HCB Magazine March 2020

M O N T H LY M A R C H

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EDITOR’S LETTER

When I joined HCB in 1993, I knew next to nothing about the

So in many ways I am always happy when March comes

regulations that govern the transport of dangerous goods.

around, as this marks the beginning of the new year’s

It also quickly became apparent to me that I knew less than

conference season. This month alone, HCB will be

I thought I did about the businesses involved in the transport

represented at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul,

of chemicals.

the big StocExpo Europe event in Rotterdam, the unmissable

I also had very few contacts in the industries I was covering.

LogiChem conference in Rotterdam, the cosy BADGP AGM

In those days, if I wanted information from someone, I had to

day in the UK and, right at the end of the month, AFPM’s

ring them up – email was in its infancy and was not widely

International Petrochemical Conference in New Orleans.

used. And gradually, speaking to the same people time and again, some sort of network was beginning to develop.

What really made a difference, though, was getting out

April is also busy and I am looking forward to a visit to Denver for Ouray Environmental’s inaugural Transportation and Response Symposium, with the GPCA Supply Chain

of the office. It is one thing to build a relationship based on

Conference following swiftly in Dubai. The month finishes

talking on the phone (which is a lot better than exchanging

with another annual highlight, COSTHA’s forum and expo,

emails) but it is something else to have face-to-face contact

which this year takes place in Greenville, South Carolina. Not

with someone, ideally over a beer in the bar at the end of a

only has attending the COSTHA event kept me up to speed

long day’s conference or exhibition.

with regulatory developments (not just in North America) but

Indeed, my first big outing after joining HCB was to attend

it has also taken me around the US to see places I would

EPCA’s Logistics Meeting in October 1993, and I have at least

never have gone to otherwise – and I have fond memories of

one very important contact who I still talk to regularly who

being in San Diego, CA, Austin, TX, Savannah, GA and many

I first met at a reception in a hotel in Monte Carlo during

others. Indeed, I’m not sure I’d heard of Greenville until

that event.

COSTHA announced it would be going there.

Talking to people also helps inform what I write for HCB. It is

In these days of straitened budgets, the Coronavirus

easy, sat at my desk, to believe I understand what is going on

threat, flight-shaming and generally overworked managers,

out there in the real world but very often I am surprised by

it is easy to make an excuse to stay in the office. But the

the information that I pick up when I’m away from the desk.

value of getting out and networking with others in the

My understanding of events may have missed an important

industry is easy to underestimate. I hope to be expanding

point or may misinterpret the intentions of those involved.

my network further over the next few weeks – see

In fact, one good conference can keep me going in new

you there!

commentary on events for several months.

Peter Mackay

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UP FRONT 03

CONTENTS VOLUME 41

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UP FRONT Letter from the Editor 30 Years Ago Learning by Training STORAGE TERMINALS Time and a place What’s happening in the market On the right path Vopak strategy pays off Quick on the draw Inter improves Grays terminal Built for the Baltics GTL enhances terminal network This is tomorrow calling TWTG makes terminals smarter Come to the party StocExpo returns to Rotterdam Start planning Get ready for the energy transition News bulletin – storage terminals

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TANKS & LOGISTICS Water to iron Tarragona promotes intermodality Train spotting Hupac digitises rail transport Views from the top Looking ahead at LogiChem News bulletin – tanks and logistics News bulletin – chemical distribution

The last word on container safety News bulletin – safety

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REGULATIONS On the way Preparing for 2021 changes to RID/ADR/ADN Diversion ahead ADR looks set for major changes

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BACK PAGE Not otherwise specified

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COURSES & CONFERENCES Training courses Sounding off Trainers talk about their role Conference diary

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

SAFETY Incident Log Put that in your pipe Yantian Express fire caused by charcoal Get it right

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

NEXT MONTH North America special issue A look at midstream profitability Digitising the US chemical supply chain Why US regulations differ Front cover: The new arm at Inter Terminals’ Grays facility

Managing Editor Stephen Mitchell Email: stephen.mitchell@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4045 Designer Jochen Viegener

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

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

Cargo Media Ltd Marlborough House 298 Regents Park Road London N3 2SZ

ISSN 2059-5735 www.hcblive.com

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

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30 YEARS AGO A LOOK BACK TO MARCH 1990

Thirty years ago, then-editor Mike Corkhill opened the March 1990 edition of HCB with thoughts about the reputation among the public of the chemical industry and its logistics partners. Whenever an accident happened, the general press – largely ignorant of chemistry – stoked public fears. And while there were good reasons to be fearful of some substances, the chemical industry was only just beginning to realise that it needed to be proactive in spreading the word about all the good that it did.

Mike also mentioned that concern over environmental pollution and the associated possibility of long-term damage to health, as well as the fear of catastrophic incidents were at the forefront of the public consciousness. It is perhaps disappointing, then, that it has taken another three decades before governments around the world have started taking those concerns seriously, as illustrated by the arrival two months ago of the ‘IMO 2020’ rule on sulphur oxide emissions from ships.

Our March 1990 issue included a look at rulemaking initiatives designed to clean up the business of shipping oil and chemicals in bulk, starting with an article by John Dunn, managing director of London-based Papachristidis Ship Management, on vapour emissions

looking at recommendations in a report prepared for the UK Health & Safety Commission by Technica Ltd. The report contained a number of proposals for measures to mitigate major hazards in the transport of dangerous goods, one of which was to mandate the use of rigid loading arms rather than hoses at tanker berths.

Industry’s opinion was that such a move would be unnecessarily costly and would actually raise safety risks, particularly at multipurpose berths handling a variety of products and ship sizes. Articulated arms should, it was felt, be reserved for more specialised jetties, such as companyowned facilities and those handling LNG, LPG and other liquefied gases.

The March 1990 issue also reported on discussions at the MariChem 89 meeting in Amsterdam in December on issues surrounding tank containers and, in particular, those factors that were then hindering acceptance of the relatively new concept in some quarters. Willy Freson of Exxon Chemicals in Belgium explained how his company looks at the economics of tank use, saying that they were only viable on product chains involving more than 1,000 tonnes per year. Lt-Cdr Phil Olenik of the US Coast Guard reassured the audience that the US was considering changing its restriction that barred the use of IMO Type 1

control. That article focused primarily on fugitive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during loading and unloading, but along the way he mentioned that IMO had agreed to a Norwegian suggestion to give further attention to emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that resulted from the burning of heavy fuel oils as bunkers.

There was also discussion of tanker loading in an article by HH ‘Curly’ Cail, representing the UK’s Independent Tank Storage Association,

tanks for the transport of toxic by inhalation substances, while WEW’s Helmut Gerhard provided some words on the advantages of using swap tanks, although there was a need for some standardisation across Europe. Hoyer’s Peter Sump called for similar alignment of standards for tank cleaning depots. Some of these issues have again come to the fore as tank containers are now setting out to conquer new markets in Asia.

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LEARNING BY TRAINING

By Arend van Campen

DAVOS, THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

Every year since 2009 I have read the Global Risks Report issued just before the Davos meetings of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Today, in the year of our Lord 2020, I reluctantly admit that none of the Global Risks stipulated back in 2009 has been mitigated - let alone solved. One of the major risks is climate change.

Researchers at the WEF and many collaborating think-tanks, universities and institutes write that there is only one decade (10 years) left to halt global warming. As a ‘Climate Optimist’, I am not claiming that the earth’s temperatures are not rising, but we have to be open to that information in the form of science that contradicts climate change. For example, there are more polar bears at present than before; ice melts, but ice also grows.

What I worry about much more is the loss of biodiversity, the social instability, the asset bubbles, cyberattacks and the ethics or non-ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The fact is that the loss of species that we as humans depend on threatens our survival.

So let’s focus on what can be done about these global risks and crises because they harm our businesses too.

But what about our business models? Could it be that they cause harm and biodiversity loss too? In the WEF report I could not find the causality of the risks it described. It did not talk about the fact that our economic and financial system depends on perpetual growth as if we have three planets to live on.

Limited planetary capacity does not support growth based on financial markets or the measurement of GDP. Growth is okay,

but only balanced growth combined with circularity and sustenance of the environment, social cohesion, so life for all species, can be guaranteed. No, the WEF, despite perhaps its benevolent intentions, does not want to upset its customers who pay good money to talk in Davos. Hundreds of panel discussions, speeches by political and business leaders don’t seem to make much difference, because when all is said and done, business as usual continues.

But, now what? What can be done to stop those activities that are jeopardising our very existence? For one, we can apply systems science, we can choose to listen, to talk and to share information. Did you know that information and energy obey the same physical laws and that by using all relevant information we can rebuild society, create order and structure?

I know, perhaps you will read this column and conclude that it makes sense, but if no one actually is doing the right thing for a change, the decade the WEF mentions may even be too long. I see that decline, chaos, disorder, conflict, pollution and twenty or so other risks are making happy living on earth virtually impossible.

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

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TIME AND A PLACE MARKET • DEMAND FOR STORAGE TERMINAL CAPACITY IS IN A STATE OF FLUX AS AN UNPRECEDENTED SERIES OF EXTERNAL INFLUENCES IMPACT CONSUMPTION AND TRADE

products, as well as chemicals, and have had an impact on storage demand. They are one of the factors behind Vopak’s reports over the course of 2019 of weak demand at its major oil hub in Singapore.

The construction and operation of bulk liquids storage terminals is a capital-intensive business; it is by nature based on long-term planning and market expectations, ideally underpinned by customer commitments.

As such, it is difficult to respond quickly to changes in the market and, at a time of uncertainty and volatility around the world, terminal operators are facing difficult choices.

Those changes can come on quite suddenly; earlier this year, for instance, the Coronavirus outbreak in China prompted many in the country to avoid travelling, leading to a sharp reduction in transport fuel demand with its knock-on effect on domestic refiners, the

The ‘IMO 2020’ rule mandating a reduction in sulphur oxide emissions from ships’ exhausts as from 1 January 2020 caused more issues, although at least this had been foreseen. It required terminal operators to make changes to their facilities in order to be able to handle and segregate different grades of fuel, which necessitated taking some tanks out of service for modification at those terminals handling bunker fuels. As a result, some terminal operators have reported a decline in overall occupancy rates for 2019 compared to 2018.

Other comparatively short-term impacts have been generated by growing geopolitical

THE BIG PICTURE Other factors impinging on the pattern of demand for tank storage capacity are associated with longer-term external influences, such as the shift in refinery capacity towards the east and rapid increases in end-user consumption in Asia and other emerging markets, at a time when the mature markets in Europe and North America are not showing any meaningful growth.

Terminal operators have had to find ways to deal with those structural changes; in some cases, as with Vopak, that has involved the disposal of sites that no longer fit the global strategy, even if local players can find a role for them. It has also led to investment in new, large-scale facilities both to handle the surge in local demand – as in Brazil, Mexico and China – and the new global flows

tanker market and terminal operators.

tensions and the imposition of tariffs and other sanctions, not least the trade war between the US and China but also US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela and other countries seen as hostile to US interests around the world. These have led to shifts in the pattern of trade for crude oil and refined

of product, which is continuing in Malaysia (as an alternative to Singapore, where land is in short supply) and Panama.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this is that the rapid increase in the production of crude oil and natural gas in North America has had an impact limited largely to exports

 ANTWERP IS THE FOCUS OF MUCH OF THE INTEREST IN EUROPEAN STORAGE TERMINALS

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of crude oil, LNG and other relatively unprocessed liquids – notably ethane and ethylene. US crude oil exports have increased from around 100,000 b/d in early 2013 to more than 3m b/d in the final quarter of 2019, while US domestic production has more than doubled. It would seem that oil producers find greater value in exporting unrefined crude oil than in investing in domestic refining capacity: refinery throughput has over the same period increased from around 17m b/d to some 19m b/d.

North America’s midstream specialists have responded by investing heavily in new gathering systems, building pipelines across the continent and adding staging terminals, rail infrastructure and export terminals, primarily along the Gulf coast in Texas and Louisiana. (Next month’s HCB will have more information on these developments as part of our North America focus.) Unusually, perhaps, little interest has been shown in the sector by the international terminal community, although Odfjell has indicated that it sees Houston as the likely focus of its investment in the next few years, following a year in which tank utilisation was at or close to 100 per cent.

PORT TO ZERO The other trend underlying current terminal developments, particularly in Europe, is the oncoming need to manage the energy transition, which is also focusing attention on the need to decarbonise operations in ports and terminals. The ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam have been at the forefront of this effort, with port authorities in a good position to help lead developments.

At Antwerp, for instance, the port authority is providing shoreside electricity supplies, to enable vessels calling at its berths to use clean energy rather than running diesel-powered auxiliary engines, and helping develop a network for the supply of alternative fuels such

 THE SHIFTING PRODUCT SLATE IS CALLING FOR MORE TANK STORAGE CAPACITY FOR BIOFUELS (ABOVE) AND LIQUEFIED GASES (OPPOSITE)

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

as hydrogen and LNG. The Port of Antwerp has also placed an order for a hydrogen-powered harbour tug.

Speaking recently during a tour of the port by officials from the European Commission and other agencies, Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp, said: “Ports can make a significant contribution in the energy transition.

As Europe’s largest integrated maritime chemical cluster and as a community builder, we commit ourselves to be a pioneer in port decarbonisation.

“Apart from our active participation in the Climate Action Programme with other major ports and the UN ‘Getting to Zero’ Coalition, we are working towards becoming a CO²-neutral port,” Vandermeiren added. “Together with our partners we prepare for a low-carbon future.

We are in a constant search for innovative applications and opportunities.”

“Decarbonisation can only happen through the combined efforts of the whole maritime cluster,” said Martin Dorsman, secretarygeneral of the European Community Shipowners’ Association. “By working with the

While some terminal owners, notably Vopak and ADPO, have made their own efforts to reduce their carbon emissions by leveraging the acreage at their disposal to generate power through solar panels, the Port of Antwerp has also signed a collaboration agreement with Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, Ineos, ExxonMobil, Fluxys and Total as a first move towards the possible development of an infrastructure to allow the capture, utilisation and storage of carbon dioxide emissions. “Thanks to the presence of the largest energy and chemicals cluster in Europe, Port of Antwerp is the ideal location to foster collaboration between companies and take innovative steps towards CO² reduction. The new facilities will be available to the entire port community,” the port authority says. A detailed analysis is underway and expected to be complete in 2021.

Another significant initiative is already up and running in Antwerp – the ECLUSE steam network. This provides steam generated through the incineration of waste to six chemical companies located in the Waasland area of the port, meaning they no longer need

ports, such as the Port of Antwerp, and other maritime partners, the shipping industry and indeed the whole maritime sector can only benefit from the global regulation at the IMO, supported by the EU. It is the only way to make real progress and ensure a level playing field for our businesses.”

to generate their own steam for their boilers; this could save up to 100,000 tonnes of CO² emissions per year.

WHERE TO BUILD? The focus on such developments by Antwerp is no coincidence. Its well established chemical

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cluster is proving to be a magnet for new investment in production capacity as well as the refining sector, in sharp contrast to many other parts of Europe. In October last year BASF announced plans to invest more than €500m in expanding ethylene oxide capacity at its Antwerp site by some 400,000 tpa.

Terminal operators are responding too, with a number of major projects in various stages of development. SEA-MOL, a joint venture between MOL Chemical Tankers and SEA-Invest, is building a 500,000-m³ terminal for base oils and chemicals at the Delwaide Dock, with startup scheduled for mid-2021. Standic is building a 95,000-m³ facility for chemicals, with completion slated for first quarter 2021; this will fit with Antwerp’s decarbonisation plans by including onshore power for ships, and it has the potential to increase to an ultimate size of 230,000 m³. Noord Natie Odfjell is also continuing to build out its terminal in the middle of Antwerp.

This is not to say that Antwerp is the only focus of activity; other operators are building in Rotterdam too, with LBC Tank Terminals recently announcing a 70,000 m³ expansion of its Botlek site to handle the growing market for the storage and transhipment of chemicals in the port. HES International is

“ANTWERP’S WELL ESTABLISHED CHEMICAL CLUSTER IS A MAGNET FOR INVESTMENT IN PRODUCTION CAPACITY”

building a 1.3m-m³ terminal, HES Hartel Tank Terminal, for biofuels and petroleum products, with completion due late next year.

As of February, 22 of the 54 tanks were under construction, with the remaining tank foundations being finalised.

MEETING A NEED All this new capacity is sorely needed. In its February 2020 market report, storage broker RVB Tank Storage Solutions reported that chemical storage is extremely tight, not only in

the ARA ports but across Germany, France and Italy. RVB notes that new tanks due onstream over the course of 2020 are generally targeted at ‘difficult’ products and that there is little availability for the storage of chlorinated products, light ends and liquefied gases.

RVB also raises the issue of another long-term trend: the increase in the consumption of biofuels, including hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVOs) and used cooking oils (UCOs). Demand is such that a number of terminals that have not so far been involved in the business are looking at opportunities, either through the conversion of existing diesel tanks or by building additional capacity, where land is available. With demand for diesel storage low, this offers a way for terminal operators to improve their utilisation rates. UCOs may be more difficult to handle, though, as they are generally traded in smaller parcels and terminals may need to be permitted to handle wastes.

These issues are, though, meat and drink to terminal operators. But with global economic and geopolitical pressures likely to continue into the foreseeable future, the broader headwinds that have been experienced over the past two years will need to be navigated for a while longer.

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ON THE RIGHT PATH

ROYAL VOPAK HAS reported full-year revenues of €1.25bn for 2019, virtually flat on the figure for 2018. Profitability, however, has increased significantly, boosted by contributions from new assets, positive currently movements and the effect of the new IFRS 16 accounting standards.

Excluding exceptional items, group EBITDA

The year was, however, not without its headwinds. Vopak is still experiencing low demand at its oil hub terminals in Europe and Singapore and, overall, tank occupancy was down from 86 per cent in 2018 to 84 per cent, though the company notes an upturn in capacity use in the fourth quarter as capacity

for Vopak. We executed our strategy, realised strong EBITDA and significantly increased earnings per share. Over the years 2017-2019, we have been transforming our portfolio through €700m of divestments and €1bn of investments in new growth projects. We successfully divested almost 5m m³ of oil capacity, mainly in Europe, and bolstered our hub positions. We prepared our oil hub terminals for IMO 2020 and expanded storage capacity in future growth markets. In 2019, we expanded our LNG business in Pakistan and Colombia and started the construction of new industrial terminals in China and the US. Our portfolio is well-positioned for future developments. As part of our new energies focus, we made our first investments in

increased by 13 per cent to €829.8m, with net profit attributable to shareholders up 24 per cent at €357.8m.

As a result of this improvement, Vopak has announced a 5 per cent increase in dividends together with a €100m share buyback programme.

came back onstream at some sites after being taken out of service for conversion to cope with the changes in bunker fuel standards after the introduction of the ‘IMO 2020’ rule.

Commenting on the results, CEO Eelco Hoekstra says: “2019 was a successful year

hydrogen and solar.

“Delivery of our digital strategy has progressed well,” Hoekstra continues. “We continued the roll-out of our new cloud-based system for our terminals, as part of broader efforts to develop our digital architecture.

Growing Vopak’s digital capabilities and using

RESULTS • VOPAK HAD A PROFITABLE 2019, INDICATING THAT ITS STRATEGY TO FOCUS ON LIGHTER FUELS IS TAKING THE COMPANY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

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data are key to our short-term performance and long-term value creation, as well as to our position as the leading independent tank storage company.”

AROUND THE GLOBE During 2019, Vopak added 1.8m m³ of new capacity to its network. Of this, nearly 970,000 m³ was located at the two major terminals at Pengerang, Malaysia and another 320,000 m³ was built at the greenfield terminal at Bahia Las Minas in Panama. During the fourth quarter there were also new tanks commissioned in Brazil, Mexico and Singapore. However, the sale during the year of oil terminals in Amsterdam, Hamburg, Hainan and Tallinn, as part of Vopak’s strategy to shift its focus towards lighter fuels, resulted in an overall net decrease in tank capacity to 34.4m m³. At the end of 2019 there was 1.5m m³ of new capacity in various stages of development that will take capacity up to 35.5m m³ by the end of 2022.

 WHILE SELLING OFF SOME SMALLER OIL TERMINALS IN EUROPE, VOPAK HAS INVESTED IN NEW CAPACITY IN SUCH LOCATIONS AS MEXICO (OPPOSITE) AND BRAZIL

One outcome of the 2019 disposals was a decline in revenues and profits in the Europe & Africa division, although the effects of operating expenses and depreciation were also lower. Revenues were down 6 per cent at €590.3m and EBITDA excluding exceptional items was down slightly at €299.9m.

Revenues were also down in the Asia & Middle East division, largely due to a less favourable market for the oil terminals in Singapore and IMO 2020 conversion projects, with average occupancy falling from 86 per cent in 2018 to 81 per cent. Operating profit increased by 20 per cent, however, mainly as a result of the completion of the PT2SB industrial terminal in Malaysia in the first half of the year.

