan
Up to 600 gal ethyl mercaptan leaked from tank at Andeavor Logistics’ Fryburg rail car loading facility; Jamestown N Dakota, US facility widespread evacuation in nearby towns due to strong odour Sun
31/3/19 Erie, coke plant wastewater Tank failed at Erie Coke plant, spilling large volume of wastewater contaminated with benzene, naphthalene, Erie Pennsylvania, US ammonia, cyanide; Pa DEP ordered company to take tank out of service, dispose of contaminated soil News Now
Brian Beetz, manager of regulatory affairs and corporate responsibility at Labelmaster, discusses the various ways to ensure the maximum level of safety during the transport of lithium batteries. It is, he says, “not a one-size fits all” solution.
LITHIUM BATTERIES HAVE become the talk of the industry the past few years, from the fire hazards they pose to the shipping challenges they present. And as the lithium battery market continues to evolve and grow in complexity, the spotlight looks to remain on this dangerous goods category. Just how complex is the lithium battery landscape? Dangerous goods professionals must contend with shipping an array of battery sizes and chemistries (including lithium-cobalt oxide, lithium titanate, lithium iron-phosphate, lithium-nickel manganese cobalt oxide and lithium manganese oxide) across a wide range of product and device categories that include consumer electronics - cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, handheld devices; and personal
transportation devices – hoverboards, e-scooters, Segways, e-bikes and even modern-day electric cars.
This, in turn, has spurred the development of strident restrictions around lithium battery shipments. One recent example is the interim final rule issued in the US this year with new safety provisions for transport, which further prohibit the transport of lithium ion cells or batteries on aircraft and impose additional marking and labeling requirements for shipments by road, rail and air. Another example is last year’s amendment to the UN battery testing regulation, which tests a battery or device’s ability to cope with extreme temperatures, high altitudes, and other system jolts to determine if their safe transport is possible.
Ever-increasing regulations combined with a burgeoning lithium battery marketplace make for a stressful transportation reality. But while dangerous goods professionals responsible for an organisation’s compliance cannot control legislation or product development, they can take control of how batteries are packaged for transport by looking to safer, modern advances that reduce shipping risk and offer the flexibility to accommodate multiple sizes and types of lithium batteries and devices.
Just as the lithium battery market has evolved, so too must industry’s approach to shipping and storing these goods. Not all sizes and types of batteries can be handled in the same manner. For dangerous goods professionals, understanding the context of their specific shipments can go a long way towards finding the right solution. But first, shippers must narrow down their packaging options.
Traditional cardboard box packaging, while used for decades, was not designed to handle the dangers and challenges inherent in modern lithium battery transport. Traditional cardboard is highly flammable and can easily ignite. One battery blaze can quickly engulf a warehouse, truck, plane, store or home. Dangerous goods pros cannot afford to skimp on proactive protection when it comes to shipping lithium battery-related cargo.
Enter today’s advanced packaging options, with packaging materials engineered to specifically provide a thermal barrier for the transportation and storage of such products and, in essence, contain a thermal event rather than fuel it. With improved flame retardance/arrestment, thermal management, pressure management, blast containment, and gas and smoke filtration, this new generation of modern cardboard boxes are ideally suited to handle lithium battery shipping and, at the same time, simplify the process via cost-effective elimination of gel packs, beads, liners, pellets and fillers.
Not only are there numerous edicts around the shipping and lithium batteries, the regulations and packaging requirements themselves vary depending on the purpose
of the shipment, the company involved in the shipment, the exact batteries or devices involved and the mode of transportation. So while it is important to invest in the latest, safest, most advanced packaging options, it is just as important to make sure the solution that is selected matches your unique situation and purpose.
For instance, ask yourself these questions:
• Am I shipping a type of battery that can be transported in a standard corrugated box, or is a more complex UN-certified specification packaging solution required to meet regulatory and safety needs?
• Am I transporting this battery as part of a recall, making it crucial to prevent incidents, accidents and exposures as the defective product or battery makes the return journey?
• Given my organisation’s specific operations and environment, is simply adhering to the stated regulation enough or must I take additional precautions?
• Am I shipping a single device or battery (and what size), or a large quantity of devices/ batteries, and via what shipping method?
To fully determine packaging needs, there’s one more important question to ask: what type of company am I a part of and what will our involvement with lithium-related batteries and products be? Here’s why this matters:
• If you’re a device shipper or returner –whether you’re a manufacturer, retailer or other supply chain member, what it comes down to is that you’re responsible for transporting and storing intact lithium battery devices (both pre- and post-sale). And on the other end, you’re responsible for transporting and storing damaged, defective or recalled (DDR) batteries and devices.
• If you’re a recycler – you’re responsible for transporting what are typically old and end-of-life batteries or devices. And given that the number of lithium batteries entering recycling streams is on the rise, this makes the journey to and from recycling facilities (and within facility walls) that much riskier in terms of danger and potential fire hazards.
• If you’re a firefighter – you’re tasked to safely handle a thermal runaway incident. Water can put out a lithium-ion battery
fire, but it takes significantly more water to extinguish it, and even when the fire is put out, the batteries can reignite hours or days later, making proper containment and disposal a safety necessity. In addition, if the battery is lithium metal, water should never be used to extinguish the fire, because lithium metal reacts violently with water.
• If you’re an air mover – you’re tasked with transporting lithium-based batteries or devices as cargo on aircraft. Given the potential fatalities that could occur as the result of a battery-caused fire on board, due diligence must be paid toward ensuring the safest transport packaging possible.
