News bulletin – tanks and logistics

NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTICS

HOYER ADDS CAPABILITIES

Hoyer Group has taken delivery of the first of more than 500 new trucks across its European fleet as part of a €42.7m investment, the biggest fleet replacement and expansion project in its history. Most of the new trucks are for use in its UK mineral oil business, although there are also new Volvo units for its chemical divisions based in Germany and Poland.

“The safety of our drivers and of other road users has top priority. We transport highly sensitive goods every day, and consider it our duty to reduce risks and dangers to the absolute minimum,” says Rudolf Schumacher, group fleet manager. “Thanks to our fleet’s innovative safety equipment, we more than satisfy the legal requirements and set standards in the sector. Moreover, we emphasise the continuous instruction and further education of our personnel. We regularly and intensively train our drivers on the topic of safety in the framework of classroom training sessions and online training courses.”

In separate news, Hoyer’s UK Petrolog division has begun training its drivers to deliver medical-grade oxygen to hospitals, in partnership with Air Products, as part of its efforts to support the national effort to fight the Covid-19 outbreak. The drivers chosen for training were volunteers based near the Air Products depots in Didcot and Manchester and all had Class 1 HGV and Class 2 ADR licences.

“Whilst both Hoyer and Air Products hope that our support is not required, we now have a group of drivers who can be deployed quickly to ensure that these lifesaving deliveries can continue uninterrupted,” says Jonathan Lawrence, divisional director, field operations for Hoyer UK Petrolog. www.hoyer-group.com

IMPERIAL PLUGS INTO BATTERIES

Imperial’s Chemical Logistics division has won a contract to store and handle lithium ion batteries for the German operations of a major global automotive manufacturer. Imperial will store the batteries at two locations with a combined footprint of some 25,000 m2; it will also charge the batteries prior to delivery to the manufacturer’s market network at one site.

“The regulations governing the storage of rechargeable batteries are necessarily extremely strict, and our site at Rieste meets and exceeds these stringent criteria,” says Michael Pohl, vice-president, commercial, chemicals. “We are delighted to complement Imperial’s existing automotive logistics services for this client, with the addition of our extensive specialist capabilities and resources in the field of hazardous materials handling and storage.”

“As the world’s automotive manufacturers accelerate their move to zero-emissions vehicle production, the demand for high-output lithium batteries will increase exponentially. Imperial is targeting this sector as a logical progression of its already heavy involvement in automotive supply chain logistics,” adds Markus Kanis, executive vice-president, industrial and chemicals.

“Our battery logistics solution addresses all environmental and safety issues involved in transporting, handling and storing largeformat lithium batteries – from delivery of raw materials through battery manufacture, to supplying both the assembly track and after-market,” Kanis adds. “The winning of this contract is recognition of the commitment we have already made to this exciting but challenging new market.” www.imperiallogistics.com

GENESIS LOSES RAIL VOLUMES

Genesis Energy reports that crude oil shipments from Canada to the US have disappeared since 1 April, following the collapse in the price differential between Canadian crude and the Gulf Coast. The company expects the situation to last for the rest of the year, which will have an impact on its full-year figures.

Its first quarter was firm, though, with net income rising from $16.0m a year ago to $24.9m. “For the quarter, our diversified businesses delivered financial results consistent with, if not slightly greater than, our expectations,” says CEO Grant Sims. “The results were positively driven by solid pipeline volumes out of the Gulf of Mexico, strong crude-by-rail volumes out of Canada and robust demand for marine transportation across our different classes of assets.”

However, Genesis is now dealing not only with the oil price collapse but also the slump in end-user demand caused by Covid-19. As a result, Genesis has reduced its quarterly distribution and is postponing capital expenditures until the situation stabilises. www.genesisenergy.com

FUEL OF THE FUTURE

Den Hartogh has begun a project to supply methanol in tank containers as bunker fuel for SAL Heavy Lift. In collaboration with Helm Proman Methanol, the methanol was supplied in a tank and loaded aboard SAL’s vessel Trina in Hamburg; once empty, it will be swapped out for a full tank wherever in the world the vessel is located. Methanol is injected into the ship’s engine along with hydrogen, using a system developed by Fuelsave Green Technology that provides valuable fuel savings and reduces emissions. www.denhartogh.com

TWO WINS FOR SUTTONS

Suttons Tankers has won a significant new contract with Haltermann Carless to transport gas condensate from its subsidiary Spirit Energy’s gas terminal in Barrow-in-Furness to Haltermann Carless’s site in Harwich, UK.

“We are delighted to be working with Suttons on this contract,” says Steve Richardson of Haltermann Carless. “The safe delivery of our material is of utmost importance to us and Suttons’ track record and commitment to safety made them the ideal partner for this contract. Due to the nature of Spirit Energy’s gas field operation, reliability of the transport service is crucial and the scale and infrastructure that Suttons offers assures us that we can meet the needs of the business.”

Suttons Tankers has also won a deal to provide transport for denatured spirit produced by major distiller William Grant & Sons, supplying it to manufacturers of hand sanitisers responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. William Grant & Sons has adapted its technology to produce some 5m litres of denatured ethanol.

“We are thrilled to be working on this project that contributes to the nationwide effort to fight against Covid-19,” says Michael Cundy, managing director of Suttons Tankers. “We are proud of the division’s ability to be reactive and redistribute fleet and resource to provide an exceptional level of service and safety to critical industries during these difficult times.” www.suttonsgroup.com

IRISH BUY FOR RHENUS

Rhenus has acquired Ireland-based chemical logistics specialist C+G Logistics. Headquartered in Mulhuddart, Dublin, C+G has more than 40 years’ experience in the storage, transport and handling of raw materials, ingredients and chemicals, and its acquisition will further the already established position of the Rhenus Group within the chemical market. C+G’s warehouse provides full Seveso capabilities with 5,000 m2 of hazardous goods storage.

“Joining the Rhenus family is an important step for our business, opening up new service provisions for our client base. We are delighted to be starting 2020 with the support of a global organisation behind us,” says Patrick Wogan, general manager of C+G. Declan Sinnott, managing director of Rhenus Logistics Ireland, adds: “The acquisition of C+G Logistics is a milestone in the ongoing development of Rhenus in Ireland, and we’re delighted to expand the scope of services we can offer our clients, both existing and new.” www.rhenus.group