Revenues in the China & North Asia division increased by 17 per cent to €38.9m, following a full-year contribution from the Ningbo terminal, which became a full subsidiary early in the year. Group operating profit, excluding exceptional items, rose 15 per cent to €50.8m as a result mainly of better returns from joint ventures, most significantly final customer settlements at the associated Haiteng terminal in December 2019.

The Americas division reported strong results, with revenues up 12 per cent at €313.7m and group operating profit, excluding

exceptional items, up 27 per cent at €108.5m.

The increases reflect the commissioning of new tank capacity in the US and Panama from 2018 through to the end of 2019, together with the contribution of the newly commissioned Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET) in British Columbia, Canada.

Vopak’s LNG division also posted better returns. All its activities in this sector are through joint ventures or associate companies and are not reflected in revenues, but EBITDA and EBIT were both up by 9 per cent at €38.1m, following the acquisition of interests in facilities in Pakistan and Colombia. IFRS 16 has had a negative impact on this division, reducing profits by €2.9m.

CASH TO SPEND Looking further ahead, Vopak has also announced a 65,000-m³ expansion of its Caojing terminal in Shanghai, with additional tankage for chemical gases. Caojing is an industrial terminal serving chemical plants in the Shanghai Chemicals Industry Park (SCIP) and its adjacent areas. The additional storage capacity has been fully rented out under long-term contracts and is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2022.

In broader terms, Hoekstra promises that Vopak will continue the course it has set in recent years, with a focus on performance and value. “Our financial framework and priorities for cash are unchanged,” he says.

“We will use the majority of cash from recent strategic divestments to grow our portfolio.

We aim to grow EBITDA over time with new contributions from growth projects and IMO 2020 converted capacity and replace the EBITDA from divested terminals, subject to general market conditions.”

Investment plans are not set in stone but Hoekstra expects the three years from 2020 to 2022 to see some €750m to €850m invested in sustaining and service improvement projects, and €30m to €50m annually to build on Vopak’s digital terminal management system.

Investment in growth projects for 2020 could be in the range of €300m to €500m. www.vopak.com

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loading bay for enhanced flexibility and increased throughput, saving both time and cost for customers.

A MULTI-MILLION POUND infrastructure upgrade programme has been successfully completed at Inter Terminals’ Grays facility on the River Thames east of London, UK which forms part of Inter’s comprehensive bulk liquid storage network. The optimisation project has increased throughput capacity, enabling the receipt and dispatch of increased volumes of gasoline and diesel at significantly faster rates than previously possible at the terminal.

A key regional supply point, Grays provides cost-effective access to London’s fuel distribution network. Product can be

and redelivered by road. As part of the major infrastructure improvements, the terminal’s two existing jetties have been upgraded to accommodate larger vessels. With an improved depth up to 12.8 m, maximum length overall (LOA) of 244 m and unrestricted beam, the jetties can now receive vessels of up to 40,000 dwt.

In addition, new marine loading arms and mild steel pipelines have been installed, which allow faster discharge of cargoes into storage. As a result, discharge rates from vessels have more than doubled to 1,600 m³/hr, thereby substantially reducing vessel

MEETING DEMAND Combining strategic locations with specialist product handling capabilities, Inter Terminals’ UK storage facilities handle a significant percentage of the UK’s imported fuel requirements and are designed to enable seamless flow of gasoline, diesel and other fuels to retail outlets. The optimisation project at Grays has further strengthened Inter Terminals’ position in this competitive market.

Grays terminal specialises in the storage and handling of high- and low-flash petroleum products, including diesel, gasoil and kerosene. The facility has a total storage capacity of 310,489 m³ across 51 mild steel tanks in a range of capacities to suit individual storage requirements. Grays occupies a prime position on the River Thames with access to highly developed transport links such as the M25, which minimises road freight rates for customers.

The strategic investment in Grays terminal will contribute to the provision of a reliable fuel supply to the south-east of England, which is essential to the region’s economy, says David McLoughlin, Inter Terminals’ managing director and country manager for the UK and Ireland. Summing up, he comments: “Following the upgrade, larger cargoes of hydrocarbons are now being received at Grays and the terminal is currently handling in excess of 300 loads per day.”

In financial news, Canada-based Inter Pipeline Fund, which owns Inter Terminals, reports that the division generated funds from operations of C$115m in 2019, up C$49m on the 2018 figure. The increase reflects what the company calls “strong

received into the facility from sea and road,

turnaround times at the jetties.

Road loading facilities at Grays have also been improved. There are now seven retail loading gantries, together with additional commercial loading capacity. Additionally, the new five-arm gantries now allow different products to be loaded at each

results” from the storage assets in the UK and the Netherlands that were acquired late in 2018, as well as additional contracts secured in Denmark. Overall storage utilisation rates rose from 77 per cent in 2018 to 87 per cent. www.interterminals.com.

QUICK ON THE DRAW INVESTMENT • INTER TERMINALS PROMISES FASTER DELIVERY OF PRODUCT AFTER ENHANCING LOADING AND DISCHARGE SERVICES AS ITS GRAYS TERMINAL IN THE UK

 INVESTMENT IN NEW EQUIPMENT HAS INCREASED FUEL LOADING CAPACITY AT INTER TERMINALS’ STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT GRAYS FACILITY

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BUILT FOR THE BALTICS

products between excise tax warehouses through the Excise Movement Control System (EMCS).

PROFILE • GTL TERMINALS’ TWO FACILITIES PROVIDE A RANGE OF CAPACITIES AND SERVICES TO THE BULK LIQUIDS SUPPLY CHAIN IN NORTH-EASTERN EUROPE; GTL IS NOW LOOKING TO GROW FURTHER London-based Global Transportation and Logistics (GTL) emerged into the oil storage and terminal business in 2014 by acquiring two operational facilities in Aabenraa, Denmark and Kaliningrad, when the owner Khofiz Shakhidi, took over Pan European Terminals plc and de-listed it from the AIM Market London. Since then, under Shakhidi’s leadership, GTL Terminals Ltd has managed to stay ahead of the curve, particularly since the oil market crash of 2014, by continually monitoring market conditions to adapt its product storage

in what could be considered as hostile oil market conditions.

Dan-Balt Tank Lager A/S (DBTL), located on the Aabenraa fjord in Aabenraa, Denmark, is the larger of the group’s two terminals with a storage capacity of some 165,000 m³.

The terminal is classified as a class III storage facility, which permits the storage and handling of products with a flash point above 55°C. DBTL is registered in the country as a customs warehouse, granting T1 (non-community goods) product handling and storage custody.

DANISH DEVELOPMENT Built in the early 1970s, DBTL grew from a small terminal initially comprising five large-capacity steel tanks, ranging in size from 10,000 m³ to 30,000 m³. The tanks were built to store gasoil and fuel oil and were equipped with heating, a feature that the terminal still maintains. In the 1980s the terminal went through a larger expansion, with the installation of ten new steel tanks with capacities between 300 m³ and 10,000m³.

From then through to the late 1990s, the terminal worked as a distribution hub for fuels in the country based on exchange contracts with larger oil marketing companies, while also serving the bunkering market through its sizable inventory of fuel oil and ready access to the Aabenraa harbour. Of late, DBTL has functioned on the tank rental model, keeping in line with mid-size terminal

portfolio and product handling expertise and by boosting results year-on-year, even

Recently, DBTL has been going through the process of registering itself as an excise tax warehouse alongside its customs warehouse categorisation, a registration that will make active blending of T1 with T2 and other products possible, combined with the benefit of being able to move blended

market conditions.

Currently, the terminal consists of 17 steel tanks that are all in operation, together with all the necessary piping and new pumping infrastructure to cater for product handling.

Two jetties for loading from the port allow for vessels of up to 50,000 dwt to berth, with a

 GTL TERMINALS HAS BEEN BUSY EXPANDING SERVIVES AT THE DAN-BALT FACILITY IN DENMARK

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maximum draft of 10.5 m, making DBTL a key transhipment hub by affording access to the Baltic Sea, Kiel Canal, and the greater European ports of ARA. Product is transferred via dedicated heated or unheated pipelines through three pumps that are capable of loading at 1,100 m³ per hour.

Four truck loading bays offer automatic top and bottom loading and unloading, giving the terminal near-complete intermodal transport capability.

A key strength of DBTL management and terminal staff is their knowledge of and familiarity with product blending. Since its inception, DBTL has blended oil products for clients that require a team that can deliver such services. The team’s strength lies in their understanding of blending parameters, tank-to-tank or truck-to-tank transfers, blended product colour and clarity, product

contamination control measures, lab testing requirements, blending licences and EU electronic transportation systems and document control management.

In addition to oil products the terminal stores urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertiliser, molasses, biofuels and biofuel feedstocks (animal fat, UVO, FAME). DBTL is also licensed to store certain crude derivatives (petrochemicals).

TERMINAL ON TOP Baltic Top LLC, the group’s smaller terminal, is strategically located in the heart of Kaliningrad, making it an ideal hub for the distribution of refined fuels and lubricants, including gasoline. Housed in the centre of the city on a 2.2-acre (0.9-ha) site, the tank farm consists of seven vertical tanks and 30 horizontal tanks, offering the

potential to store up to 12 different products simultaneously. Baltic Top has a total storage capacity of nearly 12,000 m³, of which the seven vertical tanks account for 10,000 m³.

Staffed with 28 terminal operation professionals, the terminal can load 1,000 m³ of product per shift through its eight truck loading bays. In addition, rail loading infrastructure allows the loading of tank cars at up to 1,700 m³ per shift.

GTL owner Khofiz Shakhidi notes that he and the terminals’ staff have vast experience in the storage terminal business. He is always on the lookout for opportunities to expand the roster of satisfied clients as well as the network of terminals, both within Europe and in the rest of the world. globaltlog.com gtlterminals.comxs

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THIS IS TOMORROW CALLING DIGITISATION • VOPAK IS LEADING THE WAY IN DIGITISING THE TERMINAL. BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN THE REAL WORLD?

The arrival of digitised systems and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is widely predicted to bring with it a significant change in the way that business across the supply chain operate. But what exactly does that mean? What will future operations look like in practice?

Perhaps one place to start looking is with Vopak, which – as it reiterated in its annual results released recently – is continuing to invest large sums of hard cash in pursuing the IIoT potential. That strategy was kicked off a few years ago when Vopak hired Leo Brand to the new position of chief information officer, giving him a wide remit to examine what new technologies can do to improve the efficiency and profitability of its bulk liquids storage terminal network.

More recently, Vopak has appointed TWTG as one of its preferred IIoT suppliers, with the task of delivering products and services to support it in its quest for digitisation.

The products supplied by TWTG are tailored to meet industry demands, such as the necessary ATEX- and IECEx certifications, and built to last in environments with high safety standards. In this way, this agreement can accelerate Vopak’s pursuit of operational excellence and determination to improve employee safety.

 SMART VALVES CAN LEARN HOW TO OPTIMISE TERMINAL OPERATORS FOR EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

Speaking at the time of the appointment, Goran Gavric, CEO of TWTG, said: “We are really proud to work with Vopak and to offer our unique and forward-thinking solutions.

TWTG is constantly working on cuttingedge solutions that can benefit industrial environments such as oil and gas storage terminals, mostly by retrofitting on top of existing infrastructure to make implementation easy to manage.”

PEOPLE POWER To strengthen its links with this major client, TWTG has appointed Leo Brand to its supervisory board. Gavric explains the

thinking behind this move: “Having a supervisory board can help us to maintain and adjust focus within the key verticals for which we create our IIoT solutions.

I am delighted to welcome Leo to our advisory board as we can build on his entrepreneurial vision and the years of experience. Our goal is to fast-track digital transformation in our core markets, and Leo is the best person to guide us through in this endeavour.”

Not only is Brand Vopak’s CIO, he also sits on the board of advisors at PortXL, a maritime and port innovation accelerator, and Innovation Quarter, the regional economic development agency that covers the greater Rotterdam area.

Brand says of his role at TWTG: “I met the TWTG team some time ago. It was clear for me early on that I would be interested in supporting TWTG. In my new role as supervisory board member, I can be instrumental in helping the team create fitting innovative solutions that enable industrial, utility, and logistics companies to meet their goals and leverage the new benefits that digital transformation can bring.”

STORAGE TERMINALS

Brand will also be speaking this month at the StocExpo conference in Rotterdam, alongside TWTG’s recently appointed commercial director Nadine Herrwerth, to talk about what IIoT technologies can do for terminal operators. In Vopak’s case, this started with the installation of smart valves, initially at the Vlaardingen terminal in the Netherlands and now being rolled out across the network.

The little green boxes now seen across Vopak terminals are valve sensors, which are designed to provide greater visibility in real time of the status of terminal infrastructure, helping to protect workers and the environment. The sensors communicate via a LoRan WAN network, developed by TWTG for use on industrial sites, and configured so as not to send data off-site. This helps allay cyber-

security fears by ensuring there is no way to access the information from an offsite location.

ONE STEP AT A TIME For Herrwerth, talk of the revolution being wrought by IIoT applications is misplaced; she prefers the idea of evolution, with a considered and gradual approach to the implementation of new, agile systems.

This will help operators make the most out of the infrastructure already in place.

The next step, Herrwerth says, is the creation of a ‘digital twin’ of the real-world terminal. This will happen when an operator achieves the optimum arrangement of infrastructure, integrating engineering and technology and allowing machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and

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data analytics to create autonomous and semi-autonomous reactions to real-time influences and circumstances. The incorporation of AI into this arrangement effectively allows the terminal itself to ‘learn’ how to run itself more efficiently. Decisions will be made before humans are aware that there is a problem, while operators can be warned if an action they are about to take will cause a problem.

Herrwerth is firm that this future can be brought about most cost-effectively not by the replacement of existing equipment with digitally enabled equipment, but with the addition of smart sensors and the use of the appropriate software. This is the route that Vopak is taking and, so far, it seems to be paying off. www.twtg.io

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COME TO THE PARTY PREVIEW • STOCEXPO ARRIVES ON TIME AND IN FULL AT THE ROTTERDAM AHOY THIS MONTH, WITH MUCH TO ATTRACT PROFESSIONALS IN THE GLOBAL STORAGE TERMINAL SECTOR IT’S THAT TIME of year again when the world’s storage terminal professionals make tracks to Rotterdam for the annual StocExpo Europe event. They are attracted by the opportunity to see what’s new in terms of terminal equipment and services, to hear from expert speakers and to network with their peers.

This year’s event, which opens at the Rotterdam Ahoy on 10 March for three days, features more than 150 leading providers from across the world’s bulk liquids supply

chain, including many familiar names alongside newcomers to the sector.

Mark Rimmer, StocExpo divisional director, says: “The event and its exhibition will host the world’s leading companies from across the entire bulk liquid storage supply chain. Visitors in attendance will have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business where the industry is heading. StocExpo 2020 is undoubtedly the place to be for anybody keen to get amongst major industry players and their future-defining products and services.”

FRIENDS OLD AND NEW Among regular exhibitors at StocExpo returning again this year are J de Jonge, Endress+Hauser, Kanon Loading Equipment, Lightning Eliminators, Elmac Technologies and Intero Integrity Services.

Guided Ultranics will also be there. Jackie Berry, global distribution manager for the company, explains why: “StocExpo provides us with a platform to present our innovations to leading oil majors, terminals and key storage players from all over the world. The event is always forward-looking, and we can’t wait to show organisations how they can best tackle the challenges they have today, and those they may face in the future.”

Grace Zhang, sales representative for Qingdao Alptec Safety Equipment, agrees: “The event gathers the world’s best industry leaders, professionals and manufacturers in the oil storage and transportation industry.

There is no better place to see the launch of advanced, ahead of the curve products and services.”

Bernat Sala, CEO of Tecam, says: “Due to the strategic location of the event in Rotterdam, we consider StocExpo to be an essential meeting point for suppliers across the bulk liquid storage supply chain to get in front of potential buyers.”

A number of exhibitors will be using StocExpo to launch new products and services.

UK-based Global Ultrasonics, for instance, will introduce its new QSR1, a Quantitative Short Range scanning system geared to industrial applications such as measurement of remaining wall thickness at corrosion under supports (CUPS) and under corrosion scabs.

It will also showcase all of its guided wave screening, scanning and monitoring products and services.

Qingdao Alptec, which describes itself as the leading manufacturer of overfill protection and grounding systems in China, will launch an electrostatic monitoring eliminator to be used at fuel dispensers during the show. US-based Lightning Eliminators & Consultants will show a new addition to its retractable grounding assembly (RGA) range, which it says is “an

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important development in advancing safety in the storage tank sector”, and the UK’s VOCZero Ltd will have a new membrane vapour recovery unit at its booth.

Also of interest will be the Intero Integrity Services stand, which it will be sharing for the first time with its recently acquired affiliate The Sniffers. Visitors will be keen to see its newly launched emission reduction services.

Spain’s Tecam will also be on hand, bringing its expertise to help terminal operators eliminate emissions from their tanks.

“Tecam has vast and proven experience in the chemical and petrochemical sector and is helping the tank storage sector with emissions elimination,” the company says.

“Each industry has its own specific technical requirements, and Tecam has the experience and the know-how to offer the most suitable solution to each case.”

THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW The two-day conference that runs alongside the exhibition will this year be chaired by trainer, author and HCB columnist Arend van Campen. The first day will focus on the coming changes to the bulk liquids storage sector as a result of the move towards the decarbonisation of the fuel chain and other efforts to ward off climate change. Fittingly, the morning session will open with a presentation from Artur Runge-Metzger, director of the European Commission’s DG-CLIMA, on how the EU is aiming to make Europe climate-neutral. Other morning presentations will look at the likely role of alternative fuels, including LNG, hydrogen and others, in this green future – and what that means for tank terminal operators.

After lunch, a variety of speakers will look closely at issues of sustainability in general and more particularly in the storage terminal

 EVERY YEAR STOCEXPO PROVIDES THE BEST MARKETPLACE IN EUROPE FOR THE TANK TERMINAL INDUSTRY, ATTRACTING BUYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SEE WHAT’S NEW FOR THEIR COMMERCIAL AND TECHNICAL TEAMS

sector. Stephen Li, director, Oil Markets, Midstream & Downstream Consulting at IHS Markit, will bring those threads together by giving his opinion of the long-term outlook for the business. That will be followed by a panel session with four speakers trying to provide a picture of what the storage terminal will look like in 50 years’ time.

The second day of the conference turns to talk of markets, with an assessment of the impact of the ‘IMO 2020’ rule on terminal operators and another paper looking at the current phase of trade wars and what the ‘great power rivalry’ means for the international environment. There will also be presentations on the topic of legislation, with

changes that affect terminal operators.

After lunch, talk will turn to innovation and the impact it can have on terminal operations.

The session will begin with a two-hander featuring Vopak’s chief information officer, Leo Brand, and Nadine Herrwerth, commercial director of TWTG, discussing what the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can do for operators. Emerson’s Richard Sieverson will also address digitisation in the terminal, while speakers from Kinder Morgan, Honeywell and the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) will examine what other innovations will mean for the industry.

Some of those will stay on for a panel session to help sort out the hype from the reality.

Maayke Maas-Cooymans, partner at Ploum, looking in detail at the the new PGS29 rules put in place in the Netherlands for risk assessment, and Ravi Bhatiani, executive director of the Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA), taking a broader perspective on the regulatory

For those who do not need to get up too early on the final day, the conference will run into a late-night party, so expect some sore heads when it comes to breaking down the exhibition.

Full details of the conference programme, exhibition and venue can be found on the event’s website, www.stocexpo.com

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START PLANNING ALTERNATIVE FUELS • AS THE WORLD MOVES TOWARDS A CARBON-NEUTRAL FUTURE, GOVERNMENTS WILL HAVE TO TALK TO INDUSTRY TO ENSURE A VIABLE SUPPLY CHAIN THE MUCH-VAUNTED ENERGY transition now seems inevitable – but the details remain sketchy. It is also not a little scary, particularly for those operators in the supply chain that have made a decent living in moving and storing the liquid hydrocarbons that the world relies on at the present for heat and power.

This is especially true for operators of capital-intensive bulk liquids storage terminals, who need some level of clarity over the future demand for their services if they are to be able to plan properly to have the right type of storage capacity in the right places to meet future needs.

But the energy transition is unlikely to be smooth: there are many different routes towards decarbonising the fuel chain and, while governments seem keen to push forward the idea of electrification, there are problems with this. Not only will it require substantial additional generating capacity, which will have to be based on renewable sources, but there are also concerns over distribution capacity in power grids.

Therefore, many industry bodies are pressing for a mixed solution that will involve net-zero carbon fuels, including biofuels and ‘e-fuels’ as well as hydrogen and other alternatives.

To help its members navigate a path through this unknown future, the UK Tank Storage Association (TSA) has published a pamphlet, Enabling the energy transition: The role of the bulk liquid storage sector.