Once you have a grasp on how your organisation fits into the lithium battery shipment world and what considerations are most important to fulfil your obligations, you’ll want to select a transport packaging provider who can help you achieve your shipping safety goal – one that offers flexible options in terms of size and configuration of packaging. So before making an investment, ask yourself these final questions:
• Is the solution easy enough for employees to use correctly?
• Has the solution been comprehensively tested and thoroughly vetted to prove it will perform as advertised?
• Does the solution adhere to the most recent hazmat shipping requirements and compliance mandates?
• Does the solution help save time and resources via the option to have packaging arrive preassembled?
Technology advancements will continue to push the boundaries of what lithium batteries can accomplish. As more lithium battery-powered inventions hit the market, the hazards of shipping battery-based products will only increase. Dangerous goods professionals must meet this challenge head on by proactively seeking safer alternatives to traditional transport packaging. This can best be accomplished by thoroughly understanding the industry and an organisation’s role in it. Only then can the best shipping and storage containers be chosen to meet the needs of an evolving lithium battery landscape. HCB
Labelmaster provides a range of services and products for the dangerous goods transport sector, including Obexion packaging for lithium batteries; more information can be found at www.labelmaster.com/obexion.
THE UK CHEMICAL Business Association (CBA) has released two annual reports covering performance measures for its road haulage, warehouse and tank farm members – the Logistics Index – and also a report on the safety, health, security and environmental performance of its distributor member companies – the Responsible Care Indices of Performance. Both Indices offer reasons for some degree of comfort, though CBA cautions against complacency.
The CBA Logistics Index, now in its thirteenth year, is based on 21 returns from haulage, warehousing and tank farm firms that employ a total of 2,967 people. CBA has published its Responsible Care Indices of Performance annually since 1993 and the 2018 Indices are based on returns from 89 companies employing 5,758 people.
There has been a positive outcome as the safety report reveals a continuing decline in the Lost Time Accident Rate and the number of accidents occurring.
CBA logs data for accidents resulting in incapacities of more than three days – a standard that is a higher than the one required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Even under the stricter benchmark, CBA member companies reported just 30 accidents resulting in incapacities of more than three days in 2018 – a decrease on the 33 reported in 2017.
When looking at the breakdown of incidents being reported, accidents resulting from a manual handling process or a slip, trip or fall accounted for 43 per cent of the total for 2018. Five accidents resulted from an exposure to a harmful substance, while eight were reported
in 2017. Most positively, there was not a single fatality reported in 2018.
“It’s good news that the Lost Time Accident Rate has shown a year-on-year fall but, in historic terms, there is still room for improvement,” says Andrew Beck, chairman of CBA’s Responsible Care Committee. “However, it is pleasing to note the decline in the number of individual accidents and the long-term trend in transport incidents.”
Aside from the positive gains in the realm of workplace safety, the sustainable actions on company waste have shown beneficial changes too. CBA members reported that they generated 10,121 tonnes of special or hazardous waste in 2018. Of this, 18 per cent (1,814 tonnes) was recycled, recovered or disposed of with energy recovery. CBA members also produced 6,603 tonnes of non-hazardous waste in 2018, of which, 43 per cent (2,828 tonnes) was recycled, recovered or disposed of with energy recovery.
It is reassuring there have been improvements in the number of reported transport incidents. The importance and scale of transport can readily be seen when shown that CBA logistics companies alone made nearly one and a quarter million journeys to distribute over 4m tonnes of chemicals.
In 2018, four transport incidents were reported, identical to 2017; all were road traffic incidents without a chemical release. Despite this, there were 0.96 incidents for every million tonnes distributed in 2018, an increase on the 0.86 reported for 2017. However, it should be noted that CBA’s data goes beyond the thresholds set by the Department for Transport and RIDDOR legislation. The data collated by CBA includes all transport incidents requiring the attendance of the emergency services –including minor traffic accidents, mechanical breakdowns and even punctures. CBA reports all such incidents regardless of fault.
It has been encouraging to see that enforcement from the authorities is strictly maintained and that the number of incidents has decreased. In the Responsible Care
Indices, CBA logistics services companies reported 16 enforcement actions during 2018 covering individual sites and transport, a decrease from 20 in 2017.
When examining individual sites, there were no convictions, Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Prohibition Notices or HSE Improvement Notices recorded against CBA logistics member companies in 2018, although one company did receive an improvement notice from the Environment Agency.
For transport, there were 15 Prohibition Notices received in 2018. Seven were for infringements of a minor nature that did not delay the vehicle’s journey and could be rectified later; eight required immediate attention.
Under the Logistics Index, two convictions were recorded against CBA members in 2018 as opposed to one in 2017. One arose from a prosecution by HSE for offences under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998. The second arose from a prosecution by HM Revenue & Customs for a breach in export licensing conditions. No HSE prohibition notices were issued, but four HSE improvement notices were issued in respect to breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act.
The decrease in incidents – particularly serious ones – is a welcome outcome for the industry, as are the positive attitudes towards waste disposal and legal compliance. However, progress is still needed to reduce the numbers further. Thanks to reports such as these, industry is able to pinpoint the highest risk sectors of the workplace and work diligently to continuously reduce the risks. HCB www.chemical.org.uk
IN THE EARLY hours of 20 October 2017, an explosion and subsequent fire aboard the articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit Buster Bouchard/B No 255 off Port Aransas, Texas killed two crew and caused around 2,000 bbl of crude oil to be lost to the water or consumed in the fire. The incident caused damage to the barge of some $5m; it was scrapped after the accident.