In his introduction to the document, Peter Davidson, TSA’s executive director, says: “As essential energy partners, we are determined to up the ante and ensure that our sector can support and facilitate access to the broad mix of energy solutions that will be necessary to succeed. The bulk liquid storage sector already has some insight into what a changing landscape might mean for its infrastructure and is already active in many of the areas of growth that will drive success going forward.

“Ultimately, significant investment in enabling infrastructure, along with collaboration and partnership, will be key to seize opportunities and enable solutions for change,” he adds. “To that end, we conclude our report with a number of recommendations setting out our sector’s essential considerations as we move towards the next phase of the transition and continue to generate economic benefits for all.”

PLANNING FOR THE UK Focusing on its home market in the UK and Ireland, TSA notes that there are ambitious emission reduction targets in place under the UK’s Climate Change Act 2008 and the fifth carbon budget, which covers the critical phase from 2028 to 2032. The UK government is aiming for a 57 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared to 1990, and a net zero position for GHG emissions by 2050.

“In practical terms, this means changes in energy generation, industrial processes, transport, buildings and heat,” TSA notes.

The transport sector currently accounts for some 40 per cent of the UK’s final energy consumption – not including aviation fuel and marine bunkers for international transport, which count as exports. Supplying this need is strategically essential and calls on flexibility within the supply chain,

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which is heavily supported by bulk liquids storage facilities, not least since around half the UK’s diesel demand and more than 60 per cent of its aviation fuel requirements are imported.

The UK government has put forward a number of initiatives to decarbonise transport operations. These include a plan to end the sale of conventionally fuelled cars and vans by 2040 – or 2035, if a recent announcement is to be believed. “Meeting the UK’s future ambitions will require the support and contribution of a wide range of players and a broad mix of solutions,” the TSA document says. “Most crucially, the bulk liquid storage sector will be pivotal in supporting access to traditional and suitable energy alternatives as well as in providing the flexibility needed to integrate these alternatives. That means careful advance planning and management to ensure the supply chain can be maintained in the interim and to minimise change in the consumer experience.”

SIZE OF THE TRANSITION Initiatives such as the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) will require an increasing share of biofuels in road transport fuels during the transition period. This will place a shifting burden on terminals’ storage capacity and blending capabilities. Substantial investment will be needed to provide these new blends, TSA notes. Similarly, decarbonisation of home heating will, for off-grid consumers, mean the use of blends including biofuels, which will require considerable infrastructure upgrades such as new tankage, loading arms and blending facilities.

Looking more globally, and further ahead, it is widely forecast that demand for liquid

the late 2020s, followed by a decline as the transition phase really kicks in; overall oil demand will, though, be supported by growth in the petrochemical sector.

“In this context, the challenges faced by the bulk liquid storage sector will be manifold,” TSA says. “The sector will have to both help balance strains on demand for legacy liquids in a declining market while addressing the availability of current infrastructure against a growing demand for alternatives. This will require conversion of existing assets, space and significant investment at a time of great pressure on margins. Furthermore, with demand for petrochemicals expected to rise, maintaining the sustainability of hydrocarbon derivative supply chains, feeding the general manufacturing and chemical industries, will also require a responsive, flexible and robust bulk liquid supply sector at a time of great change.”

industry to seize the opportunity to support a responsive, flexible and robust bulk liquids supply sector -E nsure the energy transition advances in parallel with the require changes in bulk liquids supply infrastructure by safeguarding the benefits of a safe and resilient bulk liquids storage sector and associated supply chain -S et clearly defined transition paths and realistic timelines so as to enable a stable landscape for long-term investment and to avoid delays caused by the lack of new infrastructure to handle the transition -E nsure that policies are coherent and supportive of the broad range of solutions that will be needed to success, while adopting a technologyneutral approach -E mpower industry by facilitating dialogue, cooperation and knowledge

CALL FOR ACTION TSA’s document concludes with some recommendations to governments currently implementing climate change legislation.

They are urged to: - Work together in partnership with

transfer in the area of safety in the context of alternative energy solutions.

The full document is available from download from the TSA website at www.tankstorage.org. uk/news-press/tsa-unveils-new-report-on-therole-of-the-bulk-liquid-storage-sector-in-theenergy-transition/.

fuels will continue to increase through to

 THE ENERGY TRANSITION HAS ALREADY BEGUN AND IS SHOWING THAT EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WORK TO HANDLE FUTURE DEMANDS

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NEWS BULLETIN

STORAGE TERMINALS

ODFJELL MAKES PLANS FOR TANKS

Odfjell has reported revenues from its tank terminal activities of $69.8m for the full year 2019, down from $91.0m a year earlier, although EBITDA improved by 11 per cent to $26.7m. Fourth-quarter revenues and EBITDA were up on the year earlier figures, despite the sale of Odfjell’s interest in the Jiangyin terminal in China during the third quarter.

Overall tank utilisation was steady at around 93 per cent for much of 2019, although the Houston terminal was full to the brim all year and will be Odfjell’s main target for growth.

Odfjell says it has been discussing investments in its US and Antwerp facilities with its joint venture partners with a view to improving and expanding capacity, and that work in this area will start this year and run through to end 2022. Odfjell is also considering selling its interest in its other Chinese terminals alongside Lindsay Goldberg, its former partner. Further announcements will be made in the coming quarters, Odfjell says. www.odfjell.com

RUBIS CASHES IN ON TERMINALS

Rubis has confirmed that it will sell a 45 per cent shareholding in Rubis Terminal, in which it currently owns 99.4 per cent, to I Squared Capital, a leading global infrastructure investor. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval in various countries in which Rubis Terminal operates, values the company at some €1,000m, equivalent to 11.2 times its 2018 EBITDA. “The joint venture will accelerate Rubis Terminal’s strategic plan to strengthen its position within its current footprint, diversify its product offerings and explore potential expansion outside of Europe,” Rubis says.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of this year.

Rubis Terminal experienced a 14 per cent fall in revenues last year to €306m; this was concentrated in its wholesale business, with tank terminals and associated services showing a 4 per cent increase in revenues at €152m.

During the fourth quarter Rubis Terminal saw firm demand for petrochemical storage in Rotterdam and Antwerp, with tank occupancy

near 100 per cent, although revenues from French operations were down after late receipt of fertilisers and the ending of a molasses contract. Its Turkish operations rebounded and posted a 133 per cent quarter-on-quarter improvement as the link to Iraq opened up. rubis.fr LBC GROWS IN ROTTERDAM

LBC Tank Terminals is to expand storage capacity at its Rotterdam facility (below), adding 70,000 m3 of new chemical tankage to take total capacity up to 180,000 m3. LBC says the investment is part of a multi-year programme to revamp and expand the Botlek site in order to support the growing market for chemical storage and transhipment in the Port of Rotterdam.

As part of the work, LBC is also to expand its newly built deepsea jetty with two new berths.

Completion of the project is scheduled for third quarter 2021. www.lbctt.com VESTA ADDS IN ANTWERP

Vesta Terminals has announced a 150,000-m3 expansion of its Antwerp terminal. It plans to build five new 30,000-m3 tanks, specifically to handle jet fuel, and connections to the Central European Pipeline System (CEPS) to provide links to most major airports in north-west Europe. The terminal is already able to handle tankers of up to 160,000 dwt.

Construction is due to begin in first quarter 2021 with completion scheduled for 2022.

Meanwhile, Vesta commissioned a new barge jetty at the Antwerp terminal last month. It has also introduced the use of a hand-held explosion-proof tablet on which to document the ship/shore safety checklist. This saves time and paper and allows the completed checklist to be sent electronically both to its own office and to the barge. www.vestaterminals.com WIBAX LOOKS FOR SAFETY

Wibax has completed construction of a new double-skin tank at its Norrköping terminal in Sweden. The tank, designed to hold up to 10,000 tonnes of liquid chemicals, is designed to contain any product in case of a leak in the inner tank shell. The tank cost some SKr 21m (€2m).

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“Long-term, serious investment in safety is a crucial part of our operations,” says Anders Skoog, operations manager at Wibax Terminals, which operates eight terminals in Sweden and one in Finland. The Norrköping terminal has 20 tanks with a total capacity of some 43,000 m3 and can handle marine, rail and road transport. wibax.com RECORD LIQUIDS AT BARCELONA

The Port of Barcelona handled 16.1m tonnes of liquid bulk in 2019, a 5.3 per cent increase on the 2018 volume and a record high. This reflected increased transit and import cargoes and, the port says, shows a strengthening of the port infrastructure as a hub for energy products from the Mediterranean and southern Europe. www.portdebarcelona.cat MORE TANKS FOR NNOAT

Noord Natie Odfjell Antwerp Terminal has kicked off another round of expansion, with construction starting on a new tank pit with a total of 12,700 m3 capacity. It will include three tanks of 2,500 m3 and four of 1,300 m3 and is due to be in operation by the middle of this year.

The company is also working on facilities to help it handle block trains. This project is scheduled for completion by the end of this month. www.noordnatie.be

NEW IMAGE FOR NAVIGATOR

Navigator Terminals has launched a new website as part of a corporate rebranding exercise. “We are a dynamic, customer-focused company and one of our biggest aims is to create an effortless experience for all our customers,” the company says. “At Navigator we believe that the launch of our new website should provide a fantastic, interactive place to keep up with the latest news about all things Navigator Terminals. We want to provide customers and prospective customers alike, with all the information they need to make informed decisions on utilising our storage facilities. Our new site will provide stats and insight into all of our terminals, as well as the people at the forefront of the day-to-day management of the business. www.navigatorterminals.com DISPOSALS FOR MAGELLAN

Magellan Midstream Partners has agreed to sell its marine terminals in New Haven, CT, Wilmington, DE and Marrero, LA to Buckeye Partners for $250m. “Magellan remains focused on capital discipline and managing our business for the long term,” says Michael Mears, CEO. “Optimisation of our asset portfolio, including divestiture of facilities outside our strategic footprint, is an important element to maximise unitholder value and our strong financial position.”

The deal is expected to close late in the first quarter. www.magellanlp.com

ETHYLENE FROM HOUSTON

The new ethylene export terminal Morgan’s Point on the Houston Ship Channel, developed as a joint venture between Enterprise Products Partners and Navigator Holding, has commenced operations. The first 11,340-tonne cargo was loaded in early January aboard the gas carrier Navigator Europa for delivery to Marubeni.

“The opening of the jointly owned ethylene export terminal represents the beginning of an expansion of the export of valuable intermediate petrochemical gas products including ethylene and propylene,” says David Butters, executive chairman of Navigator Gas. “We expect this trend of exporting intermediate petrochemical gases to accelerate, benefiting our specialised tankers. Furthermore, we are working in the development of domestic and international infrastructure projects that will facilitate this important trend.”

“We are very pleased to join forces with Navigator to bring this new terminal to fruition, which complements Enterprise’s integrated pipeline and storage network, including the development of open market hubs for ethylene and polymer-grade propylene that help ensure price transparency, reliability and flexibility for petrochemical producers and consumers,” adds AJ ‘Jim’ Teague, CEO of Enterprise’s general partner. www.navigatorgas.com

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WATER TO IRON CONNECTIONS • TARRAGONA HAS FOCUSED RECENTLY ON BUILDING ITS POSITION AS A BULK LIQUIDS HUB; ADDITIONAL TANK STORAGE WILL NOW ALLOW IT TO DEVELOP INTERMODAL SERVICES

The Port of Tarragona has defined a clear strategy for bulk liquid traffic: to become a regional hub for the Mediterranean. In recent years it has put a lot of effort into expanding its Chemicals Wharf, currently one of the fastest growing zones in the port, and to promoting its role as a deepwater port for the discharge and loading of chemical tankers.

But this strategy does not only involve the maritime sector of the port zone: it also aims to take advantage of the port’s natural position

 THE IMPENDING EXTENSION OF THE EURO GAUGE SERVICE WILL OPEN UP NEW POSSIBILITIES

and its terrestrial infrastructures to expand its area of influence to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula and southern Europe. It aims to make Tarragona a major gateway for this type of cargo.

Tarragona is one of the main nodes in the EU’s TEN-T Network. It is a key node in the network at the point where the Mediterranean Corridor divides into two: one route that follows the coast until it reaches the south of Spain, and another that connects with the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. This centrality will allow the Port of Tarragona to become an important actor in the future development of the rail network.

That will leverage the added capacity brought to the Chemicals Wharf since the

most recent expansion was completed in 2014, doubling its area from 18 to 36 ha. It is expected that tank storage capacity will also almost double to an eventual 1.5m m³.

The two terminals that currently operate on this dock have modern facilities for loading and unloading products to and from trucks. The dock also has a public rail terminal consisting of three 180-metre-long tracks. Bulk liquids are currently loaded and unloaded through a facility that connects the tanks directly to the tank wagons. This terminal is connected to the general rail network and can operate Iberian-gauge trains.

PROMOTING INTEMODALITY A key component in the Port of Tarragona’s rail-port intermodality concept is La Boella intermodal terminal, one of the most modern terminals in the whole country. Fitted with the international standard gauge track, this terminal is prepared to handle trains of up to 750 metres long, with the possibility of them entering with their main engine, thanks to the electrified access. It has four operating tracks (loading and unloading) and four tracks for the reception and dispatching of trains. In addition, it is able to receive hazardous cargoes and is well lit to allow operation at any time of the day or night.

This terminal is also connected to the general network and will be able to receive and dispatch train compositions from Europe once the international standard gauge has been installed in Tarragona, which is planned for completion in 2021.

Located adjacent to the container terminal on the Galicia Wharf, La Boella will also be able to increase the intermodal transport of liquids in bulk through the use of tank containers. Designed to handle all types of cargo, La Boella will also encourage the encourage the use of intermodal transport for inbound and outbound movements, stretching the port’s hinterland as far as Madrid.

The port’s strategy appears to be paying off: 2019 saw a significant increase in total freight throughput, with a number of records set. In liquids bulk products, there was particularly strong growth in the volume of crude oil, gasoline and propane handled. www.porttarragona.cat

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TRAIN SPOTTING DIGITISATION • HUPAC IS MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN BRINGING VISIBILITY TO RAIL OPERATIONS, WITH A NEW SYSTEM TO HELP ITS CUSTOMERS

AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS of successful testing, Hupac has made its Train Radar tracking system available for use by its customers. The tool is accessible via Hupac’s WOLF platform, giving full supply chain visibility to all parties involved in the movement of goods by train. This move, part of Hupac’s broader digital strategy, responds to strong demands from the market, not least at a time of frequent irregularities on the European rail network.

The Hupac Train Radar covers all trains running in the network of Hupac Intermodal.

It offers fast and reliable information regarding the main questions of intermodal transport management, such as the current location of a particular train and an estimated time of arrival.

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The Train Radar provides real-time train running information, based on data supplied to Hupac by its rail operating partners or, where this is not the case, by onboard GPS units that send messages to the system every three minutes.

Even more relevant for customers is the information regarding the estimated time of unit pick-up (ETP) at the delivery terminals.

Since 2 January 2020, this service has been active for the Busto Arsizio-Gallarate terminal and implementation in other terminals will be rolled out in the coming months.

MULTI-FUNCTION TOOL The Train Radar tool is accessible via the internet on smartphones or tablets. It offers different smartphone-optimised apps to cover all the information needs of Hupac’s customers, such as: - Train monitor – real-time train running information and estimated time of pick-up of units - Train app – real-time current position of running trains and delay information - Unit app – real-time check of unit status and location - Traffic events – latest traffic events on

the rail infrastructure where Hupac trains are involved -C ESAR – connection to the European track & trace platform.

Train Radar builds on work already put in place for internal purposes, such as the Terminal Hupac Operating System (THOS) terminal process management system first implemented at the Chiasso terminal in Switzerland at the end of 2018. This is designed to support employees in the various phases of terminal operations, from unit delivery through train preparation to the printing of the waybill and the departure of the train.

The same year Hupac introduced optical character recognition (OCR) portals, initially at Busto-Arsizio-Gallarate and Antwerp, to provide automated train inspection, identification and inventory. A second phase of development enabled the automatic detection and reading of dangerous goods labels.

Hupac says it is fully committed to supporting supply chain transparency. “We actively participate in initiatives such as the ELETA project sponsored by the European Commission as well as other sector initiatives,” it notes.

The Hupac Train Radar is accessible via the WOLF platform at wolf.hupac.ch. Customers that are not yet registered can find more information on the Hupac website, www.hupac.ch.

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HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

TANKS & LOGISTICS 33

VIEWS FROM THE TOP PREVIEW • LOGICHEM DESCRIBES ITSELF AS EUROPE’S ONLY EVENT FOR CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN LEADERS, A CLAIM THAT IS BORN OUT BY ITS EXTENSIVE AND IN-DEPTH AGENDA

Sibylle Mutschler. They will look at how supply chain business models can be revamped through the use of digital technologies to support customer demands, improve cross-organisation interoperability and gain a competitive edge. What are the key digital tools that are available? What role should artificial intelligence play? What platforms and standards should producers use? These and other questions will be asked and – hopefully – answered.

Taking a more logistics-based approach, Joep Aerts, business unit director at Den Hartogh Liquid Logistics, will talk about the ‘smart cluster’ approach to achieving a more effective way of working, partly through fostering collaboration between supply chain leaders and through data exchange up and down the supply chain.

A panel discussion will focus on how digital transformation can help break down silos within the organisation to bring supply chain and commercial teams closer together to deliver better performance – and the role of other stakeholders in ensuring that new digital concepts are accepted. All this takes place before the first morning break, after which Dimitri van de Leest, director of global SCM improvement at Arlanxeo, will talk about overcoming the challenges of legacy systems.

In recent years, HCB has found that one of the best places to find out what the chemical logistics sector is thinking about is the annual LogiChem conference. And a look at the agenda for this year’s event, which takes place at De Doelen ICC in Rotterdam from 17 to 19 March, shows that tradition continuing.

Put together with the help of an advisory board comprising representatives from Borealis, Clariant, DuPont, Henkel, Tejin Aramid and the European Chemical Transport Assoociation (ECTA) and with a massive list of speakers primarily drawn from chemical producers, the conference will examine in intense detail the

Some of the themes for the three days are familiar enough: supply chain visibility, digitisation, sustainability, agility in supply chains and exploring new ways of working – these have all been covered time and again at conferences and other events in the past few years. What marks LogiChem apart, however, is the fact that these topics – and others – will be addressed and interrogated by very senior executives and decision-makers from chemical suppliers around the globe.

LET’S GET DIGITAL For instance, the opening session –

BEST FOR EVERYONE One example of the sheer breadth of topics to be covered during the three days of LogiChem comes after lunch on the first day, when the conference breaks into four tracks covering: innovation in forecasting and planning; optimising supply chain logistics; re-igniting customer service; and building excellence in distribution. Each of these tracks has relevance for HCB readers, but perhaps the second is the most topical. Anna Henkel,

expectations of manufacturers as the chemical supply chain adapts and modernises.

‘Revolutionising Supply Chain Visibility’ – will kick off with keynote presentations from Sailesh Mishra, global portfolio lead for supply chain and commercial at LyondellBasell, and Robert Nessing, head of global value chain for BASF’s crop protection business, the latter in conversation with Clariant’s head of digital,

global transportation procurement lead at Bayer, and Pablo Nosti, head of logistics procurement and operations EMEA at DuPont, will discuss how mergers and acquisitions affect logistics portfolios and how increasing digitisation adds another layer of complexity.

Also in this track, Ovinto will look at how

 DIGITAL SYSTEMS ARE COMING FAST IN THE CHEMICAL SPHERE BUT NEED TO BE EMPLOYED WITH CARE

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digitisation can help increase reliability and performance across railfreight and intermodal logistics networks.

Following that, Henkel’s Stephanie Wright will discuss the control tower concept and Trevor Johnson, logistics performance and central operations manager for Shell Lubricants, and Tim van der Zon, sales director at Transporeon, will talk about making the move towards a ‘digital-first’ supply chain and how this can increase visibility and reliability.

Delegates can still not head to the bar yet, though: there is a final session on the first day entitled ‘Creating a Data-First Mindset’, with case studies from Henkel and EY and a panel discussion on how businesses and supply chain leaders can use critical data to create a new vision for the end-to-end value chain. The panel will look at key strategies in implementing and scaling data-driven

 LOGICHEM MOVES THIS YEAR TO A BIGGER VENUE IN ROTTERDAM, HIGHLIGHTING ITS ROLE AS THE PREEMINENT MEETING POINT FOR LOGISTICS PROFESSIONALS IN THE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING SECTOR

initiatives to empower organisations with actionable insights that support decision making and provide greater visibility right across the supply chain.

With all this happening on the first day, delegates will certainly have earned the networking drinks reception that will wrap things up.

DON’T SLEEP IN But delegates cannot take the reception too seriously: they need to be up bright and early for a ‘Breakfast Boardroom’ session on diversity in supply chain leadership and across the chemical industry, with observations from Solvay, Syngenta, Henkel and Chemours.

The second day’s conference proper will start with a keynote presentation and a panel discussion on how to succeed in customercentricity. How is the ‘Amazon effect’ pushing new initiatives, and how can companies best exploit new digital technologies to drive customer-centricity?

Talk will then move on to sustainability, with a keynote case study from Mike Hollands, head of global supply, HSE and quality at Syngenta, on how his company plans to reduce the carbon intensity of its

operations by at least 50 per cent by 2030.

Later, John Gould, head of logistics at the Qatar Free Zones Authority, will talk about how Qatar is integrating Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies to enhance sustainability in the field of chemical logistics. Petra Inghelbrecht, global sustainability manager for Ineos Styrolution Europe, will speak about the successful integration of lifecycle analysis into the supply chain, and Steven de Boer and Steven Bedegenoots of Sabic will chat about the key people, processes and technologies that need to be implemented to achieve sustainability goals.

After lunch the conference will once again split into four tracks: data-driven supply chains; global distribution networks; responding to a new customer mindset; and interactive workshops run by event sponsors. Coming back together, delegates will be presented with a case study from Freek van den Broek, global business insights success manager at DSM’s Data Analytics Center of Excellence, on how chemical supply chain leaders can fastforward the integration of advances analytics as an enabler in their supply chains, followed by speakers from Siemens Digital Logistics and GE Aviation Digital.

The organisers will keep delegates going full-on right through to the end of day three, with sessions on building agile supply chains, exploring new ways of working, and future-focused supply chains. With so much on offer – and we have not even mentioned the exhibition area alongside the conference room – companies with an interest in the business are advised to send as many people as they can if they want to cover it all.

HCB will report back with the best we can gather but, given the multiple parallel sessions, it will be impossible to cover it all.

Readers are advised to attend in person if they want to get all the relevant information out of this year’s LogiChem.

Full details about the event and the registration process can be found on the internet at https://logichem.wbresearch.com/.

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

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NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTICS

CIMC PICKS UP UBH

UBH International has been partly rescued from the administrators following its collapse in December 2019. CIMC Tank, which has worked closely with UBH since its previous restructuring in 2003, has acquired the name and intellectual property and has re-established UBH as its UK engineering and customer support centre.

CIMC has also retained senior managers and the core technical team from UBH. The centre will be jointly managed by Alex McGonagle and Mike Himbury, supported by Alex Edwards, Phil Brookfield and Martyn Wood. www.enricgroup.com SWEDISH DEAL FOR VAN DEN BOSCH

THE NEW AND THE OLD

Den Hartogh has opened a logistics service centre (LSC) in Antwerp, following its success with a similar development in Rotterdam. The new unit, located in the heart of Antwerp’s chemical cluster, offers a range of services, including shunting of tank containers, drop/ swap and loading/unloading, intermediate parking, tank heating and equipment checks.

“Clustering services improves the efficiency of tank container flows moving in and out of the area for the chemical industry and minimises the truck mileage within the port of Antwerp,” the company states. “Den Hartogh achieves this by promoting densification on the basis of horizontal collaboration and by exploiting the full potential of the local intermodal infrastructure.”

The new centre, LSC 212, is located at Haven 212 on the right bank of the Scheldt and close to a range of customers, suppliers, rail terminals and tank storage terminals. International drivers with long-distance cargo can drop it off at LSC 212 so it can be handed on to a local driver who knows the area is familiar with all local safety protocols.

Den Hartogh is also celebrating its centenary

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this year and, to mark the occasion, is revealing details of its history on a new page on its website. The first of a number of promised updates looks back to the formation of the firm as a transport company in 1920 by Jacobus ‘Ko’ den Hartogh, who found that transport activities were more lucrative than his original occupation as owner of a grocery store.

The story will be updated periodically on a dedicated page of Den Hartogh’s website, www.denhartogh.com/news/our_history.

FIVE DECADES OF EUROTAINER

Leading tank container lessor Eurotainer has celebrated 50 years in business since the launch of its brand in 1969. Since then, milestones include the opening of its first office in New York City in 1979, expansion into Asia in 1990 and the opening of its first China offices in 2004.

Eurotainer ended 2019 with some 48,000 tanks under its wing, an increase of 18,000 since 2016 that partly reflects its acquisition of Taylor Minster Leasing in 2018. It now has nearly 1,000 customers in 80 countries around the world. www.eurotainer.com

Van den Bosch has acquired Willis Larsson Transport, a Sweden-based provider of dry bulk transport services with activities throughout the Nordic countries and in Germany, Poland, the Benelux countries, the UK and Austria.

“The acquisition of Willis Larsson represents the next step in our international growth strategy,” says Rico Daandels, CEO of Van den Bosch. “As a logistics coordinator, Van den Bosch wants to become the European top player in bulk logistics. With the use of data and the right equipment, we can provide intermodal solutions for our customers – both in the field of dry and liquid bulk transport for the food and chemical industry.”

“Joining Van den Bosch connects us with the extensive European transport network and gives us access to the knowledge and experience of modern data systems,” adds Sverker Larsson, CEO of Willis Larsson Transport. “We have noticed that digital solutions have become increasingly important for our clients. The strong reputation of Van den Bosch ensures that we can continue to be a high-quality partner in the future, both to our employees and our customers.

Moreover, Van den Bosch will also bring its expertise in the field of liquid bulk transport to the Nordics, which will result in a further extension of our activities.”

The acquisition also expands the Van den Bosch fleet by some 1,400 modern silo trailers and silo containers. www.vandenbosch.com

TANKS & LOGISTICS 37

ABBEY ADDS SERVICES

Abbey Logistics has opened a non-food wash bay at its tank cleaning facility in Liverpool, UK. The new bay is open to third-party use for non-hazardous products. Abbey, the UK’s largest food-grade road tanker operator, says it has witnessed significant demand for more non-food tank cleaning capacity in the region and has converted one of its existing foodgrade bays, which is isolated from the other cleaning spots and operates on a separate cleaning network to prevent cross-contamination.

Abbey Logistics has also won a major distribution contract from Ineos Olefins & Polymers, to transport polymers in bulk by road from the Ineos site in Grangemouth to customers across the UK. The deal includes responsibility for transport planning and will leverage recent investments by Abbey in the bulk polymer sector, not least the expansion of the warehouse space near the port of Liverpool.

“Similar to foodgrade products, polymers require strict handling procedures to be in place to ensure integrity and no

contamination,” notes Mike Ellis, business development director at Abbey Logistics.

“Abbey’s long and successful background in food grade logistics enables us to control the strict standards of hygiene required for transporting polymer products for our customers.” www.abbeylogisticsgroup.com ODYSSEY GETS CONNECTED

Odyssey Logistics & Technology achieved double-digit growth in both sales and profit during 2019. “Odyssey made several pivotal, future-focused moves that further strengthened our global supply chain capabilities and our ability to deliver best-in-class services and solutions to our clients,” says Cosmo Alberico, COO/CFO. “The integration of American Fast Freight (AFF), organic growth within our Managed Services segment and continued advancement in technology-focused capabilities were key drivers of our continued strong performance in 2019.”

Odyssey’s Managed Logistics Services division enables clients to leverage a full suite of supply chain services or select individual

features including cargo planning, tendering, shipment visibility, configurable event management, freight audit and payment, and management reporting. This division posted a 12 per cent increase in revenues and a 36 per cent increase in earnings compared to 2018.

“Technology is fundamental to the future of logistics and Odyssey is committed to using new and future innovations to meet the increasing demands of our customers,” adds Bob Shellman, president and CEO of Odyssey. www.odysseylogistics.com IMPERIAL ADVANCES WITH MAZIBUKO

Boikanyo Mazibuko has been appointed group managing director of Imperial Logistics Advance, which runs Imperial’s fuel and gas road tankers, food and chemical road tankers and the KWS bulk transport business in southern Africa. Mazibuko, a chemical engineer by training, has held a number of senior management roles over the past ten year; she was most recently deputy chief executive at Barloworld. www.imperiallogistics.com

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NEWS BULLETIN

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION

DKSH ON THE UP

DKSH has reported improved results across its businesses for 2019, with group sales up 2.1 per cent compared to 2018 at SFr 11.6bn ($11.8bn) and adjusted operating profit up 10.1 per cent at SFr 279.9m.

“We improved the performance across all Business Units for the first time in years despite restrained consumption in Thailand and turbulences in Hong Kong,” says CEO Stefan P Butz. “I am especially pleased that profits are increasing again in Business Unit Consumer Goods and that we, on group level, delivered four value-creating acquisitions. Thanks to the good team effort, DKSH is better positioned for the future and looks ahead with confidence.”

DKSH has meanwhile signed an agreement to acquire specialty chemicals distributor Axieo, which will expand the footprint of its Performance Materials Business Unit in the Pacific region and take it into the agrochemicals sector in Australia and New Zealand.

“By combining DKSH’s international expertise and Axieo’s local experience, we will generate more value for manufacturers and customers,” says Steve Dawson, Axieo CEO. “The acquisition marks the beginning of

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

another exciting chapter in our almost 70-year history. We look forward to contributing to our joint future success.” www.dksh.com GTM BIG IN PAINT

GTM Holdings, the largest independent chemical distributor in Latin America, has opened a technical development laboratory for the paint market. The new lab in Guatemala aims to support suppliers and customers with new technologies in applications, and fits with the company’s global strategy of offering customised products and solutions to its customers. www.gtmchemicals.com NEW BUSINESS FOR OQEMA

The Oqema Group is to acquire Danish chemical distributor Chemark, a specialist in solvents that has been active in the Nordic distribution market for around 20 years and has an annual turnover of some €40m. Anders Englund and Peter Nielsen, Chemark’s managing directors for the past 12 years, will continue to manage the company after the acquisition has been finalised. Oqema is one of the leading chemical distributors in Europe with

representation at 45 locations across 21 nations.

Peter Overlack, CEO of Oqema (pictured opposite), is pleased about the growth in Northern Europe and with this step, together with his team, is consistently continuing the company’s European strategy: “Of course, Chemark’s sales are only manageable given the Scandinavian market as a whole. What convinces us are the quality of the business, the quality of the management - and the location in the greater Copenhagen area, which offers an excellent base of operations for expansion into Sweden, Finland and Norway. The company has already extended its feelers to neighbouring markets. We will be happy and committed to develop this further.”

Oqema has also struck a distribution agreement with Italmatch Chemicals, a specialist in performance additives for water and process treatment, oil and gas, industrial lubricants and plastics. Oqema is now exclusive distributor for Italmatch’s Advanced Water Solutions (AWS) range in the Benelux, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

“We look forward to this new distribution partnership with Oqema,” says Mark Eyers, global vice-president of the AWS business unit at Italmatch. “Oqema’s strong market and application experience, its proven performance as a value creator in the distribution markets combined with its willingness and capability to represent the complete Italmatch AWS product range are a good guarantee for a successful collaboration.” oqema.com OMYA, IDWALA FORM JV IN ZA

Omya International and Idwala Industrial Holdings have established a joint venture in South Africa, Omya Idwala SA, for the distribution of specialty chemicals and calcium carbonate. Omya Idwala SA will use Idwala’s local expertise and Omya’s growing position across the country to offer a full range of Idwala products and imported Omya products.

“As a leading supplier of high-quality calcium carbonate products and one of the largest distributors of specialty chemicals worldwide, we are very excited to significantly expand both our chemical products portfolio and our geographical presence in South Africa,” says Harald Pfaller, Omya’s CEO

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION 39

region Greater South and East. “Idwala, whom we have been enjoying successful cooperation with for many years, is the right partner for us in this development.”

The new joint venture begins with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town and is planning further expansion of its sales network. www.omya.com TER STRENGTHENS EXXON BOND

TER Chemicals and ExxonMobil have expanded their existing distribution agreement by including in the portfolio Exxon Elevast polymer modifiers, special liquid hydrocarbons that are perfectly suited to a variety of plastic products that require a high degree of flexibility and material thickness at the same time, such as cables and hoses (below).

“The Elevast polymer modifiers stand out for their superb technical qualities and are an important element of our distribution portfolio.

We are delighted that we are now able to further consolidate and expand the partnership with Exxon,” says Dr Marwan Zein, senior product manager at TER Chemicals. www.terchemicals.com CALDIC BUYS IN MALAYSIA

Caldic has expanded its capabilities in south-east Asia with the acquisition of DCM Asia, a prominent distributor of specialty chemicals in Malaysia. DCM Asia has a leading presence in the region for coating and construction, plastics and rubber and personal care and food nutrition.

“We are very pleased with the acquisition of DCM Asia that will further strengthen our position in the Asia Pacific region,” says Wilco Langschmidt, CEO of Caldic Asia-Pacific.

“With DCM Asia on board, I am confident that together we will successfully bring many value-added solutions to customers and grow the market for our suppliers and partners.”

“Our goal has always been to forge strong relationships with our partners and provide innovative, creative and bespoke solutions,” adds Deek Sern Lee, CEO of DCM Asia.

“Caldic’s full-service specialty strategy perfectly reflects our vision for the future, so we are very happy to become part of Caldic.

It means both our customers and employees will benefit from Caldic’s global network and capabilities.” www.caldic.com STOCKMEIER GOES SWISS

The Stockmeier Group has continued its expansion in Europe by becoming majority shareholder of Kemtan, a long-standing Switzerland-based trading house for specialty chemicals and contractual partner of wellknown manufacturers across the industry.

“We are very pleased that Kemtan AG will be part of our group of companies in the future and that Stockmeier will thus also be represented locally in Switzerland. The profile of Kemtan AG fits perfectly into the Stockmeier Group,” says Peter Stockmeier, managing partner of Stockmeier Group. www.stockmeier.com

KRAHN ADDS GREEK DEAL

Krahn Chemie has acquired a majority stake in InterActive SA, a specialist distributor of lubricant additives to the Greece, Cyprus and Israel markets, based in Athens.

“We are very pleased about this acquisition which gives us access to regions where we have not been active before and, in the case of Israel, will additionally strengthen the growth of the Krahn Group outside Europe. InterActive is a technically driven, well-established distributor with a profound market knowledge and the same mindset as Krahn and by that the ideal partner to broaden our existing businesses to new regions,” says Dr Rolf Kuropka, Krahn Chemie’s managing director.

Yannis Protopapas, founder, co-owner and managing director of InterActive, adds: “The new affiliation with the Krahn Group provides us with a strong and solid base for our future business development. As a family-owned company, Krahn Chemie clearly matches with InterActive, especially with its firm commitment to securing the long-term development and growth opportunities in today’s rapidly consolidating markets. It is a pleasure to be now part of a group which also strongly believes that deep local market knowledge and partnership-oriented relationships are fundamental in creating value for both our customers and suppliers.

In addition, the access to an extensive and high-quality product range, technical services as well as in-house laboratory support will accelerate our future growth.” www.krahn.eu

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TRAINING COURSES ACUTE ENVIRONMENTAL & SAFETY SERVICES 730 Bridge St West, Unit 3 Waterloo, Ontario N2V 2J4, Canada T (+1 519) 747 5075 www.acuteservices.com Transport of Dangerous Goods • March 26 – Waterloo

Confined Space Entry

Dangerous Goods by Air – Initial

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor

• April 22-24 – Halifax

• June 1-5 – Feltham • June 1-5 – Manchester

• May 18-20 – Birmingham, UK • June 1-3 – Houston • June 1-3 – Newport

Carriage of Lithium Batteries – All Modes

Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation

• May 4-5 – Feltham

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Dangerous Goods by Air – Refresher • May 1 – Halifax • June 5 – Halifax

Dangerous Goods by Road – Initial • April 20-21 – Halifax

• April 16 – Waterloo • May 21 – Waterloo

Dangerous Goods by Road – Refresher

Confined Space Rescue

• April 3 – Halifax • April 17 – Halifax • June 4 – Halifax

• April 17 – Waterloo • May 22 – Waterloo

HAZWOPER • March 24-27 – Waterloo • May 5-8 – Waterloo

HAZWOPER Refresher • March 25 – Waterloo • May 6 – Waterloo

AITAC PO Box 146 Riddell’s Creek, VIC 3431, Australia T (+61 3) 5428 6077 www.aitac.com.au Sea Transport of Dangerous Goods • April 15-16 – Tullamarine • May 4-5 – Tullamarine • June 2-3 – Tullamarine

Sea Transport of Dangerous Goods – Recertification • May 6 – Tullamarine

Air Transport of Dangerous Goods – Acceptance, Initial • March 30-31 – Tullamarine • April 21-22 – Tullamarine • May 18-19 – Tullamarine

Air Transport of Dangerous Goods – Recertification • April 20 – Tullamarine • May 7 – Tullamarine • May 20 – Tullamarine

Dangerous Goods Driver Licence • March 21-22 – Tullamarine • April 18-19 – Tullamarine • May 23-24 – Tullamarine

ATLAS COMPLIANCE 89 Devonshire Drive Timberlea, Nova Scotia B3T 2J6, Canada T (+1 902) 468 3371 www.atlascompliance.ca

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT ASSOCIATION (BIFA) Redfern House, Browells Lane Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7EP, UK T (+44 20) 8844 3625 www.bifa.org Dangerous Goods by Air • • • • • • •

March 23-25 – Coventry March 23-25 – Feltham April 20-22 – Feltham May 11-13 – Altrincham May 11-13 – Feltham May 18-20 – Coventry June 1-3 – Newport

Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • • • • • • • •

March 26-27 – Coventry March 26-27 – Feltham April 21-22 – Newcastle April 23-24 – Feltham May 14-15 – Altrincham May 14-15 – Feltham May 21-22 – Coventry June 2-3 – Newport

Radioactive Materials by Air • April 6-7 – Feltham

Radioactive Materials by Air – Revalidation • April 7 – Feltham

Infectious Substances by Air • May 12-13 – Watford

Dangerous Goods by Road • May 18-20 – Feltham

Dangerous Goods by Road – Revalidation • May 19-20 – Feltham

Dangerous Goods by Sea • May 21-22 – Feltham

Carriage of Lithium Batteries

by Air • May 4 – Feltham

Carriage of Lithium Batteries

by Road • May 5 – Feltham

CAMEON PO Box 17345 Edinburgh EH12 1DJ, UK T (+44 131) 334 1929 www.cameon.com Dangerous Goods by Air

• April 20-22 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • May 15 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Road and Sea • May 12-14 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Road – Upgrade • April 23 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Sea – Upgrade • April 24 – 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) • • • • • • • • • • •

March 23-25 – Birmingham, UK March 23-25 – Heathrow April 13-15 – Chicago April 20-22 – Heathrow April 20-22 – Houston April 20-22 – Newcastle April 27-29 – Los Angeles May 4-6 – Dallas May 11-13 – Boston May 11-13 – Heathrow May 11-13 – Manchester

March 26-27 – Birmingham, UK March 26-27 – Heathrow April 14-15 – Chicago April 21-22 – Houston April 21-22 – Newcastle April 23-24 – Heathrow April 28-29 – Los Angeles May 5-6 – Dallas May 12-13 – Boston May 14-15 – Heathrow May 14-15 – Manchester May 21-22 – Birmingham, UK June 2-3 – Houston June 2-3 – Newport

Dangerous Goods by Road – ADR (full course) • May 18-20 – Heathrow • June 15-17 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Road – Revalidation • May 19-20 – Heathrow • June 16-17 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods

by Sea (IMDG) • • • • • • •

April 16-17 – Chicago April 23-24 – Houston April 30-May 1 – Los Angeles May 7-8 – Dallas May 14-15 – Boston May 21-22 – Heathrow June 9-10 – Houston

IMDG – Sea – Revalidation • • • • • •

April 17 – Chicago April 24 – Houston May 1 – Los Angeles May 8 – Dallas May 15 – Boston June 10 – Houston

DOT 49 CFR - Full Course • • • •

April 16-17 – Chicago April 23-24 – Houston May 7-8 – Dallas June 11-12 – Houston

DOT 49 CFR – Recurrent • • • • •

March 20 – Houston April 17 – Chicago April 24 – Houston May 8 – Dallas June 12 – Houston

COURSES & CONFERENCES 41

Lithium Batteries Multimodal • May 4-5 – Heathrow

Lithium Batteries by Air • May 4 – Heathrow

Lithium Batteries by Road and Sea • May 5 – Heathrow

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser • June 1-5 – Heathrow • June 1-5 – Manchester

Multi-Modal Transportation – Initial

Multi-Modal (Air, Road and Sea) – Initial

ADR Initial Driver Training (Classes 1&7)

• March 30-April 3 – Las Vegas

• April 6-9 – Houston • May 4-7 – Atlanta • June 8-11 – Houston

• April 13-14 – Aberdeen • May 18-19 – Aberdeen

General Awareness

• April 21-24 – Aberdeen • May 26-29 – Aberdeen

Multi-Modal Transportation – Recurrent • March 26-27 – Las Vegas

Classifying Hazardous Materials for Transportation • May 18-20 – Orlando

• June 3-5 – Heathrow • June 3-5 – Manchester

DANGO TRAINING SERVICES 169 Affric Road Glenrothes KY7 6XA, UK T (+44 1592) 748234 www.dangerousgoodstrainingdts.co.uk