At the time of the accident, the ATB was at anchor after loading 135,000 bbl crude oil at the NuStar Energy terminal in St James, Louisiana, and was preparing to depart on its voyage to Corpus Christi. The accident happened as two crew were on the bow lifting the anchor. An initial explosion was followed by two more, and fire broke out, badly damaging the barge. The two crew in the bow area were killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the explosion involved vapours from the crude oil cargo that had collected in the forepeak of the barge. NTSB investigators found a number of cracks and holes in the bulkhead between the forepeak and the No 1 port cargo tank, primarily as a result of corrosion. This allowed oil cargo to leak into the forepeak area; the vapours could have been ignited by a number of sources.
NTSB’s investigation concludes that there were a series of failings, not only on the part of the barge’s operator, Bouchard Transportation. NTSB’s report notes that the US Coast Guard (USCG) inspectors who examined the barge prior to the accident failed to identify unsafe conditions, which allowed the vessel to continue to operate at an
increased risk to the crews, the environment and port facilities. Further, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) failed to act on its surveys that also highlighted discrepancies regarding the substandard maintenance and hazardous conditions aboard the barge.
NTSB also found no indication of collaborative communications between ABS and USCG regarding deficiencies discovered by either organisation prior to the explosion. The lack of communication between ABS and USCG prevented a coordinated effort to evaluate the structural condition of the tank barge.
The probable root cause of the explosion, NTSB says, was the lack of effective maintenance and safety management by Bouchard Transportation. NTSB
recommends that the company evaluates its safety management system (SMS) with an independent third party to identify the areas that allowed for the poor mechanical and structural condition of the barge and to revise its SMS to address deficiencies.
NTSB also notes that a number of other Bouchard barges were inspected subsequent to the October 2017 accident and similar structural failings were found in several cases. NTSB also recommends that USCG and ABS establish joint policy and procedures to share information, including the results and findings from audits, surveys, inspections and other activities relating to vessel safety.
“The series of failures documented during this investigation highlight the need for effective safety management systems, proper vessel maintenance, and thorough regulatory examinations,” says Brian Curtis, NTSB’s director of marine safety. “If implemented, the recommendations issued as a result of this investigation will help to identify the failures that led to this accident and prevent similar casualties in the future.” HCB
The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has called a public meeting to solicit input for the planned 2020 edition of the Emergency Response Guide (ERG2020). The meeting will take place on 17 June in Washington, DC.
During the meeting, PHMSA will respond to stakeholder requests for a public discussion of the methodology used to determine the appropriate response protective distances for poisonous vapours resulting from spills involving dangerous goods considered toxic by inhalation in the ERG2016 Green Pages.
PHMSA will also solicit comments related to new methodologies and considerations for future editions of the ERG. Additionally, the meeting will include discussions on the outcomes of field experiments, ongoing research efforts to better understand environmental effects on airborne toxic gas concentrations, and updates to be published in the ERG2020.
ABS and members of the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) have been working for the past six months on developing best stowage strategy guidelines designed to help mitigate risks posed by the stowage of dangerous goods on containerships. The guidelines will be published shortly on the CINS website.
“By working together with ABS and other leading international partners, we can share our experiences and help to improve the safety of stowing dangerous goods,” says Uffe ErnstFrederiksen, CINS chairman. “We are looking forward to channelling these experiences into the development of this new industry best practices document and welcome views, insights, and other risk-based approaches from various carriers that can help improve fire safety in our industry.” www.cinsnet.com
The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review its existing hydrofluoric acid study to determine the effectiveness of existing regulations as well as the viability of using inherently safer alkylation technologies in oil refineries. CSB has investigated two incidents in the past four years in which an explosion raised the threat of a release of hydrofluoric acid.
“Refinery workers and surrounding community residents are rightly concerned about the adequacy of the risk management for the use of hazardous chemicals like hydrofluoric acid,” says CSB’s interim executive Kristen Kulinowksi. “The EPA should review its 1993 HF study to ensure the health and safety of communities near petroleum refineries utilising HF.” www.csb.gov
Transport Canada has published an interesting video on emergency response procedures involving rail tank cars with flammable liquids.
The 12-minute film looks at the differences between structural fires and those involving the transport of large volumes of flammable liquids and discusses some of the different approaches that are necessary, including non-intervention.
The video is available on YouTube and can also be viewed on the Transport Canada website at www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/ responding-railcar-incidents-involvingflammable-liquids.html.
The Chemical Business Association (CBA) has sold its specialist regulatory compliance company, Regulatory Facilitation Company Limited (ReFaC), to CSB GmbH of Krefeld, Germany, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction completed on 4 March.
CBA says it had prepared a contingency plan to relocate ReFaC to enable it to represent UK companies after Brexit, and then received an unsolicited offer from CSB.
CBA members in the UK will now be able to use CSB’s REACH and Only Representative (OR) services to ensure their compliance with EU regulations and access CSB’s expertise in REACH, GHS and the Biodical Products Regulation.