Infectious Substances by Air

Dangerous Goods by Air

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (Refresher)

• May 12 – Elstree

Radioactive Materials by Air (full course) • April 6-7 – Heathrow • June 4-5 – Houston

Radioactive Materials by Air – Revalidation

• April 13-15 – Aberdeen • May 4-6 – Aberdeen • May 25-27 – Aberdeen

Dangerous Goods by Sea • • • •

April 2-3 – Aberdeen April 16-17 – Aberdeen May 7-8 – Aberdeen May 28-29 – Aberdeen

• April 7 – Heathrow

CHEMICAL HAZARDS COMMUNICATION SOCIETY PO Box 899 Oxford OX1 9QG, UK T (+44 333) 210 2427 www.chcs.org.uk EU CLP Classification for Supply – Substances • May 12 – Manchester

EU CLP Classification for Supply – Mixtures • May 13 – Manchester

EU CLP Labelling for Supply • May 14 – Manchester

Advanced preparation of SDSs • May 20 – Manchester

Introduction to the Seveso Directive/COMAH • March 31 – London

Basic Ecotoxicology • April 29 – London

Advanced Ecotoxicology • April 30 – London

DANGEROUS GOODS ADVISORY COUNCIL 7501 Greenway Center Drive, Suite 760 Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA T (+1 202) 289 4550 www.dgac.org

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 • • • •

March 30-April 1 – Houston April 13-15 – Atlanta May 11-13 – Houston June 8-10 – Atlanta

IATA/ICAO Dangerous Goods

by Air – Recurrent • • • •

April 2-3 – Houston April 14-15 – Atlanta May 13-14 – Houston June 9-10 – Atlanta

• April 6 – Atlanta • April 16 – Houston

Guidelines for Shipping Lithium Batteries • May 14 – Atlanta

DGM UK Unit 1 Site 4, Howe Moss Drive Kirkhill Industrial Estate Dyce, Aberdeen AB21 0GL, UK T (+44 1224) 773776 www.dgm.co.uk Dangerous Goods by Air • • • • • • • • • • •

March 23-25 – Aberdeen April 6-8 – Aberdeen April 13-15 – Aberdeen April 27-29 – Aberdeen May 11-13 – Aberdeen May 18-20 – Aberdeen May 25-27 – Aberdeen May 25-27 – Glasgow June 1-3 – Aberdeen June 1-3 – Norwich June 8-10 – Aberdeen

Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation • • • •

April 7-8 – Aberdeen April 28-29 – Aberdeen May 19-20 – Aberdeen May 28-29 – Glasgow

Radioactive Materials by Air • April 28-29 – Aberdeen

Dangerous Goods by Sea

ADR Refresher Driver Training

ADR for Consignors • April 16-17 – Aberdeen • May 14-15 – Aberdeen

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser • June 3-5 – Aberdeen

GLOBAL TRANSPORT TRAINING 54 Norristown Road Blue Bell, PA 19422, USA T (+1 215) 283 0983 www.gttstraining.com Multi-Modal - IATA/IMDG/DOT 49 CFR – Initial • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

March 23-27 – Miami March 30-April 3 – Boston April 6-10 – New York April 13-17 – Denver April 13-17 – Phoenix April 20-24 – Dallas April 27-May 1 – Cincinnati April 27-May 1 – Philadelphia May 4-8 – Chicago May 11-15 – San Francisco May 11-15 – Portland, OR May 18-22 – Houston June 1-5 – Atlanta June 8-12 – Los Angeles

INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS Davis Building, Railway Terrace Rugby CV21 3HQ, UK T (+44 1788) 578214 www.icheme.org

March 26-27 – Aberdeen April 9-10 – Aberdeen April 13-15 – Aberdeen April 16-17 – Aberdeen April 30-May 1 – Aberdeen May 11-13 – Aberdeen May 14-15 – Aberdeen May 21-22 – Aberdeen May 28-29 – Aberdeen June 4-5 – Aberdeen June 4-5 – Norwich

Area Classification

Radioactive Materials by Sea • April 30-May 1 – Aberdeen

HAZOP Leadership and Management

49 CFR Dangerous Goods

by Road – Recurrent

ADR Initial Driver Training (except 1&7)

• March 27 – Atlanta • May 16 – Atlanta • May 19 – Houston

• April 6-10 – Aberdeen • May 11-15 – Aberdeen • June 8-12 – Aberdeen

• April 28-30 – Dublin • May 5-7 – Perth, WA • May 12-14 – Rugby

IMDG Code - Initial • May 20-21 – Houston

IMDG Code – Recurrent • May 21 – Houston

49 CFR Dangerous Goods

by Road – Initial • March 26-27 – Atlanta • May 15-16 – Atlanta • May 18-19 – Houston

• • • • • • • • • • •

• March 24-25 – Teesside

Fundamentals of Process Safety • March 23-27 – Manchester • March 30-April 3 – Perth, WA • May 4-8 – Boksburg

Process Safety Leadership and Culture • March 25 – Auckland • May 21- Manchester

Expert Hazard Awareness • March 24-26 – Spadeadam

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42 COURSES & CONFERENCES

Hazard Awareness • May 1 – Spadeadam

Hazard Study Leaders • April 20-24 – Teesside

Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) • April 1-3 – Rugby • May 12-13 – Dublin • June 9-10 – Rugby

Practical Aspects of ATEX/DSEAR Compliance Success • March 31-April 2 – Dublin

Practical Aspects of Process Control and Instrumentation

• April 22 – Accrington

Healthcare Waste Management • May 20-21 – Accrington

TANKTERMINAL TRAINING Schulhausstrasse 11 3932 Visperterminen Switzerland T (+41 79) 83 71 392 T (+31 6) 5493 1738 www.tankterminaltraining.com Loading Master Certification: Petroleum • April 15-17 – Kuala Lumpur • May 11-13 – Rotterdam

• April 22-24 – Aberdeen

Tank Terminal Risk & HSEQ Management

R-A SPECIALISTS INC 45 Clinton Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11580-6024, USA T (+1 516) 593 0395 www.r-a-specialists.com

• April 20-23 – Kuala Lumpur

Dangerous Goods by Air – Initial

Marine Expeditor – Crude Oil Washing Certification

• April 4-6 – Valley Stream

Dangerous Goods by Air – Recurrent • April 8 – Valley Stream

Dangerous Goods by Ocean – Initial • May 12-14 – Valley Stream

Dangerous Goods by Ocean – Recurrent • May 14 – Valley Stream

Warehouse and Driver Personnel • May 6 – Valley Stream

SPECIALIST TRAINING & CONSULTANCY 6 Venture Court Altham Industrial Estate Altham, Lancs BB5 5TU, UK T (+44 1282) 687090 www.specialisttraining.co.uk ADR Class 1 • June 19 – Accrington

ADR Initial – Packages & Tanks • May 11-15 – Accrington

ADR Initial – Packages • June 15-18 – Accrington

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor • June 1-5 – Accrington

DGSA – Dangerous Goods by Road • April 20-21 – Accrington

Carriage of Dangerous Goods

by Sea (IMDG)

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

Sustainability for Tank Terminals and Refineries • May 14-15 – Rotterdam

• May 6-7 – Rotterdam/Antwerp

LNG Loading Master Certification • May 11-13 – Rotterdam

LNG Loss Control Expeditor • May 4-5 – Rotterdam/Antwerp

TRAININGTEAM 12 Gleneagles Court, Brighton Road Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6AD, UK T (+44 1293) 536943 www.trainingteam.co.uk Dangerous Goods by Air (Initial) • • • • • • • • • • • •

March 23-25 – Bristol March 23-25 – Leamington Spa April 20-22 – East Midlands April 20-22 – Heathrow April 20-22 – Warrington April 27-29 – Gatwick May 11-13 – East Midlands May 11-13 – Heathrow May 11-13 – Leeds May 18-20 – Gatwick May 18-20 – Warrington June 1-3 – Stirling

Dangerous Goods by Air Revalidation • • • • • • • • •

March 23-24 – Warrington April 2-3 – East Midlands April 2-3 – Newcastle April 21-22 – Heathrow April 27-28 – Warrington April 28-29 – Gatwick May 5-6 – East Midlands May 12-13 – Heathrow May 19-20 – Gatwick

• May 19-20 – Warrington • June 2-3 – East Midlands • June 4-5 – Stirling

• June 8-12 – Warrington

Radioactive Materials by Air • May 21-22 – Gatwick • June 11-12 – Heathrow

• April 27-May 1 – Leamington Spa • June 1-5 – Heathrow • June 1-5 – Warrington

Carriage of Lithium Batteries

by Air, Road and Sea

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser - Refresher

• March 23-24 – East Midlands • April 21-22 – Gatwick • May 4-5 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Road Certificate • • • • •

April 29-30 – Newcastle May 6-7 – Leamington Spa May 13-14 – Bristol June 3-4 – East Midlands June 4-5 – Gatwick

Dangerous Goods by Road – ‘Top-Up’ • • • • • • • •

March 27 – Bristol March 27 – Leamington Spa April 24 – East Midlands April 24 – Heathrow May 15 – Heathrow May 15 – Leeds May 22 – Gatwick May 22 – Warrington

Dangerous Goods by Sea Certificate • • • • •

April 27-28 – Newcastle May 4-5 – Leamington Spa May 11-12 – Bristol June 1-2 – East Midlands June 2-3 – Gatwick

Dangerous Goods by Sea – ‘Top-Up’ • • • • • • • •

March 26 – Bristol March 26 – Leamington Spa April 23 – East Midlands April 23 – Heathrow May 14 – Heathrow May 14 – Leeds May 21 – Gatwick May 21 – Warrington

Multimodal Air, Sea & Road • • • • • • • • • •

March 23-27 – Bristol March 23-27 – Leamington Spa April 20-24 – East Midlands April 20-24 – Heathrow May 11-15 – Heathrow May 11-15 – Leeds May 18-22 – Gatwick May 18-22 – Warrington June 8-12 – East Midlands June 8-12 – Heathrow

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser

• April 29-May 1 – Leamington Spa • June 3-5 – Heathrow • June 3-5 – Warrington

TRANSCHEM TRAINING The Legion, Wigshaw Lane Culcheth, Warrington WA3 4LY, UK T (+44 151) 488 0961 www.transchemtraining.com ADR Initial • April 20-24 – Warrington • May 11-15 – Wakefield • May 18-22 – Warrington

UL https://msc.ul.com/en/training/ ADR Transport of Dangerous Goods Awareness May 20 – Nottingham EU Classification & Labelling • April 22 – Nottingham • May 6 – Pittsburgh

EU SDS Authoring Safety Data Sheets • April 23 – Nottingham • May 7 – Pittsburgh

European SDS and Labelling • April 9-11 – Pittsburgh

GHS Essentials • June 2-3 – Pittsburgh

UPS 55 Glenlake Parkway NW Atlanta, GA 30328, USA T (+1 800) 634 5656 www.upshazmatseminars.com 49 CFR • March 24-25 – San Diego • May 12-13 – Chicago

49CFR & IATA Dangerous Goods Seminar • March 24-26 – San Diego • May 12-14 – Chicago

Lithium Batteries • May 12-13 – Chicago

COURSES & CONFERENCES 43

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44

SOUNDING OFF OPINION • THE LINK BEWEEN REGULATIONS AND COMPLIANCE IS FOUND IN THE CLASSROOM. TWO TRAINERS GIVE AN INSIGHT INTO HOW THEY WORK AND WHAT IT MEANS Trainers serve a critical role in ensuring the safe transport of hazardous materials – that much is no secret. The best trainers have the ability to break down complex domestic and international regulations in ways that are both easy to understand and memorable. In some ways, trainers are like tour guides for dangerous goods regulations: they point out where to find the applicable rules, what to look for, and where to watch your step.

Lion Technology recently sat down to talk to two experienced dangerous goods trainers who help deliver its training programmes in the US. Joel Gregier and Robert ‘Bob’ Clarke are both Certified Dangerous Goods Professionals

(CDGP) with nearly three decades of dangerous goods training experience between them.

Joel has worked in the hazardous materials/ dangerous goods field most of his adult career. In addition to training thousands of professionals on 49 CFR, IATA DGR, and IMDG Code regulations, he spent time working for a major chemical distributor in the US and oversaw their transition to the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

Bob worked in the US Air Force for more than two decades. As an environmental coordinator operating from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, Bob visited locations to

ensure the proper storage and handling of hazardous materials. The views and insights of Bob and Joel presented here are their own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Lion Technology itself.

What element of hazmat/dangerous goods compliance is most challenging for those just starting in the field?

Joel: The technical skills you need are most difficult when you’re first starting. Things like classifying materials, selecting proper shipping names, and the like. When you have to look at hard data and compare it against the regulations, that can be daunting in the beginning. Eventually, it becomes second nature.

Bob: From a management standpoint, I think figuring out which individuals need to be trained can be tough. A lot of the time, we think only the shipping department needs dangerous goods training. But really, employees who close packages along the line might need it. People who put caps on bottles might need it. Training is important for everyone who qualifies as a hazmat employee.

What qualities do you think help professionals excel in the dangerous goods field?

Joel: Precision. And attention to detail. When it comes to dangerous goods regulations, if you miss even one requirement, you could be penalised, have your shipment rejected, all of that. So precision is a must-have. With attention to detail, you have to see both the big picture and the small picture.

In other words, not only do you know that a package needs labels and markings, but exactly which labels and markings it needs.

How and where they should be placed. Or how different sized packages or different modes of transportation might impact those decisions.

Bob: Attention to detail is on my list too. Another example would be: I don’t just need any box, I need a 4G box. I need a certain strength box.

The big picture is that employees need training. But which employees need it? How much training do they need, and what should it cover? If you’re not paying attention to every detail, it’s easy to miss things.

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Can you describe your philosophy for teaching complex dangerous goods regulations?

Joel: The most important thing when I teach regulations is to be accurate and honest.

Sometimes when you get a question, or someone pushes back on something you say during training, you realise that you are wrong. You have to be honest about it. Having integrity is the most important thing.

When you’ve been training for years, it’s easy to get stuck in the mindset that you know it all. Remember that you will make mistakes now and again - and be open to learning from those.

It’s dangerous to double-down on a mistake.

If you give someone incorrect information, they might use your false statement and run their whole operation on it. Now they are in big trouble. One small statement that you’re wrong about can cause a fiasco for the person you were trying to help.

Bob: Involve the people you are training.

If we’re talking about something, I want trainees to tell me what they’re thinking about it or what their experience is. I want them to actually think about this stuff.

I try to help everyone make connections in their brains between “real-world” operations and what the book says.

Joel: One more thing. Knowing the regulations is important. But like Bob said, making it understandable and relatable for everyone is what I work the hardest at.

If you could change one dangerous good regulation, what would you change?

Joel: The lithium battery regulations are really complicated. There seem to be infinite scenarios for shipping them and yet the requirements are constantly changing to keep you on your toes. If you could make it more streamlined, it would make it easier to comply and that would probably be a net benefit. It’s a difficult task, because we all want to use reliefs when we can. If you can’t streamline

 BOB CLARKE (OPPOSITE): THE BIG PICTURE IS EMPLOYEES NEED TRAINING - BUT WHICH EMPLOYEES? HOW MUCH TRAINING DO THEY NEED AND WHAT SHOULD IT COVER?

the rules, maybe simplify them in some way.

We all know by now that lithium batteries can pose certain hazards. But if you can’t keep your employees up to date on what the rules are, that can have a negative impact on safety too. If every government or air carrier makes their own rules, it creates confusion. And it sometimes introduces extra information into the supply chain that can cause confusion for people handling those packages. If someone sees a marking or label they don’t recognise, they might misinterpret it, and that makes the process less safe, in my opinion.

Bob: It might be nice if the marking requirements for bulk and non-bulk shipments were the same. As in, sometimes you need a proper shipping name, a UN number, sometimes you don’t. And the rules for vessel shipments are even funkier. It would be easier to streamline it a little.

If it were the same, we wouldn’t need to keep two sets of requirements in mind.

Why remember two things when you could remember one?

If you’re just starting, that’s the best thing you can do. Good, strong training in the beginning will prepare you for what you might need to do in the future.

My second thing would be to take the job seriously. Hazmat compliance is not just a burden, not just something you do just to check a box or meet a government mandate.

It’s a safety job. If you’re just doing things to check boxes, you might be able to get by for a while. But you’re more likely to make big mistakes.

Bob: This was a tough one. I think my answer is to start with the basic things you need to know, then expand your knowledge later.

Don’t try to master every exception, relief or special case right away. Make the basics the core of what you do. That way, when you want to use an exception or a relief, you know why it’s an exception. You know what you’re excepted from.

Another thing that’s helpful is to have step-by-step standard operating procedures or SOPs. Know what to do first, and how each step builds on what you’ve already done.

If you could give one piece of advice to the DG professionals out there, what would it be?

Joel: I have two pieces of advice. First, when you start, get trained well. Get comprehensive training that covers everything. Don’t just get trained on what you think you need to meet the minimum training requirements.

Then you can review and revise SOPS, and checklists as needed.

SOPs really help when you have a bad day.

You have a procedure to refer to and guide you on days when you’re not at your sharpest.

You can even take photos of a fully prepared box or shipment, then make sure your end

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product matches that photo every time. Oh, and keep your labels straight on the package.

You’re both Certified Dangerous Goods Professionals. How does that credential help you in your job as a hazmat trainer?

Joel: Well, I had the right skill set before I got the certification. To me, being a CDGP shows others that you have the expertise. It’s a form

 JOEL GREGIER: “WORKING AT LION AS A TRAINER LETS ME HELP OTHERS BECOME BETTER AT THEIR JOBS - I REALLY LIKE THOSE JOBS”

of proof that you are knowledgeable.

Bob: Earning the CDGP gave me a bigger picture of how international rules go together with our regulations here in the US. It was really instructive to go deeper into the UN Model Regulations and other sets of rules.

To see how it all fits together.

Joel: That’s true. You are exposed to different types of regulations. When you’re in this field, you can sometimes get boxed into a specific part of the regulations. Earning and maintaining the CDGP certification gave me a broader perspective on the global dangerous goods community.

If you weren’t a hazmat trainer, what job do you think you would be doing?

Joel: [Laughing] Professional athlete. Or maybe working at a zoo.

Bob: I would like to work with the US FAA as a hazmat Special Agent. I would like to go to carriers and shippers and help them keep shipments safe. I think that would be a cool job.

Joel: In all seriousness, I enjoy jobs where I can help people. That’s why I like working at Lion as a trainer — it lets me help others become better at their jobs. Anything where I can help others improve, I really like those types of jobs.

Bob: When we train, students understanding the subject matter and then being able to apply it to real-world situations is the payoff.

When people come up after class and say “I learned something today,” “I didn’t know that before,” or “I like the way you teach,” that’s why we do it.

Is there anything else you want to say about the field of dangerous goods training?

Joel: It’s a great field. Most people don’t know about it. It’s not as if my goal in life was to become a DG professional. Luckily, I fell into it. It’s a great area to work in that you wouldn’t have necessarily thought to get into.

Bob: I don’t think people realise how cool it is to train people! Not every job gives you the feeling of what it’s like to help people understand things.

When I was in the Air Force, there was always a bigger purpose. Everyone had their own part of a mission. We succeeded when everyone did his or her own part. In the hazmat field, we all have our responsibilities, we all do our thing to make sure these shipments are as safe as possible.

Lion Technology delivers 49 CFR, IATA DGR and IMDG Code training nationwide in the US. Instructors also develop self-paced online courses at Lion.com and present live webinars throughout the year. Full details can be found at Lion.com/Hazmat.