“We are very pleased to acquire ReFaC and its specialist team,” says Lars Dobbertin, general manager of CSB. “We will continue to deliver ReFaC’s high quality compliance services from its UK office to its existing clients selling into EU markets. We are now also in an excellent position to offer clients the full regulatory support for the UK after Brexit. Our plan is to grow the business by helping companies comply with both UK and EU chemical regulations through an enhanced service portfolio.” www.csb-online.de
The Society for Gas as Marine Fuel (SGMF) has issued a formal safety notice addressing concerns regarding safety in LNG bunkering operations, after having received several reports of leaks from dry-disconnect couplings during bunkering. SGMF says that differential movements between the bunkering vessel and the receiving vessel can cause leaks at the sealing face of the coupling.
While all reported cases have been detected and dealt with safely, there is the potential for a more serious accident. SGMF says that care needs to be taken to ensure that couplings are not overloaded during bunkering operations and recommends that equipment is properly supported throughout the transfer operation. More details can be found on the SGMF website at www.sgmf. info/posts.
experts’ work involved reviewing issues relating to the changes made in the 2019 texts of RID, ADR and ADN.
THE JOINT MEETING of the RID Committee of Experts and the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (ECE) Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15) was held in Bern from 18 to 22 March. It was chaired by Claude Pfauvadel (France) with Silvia Garcia Wolfrum (Spain) as vice-chair. The meeting was attended by representatives of 21 states, the European Commission, the EU Agency for Railways (ERA), the Organisation for
Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) and 11 non-governmental organisations.
The Joint Meeting acts as a common forum for the bodies responsible for managing the modal regulations on the transport of dangerous goods in effect across Europe and, especially for road transport, elsewhere in the world. In this way, regulatory amendments can be harmonised as far as possible between RID (rail), ADR (road) and ADN (inland waterways).
The spring 2019 session was the first to take place after the UN Experts had adopted the text of the 21st revised edition of the Model Regulations, although much of the
As is the usual practice, those documents submitted to the Joint Meeting on the topic of transport in tanks were entrusted to the Working Group on Tanks, which met concurrently for the first three days of the session under the chairmanship of Arne Bale (UK), with Kees de Putter (Netherlands) acting as secretary.
Belarus brought a proposal, following discussions at an earlier session of WP15, to rationalise the use of the terms ‘test’ and ‘inspection’ in 6.8.2.5.1. This was supplemented by an informal document from the UK and led to the agreement to replace ‘test’ or ‘tests’ by ‘inspection’ or ‘inspections’ in the ninth and tenth indents of 6.8.2.5.1, in the seventh and eighth indents of 6.8.3.5.10, in the last indent of 6.8.3.5.11 (for RID only), in 6.10.4, and in special tank provisions TT6 and TT8. Specific reference to the hydraulic pressure test in TT6 is deleted. The London
working group, due to meet in June, will consider other consequential amendments and return with further proposals at the autumn session of the Joint Meeting.
Belgium asked for the assignment of a portable tank instruction to UN 3160 trifluorochloroethylene. At present this can be carried in portable tanks under an interim approval according to 6.7.1.3 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code but Belgium has been asked by a consignor to issue a similar approval for inland carriage. It was decided that this was a matter for the UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods to consider.
The International Tank Container Organisation (ITCO) returned with a further attempt to clarify the definition of ‘Tankcontainer/portable tank operator’ in 1.2.1. This currently indicates that the operator is the tank owner, while in practice a large proportion of the tank container fleet is leased by operators. It had emerged that any change to this definition could cause problems in RID, where the definition covers ‘Operator of a tank-container, portable tank or tank-wagon’. Further work will be needed to resolve the issue.
Romania returned with further attempts to clarify the meaning of the terms ‘risk’ and ‘hazard/danger’ and align the English and French versions. Its latest paper related to Chapters 4.3, 6.8 and 6.10. A number of comments were made, which will be taken into consideration in the drafting of a revised paper for the next session.
The UK followed up on discussions at the previous session with a proposal to clarify the protection required for the fittings and accessories mounted on the upper part of vacuum-operated waste tanks. A number of differing opinions were expressed, with some experts feeling that there is no need to change the existing text. It was not possible to reach a conclusion but it was agreed that the text should be clarified in order to ensure a common interpretation. The UK was invited to submit a revised document at a future session.
The UK presented a report on the ninth session of the informal working group on the inspection and certification of tanks. While
progress had been made in a number of areas – it has, for instance, been agreed that competent authorities will publish a list of approved inspection bodies and the scope of activities for which they have been approved, and additional criteria have been agreed to align the general rules on the obligations of inspection bodies with those required by EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012 – there are still a number of concerns and reservations. The Joint Meeting was asked to give its consent to a suggested programme of work, which was provided.
Poland sought to tidy up an issue that had emerged when 4.3.2.3.7 was amended in 2016, allowing tanks, battery-wagons/batteryvehicles and multiple-element gas containers (MEGCs) to be used for up to a month after the due date of the next periodic inspection, if they had been filled before that date. No similar allowance had been made for intermediate inspections, albeit 6.8.2.4.3 provides for the intermediate inspection to take place within three months before or after the due date. After some discussion, the experts agreed some changes to 4.3.2.3.7 but placed them in square brackets pending further work.
In an informal document, the UK presented the preliminary findings of a test programme for pressure relief valves for LPG road tankers. The purpose of the programme is to build up evidence that will allow inspection bodies to check documentation or the marking of set pressures at intermediate inspections rather than having to test such valves. So far, 145 valves have been tested with only one showing deviation from its opening pressure. The Working Group thanked the UK for its information and noted that EN 14334 allows visual inspection of the pressure relief valve.
The Netherlands had been looking at the distinction between portable tanks and tank containers and suggested in an informal document that dual approval would be useful to industry, while acknowledging it could be confusing for inspection bodies. The tenor of the meeting was strongly against the use of dual approvals but there was some support for the reorganisation of tank instructions to align the provisions for portable tanks and tank containers. The Netherlands will work together with Belgium on the topic.
The International Union of Private Wagons (UIP) noted that EN 14025 no longer refers to standard flanges for manholes for tank wagons, which has had the effect of reducing the minimum diameter of manholes from the specified 500 mm to 492 mm. UIP asked whether standard flanges with an internal diameter of 492 mm may still be used.
The Working Group considered that the 500 mm minimum diameter must be observed; a transitional provision may be needed to allow tank-wagons built according to EN 14025:2008 to continue to be used.
Germany asked whether heating elements are allowed on tanks manufactured from fibre-reinforce plastics (FRP). Wording in 6.9.1.3 of the English and French texts states that “heating elements shall not be used for FRP tanks”, but this refers to design and construction rather than operation. Most of the experts felt that this means also that such tank should not be equipped with heating elements, although in plenary the representative of the Netherlands stated that his country interprets this differently. The Joint Meeting invited delegations to consider whether clarification is needed.
The Working Group on Standards had an easier ride at the spring Joint Meeting, coming together during lunch breaks to consider a handful of papers.
The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) provided an update on progress. The European Commission has handed over the responsibility for appointing a consultant to EY, although no appointment has yet been made. The harmonised standards (HAS) consultant will advise the Joint Meeting on work in progress at CEN that will result in the development or revision of standards relevant to RID/ADR/ ADN. A number of non-governmental organisations, meanwhile, are considering hiring an independent advisor on standards to replace the former CEN consultant.
CEN summarised some standards in development, on which states have already commented. These largely deal with gas cylinders and their equipment.
It was also noted that the mandate given in 1995 by the European Commission to CEN and CENELEC for the development of standards in the field of the transport of dangerous goods is to be revoked.
Finland opened a discussion on the need or otherwise for the regulations to refer to the latest version of each standard. It might be possible to obviate the need to change references at each update by replacing them with dynamic references, referring to the latest version applicable rather than to a specific year, so long as it is made clear that earlier version may still be used until their expiry date. Finland will work up an official proposal for the next session on the basis of comments made.
The Secretariat noted that at the last session of the Joint Meeting, it had been decided to update the references in 6.8.2.6.1 and 6.8.2.6.2 to EN 12972 to the 2018 edition; application of the 2007 edition will be limited to 30 June 2021. Since then, the Secretariat had spotted that EN 12972 is also referenced in 1.8.7.8 and that this needed to be updated as well. The Joint Meeting agreed the change.
Germany raised some concerns about the interpretation of 1.8.6.4.1 in RID/ADR, which deals with the delegation of inspection tasks. Its paper said that it is being interpreted to mean that an accreditation covers not only the accredited inspection body but also any external sub-contractors. It is sometimes also assumed that the same paragraph authorises the accredited inspection body to assess the competent of sub-contractors through audits in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17020 or EN ISO/IEC 17025, and that separate accreditation of this sub-contractor can then be dispensed with, because “equivalence” has been demonstrated. This is also obviously incorrect, Germany contended.
The Joint Meeting agreed with an interpretation provided by France, to the effect that any sub-contractor that is not itself accredited may be covered by the accreditation of the inspection body but that the assessment of that sub-contractor is subject to procedures validated in the context of its accreditation by the accreditation body. An ongoing monitoring process as part of the accreditation procedure allows subcontractors to be included in the inspection body accreditation. The paper from France provided references to support this argument in EN ISO/IEC 17020.
The representative of Germany took note of the interpretation provided by the Joint Meeting and said she would check how this issue is being addressed at national level in her country and, on the basis of the outcome, may consider the need to request additional clarifications.
Spain returned with a revised proposal to harmonise the name and description of UN 1010 in RID/ADR with that in the UN Model Regulations. UN 1010 covers butadienes and butadiene/hydrocarbon mixtures, stabilised; in the Model Regulations this applies only to products containing more than 40 per cent butadienes but the RID/ADR proper shipping name includes references to vapour pressure and density, which allows the entry to be used with some products that have less than 40 per cent butadienes.
The paper from Spain included an analysis of possible alternative entries, particularly UN 1965 and 3161, and their applicable special provisions. It offered two ways to deal with the disharmony, of which the Joint Meeting preferred the simpler alternative of simply adopting the name and description as used in the Model Regulations.
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) followed up on earlier discussions at the
Joint Meeting and WP15 on the possibility of allowing online training for driver refresher courses, at least for part of the specified curriculum. There was broad support in principle for the idea but the Joint Meeting found the IRU proposal too open. IRU was invited to review its proposal in light of the comments made, and also to consider whether a similar approach could be used in the training of ADN experts. Interested delegations were invited to submit comments in writing to IRU.
Germany returned to the problem of the stabilisation of polymerising substances shipped as waste material. Safe transport of polymerising substances relies on the stabilisation of the material, either by temperature control or the use of a chemical inhibitor. This requires the shipper to establish the self-accelerating polymerisation temperature (SAPT) and determine the appropriate control and emergency temperatures. In the case of wastes, such information is often not available, and the exact composition of the waste stream may vary from day to day; thus it is impossible to comply with the control provisions in 7.1.7.3 and 7.1.7.4.