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CONFERENCE DIARY MARCH IATA World Cargo Symposium March 10-12, Istanbul 14th global conference on air cargo www.iata.org/events/wcs/pages/index.aspx StocExpo 2020 March 10-12, Rotterdam The main annual exhibition and conference for the European tank terminal industry www.stocexpo.com/en/ BADGP March 12, Coventry Annual AGM and seminar of the British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals www.badgp.org/event-3391957 Tanks and Terminals 2020 March 16-18, Dubai Conference and workshop on integrity management of aboveground storage tanks www.marcusevans-conferences-middleeastern.com/ Intermodal South America March 17-19, São Paulo International exhibition on intermodal logistics, cargo transport and international trade www.intermodal.com.br/en LogiChem March 17-19, Rotterdam Chemical supply chain and logistics conference http://logichem.wbresearch.com/ International Transport & Logistics Week (SITL) March 17-20, Paris Annual transport event, including Dangerous Goods Logistics Pavilion www.sitl.eu/en-gb.html LNG Congress Russia March 18-19, Moscow Seventh annual congress and exhibition on developments in Russian and Arctic LNG www.lngrussiacongress.com/en AFPM Annual Meeting March 22-24, Austin AFPM’s annual meeting for refiners and marketers www.afpm.org/Conferences/ BDP Supply Chain Summit March 25, Antwerp Seminar on trade and compliance issues www.bdpinternational.com/2020-antwerp-supplychain-summit

SCHC Spring Meeting March 28-April 1, Charlotte Biannual meeting of the Society of Chemical Hazard Communication www.schc.org/meetings AFPM IPC March 29-31, New Orleans AFPM’s annual International Petrochemical Conference www.afpm.org/events/2734f40000093b

www.cvsa.org/eventpage/events/cvsa-workshop/ LogiPharma April 21-23, Nice Conference on the end-to-end pharmaceutical supply chain logipharmaeu.wbresearch.com

APRIL

Cryogenic Storage Tanks April 23-24, Munich Second technical conference on liquefied gas storage www.tuvsud.com/de-de/store/academy/ conference-management/tank-storage-systems/ cryogenic-tanks

Argus West Africa LPG April 1-2, Lagos Conference exploring the potential for LPG in West Africa www.argusmedia.com/en/conferences-eventslisting/west-africa-lpg

COSTHA 2020 April 26-30, Greenville, SC Annual forum and expo of the Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles www.costha.com

Megatrans April 1-3, Melbourne Biennial trade show for the freight sector in Australia and internationally www.megatrans.com.au

CV Show April 28-30, Birmingham Annual commercial vehicle exhibition https://cvshow.com/

Ouray Transportation & Response Symposium April 5-8, Denver First symposium to spread technical knowledge on hazmat response www.ourayservices.com/trs2020/ GPCA Supply Chain Conference April 13-15, Dubai 12th annual meeting of logistics professionals in the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association www.gpcasupplychain.com NISTM April 15-17, Orlando National Institute for Storage Tank Management’s 22nd annual international aboveground storage tank conference and trade show www.nistm.org Chemspec India April 16-17, Mumbai Exhibition for the fine and speciality chemicals sectors, incorporating ChemLogistics India www.chemspecindia.com CVSA Workshop April 19-23, San Antonio Meeting for industry, regulators and enforcers to improve commercial vehicle safety

MAY NTTC Annual Conference May 3-5, Washington, DC 72nd annual conference and exhibition of the National Tank Truck Carriers www.tanktruck.org/meetings/ Interpack May 7-13, Düsseldorf Major triennial packaging show www.interpack.com IOSC 2020 May 11-14, New Orleans International Oil Spill Conference iosc.org ChemUK 2020 May 13-14, Manchester Supply chain expo and conference for the UK chemical industry www.chemicalukexpo.com Hazards30 May 18-20, Manchester Conference and exhibition on best practice in chemical and process safety www.icheme.org/events/conferences/hazards-30.aspx

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INCIDENT LOG ROAD/RAIL/AIR INCIDENTS Date

Location

Vehicle Type

Substance

Details

Source

1/12/19

nr Tugela, road tanker KZN, South Africa

gasoline, diesel

Fire broke out on road tanker parked in lay-by on N3 in Van Reenen’s Pass, reportedly due to mechanical failure; burning fuel spread to four other trucks; northbound lanes closed; severe disruption on main highway

Sowetan Live

3/12/19

Khartoum, road tanker gas Sudan

Road tanker exploded during unloading of cargo of ‘gas’ (LPG?) at Sila ceramics factory; at least 23 known to have died, though some reports said more than 200 people were in factory and none survived

VOA News

5/12/19

Delhi, road tanker acid India

Hose burst during loading of unspecified acid at factory in Wazirpur district; couple and their son riding past were splashed with acid and critically burned; driver, factory owner absconded; police investigating

DNA India

6/12/19

La Unión, road tanker ammonia Guerrero, Mexico

Double tanker with ammonia overturned on Siglo XXI highway, leaking cargo; wreck blocked road; five people trapped died from inhalation injuries; 31 people on bus also injured; mechanical failure blamed

El Sol de México

9/12/19

nr Guernsey, freight train crude oil Sask, Canada

CP oil train derailed, leaving unknown number of tank cars leaking, some on fire; nearby residents evacuated; highway closed due to dense smoke; no impact on waterways

Globe & Mail

13/12/19

Qila Saifullah, truck gasoline Balochistan, Pakistan

Van carrying various goods, including gasoline, from Iran collided with bus; fire broke out, consuming both vehicles and killing 15 people; no survivors

Samaa

18/12/19

Cloverdale, road tanker California, US

Driver noticed problem with truck, found rear of tanker on fire, which had probably spread from axle; fire crews dealt with blaze quickly but then found cargo leaking; dirt dams built to prevent spill getting into drains

Press Democrat

19/12/19

nr Denku, road tanker chemical Maharashtra, India

Driver lost control of tanker, which ran off Mumbai-Pune expressway into gully; tanker, carrying unidentified flammable chemical, caught fire; driver suffered injuries; road closed during fire and cleanup

Mid-Day

3/1/20

Buipe, road tankers Savannah, Ghana

Fire broke out in road tanker parked in waiting area at Bulk Oil Storage & Transport depot; fire spread to three other tankers, with all four completely destroyed; cause under investigation

Graphic Online

3/1/20

LeClaire, freight train chemical Iowa, US

CP train derailed, possibly due to broken rail; responders found leak of unspecified but non-flammable chemical, prompting evacuation of nearby businesses; no impact on water courses

KWQC

4/1/20

Commerce City, road tanker gasoline Colorado, US

Tank truck rolled over in single-vehicle accident, leading to spillage of unknown volume of fuel; no injuries reported; roads closed during cleanup; remaining fuel offloaded to another tanker

Denver Post

5/1/20

Karjan, road tanker chemical Gujarat, India

Road tanker with 30,000 litres unspecified flammable chemical was struck by another goods vehicle at toll plaza on NH-48, causing leak from tanker, some of which reached drains; foam deployed to prevent ignition

Times of India

11/1/20

Helensvale, road tanker fuel Qld, Australia

Road tanker spilt its load after being involved in multi-vehicle crash on Pacific Motorway, which was closed for several hours; four people needed hospital treatment

SMH

sodium hypochlorite

diesel, gasoline

MARINE/INLAND WATERWAY INCIDENTS Date

Location

10/12/19

Details

Source

Bolinao, Pangasinan, Chemitec petroleum Philippines

Product tanker (17,000 dwt, 2008) with 15,470 t unspecified petroleum cargo from Brunei for Ningbo, ran aground after engine failure; no immediate sign of pollution but various agencies monitoring situation

Philippine Star

14/12/19

off Falmouth, Team Hawk — Cornwall, UK

Product/chemical tanker (25,400 dwt, 2008) thought to have been vessel involved in collision with French fishing vessel after leaving Falmouth, cargo unknown; tanker suffered hole in ballast tank, returned to port

FleetMon

14/12/19

Ferndale, Levant LPG Washington, US

Gas tanker (82,000 m³, 2015) with 33,000 t propane, butane, contacted pier on arrival at Alcoa Intalco gas terminal; collision caused hull breach; cargo was unloaded, vessel moved to Port Angeles for inspection

FleetMon

18/12/19

Szczecin, Lintan Poland

Bulk carrier (39,640 dwt, 2015) with cargo of zinc concentrate from Oman, was prevented from unloading as cargo had become wet en route and was giving off hydrogen; dockers refused to unload, fearing explosion

FleetMon

22/12/19 Galapagos Islands barge diesel

Crane collapsed while loading generator onto barge on San Cristobal Island; barge sank, risking spillage of 600 t diesel; Ecuadorean Navy, environmental agencies put response plan into effect to prevent spread of oil

RSOE

4/1/20 Arabian Sea

Fire broke out in container on mega boxship during passage from Port Klang to Ngava Sheva; ship diverted to Colombo; Cosco quickly identified that fire broke out in container with undeclared lithium batteries

Splash 247

Small tanker, thought to be in cargo, was beached by storm after anchor dragged; tanker had come from Jakarta and sheltered off Tanjungori; crew abandoned ship, were rescued by local fishermen

FleetMon

10/1/20

Vessel

Cosco Pacific

Substance

zinc concentrate

lithium batteries

Bawean Island, MT Express 88 — Indonesia

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51

MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS Date

Location

Plant type

Substance

Details

Source

16/12/19

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

storage terminal

ethanol

Fire broke out at Kinder Morgan’s Point Breeze terminal in south-west Philadelphia, reportedly between rather than in tanks with ethanol; fire crews managed to turn off valve near fire, helping to reduce fuel for flames

6ABC

31/12/19

Chico, California, US

warehouse

oils, grease

Major fire broke out at Hunt & Sons facility, used for storage of motor oils, grease, other petroleum products; most of facility’s contents thought to have been consumed in the blaze, though some off-site impact reported

Action News Now

3/1/20

Union county, New Jersey, US

transport depot

forklift

Fire broke out on forklift truck at Linden Bulk Transportation depot, spreading to stacks of tank containers; not clear what was burning but pictures showed dense black smoke rising from stack of tanks

nj.com

6/1/20

West Thurrock, Essex, UK

factory

hydrochloric acid

Tank said to have failed at unnamed industrial facility, creating leak of chemical and vapour cloud that led fire crews to impose 100-m exclusion zone, advise shelter-in-place for nearby residents

ITV

6/1/20

Mineral Wells, Texas, US

oil depot

toluene, heptane

Series of three explosions reported at Buckley Oil Co facility, possibly during filling of two totes with heptane and toluene; various other products on site at time; sprinkler system helped quench fire

M Wells Index

9/1/20

Ukhta, Komi, Russia

oil refinery

additive

Fire broke out at Lukoil refinery after two explosions in additive input unit; fire was extinguished the next day with one employee hospitalised; Lukoil investigating incident; rest of refinery continued operations

OGJ

11/1/20

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

gas plant

gases

At least six people were killed, more injured by explosion in Aims Industries medical and industrial gas unit; investigation underway to find cause of blast, which happened as cylinders were being refilled

India Today

11/1/20

Tarapur, Maharashtra, India

pharma plant

hydrogen

Eight people were killed, six injured by explosion during testing of new reactor vessel at Ank Pharma plant; agencies investigating cause, which possibly involved hydrogen cylinders being used in testing

Hazardex

12/1/20

Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

pipeline

natural gas

Petronas’s Sabah-Sarawak gas pipeline ruptured, caught fire; fourth failure on the line, which has prompted public concern; gas shut off in affected line and also in two other parallel lines

Maritime Executive

14/1/20

Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

chemical plant

chemicals

Explosion, fire at Changlian Petrochemical plant in Gaolan port area; no fatalities or injuries reported; not clear what chemicals were involved; plant largely produces aromatics; fire extinguished the same day

SCMP

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52

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE CONTAINERS • CHARCOAL IS KNOWN TO HAVE CAUSED A NUMBER OF RECENT FIRES ABOARD CONTAINERSHIPS AND SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE YANTIAN EXPRESS INCIDENT

THE DISASTROUS FIRE that broke out in containers aboard Hapag-Lloyd’s 7,236-teu vessel Yantian Express in January 2019 was most likely caused by self-ignition in a cargo of coconut charcoal that had been misdeclared as coconut pellets, according to an in-depth report by the German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung – BSU). It says that this was the only cargo in the vicinity of the seat of the fire that had the potential to self-ignite, although the investigation was made difficult by the large number of other containers that had been affected by the fire, making a forensic examination of the casualty essential.

Yantian Express had begun a westbound voyage in Vung Tau, Vietnam on 10 December 2018, calling at Singapore and Colombo before a long leg to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with arrival scheduled for 4 January 2019.

In the early hours of 2 January, with the weather worsening, the officer on watch spotted flames well forward and advised the master, who mustered the crew.

Other nearby vessels arrived on scene in case the crew needed to abandon ship, until salvage tugs began to arrive the next day.

The crew continued to fight the fire, despite the weather deteriorating further, deploying

 THE SHIP’S CREW DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO PREVENT THE FIRE SPREADING

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

all means at their disposal, while the fire was seen spreading to other containers. In the evening of 5 January an explosion was heard, identified as coming from a container with nitrocellulose, and plans were made to abandon ship. Half the complement took up the invitation. The following day all remaining crew were evacuated, all very exhausted.

On 9 January the captain and four other crew returned to the ship to help with the response. It was determined that the fire was largely under control at that point and the casualty was towed to Halifax, arriving on 13 January, where firefighting efforts continued until 26 January.

THE FINGER POINTS BSU interviewed the five crew members who returned to the ship, all but one of whom was highly experienced, and examined the voyage data recorder. BSU surveyors also examined the remains of all the containers that had been near the seat of the fire once other boxes had been unloaded. Most of the inspected containers held clothing, tyres, furniture or other goods; although most were completely burnt out, surveyors found enough evidence to confirm the descriptions on the manifest.

However, one container said to be carrying coconut pellets had remnants of briquetteshaped pieces, identified as coconut charcoal, otherwise known as ‘pyrochar’. Coconut pellets are produced by grinding coconut shells and compacting the material into small sticks, to be used as fuel for furnaces.

Pyrochar is produced by pyrolysis of coconut shells and has properties similar to woodbased charcoal; BSU says the cube-shaped pyrochar found in the container was most likely to be used as fuel for shisha pipes.

BSU could not elicit any information from the forwarder or consignee of the cargo, which had been loaded in Vietnam. BSU estimates that the total weight of pyrochar

SAFETY

in the 40-foot box was 22,150 kg, packed in 10-kg cardboard boxes. It tested some of the material and concluded that it did not meet the classification of a self-igniting substance according to the N.4 test.

However, the tests also indicated that, when packed in large quantities, the self-ignition temperature could be as low as 50˚C. BSU notes that the transport of animalor vegetable-based charcoal usually requires a test to prove that the material does not meet the criteria for classification as a Division 4.2 dangerous good, as per the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. It must be established that the product’s tendency to self-heat is only limited. Tests must be carried out by an accredited laboratory. The manufacturer

must also certify that the product has undergone a cooling phase following production to ensure safety during transportation. A certificate describing the moisture content, the proportion of bound carbon, the proportion of volatile matter and the ash content must accompany the shipment. BSU says none of these documents accompanied the pyrochar during transport.

CONCLUSIONS BSU assumes that the product’s declaration as coconut pellets was incorrect and says: “That this was intentional because it made it possible to avoid compliance with the tests and conditions mentioned cannot be ruled out.”

BSU’s report makes a number of other

53

observations on the vessel’s fire and safety plan, which did not match the arrangement of firefighting systems or the volume of compressed air available for breathing apparatus. While this did not influence the course of this particular casualty, BSU says it could be important in another case and it has recommended that Hapag-Lloyd review its shipboard plans.

BSU’s investigators ruled it unlikely that the fire was caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette or by the spontaneous combustion of a cargo with impurities. On the other hand, the long duration of the voyage makes it more likely that a gradual self-heating of a cargo such as pyrochar could have caused the outbreak, although it admits that no direct evidence of that can be found.

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54

GET IT RIGHT MARITIME • RECENT FIRES ABOARD CONTAINERSHIPS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR SHIPPERS TO PROPERLY UNDERSTAND THE PROVISIONS OF THE IMDG CODE BOOK IT RIGHT and Pack it Tight, the longrunning guide to the consignment of dangerous goods by sea, has been updated by the UK P&I Club and TT Club. The latest edition, published in December, reflects the changes introduced into Amendment 39-18 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, which became mandatory as from 1 January 2020.

Writing in the foreword to the new edition, Uffe Ernst-Frederiksen, head of cargo management at Maersk Line and chair of the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS), observes: “While the IMDG Code has existed for over five decades and training has been mandatory since 2004, the consequences of poor understanding and practices continue to reverberate through the maritime supply chain. In particular, the frequency of major ship fires shows little sign of abating and the resultant costs to life, assets and the environment are devastating.

“The scale of unitised operations globally is such that great reliance has to be placed on the competence and integrity of each of the actors involved,” he continues. “The system is based upon trust, which has been sorely strained through the incidents incurred aboard ships and in port areas. The multitude of Vessel Sharing Agreements across the carriers merely underlines the need for a common and practical understanding of the requirements involved in transport of dangerous goods.

“Regardless how sophisticated electronic

involved at each stage of the process have appropriate understanding and expertise in order not just to carry out their immediate function but also to be able to validate what is presented on a screen. Such diligence is necessary to manage the unforgiving laws of physics and chemistry that govern the nature of the goods carried in ships and stacked in container terminals in ports,” Ernst-Frederiksen concludes.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT The book, written as ever by Richard Masters, with input from Will Bartle of Exis Technologies, is intended to support shippers, forwarders, shipping line booking staff and those who pack dangerous goods into cargo transport units for carriage by sea in the technical aspects of the IMDG Code. It is arranged so that it follows all the steps required when booking and packing a consignment of dangerous goods with a shipping line: - Classifying the goods - Selecting the appropriate packaging - Marking and labelling the packaging - Preparing the transport documentation - Applying the segregation rules - Packing the cargo transport unit - Producing the packing certificate.

The second part of the book provides references to the provisions in the IMDG Code and explains in straightforward terms some of the basic principles of the UN classification system and the technical terms used in the IMDG Code, along with useful background

the maritime transport sector. In recognition of that, the TT Club has made the guide freely available on its website (www.ttclub.com/ fileadmin/uploads/tt-club/Publications___ Resources/Document_store/Book_it_right_ and_pack_it_tight_amendment_39_18.pdf), although hard copies are also available for purchase.

One salient development since the book was last published came with the New York court judgment on the MSC Flaminia case, which pinned liability on the shipper of the goods responsible for the explosion and fire aboard the ship, together with the tank container operator, acting as a non-vessel owning common carrier (NVOCC) under US law. Richard Masters notes that this judgment sends a clear message to shippers of the need to comply with their own procedures and to ensure that any actions they take are “considered and justifiable”.

Furthermore, the court was equally clear that NVOCCs are exposed where their negligence causes or contributes to a loss that is foreseeable.

Within that framework, it is more important

tools become, it is vital that the people

information on common IMDG issues such as Limited Quantities procedures.

The Clubs that produce the book are aware that the IMDG Code is a complex document and that a lack of understanding of its provisions, notwithstanding the training requirements, can contribute to the number of incidents in

than ever not only to ensure compliance with the IMDG Code but also its intentions. That makes this latest edition of Book it Right and Pack it Tight more crucial than ever for anyone involved in the shipment by sea of packaged dangerous goods. www.ttclub.com

 ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE TRANSPORT OF PACKAGED DANGEROUS GOODS BY SEA SHOULD READ THE LATEST EDITION OF THE BOOK

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

SAFETY 55

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SAFETY 56

NEWS BULLETIN

SAFETY

UPS IN THE DOCK

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a $120,000 civil penalty against UPS for alleged violations of the Hazardous Materials Regulations. FAA alleges that UPS offered for carriage for transport by air a shipment of damaged lithium batteries that were loosely packed and had no protection against short circuit. The shipment by UPS Airlines from Ontario, California to the UPS hub in Louisville, Kentucky was discovered by UPS personnel in Louisville on 15 November 2018.

FAA alleges the shipment was not properly packaged, was not accompanied by a Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods, and was not properly described, marked or labelled to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents. FAA also alleges UPS failed to include emergency response information with the shipment. www.faa.gov BLOCKCHAIN FOR DG

Exis Technologies has entered into a collaborative agreement with Maritime Blockchain Labs (MBL), a consortium founded

by BLOC and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) to explore the use of blockchain in tackling the significant risks and challenges associated with the declaration and handling of dangerous goods. Exis will be using its industry experience to help MBL with the build and test of a demo prototype to assess the potential for distributed ledger technology (DLT) in the maritime supply chain.

“We are excited to have Exis Technologies collaborating with us on this project,” says Katrina Abhold, project manager at BLOC. “The experience Exis has in dangerous goods shipping and its solutions like Hazcheck Systems will be a great addition to our consortium. It will be interesting to find out how such combined technologies can be applied in a new way to help address this ongoing issue in the shipping sector.” www.existec.com

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

BETTER TOGETHER IN THE UK

The British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals (BADGP) and the Chemical Hazards Communication Society (CHCS) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see the two organisations work more closely together and share information, experience and materials.

In the first instance, a number of free places at BADGP’s AGM and seminar on 12 March have been made available to CHCS members, and a reciprocal arrangement is available for BADGP members to attend CHCS’s AGM and lectures on 25 November. More information can be found on the CHCS website at https://chcs.org.uk/badgp.

CONSAFE ADDS SUPPORT

Consafe Logistics has struck a partnership deal with DGOffice, to provide dangerous goodsspecific support through its Astro WMS® system. Users will now be able to benefit from the knowledge and experience offered by DGOffice and the innovative software solutions it provides.

“We looked at the customer requirements, the processes in place and combined that with the knowledge of both our companies,” says Herman Teering, managing director of DGOffice. “This teamwork with Consafe Logistics resulted in a fully integrated solution in Astro WMS that delivers continued compliance, guidance and convenience for the end users without additional workload.”

“We know that many customers experience difficulties when handling dangerous goods, especially when it comes to applying the regulations in the existing warehouse processes. Often it needs to be managed manually without good system support in a separate flow,” says Patrik Olsson, Chief Product Officer at Consafe Logistics.

“Regulations often change too, and vary from country to country. If customers don’t have the right documentation, carriers can refuse to transport goods altogether. By developing our module alongside DGOffice, we solve these problems.”

The solution works as an add-on for existing Astro WMS users and offers a range of benefits for those who handle and transport dangerous goods. These include constantly updated documentation and information on regulations, as well as automatic labelling, documentation and packaging instructions. www.consafelogistics.com

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ON THE WAY MULTIMODAL • A HEFTY AGENDA FOR THE JOINT MEETING’S AUTUMN 2019 SESSION SAW A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS AGREED FOR THE 2021 TEXTS OF RID, ADR AND ADN

agreed for the sake of harmonisation with the latest edition of the UN Model Regulations.

This second part covers the deliberations of the Standards Working Group as well as a lengthy list of other proposals for amendment.

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) held its autumn 2019 session in Geneva this past 17 to 26 September. During the lengthy session, the Joint Meeting continued with its business of transposing the latest round of regulatory amendments from the UN Model Regulations into the modal regulations that apply across Europe and increasingly (especially for road

harmonisation, insofar as is possible, between the regulations covering the transport of dangerous goods by rail (RID), road (ADR) and inland waterways (ADN).

The meeting was chaired as usual by Claude Pfauvadel (France) with Silvia García Wolfrum (Spain) as vice-chair. It was attended by representatives from 22 countries as full members, a representative from DR Congo in a consultative capacity, the European Commission (EC), the EU Agency for Railways

STANDARDS Finland followed up on previous discussions on the updating of referenced standards in two official documents. The first concerned EN ISO/IEC 17025, for which the 2005 edition remains in force until October 2020. Finland’s paper invited the experts to consider whether it is necessary to indicate in RID/ADR/ADN the year of the standards referenced therein; if no year is given then the most current version or versions would be deemed to be valid.

The experts declined to pick up on this, preferring merely to replace the reference in 1.8.6.4.1 to the 2005 version with “EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017”. They also felt unable to delete the reference to the 2012 version of EN ISO/

transport) further afield.

The Joint Meeting’s aim is to maintain

(ERA), the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) and 20 nongovernmental organisations.

The first part of this two-part report on the session in last month’s edition (HCB February 2020, page 50) covered the decisions made by the Working Group on Tanks and changes

IEC 17020, as requested by Finland.

References to EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012 throughout RID/ADR/ADN are all appended with “except clause 8.1.3” and Finland’s second paper invited the experts to consider whether this was still needed. Its inclusion goes back to the original adoption of the updated standard in

 THE JOINT MEETING NEEDS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE DEMANDS OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

REGULATIONS

2013, when it incorporated an option to use a management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001.

The Joint Meeting felt that this was, in fact, still needed. Further, as the 2017 edition of EN ISO/IEC 17025 has been restructured along the same lines, this text should be added there too. The already amended reference in 1.8.6.4.1 was further amended to read: “EN ISO/IEC 17025 (except clause 8.1.3)”.

Other papers relating to the use of standards in the regulations were passed to the Working Group on Standards, which first looked at a paper from CEN that gave an update on current work on the revision of standards referenced in RID/ADR/ADN. CEN also noted that, since ADR is no longer a ‘European’ agreement, it should reference ISO standards rather than EN ISO standards. On reflection, the Working Group took the opposite tack, opting to reference the EN ISO version wherever it exists, thus eliminating the need for a Note to say that the EN version is also acceptable. This applies to only a few entries in the Table in 4.1.6.1.5: ISO 11114-2:2013, ISO 11621:1997 and ISO 11117:1998. Also in that table, reference is now made to Annex A of EN ISO 17879:2017, rather than to the standard itself. In packing instruction P200(13) 2.4, reference to EN 11114-2:2013 is replaced by reference to EN ISO 11114-2:2013.

The Working Group reviewed the other new and revised standards and made recommendations to the Joint Meeting, which were accepted. As a result, the following changes will be made in the 2021 texts.

In 6.2.4.1, EN ISO 9809-1:2010 will expire on 31 December 2022 and a new entry is added for the 2019 version of the standard; similar changes are made against EN ISO 9809-2:2010 and EN ISO 9809-3:2010.

In 6.2.4.2, EN ISO 10462:2013 will expire on

31 December 2022; a new entry is added for EN ISO 10462:2013 + A1:2019, which will be mandatory from 1 January 2023. The entry for EN 1803:2022 (except Annex B) is amended to show it is available until 31 December 2022 and a new entry is added for EN ISO 10460:2018, which again will be mandatory from 1 January 2023.

RETURNING PROPOSALS Sweden and Switzerland came back with a further paper, following discussions at the Joint Meeting as well as the RID standing working group and WP15, concerning the marking of wagons and containers containing dangerous goods in limited quantities along with other dangerous goods that require a placard. In such cases, there is no need to show the LQ mark as well, which the proposers felt perverse.

They offered the following illustration: if a container is carrying 28,000 litres of UN 1170 ethanol in 5-litre plastics jerrycans, it must bear the LQ mark. If, however, it is also carrying 60 kg of UN 3077 environmentally hazardous substance, solid, it only has to

59

show the Class 9 placard, thus failing to communicate that there is an additional hazard. The joint proposal was to amend text in 3.4.13 to require both or all relevant placards.

Concern was raised that such a move would put RID/ADR/ADN out of step with the requirements of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, which does not require the LQ mark in such cases. The majority of delegates did not support the proposal. Switzerland promised to return with another related proposal in relation to tunnel restrictions at the next session of WP15.

The International Road Transport Union (IRU) followed up on earlier discussions of its proposal to allow online refresher training for drivers of dangerous goods. While the idea has been accepted in principle, further work was deemed necessary. In an informal document, IRU put forward proposed guidelines for the use of e-learning systems, which generated some discussion. On the basis of the comments made, IRU will prepare a revised document for the spring 2020 Joint Meeting. »

 THE DEFINITION OF ‘TANK CONTAINER OPERATOR’ HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT THE FACT THAT MANY OWNERS ARE LESSORS AND USUALLY PLAY NO PART IN THE OPERATION OF THOSE TANKS

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NEW PROPOSALS Italy had spotted what it felt was a contradiction between special provision 375, which applies to UN 3082, and special packing provision PP1 of packing instruction P001.

The first provides a total exemption from the provisions of RID/ADR other than the general provisions in 4.1.1, while the second only exempts the substances from the performance tests in Chapter 6.1. Italy proposed that specific reference to “adhesives, printing inks, printing ink related materials, paints, paint related materials and resin solutions which are assigned to UN 3082” should be deleted from PP1 of P001.

The Joint Meeting, on the other hand, stressed that the exemptions provided in SP 375 are optional, so consignors may choose

 UIC’S UPDATES TO ITS LEAFLETS WILL MEAN CHANGES IN THE ROAD RULES TOO

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

to apply the provisions, whereas PP1 of P001 stipulates that packages may be used that have not been subject to the tests in Chapter 6.1. It was felt that the wording of SP 375 and PP1 is sufficiently clear and no amendment was necessary.

On a rather similar theme, Switzerland sought amendments to 2.2.9.1.10.6 and 2.1.3.8 to make it clear that environmentally hazardous substances should only be assigned to UN 3077 or 3082 if no other entry of Class 9 is applicable. Currently it is the case that substances or mixtures shall only be assigned to entries of UN 3077 or 3082 if they are not otherwise classified according to RID/ADR; conversely, whatever the contained dangerous goods, when they contain environmentally hazardous goods, the consignment must be identified with the environmentally hazardous mark shown in 5.2.1.8.3. To make its point, the paper from Switzerland noted that, in the case of elevated temperature substances of UN 3257 that also meet the criteria for environmentally

hazardous substances, it is impossible to determine which entry is appropriate.

This time the Joint Meeting was more sympathetic and adopted the proposed changes. As a result, in the second sentence of 2.1.3.8, “or of no other substance of Class 9” is added after “Other substances meeting the criteria of no other class”. In 2.2.9.1.10.6, “not otherwise classified under RID/ADR” is replaced by “that do not meet the classification criteria of any other class or another substance within Class 9”.

Portugal noted that the definitions of technical terms in 1.2.1 is clear and concise and a great advantage for users. However, 1.2.1 also contains the meaning of numerous acronyms and abbreviations, which is useful but these do not provide definitions. Its paper proposed moving these abbreviation and acronyms to a new 1.2.3, noting that the IMDG Code has taken a similar approach. The Joint Meeting welcomed the idea and the work done

by Portugal, and some additional suggestions

REGULATIONS 61

were made. A revised proposal will be prepared for the next session.

While on 1.2.1, the International Tank Container Organisation (ITCO) sought a change to the definition of ‘tank-container/ portable tank operator’, following discussion by the Working Group on Tanks at the spring 2019 Joint Meeting. The problem at the moment is that the definition speaks of “any enterprise in whose name the tank is registered”, whereas quite often that enterprise may be a financial entity that plays no part in operating the tank.

The Joint Meeting agreed, with that definition amended to read: “Tank-container or portable tank operator” means any enterprise in whose name the tank-container or portable tank is operated; The International Union of Railways (UIC) advised the Joint Meeting of the ongoing development of its technical literature and the transformation of existing UIC leaflets into International Railway Solutions (IRS). As RID/ ADR references these in 6.11.4.1 and 7.1.3, it is necessary to update those references. The Joint Meeting agreed and, in those paragraphs, removed reference to UIC leaflets 591, 592 and 592-2 to 592-4 with reference to IRS 50591 (Roller units for horizontal transhipment – Technical conditions governing their use in international traffic) and 50592 (Intermodal transport units (other than semi-trailers) for vertical transhipment and suitable for carriage on wagons – Minimum requirements), together with footnotes to indicate the applicable edition.

UIC had also spotted that the list of collective entries in 2.2.2.3 includes under classification code 6A the entry for UN 2857 Refrigerating machines containing non-flammable, non-toxic gas or ammonia solutions, whereas there is no mention under classification code 6F of UN 3358 Refrigerating machines containing

the CLP Regulation, lead sulphate with not more than 3 per cent free acid is classified as an environmentally hazardous substance; however, SP 591 prevents such a classification. Germany proposed amending SP 591 to clarify that such substances are not subject to the requirements for Class 8, rather than the whole of RID/ADR/ADN. There was broad support but some comments were made and a revised proposal will be presented at the next session.

Germany also sought the deletion of transitional provision 1.6.1.22, introduced with the 2011 revision, since the marking requirements for the inner receptacles of composite intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) has changed. The Joint Meeting agreed and deleted that paragraph.

France sought a change to 6.2.2.11 to harmonise the conformity assessment procedures for valves and other demountable accessories on UN and non-UN pressure receptacles. At present, 6.2.3.6.1 allows such accessories for non-UN refillable pressure receptacles to undergo conformity assessment

flammable, non-toxic liquefied gas. The Joint Meeting agreed this was an error and added UN 3358 to the list.

Germany proposed a change to special provision 591 which, it said, is in conflict with the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals (CLP) Regulation. According to

separately from the receptacles themselves, but there is no equivalent permission in 6.2.2.11 for UN pressure receptacles. The Joint Meeting agreed and, after the table in 6.2.2.11, added the following text: For refillable pressure receptacles, the conformity assessment of valves and other demountable »

“THE JOINT MEETING’S AIM IS TO MAINTAIN HARMONISATION INSOFAR AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN RID, ADR AND ADN”

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accessories having a direct safety function may be carried out separately from that of the pressure receptacles.

Spain identified a number of cases where the proper shipping name and/or description in the UN Model Regulations is not followed in RID/ADR, for one reason or another. It suggested that a group be convened to study the possibility of harmonising these entries.

Following discussion and a number of suggestions, Spain will prepare a proposal on the subject of UN 1012 butylene for discussion by the UN TDG Sub-committee, and further develop its proposals for the next session of the Joint Meeting.

Spain also noticed that special provision 593, which applies to UN 1913, 1951, 1963, 1970, 1977, 3136 and 3158, all gases that can be used for cooling purposes, should be contained in double-wall receptacles if they are to be exempted from the requirements of ADR other than those in 5.5.3. However, 5.5.3.2.1 makes no mention of double-wall receptacles. Spain thought it likely that SP 593 had not been modified when amendments were made to 5.5.3.

The Joint Meeting agreed there was a need for change and, after discussion, Spain offered to prepare a revised proposal for the next session.

In another submission, Spain felt that the introduction of the term ‘temperature controlled’ in 3.1.2.6 in the 2019 text of ADR/ ADN meant that consequential amendments were needed, particularly in 5.4.1.1.15 and 7.1.7.3.2. Several delegations supported the proposals in principle and the Joint Meeting invited Spain to take the proposal to the UN TDG Sub-committee for its consideration.

A similar proposal on the use of the word ‘molten’ will be revised for submission at a future session.

air leg. As a result, UN 1043 can be transported by rail or road using packing instruction P200 or the LQ or EQ provisions.

However, in ADR UN 1043 is given a classification code 4A, indicating that it is a dissolved gas and, according to 2.2.2.2.2, dissolved gases that cannot be classified under UN 1001, 2073 or 3318 shall not be accepted for transport.

Spain offered a number of solutions to this conundrum and invited comments from other delegations. The Joint Meeting felt that it was the provisions in 2.2.2.2.2 that needed clarification and Spain offered to prepare a new document for consideration at the next session.

In an informal document Belgium discussed the carriage of refined cobalt dihydroxide in flexible IBCs (FIBCs). This had been done for many years, initially as a non-dangerous substance and, since 2005 under UN 3077 as a packing group III product. However, more recent testing in the context of the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of

and, Belgium said, require additional human intervention and handling and thus a higher risk of exposure by personnel.

A new design for a 13H3 FIBC has been developed in Belgium, manufactured from polypropylene with an inner liner of lowdensity polyethylene and protection for the filling and discharge spouts. This design has been successfully tested and a certificate of approval has been issued by the competent authority for packaging in Belgium. It now suggested that any optimised design of 13H3 or 13H4 FIBC should be permitted for the transport of refined cobalt dihydroxide under specified conditions.

Belgium will take the topic to the UN TDG Sub-committee and also intends to circulate a multilateral special agreement under ADR as an interim solution. The Joint Meeting endorsed that procedure and will resume discussion at the next session.

Germany noted that UN 1872 lead dioxide is given a Division 6.1 subsidiary hazard in RID/

Another paper from Spain addressed UN 1043 Fertiliser ammoniating solution with free ammonia, which is regulated only by special provision 642, pointing to 1.1.4.2. This allows carriage in a transport chain that includes maritime or air carriage, in accordance with the conditions stipulated for the maritime or

Chemicals (REACH) Regulation has indicated an acute inhalation toxicity associate with the product, which would point to classification under UN 3288, Class 6.1, packing group I. The use of FIBCs is not permitted with such material, which will cause considerable disruption to the established supply chain

ADR/ADN, while the UN Model Regulations and IMDG Code only have the primary hazard, Division 5.1. Its informal paper suggested aligning RID/ADR/ADN with the UN Model Regulations and included some necessary consequential amendments. The Joint Meeting welcomed the initiative and invited

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Germany to submit an official document at the next session, to include any possible amendments specific to carriage in bulk.

Luxembourg felt that some clarification was needed on the packaging requirements of 1.1.3.1, given an apparent contradiction in sub-paragraphs (c) and (f), and that a training obligation should be included. Several comments were offered and the Netherlands thought more work was needed. A revised proposal will be prepared for the next session.

The Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA) felt that 7.5.2.3 of ADR is confusing. One part allows mixed loading on one vehicle in closed containers; another part offers exceptions from this allowance, referring to all kinds of mixed loading prohibitions in 7.5.2. COSTHA felt this is problematic to apply and offered two options for amendment. The Joint Meeting came up with some comments and invited COSTHA to

 FLEXIBLE IBCS SUITABLE FOR PGI SUBSTANCES HAVE NOW BEEN DEVELOPED

submit the proposal to WP15 for consideration.

Switzerland sought to clarify the provisions in 5.5.3 relating to dry ice, which in the 2017 texts of RID/ADR/ADN was extended to apply to its carriage as a consignment in addition to its use as a coolant or conditioner. It pointed out that, if dry ice is carried as a consignment, the marking provisions in 5.5.3.4 do not apply, which it felt erroneous. Its paper offered some changes to put the matter right.

After discussion, the Joint Meeting agreed to make a number of changes. These include the addition of “the carriage of dry ice (UN 1845) and to” after “applicable to” in the title of 5.5.3, and the insertion of “in which dry ice (UN 1845) is carried or” after “containers” in various places. At the beginning of the first sentence of 5.5.3.4.1, “Packages…” is replaced by “Packages containing dry ice (UN 1845) as a consignment shall be marked “CARBON DIOXIDE, SOLID” or “DRY ICE”; packages…”

Italy queried the interpretation of the provisions of 4.1.1.21.2, which specifies the height of the stacking test depending on the relative density of the filling substance. It felt that there is some discrepancy between »

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the various minimum or maximum relative densities mentioned. Several delegations raised concerns and Italy offered to review the issue and, if necessary, present a follow-up proposal.

INFORMAL WORKING GROUPS The European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) reported on the progress being made with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and EIGA’s US counterpart, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) to allow the transport of UN refillable pressure receptacles authorised in Europe to and from the US. It is now anticipated that there will be a regulatory rulemaking in the US in mid-2020.

In the meantime, the Joint Meeting approved in principle a proposal made by the informal working group to insert new provisions in RID/ADR at 1.1.4.6, based on the text of the current multilateral agreement M318, covering the import of US pressure receptacles to Europe and the export from Europe of UN pressure receptacles to the

“EIGA REPORTED ON PROGRESS WITH THE US DOT TO ALLOW THE TRANSPORT OF UN PRESSURE RECEPTACLES TO AND FROM THE US”

US. The Joint Meeting felt it best to hold off from any firm decision until the autumn session, by which point US DOT may have taken action.

The European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD) presented an update on the work of the informal working group on the transport

of hazardous waste, which had met for the first time in April 2019. At that meeting, national representatives from seven countries explained their relevant national derogations, from which the group determined those issues that should be brought to the Joint Meeting for further discussion. These include: -T he collection of waste chemicals in small inner packaging, when the original outer packaging no longer exists and the package cannot therefore fulfil all the requirements of ADR -T he collection of hazardous household waste under the terms of the EU Waste Framework Directive, which does not integrate ADR provisions - The re-use of packaging for the return of waste, which is not forbidden but difficult to carry out in compliance with ADR since the original packaging certificate and manufacturer’s instructions are seldom available -C onfusion over the scope of applicability of special provision 663 with reference to UN 3509 empty packaging - A lack of correlation between most of the hazardous waste property categories and ADR -T he potential presence of hazardous household waste in the collection of non-hazardous waste such as empty packaging -D iffering interpretations of 2.1.3.5.5 of ADR, which deals with unidentified waste - Considerations of chemical compatibility of plastic packagings used for the movement of waste of uncertain properties -T he packaging of medical waste -T he strict requirement in ADR to show the exact quantity of waste, which is often not feasible and does not match the tolerance provided by environmental legislation -T he transport of polymerising waste (which is already under consideration

 A WORKING GROUP IS TO CONSIDER ISSUES RELATING TO THE TRANSPORT OF WASTES

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by the Joint Meeting) - The transport of large volumes of contaminated asbestos.

The Joint Meeting recommended that the carriage of used pressure receptacles such as aerosols and gas cartridges in bulk be added to the list. It was agreed that the informal working group should continue its examination of the issues, concentrating initially on those of high importance so that it would be possible to include amendments to the 2023 texts of RID/ADR/ADN, and also on those that can be resolved relatively easily.

FEAD said it would organise another meeting and asked for volunteers to host the group.

Germany, on behalf of the informal working group on telematics, presented a report of the group’s meeting in June 2019, where it finalised the draft text of Guidelines for the use of 5.4.0.2 in RID/ADR/ADN. This paragraph allows the use of electronic data exchange to satisfy the documentation requirements of Chapter 5.4, provided the procedure for capturing, storing and processing the data meet the legal requirements as regards evidential value and availability during transport in a manner at least equivalent to that of paper documentation, although this equivalence is not defined.

The Joint Meeting welcomed the work and, with one change, agreed to forward the Guidelines for consideration by WP15 and the RID Committee of Experts. It was also agreed that the Guidelines could be applied on a voluntary basis and for each transport mode separately; however, if they are used, they must be applied consistently.

A follow-up meeting was due to be held in January 2020 to clarify technical issues relating to the implementation of the Guidelines. Some delegations said they still needed to verify issues relating to data security before committing to use the Guidelines.