Germany offered some ideas as to how the hazards inherent in the transport of polymerising wastes might be managed. »
The Joint Meeting agreed to entrust the consideration of the issues raised to the Working Group on Wastes led by the European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD), which was to meet in early April.
Switzerland followed up on earlier discussions at WP15 with a proposal to amend CW36/ CV36 to include safety measures similar to those provided for substances that present a risk of asphyxiation. The Joint Meeting agreed and adopted an amended second sentence to those additional provisions. That for CW36 in RID will read:
If this is not feasible and packages are carried in other closed wagons or containers, gas exchange between the load compartment and accessible compartments during carriage shall be prevented and the cargo doors of the wagons or containers shall be marked with the following in letters not less than 25 mm high:
Similar text is included in CV36 for ADR, referring to the driver’s cab and to vehicles rather than wagons.
Another paper from Switzerland sought an amendment to special provision 653 to include requirements for the filling of cylinders with those asphyxiant gases mentioned. Again the Joint Meeting found this acceptable and, in the first indent of SP 653, replaced “for construction and testing” with “for construction, testing and filling”.
Spain reported that industry was confused about the meaning of the last sentence of 4.1.1.3, “The packagings for which the test is not required are mentioned under 6.1.1.3”. The confusion arises because 4.1.1.3 mentions the design type test, while 6.1.1.3 refers to the leakproofness test. Spain believed that the sentence in question may have been carried over from some other requirement, as it does not appear in the UN Model Regulations or the IMDG Code. The Joint Meeting agreed with Spain’s argument and decided to delete the last sentence of 4.1.1.3.
The UK noted that the new special provision 671 included in the 2019 edition of RID and ADR, attached to UN 3316 chemical and first
aid kits, does not make it possible to assign a transport category to those kits that contain only dangerous goods to which no packing group is assigned. This seemed to be an oversight. The UK proposed new text to clarify that such kits should be assigned to transport category 2.
The Joint Meeting agreed and added a new paragraph at the end of SP 671. That for ADR reads:
Kits containing only dangerous goods to which no packing group is assigned shall be allocated to transport category 2 for completion of transport documents and the exemption related to quantities carried per transport unit (see 1.1.3.6).
Similar text for RID refers to “quantities carried per wagon or large container”. The experts also noted that the amendment is also relevant to ADN.
A further paper from Romania aiming to rationalise the use of the words ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ led to an exchange of views. The Joint Meeting agreed that these terms should only be used when strictly necessary and in a consistent manner. Due attention must also be given to consistency of terminology with the Model Regulations, the Manual of Tests and Criteria, and the GHS. The working group looking at the issue was invited to come up with a revised proposal in light of the comments made.
The new 7.1.7, introduced in ADR and ADN this year, brings together various obligations regarding the technical maintenance of cargo transport units carrying Division 4.1 or 5.2 substances stabilised by temperature control, as well as possible emergency procedures. Germany thought it would be valuable to include a table to assign those obligations to the various participants in the supply chain and had already raised the topic with the ADN Safety Committee.
There was some support for the idea in principle, with some discussion on how specific the provisions should be. The representative of Germany promised to work jointly with industry and other stakeholders and return with a
formal proposal that would cover all possible scenarios.
The Netherlands invited the experts’ opinion on the role of the container/vehicle packing certificate, as delineated in 5.4.2 of RID/ADR/ ADN. Its paper noted that such a certificate is only required if dangerous goods are being carried under those regulations prior to a sea voyage. If there is no sea voyage involved, then no packing certificate needs to be provided, which suggests that it cannot be seen as a measure that improves safety in the carriage of dangerous goods by inland modes. Therefore, why is the provision in RID, ADR and ADN?
The Joint Meeting found it hard to disagree, especially as electronic communication should make it a simple task for the shipper to provide the carrier with the necessary certificate. The Netherlands will work up an official proposal to delete the requirement for the next session.
The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) said it had received several enquiries
about the interpretation of special provision 389, both for rail and road transport. SP 389, applicable to UN 3536 lithium batteries installed in cargo transport units, was taken into RID/ADR/ADN from the 20th revised edition of the Model Regulations.
In the Model Regulations, the last sentence of SP 389 states: “The cargo transport unit shall display the UN number in accordance with 5.3.2.1.2 and be placarded on two opposing sides in accordance with 5.3.1.1.2.”
In RID/ADR/ADN that is interpreted as requiring orange-coloured plates and placards. For RID, those orange-coloured plates have to include the hazard identification number (90) and the UN number; ADR does not indicate a hazard identification number for UN 3536 so for road transport the orangecoloured plates are left blank. There are also differences in the location of the orangecoloured plates. OTIF felt that this creates disharmony and confusion and it would be better if the requirements could be aligned.
After some discussion of the issue, it was felt that, as carriage of such articles often involves a maritime leg, the matter should be brought to the attention of the UN TDG Subcommittee. The OTIF Secretariat was invited to submit an official document to that body. »
Switzerland felt that, following the adoption of the new entries (UN 3537 to 3548) for articles containing dangerous goods, some clarification was needed for the explanatory notes to help shippers assign their goods to the most appropriate entry. The Joint Meeting agreed that some clarification would be useful and made two changes, on the basis of an informal document drawn up by Germany and Switzerland.
The Note under the heading of 2.1.5 is amended to read: Articles which do not have a proper shipping name and which contain only dangerous goods within the permitted limited quantity amounts specified in Column (7a) of Table A of Chapter 3.2, UN No. 3363 and special provisions 301 and 672 of Chapter 3.3 may be applied.