Romania updated the Joint Meeting on its efforts, along with Switzerland, to rationalise the use of the terms ‘risk’ and ‘hazard’ throughout the regulations, having presented a paper to the UN TDG Sub-committee at

its summer 2019 session. Since then, a correspondence group has been established, which has helped in the development of a consolidated table of proposed amendments.

Another point was raised, following a recent proposal by Belgium to replace the term ‘high consequence dangerous goods’ with ‘high risk dangerous goods’ in Chapter 1.10 of RID/ ADR/ADN. Is the use of the term ‘risk’ in the context of the security provisions correct?

Should the UN TDG Sub-committee be involved? The Joint Meeting was of the opinion that the English text should not be changed, though there was a case to be made for the French text and that this should be taken to the UN TDG Sub-committee.

ACCIDENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT The EU Agency for Railways (ERA) advised that the guides forming the Inland TDG Risk Management Framework (RMF) have now been published on the ERA website and on the website of the European Commission’s DG MOVE. This was welcomed by the Joint Meeting.

ERA also reported on the Risk Acceptance Criteria (RAC) that were discussed by the Expert Users and Development Group (EUDG); RMF does not impose RACs but only decision-making principles and some members of EUDG have been firmly against the setting of harmonised RACs. Work is proceeding in a collaborative manner to develop a further risk management platform, ERA said; this initiative was welcomed by the Joint meeting.

France reported on progress made by the informal working group on the improvement of the accident report, providing specimens of draft reports for RID and ADR while acknowledging that some items are still missing. Further work was due to take place in late 2019 and in February 2020.

OTHER BUSINESS Claude Pfauvadel and Silvia García Wolfrum were re-elected as chair and vice-chair, respectively, for 2020. The next session of the Joint Meeting will take place from 16 to 20 March 2020 in Bern.

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DIVERSION AHEAD

THE 107TH SESSION of the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (ECE) Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15) took place in Geneva this past 11 to 15 November. WP15 is the body responsible for maintaining the ADR Agreement and its regulatory annexes that form the basis for the transport of dangerous goods by road throughout Europe and increasingly further afield.

The meeting was chaired by Ariane Roumier (France) with Alfonso Simoni (Italy) as vice-chair.

from Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia, the European Union (EU), the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) and four non-governmental organisations.

The main task of the session was to agree the amendments that had been adopted at the earlier Joint Meeting of RID/ADR/ADN experts, insofar as they are applicable to and appropriate for road transport. These amendments will appear in the text of ADR that takes effect in 2021.

be aligned with ADR as far as possible.

Turkey, with nearly ten years as a contracting party to ADR, made a presentation on what it saw as the benefits of attending meetings of WP15, which was warmly received and provided some guidance to other states on the periphery of the core ADR group. In a similar vein, Tunisia and the representative of the Euromed project reiterated that the lack of an Arabic language version of ADR remains a major obstacle in spreading its usability in some countries. WP15 noted that discussions are still ongoing to allow the translation work to proceed, subject to funding being available for the language services of the UN office in Geneva. The Euromed representative said that such funding could be covered by the Euromed project, at least for an initial edition, although a long-term solution is needed to allow the biennial updates to also be translated.

The Netherlands stressed the country’s political commitment to improving safety and reducing the environmental impact of transport

It was attended by representatives of 25 European countries along with representatives

Before moving on to discussion of those changes, however, WP15 reviewed the strategy of its parent body, the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) to 2030 and confirmed that its work and ADR are fully in line with that strategy. It recommended that national laws on the transport of dangerous goods should

operations and its representative stated that he would support further work in this area within ADR to help achieve the sustainable development goals set out in the ITC strategy.

Finally, it was noted that there had been no new contracting parties to ADR since the previous meeting, although Malta had

ROAD • IT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE THE 2021 TEXT OF ADR WILL CONTAIN A LARGE NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS, NOT ALL OF WHICH WILL BE HARMONISED WITH THE UN MODEL REGULATIONS

 AN ARABIC-LANGUAGE VERSION OF ADR IS SORELY NEEDED IF ITS USE IS TO WIDEN

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acceded to the Protocol of 1993. The meeting urged the 13 countries yet to do so to take the necessary measures.

JOINT MEETING WP15 reviewed the decisions made by the Joint Meeting of RID/ADR/ADN experts and approved most of the amendments, with some editorial changes to fit the needs of the road transport mode. There were, though, some issues.

Firstly, the Joint Meeting’s informal working group on the inspection and certification of tanks was due to present proposals for amendment at the spring 2020 session and WP15 would be asked to formally adopt those amendments at its next session. It was therefore rather urgent for any comments on the draft proposals to be submitted to the chair of the informal working group in good time.

WP15 adopted changes to the amendment to special packing provision PP16 in packing instruction P003, so that Note 2 to PP16 will refer to packing instruction P801 as a whole, not just to P801(2). It was also thought that the texts of those packing instructions could be clarified in respect of their applicability to used batteries shipped under UN 2800.

WP15 welcomed the guidelines for the use of 5.4.0.2 developed by the Joint Meeting’s informal working group on telematics and urged the secretariat to publish them online to facilitate their use on a voluntary and consistent basis.

Switzerland queried the change adopted by the Joint Meeting to add the new entry for UN 3549 (medical waste, category A) in 4.1.8.6, meaning that sub-sections 4.1.8.1 to 4.1.8.5 are not applicable. As a result, the period of use permitted for plastics drums and jerricans is limited and the reuse of empty packaging is not allowed. Switzerland felt UN 3549 should be subject to the same provisions as UN 2814 and 2900. After discussion, WP15 invited Switzerland to return to the Joint Meeting with this issue, and decided against

to the UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG).

Switzerland also followed up on discussions on how to address the issue of the placarding of tank vehicles that have changed the grade of product carried without being cleaned. This practice can raise some questions, such as when biofuels are loaded after gasoline. Its paper offered a suggested text to clarify the situation, which was supported by the UK. However, other delegations did not support the idea and Switzerland will reconsider the proposal.

PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT Germany reported on discussions by the informal working group on clarification of the construction requirements for the body of EX/ III vehicles (paragraph 9.3.4.2), which had met in early October 2018. That group had agreed some basic results but felt that it did not have access to the full range of expertise that would be needed to resolve all the questions given as part of its mandate from WP15.

The Working Party regretted that lack of specialists but welcomed the initial conclusions, saying that work should continue.

The UK suggested this could be done in the

light of the discussions in the Joint Meeting’s informal working group on the reduction of the risk of boiling liquid evaporating vapour explosions (BLEVEs).

Referring back to its comments on sustainability in the transport sector, the Netherlands gave an update on the use of electric and hybrid electric vehicles for the transport of dangerous goods. So far, it said, production of heavy goods electric vehicle has been based on modifications to traditional vehicles; however, new designs are not far off.

It is expected that these will feature radically different configurations of the power units.

The Netherlands has already been asked to approve the carriage of dangerous goods on vehicles with electric power and fuel cells, so far mainly for short distances, although also for international movements.

At present, there is a lack of practical knowledge available but the Netherlands felt it prudent to begin to evaluate the issue and examine the potential risks for AT and FL vehicles and what mitigation measures might be appropriate. It proposed the establishment of an informal working group to begin the work.

The Working Party agreed with the idea but said that it should be discussed jointly with »

adopting the amendment to 4.1.8.6 as it stands. Switzerland will also make a proposal

 TECHNICAL ADVANCES KEEP THE WORKING PARTY ON ITS TOES

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the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP29) at a meeting scheduled for November 2020. Delegations were invited to suggest points for consideration.

France reiterated the problems experienced in finding cables conforming to the ISO standards introduced in ADR 2017, as required by 9.2.2.2.1. WP15 noted that this problem can arise for N1 and N2 vehicles that had been converted for ADR use, as they are not fitted with standard cables and rewiring can be costly and may lead to safety problems.

Delegates experiencing problems were invited to approach vehicle manufacturers to help address the issue.

Sweden followed up on earlier discussions on the supervision of vehicles, as required by Chapter 8.5, this time bringing a formal proposal to clarify the provisions in S1(6), S16

In S1(6), in the second paragraph under the list, “substances and articles shall be supervised at all times in order to prevent” is replaced with “substances and articles, when subject to the provisions in 1.10.3, shall be supervised in accordance with the security plan in 1.10.3.2 at all times to prevent”.

In S16, the second paragraph is replaced by: In addition, vehicles carrying more than 500 kg of these substances shall, when subject to the provisions in 1.10.3, be supervised in accordance with the security plan in 1.10.3.2 at all times to prevent any malicious act and to alert the driver and competent authorities in the event of loss or fire.

In S21, the second sentence is deleted. A new paragraph is added after the sub-paragraphs: In addition, these goods shall, when subject to the provisions in 1.10.3, be supervised in

and S21 by making reference to the security provisions in 1.10.3. On a vote, it was agreed to adopt the proposals, with some drafting changes. The Working Party noted that, for other goods subject to the security requirements, the general supervision rules in Chapter 8.4 remain applicable.

accordance with the security plan in 1.10.3.2 at all times to prevent any malicious act and to alert the driver and the competent authorities in the event of loss or fire.

The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) returned with a formal proposal following up on its earlier concerns about the

HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2020

forging of ADR driver certificates, something it said is a growing problem. One issue is that the examples of such certificates published on the UN ECE website do not show the additional security features (holograms, UV printing or guilloche patterns) required by 8.2.2.8.3 of ADR. Some explanatory text would help when checking certificates. In addition, Cefic noted that Lithuania has introduced a database of valid certificates.

In response to the idea of an international database, the Working Party felt this would raise some problems, notably the funding needed to create and maintain it as well as the protection of personal data. However, WP15 was interested to see that such databases are now being set up at the national level and felt it might be interesting to invite the Joint Meeting’s working group on telematics to establish a common interface to help exchange data between the competent authorities.

In the meantime, WP15 did adopt an amended version of Cefic’s proposal for a new text of 8.2.2.8.6: Contracting Parties shall provide the ECE secretariat with an example of the national model for any certificate intended for issue in accordance with this section. Contracting Parties shall also provide explanatory notes to enable the verification of conformity of certificates with the examples provided. The secretariat shall make this information available on its website.

The secretariat offered a number of editorial amendments, many pertaining only to the French language version of ADR. Some changes were agreed to the general transitional measures, including the normal two-year extension of 1.6.1.1, which allows the 2019 text of ADR to be used up until 30 June 2021. Outdated provisions in 1.6.1.30, 1.6.1.36 and 1.6.1.47 were deleted.

Switzerland reported on a problem that had been raised: drivers often provide a large number of transport documents during a roadside inspection, often including details of cargo that has already been unloaded. This

 THE WORKING PARTY WILL VERY SOON HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES

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could also be an issue during an emergency response, if responders are unsure what cargoes are left aboard. While ADR provides details of the documents that should be carried, it does not specifically say that these should apply only to the goods on the transport unit at the time.

Most delegations agreed that drivers should only present documents relevant to the current transport in the event of a check but did not support the solution proposed. Many felt that this is a problem of driver training rather than the wording of ADR; also, Switzerland’s proposal did not take account of uncleaned empty tanks. Switzerland may present a revised proposal at a future session.

The UK followed up on ongoing work at WP15 and the Joint Meeting to implement the requirements in clause 6.1 of the forthcoming standard EN 13094:2020 to the safe use of tanks in accordance with footnote 3 of 6.8.2.1.18 of ADR, with specific reference

“SWITZERLAND ARRIVED WITH A NUMBER OF PAPERS RELATING TO THE TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS IN TUNNELS”

to the cross-sectional shapes of tank shells.

The Working Party approved the Guidelines on the use of footnote 3 drafted by the UK and their publication on the UN ECE website should the revised version of the standard not be published in time to be referenced in the 2021 edition of ADR. It also adopted the amendment to footnote 3 and introduced a reference to the Guidelines in ADR. Switzerland arrived with a number of papers relating to the transport of dangerous goods in tunnels, something that is – not surprisingly – an important issue for the Alpine country. Firstly, there seems to be a difference in the requirements of 1.9.5.3.6, which states that, for tunnels of category E, those tunnel restrictions apply to both transport units and containers for which a marking in accordance with 3.4.1.3 is required, and those in 8.6.3.3 and 8.6.4, which only mention transport units, not containers. This fits neatly alongside

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Switzerland’s other complaint, that transport units and containers containing limited quantities as » well as fully regulated dangerous goods are not required to carry the limited quantities marking, which does not necessarily reflect the actual hazard and might in fact be misleading in the event of an accident or in respect of tunnel restrictions in category E tunnels.

The Working Party recognised the problems raised by Switzerland but there was no consensus on a way forward. It invited Switzerland and its neighbour Austria, which offered an alternative, to prepare revised proposals for the next session.

Switzerland delved deeper with another paper asking for more information on consignments for which the ‘(-)’ is assigned in column (15) of the Dangerous Goods List, so as to be able to ensure passage through tunnels subject to restrictions. It proposed a new sub-section in 1.1.3.6.6 to note that this assignment should not be taken into account when dangerous goods in limited quantities are in a mixed load with other dangerous goods that have another tunnel restriction code, and this code should take precedence when calculating the quantity limit.

Most delegations agreed with Switzerland’s

belief that transport under the provisions of 1.1.3.6 is exempt from tunnel restrictions but it was generally felt that goods with ‘(-)’ should be taken into account when determining the calculated value. The Working Party noted that the examples presented by Switzerland mainly concerned environmentally hazardous substances of UN 3077 or 3082; it was thought that the Joint Meeting should be asked for its opinion.

Switzerland also sought to amend an amendment adopted at the previous session, relating to special provision 363(1) and 5.4.1.1.1(k). The adopted text of SP 363(1) reads: The transport unit shall display orangecoloured plates according to 5.3.2 and the tunnel restrictions according to 8.6.4 apply. The orange-coloured plates according to 5.3.2 are not necessary where the carriage is known beforehand not to pass through a tunnel with restrictions for carriage of dangerous goods.

Switzerland’s argument was that the second sentence is redundant and does not help in understanding the requirement already stated. The Working Party saw the argument and agreed. As a result, the second sentence of that paragraph is deleted and the first sentence is changed so that SP 363(1) in its entirety now reads:

For carriage that includes passage through restricted tunnels, the transport unit shall display orange-coloured plates according to 5.3.2 and the tunnel restrictions according to 8.6.4 apply.

Similarly, 5.4.1.1.1(k) is amended to read: for carriage that includes passage through tunnels with restrictions for carriage of dangerous goods, the tunnel restriction code given in Column (15) of Table A of Chapter 3.2, in capitals within parenthesis, or the mention ‘(–)’.

INTERPRETATION OF ADR Sweden sought some clarification on the equipment required on a transport unit according to 8.1.5. This section defines what equipment and personal protective equipment need to be carried in case of a leak or an emergency but is not very specific. How can hauliers or enforcement bodies satisfy themselves that a particular item is suitable for its task? Furthermore, while the Instructions in Writing state that the vehicle crew shall act in an emergency where it is safe and practicable to do so, the decision on whether or not to act may well be taken under stress. The driver can be penalised for not carrying the right equipment but, Sweden said, it would be very difficult to justify penalising a driver for not taking action or using the equipment. Sweden had discovered that its Work Environment Authority has its own legislation that is applicable and thought other ADR states would also have similar rules.

Most delegations thought it would be very difficult to be more specific and that the choice of the most appropriate equipment, according to the hazards presented by the load, was a matter of common sense and the responsibility of the transport company. It was thought, though, that it would be possible to add some general provisions, such as a minimum size for the collecting container. For other matters, road safety or work safety regulations may pre-empt any decision. Sweden may revert with a more detailed proposal.

Finland sought the Working Party’s opinion on the transport of waste batteries in bulk and, in particular, whether those batteries need to be protected against short circuit and, if not, what other means are available to fulfil the requirement for safe transport? The Working

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Party felt this was a multimodal issue and asked Finland to take its query to the Joint Meeting.

Austria asked for the Working Party’s opinion on the transport of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as a load. If the vehicle has a damaged or defective battery that cannot be removed, it should not be subject to the provisions of ADR, given the conditions imposed by special provision 666; the Working Party concurred with this reading. For a BEV that is not damaged or defective, only the requirements of 2.2.9.1.7 apply, unless SP 667 provides an exemption; again the Working Party concurred and invited Austria to submit its analysis and questions to the Joint Meeting, which could then decide whether to provide clarification in 1.1.3. Along the way, it was noted that another example offered by Austria involving the transport of a damaged vehicle with a combustion engine whose valve between the engine and the fuel tank could no longer be closed had not been taken into consideration

Belgium wished to know whether an empty, uncleaned tank vehicle not registered or fulfilling the requirements of ADR being transported on a flatbed trailer falls within the scope of ADR and whether there are any exemptions. It was recalled that similar questions had been fielded by the Working Party in 2015 and 2006, but there was no consensus on this occasion. Belgium suggested it could deal with the issue by means of a national derogation but the Working Party thought there might be a need for an amendment to ADR. The Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA) brought a question it had already put to the Joint Meeting, namely the confusion caused by the second sentence of 7.5.2.3. The first sentence reads: For the purpose of the application of the prohibitions of mixed loading on one vehicle, no account shall be taken of substances contained in closed containers with complete sides.

the secretariat to check to find out what the reasoning was behind it. As COSTHA’s informal document had been submitted late, it was asked to come back with a working document for the next session.

Germany queried the intent of the transitional periods provided in the table in 9.2.1.1, which sets out the specifications for electrical equipment on vehicles, especially as the requirements in Part 9 in force up to 31 December 2018 will no longer be applicable after 31 March 2020. There were differences of opinion on the questions raised and the subject will be raised again at the next session.

when drafting special provisions 666 and 667 and some amendments might be necessary.

The second sentence lays out the exceptions, which refer to all kinds of mixed loading prohibitions in 7.5.2, not merely to those involving closed containers. As it stands, COSTHA said, the whole of 7.5.2.3 is pointless.

It also noted that the second sentence arrived in ADR in 2001 and the Working Party asked

list of corrections to ADR 2019, which was subsequently issued in January 2020 as the third corrigendum.

The 108th session of WP15 is due to take place between 11 and 15 May 2020; a report on that meeting will be carried in a future issue of HCB.

 IT IS DIFFICULT TO SPECIFY EXACTLY WHAT PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE CARRIED

OTHER BUSINESS The secretariat was asked to prepare a consolidated list of all the amendments adopted for entry into force on 1 January 2021.

This should be issued no later than 1 July 2020.

The secretariat had already prepared a brief

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NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BANG BANG YOU’RE DEAD It must be an interesting life being involved in emergency response. We dare say there are procedures to be followed but, especially out in the boonies, sometimes responders need to take the initiative.

So it was in January, where the Grand Tower Fire Department in Illinois resorted to some homespun techniques to help deal with a house fire. The blaze broke out in an abandoned home in the small town; the volunteer fire department managed to shut off the gas and electric supply to the house but were concerned that, as their firefighting efforts had left a large amount of water around the house – up to a foot deep (30 cm) in some places – there was a risk from the live power lines outside the home.

With medical and utility company personnel some way away from the remote location, Chief Wright of the fire department leafed through his mental playbook and resorted to a seldom-used method of dealing with this sort of issue, what he called the ‘Grand Tower Electric Disconnect’. This involves breaking out the shotgun and shooting the live power wires from the pole. He reckoned this was the third time he’d had to use this technique in the past 30 years.

securely lodged in place: “He was into the tank at least up to the waist, but his feet were hanging over the side so he had no support,” said Lt Bob Kean of the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department. His crew tried to pull him out but that was hurting him, so tightly was he wedged in.

As a last resort, fire crews cut the tank open using a reciprocating saw. The victim in the incident was taken to hospital as a precaution. Perhaps not surprisingly, he declined to give his name to reporters on the scene.

STUCK IN A HOLE

FLEEING THE SCENE Also looking to remain unidentified were a tanker driver and his mate, who absconded last July after their vehicle caught fire in Osino, Ghana. It soon became apparent that the fire was no accident – it was set deliberately in order to hide the evidence of the pair’s actions in selling its cargo of diesel.

According to reports in the Graphic, the 54,000 litres of diesel was loaded in Tema and was to be delivered to the northern town of Yendi; instead, the driver diverted to Accra, where the load was sold, and then went to Osino.

The deal was ‘masterminded’, according to the Graphic, by a former driver for the trucking company, although his plan seemed to have a lot of holes in it. Firstly, it

In July last year, firefighters in Clearwater, Florida were called to help a man who had got stuck inside a pesticide tank. The victim in this story worked for a pest control company and had been cleaning the tank out when his shoulders became wedged inside the opening. Fire crews arrived to find him

relied on the driver claiming that he had run out of fuel (despite there being 54,000 litres of it on the truck), in order to get the mate out of the way while the deal was done.

Suffice to say, the three did not remain unidentified for long and at least two were quickly in police custody.

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