As a consequence, the Note to special provision 301 is deleted.
Another paper from Switzerland highlighted what it saw as inconsistencies in the text of special provision 667, particularly subparagraphs (b) and (c). SP 667 has been
assigned to UN 3537 to 3548 as well as the lithium battery entries, meaning that the text of SP 667(b) and (c) now also refers to articles, which was not the original purpose of the text. The paper from Switzerland offered a way to clarify matters, which after some revision was deemed acceptable. As a result, reference to ‘article’ or ‘articles’ in (a), (b)(i), (b)(ii) and (c) is deleted.
The Joint Meeting heard reports from the informal working groups on the reduction on the risk of a BLEVE during transport of dangerous goods and on telematics. Both groups are continuing with their work.
The European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) reported on an informal meeting held to discuss the carriage of pressure receptacles approved by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). The meeting discussed possible text for RID/ADR/ADN that would allow the import and export of such cylinders. EIGA continues to work with DOT and the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) to develop a petition for rulemaking to amend the US Hazardous Materials Regulations so as to
permit similar carriage of European cylinders into and from the US. EIGA is also working with the UK to draft a new multilateral agreement under ADR to replace M299, which was due to expire on 1 June 2019.
The Joint Meeting head that the first meeting of the informal working group on the improvement of the accident report was due to take place in The Hague on 19 and 20 June. ERA indicated that the guides to facilitate the use of the harmonised technical framework for the Transport of Dangerous Goods for inland transport developed by the agency and the European Commission are available on the ERA’s website. These include a framework guide, a guide on risk estimation, a guide for decision making and a glossary.
The Joint Meeting’s autumn session is scheduled to take place from 17 to 27 September in Geneva. Prior to that, WP15 held its 106th session in mid-May; a report on that meeting will appear the August issue of HCB. The RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group is not scheduled to meet until late November, where it will discuss the outcome of both Joint Meeting sessions in 2019. HCB
THE INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT of dangerous goods by air and sea are regulated by agreements to which virtually all countries of the world are signatories. The same is not true of international transport by land either by road or rail.
To some extent this is understandable. While air and maritime transport are global businesses and thus deserve a consistent, global set of standards, road transport is hardly ever more than regional in nature. There is, therefore, no need for the rules in place in Europe to be equivalent to those in, for example, North America.
As such, the European Agreement concerning the International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road – the ADR Agreement – fulfils its role as the basis for regulating international road transport within Europe. EU member states and some others also use ADR for domestic transport. Over the years, the applicability of ADR has been extended, with countries in central Asia and North Africa adding their names to the list of contracting parties and, earlier this year, Nigeria signing up.
ADR has also been increasingly observed elsewhere around the world as a useful document on which to base domestic transport regulations. Countries throughout Latin America and in south-east Asia use ADR in such a way and recent revisions to Chinese regulations have also used ADR as a model.
The ADR Agreement is useful for these countries; it is a tried and tested piece of regulation that has been in effect for 50 years; it covers both bulk and packaged goods transport and the construction, equipment and operation of the vehicles carrying them; and it includes a comprehensive system of hazard communication. It is also harmonised as far as possible with the international air and sea regulations.
Now, after toying with the idea for some years, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) has decided to drop the word ‘European’ from the title of the Agreement, believing that this will remove one barrier to its adoption by UN member states outside Europe.
“Building on the achievements of ADR over the last five decades in improving safety for
the transport of dangerous goods, more and more countries are looking to harness its practical value,” says Olga Algayerova, UN ECE’s executive secretary. “As a global agreement, I encourage all UN member states to join and fully implement ADR, supporting progress towards road safety targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. UN ECE stands ready to support countries in this process.”
The change in the title of ADR is the result of several years of negotiation by international experts in the transport of dangerous goods under the auspices of UN ECE’s Inland Transport Committee. The decision was made a Conference of the Contracting Parties to ADR, which took place in May. The change in title of ADR will enter into force on 1 January 2021, provided that no objection from a Contracting Party has been expressed within a six-month period following notification by the UN Secretary-General to all Parties.
The change to the name of the ADR Agreement is more than symbolic: it is hoped that it will help convert a set of rules designed by and for European nations into a broadly global rulebook. UN ECE has also put together a roadmap for non-European countries, especially those in the developing world, to help them accede to and implement ADR. HCB
NEARLY 1,500 PEOPLE attended the second Dangerous Goods & Hazardous Substances trade fair - Gefahrgut // Gefahrstoff (GGS) – which took place in the Leipziger Messe, Germany on 9 to 11 April. That was a significant increase on attendance at the first event in 2017, with exhibition space also increasing by 30 per cent to allow 65 companies to exhibit their solutions, products and services for the transport, storage and inplant logistics involving dangerous goods.
“A harmonious concept and the broad commitment by the entire industry made the fair a complete success and highlighted its growing importance. Exhibitors made excellent use of the expanded presentation possibilities of the larger exhibition hall 2,” says Markus Geisenberger, managing director of Leipziger Messe. “The growing interest of trade visitors clearly shows that cooperation between Leipziger Messe and representatives
of associations and exhibitors is now bearing fruit and encouraging expansion.”
Matthias Kober, project director of GGS, explains why he thinks the event was such a success: “The trade fair addressed logistics decision-makers and specialist managers from the various areas of responsibility as well as security officers. It was, therefore, the right address for topics relating to transport and logistics services, load securing, storage, conveying and handling technology, packaging, waste and disposal, digitisation and networking, occupational safety, health protection and industry-related services.
“Even at the first event, we sensed that both exhibitors and trade visitors were very interested,” Kober continues. “For us, this confirmed that creating our own comprehensive platform for the special requirements of dangerous goods and hazardous materials logistics was the right approach.”
It was not just the local industry that was attracted to Leipzig for GGS. Exhibitors represented seven countries, with visitors arriving from more than 20 countries. In addition, GGS attracted the involvement of the European Association of Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers (EASA). “We were able to enlist the support of the association, which held its annual general meeting during the fair and also supported the international conference European Dangerous Goods Day on 10 and 11 April,” Kober adds.
The European Dangerous Goods Days, held for the first time, created a new information platform for experts that, with the slogan ‘Dangerous goods make the world go round’, brought together up-to-date expertise and offered excellent networking opportunities. Not only legal requirements and regulations were discussed, but also specific security issues. “Internationally renowned speakers gave presentations in English about the status quo, which broadened our horizons,” Kober says.
“It is already noticeable at the second event how the industry is merging into one big family. The fair is the only one of its kind in Europe and is very important for the daily work of our members,” says Guillaume Le Coz, secretary general of EASA, adding: “Dangerous goods and substances are present everywhere in our daily lives. Here in Leipzig, the topic receives the necessary attention and we will strive to support awareness and growth in Europe for the trade fair.”
Among all this, what were the highlights for Matthias Kober? “There were a lot! With its comprehensive conference programme, the trade fair addressed current topics in the industry in a variety of ways,” he says.
“Alongside the European Dangerous Goods Days, the forum Hazardous Waste Disposal also made its premiere. In the open forum, trade visitors were able to attend short presentations and product demonstrations by exhibitors throughout the trade fair. Furthermore, the German Dangerous Goods Association (GGVD) organised three lecture blocks on current issues and the Leipzig
Dangerous Goods Day also offered valuable insights. The combination created by an interesting exhibition and a practice-oriented conference programme brought added value to the trade public and played a key role in many participants’ decision to visit the fair.
“The most fascinating parts were the live demonstrations,” Kober (right) continues. “Demonstrations included the performance of automated driving of electric forklifts. These automatically slow down as soon as their sensors detect a person in their action radius. At the competition ‘Transport of dangerous goods - Find the faults!’ every visitor could test their knowledge by identifying the faults with a lorry; faults could be found in load securing, with the loaded dangerous goods and in the accompanying documents.”
The GGS advisory board has decided that future events will take place in late autumn in even-numbered years, with the third GGS
scheduled for 24 to 26 November 2020.
This will allow presentations to focus on incoming regulation. “With the new trade fair date in autumn, the regular amendments to ADR and RID regulations can be discussed, and the associated demand for information can be fully met,” says Kober. “We will
take the substantial positive feedback from participants as an incentive to further develop, and consistently expand the trade fair. We have already begun preparing for this trade fair, and our aim is to further increase its international appeal.” HCB www.ggs-tradefair.com
Every month we hear stories of people being asphyxiated or poisoned by entering enclosed spaces. Some of them involve ships (which is a constant issue) or take place in refineries or petrochemical plants. But most happen in septic tanks, slurry pits or improvised toilets, often – though far from always –in the developing world.
One such story reached us this month and we thought it worth sharing. Two men suffocated and one is in critical condition in southern India after climbing into a disused well in an attempt to rescue a chipmunk pup. As is usually the case, one man became unconscious in the well and others climbed into try and help him, only to be overcome themselves. One died in the well and another on the way to the hospital.
It is not clear why they felt such a need to try and save the chipmunk – was it a pet? Dinner? Or just a Buddhist concern for another living creature? Whatever, the local police could not determine whether it was saved.
Another man died in Malaysia in April aboard a fishing boat. According to local reports, two men passed out after inhaling poisonous gas when they opened an old container used to store fish aboard the vessel. One was declared dead at the scene and the other was taken to hospital in a critical condition. Presumably the fish were also dead, as they were the source of the fumes.
The local hazmat crew tested the gas in the container but could only ascertain that it was not ammonia. A discussion among experts on Don Johnston’s Hazmat Global Network (hazmat@groups.io – well worth joining) suggested it could have been
triethylamine, trimethylamine or some other amine, or a combination thereof, or hydrogen sulphide, any of which could have caused the death and injury. Questions were asked as to why the hazmat team did not have the equipment on hand to identify the gas, which may point towards amines as the culprit, especially given the characteristic odour of hydrogen sulphide.
Commuters in the UK complain regularly about the quality of train services – and often with good reason, as the Back Page can testify. Some delays are self-inflicted by the rail operators but the companies usually try to pass the blame onto weather conditions – too hot, too cold, leaves on the lines, and so on.
But now they have another excuse. Network Rail, which controls the rail infrastructure, reports an increasing number of delays due to helium balloons – more than 600 incidents in the past year. Many cases involve balloons getting tangled in highvoltage overhead wires, causing delays while the electricity is switched off and the lines made safe.
“If you’re on a railway station platform with a foil balloon filled with helium on a string and it comes in contact with the overhead wires carrying 25,000 volts, that could cause huge injury or death,” said James Dean, chief operating officer for Network Rail’s London North Western route.
“Ideally, we’d ask people not to bring balloons into our stations at all. Alternatively, carry them in bags so the risk of them floating upwards is minimised.” Or, given the growing concern over the finite supply of helium, maybe don’t use them at all.
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Brodie
