HCB Magazine November 2018

EDITOR’S LETTER

Back in the days before the internet, restless youths had to make their mischief on the streets, stealing road signs, frightening old ladies or making a noisy nuisance after dark. But with new technology came new ways of making mischief. One of the most remarkable bits of information I have picked up recently is that there are tools available on the internet that will allow anyone to become a hacker in the space of a weekend.

As digitisation and Industry 4.0 concepts gain increasing traction in the dangerous goods supply chain – as we saw in great detail in last month’s HCB – the threat posed by hackers is ever more significant. And it is not just spotty teenagers in bedrooms, generating malware that might just impact your IT systems: there are some nefarious players out there in the dark, who might want to hold your IT system to ransom, and others with more geopolitical aims who may well have a yen to bring down the capitalist system – and your company with it.

So, while we have been talking a lot in these pages about digitisation over the past two years, the conversation has more recently opened up to incorporate cyber-security issues. Not before time, too: don’t forget that all high-hazard facilities covered by the Seveso III Directive in Europe – and similar provisions elsewhere in the world – have a duty to address cyber-security, just as they do physical security threats.

Like many in the business, I suspect, I am not an expert in cyber-security and I console myself by thinking that there is someone in a room somewhere in the organisation with a responsibility (and the knowledge) to take ownership of the problem. At least, I hope there is, because I don’t really

have the time – or inclination – to come up to speed on the technical issues involved.

But I did receive some succour from the UK authorities at a recent conference. It reminded me of a time I was sharing a podium with a rocket scientist. I asked him about his profession and he leaned in conspiratorially. “The thing about rocket science,” he said, “is that it’s not ‘rocket science’.” Similarly, it seems that cyber-security, despite its off-putting name, is not rocket science. For a start, any competent IT department ought to be able to put in place measures to protect against 80 per cent of cyber-attacks very quickly. Covering the remaining 20 per cent may take more time (and money) although, as with physical security, 100 per cent protection is unlikely to be feasible.

With increasing use of remote sensors to deliver data to control systems, many companies are laying themselves open to cyber-attack. Those vulnerabilities have to be identified before they can be managed, just as many companies have to identify and mitigate physical security vulnerabilities. In fact, they may well find that the assessment of cyber-security vulnerabilities is a whole lot easier than doing the same for physical security vulnerabilities, although the response to the assessment will necessarily be different.

But management of change will still be important: any change to a company’s IT network has the potential to open up new vulnerabilities, even if the greatest vulnerabilities will continue to be found at employees’ desktop and laptop computers. Be prepared for more restrictions on how you use the internet at work.

Peter Mackay

CONTENTS

VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 11

TANKS & LOGISTICS

Down by the riverside

Ports make barges more efficient 14

High flyers

Drones find a role in inspections 16

Plugged in Electronic ECD is a reality 20

Going for Ghent

A new home for H Essers 23

All for one

TCF rolls out booking platform 24

Plastic beach

Rotterdam builds polymer hub 26

Open to opportunity

What’s on at Intermodal Europe 27

News bulletin – tanks and logistics 28

News bulletin – storage terminals 46

COURSES AND CONFERENCES

Training courses 48 Conference diary 51

SAFETY Incident Log 52

In labels we trust US update from Reliance Label 56

REGULATIONS

Buffer stock

Finalising the 2019 RID rules 58

UP FRONT

Letter from the Editor 01 30 Years Ago 04

Learning by Training 05

IBCS

Containers of interest IPA reports rising sales 06

Packaging made easy Schütz refines its IBCs 08

New and improved Greif expands in Russia 10

Talk to your tailor Thielmann offers bespoke solutions 12 News bulletin – industrial packaging 13

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION

A whole new world Fecc expects a different future 30

Chemical transformation Univar accelerates consolidation 35 News bulletin – chemical distribution 36

STORAGE TERMINALS

The tank arena TSA talks it all through 38 Singapore plugs in Vopak trials digital systems 44

Process progress

Ten years of IFLEXX 45

New year, new rules What to expect from IATA 64

Breaking the mould HCC a new forum for China 67

BACK PAGE Not otherwise specified 68

NEXT MONTH

Report from the EPCA Annual Meeting

Annual plastics drum survey

What DG professionals think Gas shipping and storage

Editor–in–Chief

Peter Mackay

Email: peter.mackay@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 7769 685 085

Deputy Editor

Sam Hearne

Email: sam.hearne@hcblive.com

Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4041

Managing Director

Email: samuel.ford@hcblive.com

+44 (0)20 8371 4035

HCB

Commercial Manager

Ben

Email:

Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4036

Campaigns Director

Craig

Email: Craig.Vine@hcblive.com

+44 (0) 20 8371 4014

Managing Editor

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

Media

Manager

Cargo Media Ltd

Marlborough House

Regents Park Road, London N3 2SZ

2059-5735

30 YEARS AGO

A LOOK BACK AT NOVEMBER 1988

There was something of a ‘rail’ theme to the November 1988 issue of HCB. Not only was there a profile of UP Railroad’s hazmat activities and a report on tank car construction in the US, but we also posed the intriguing question: what’s safer – road or rail?

Thirty years, ago, the West German government (as it was then –the Berlin Wall had another year’s life left) had just taken action to require dangerous goods to move to rail wherever possible. The move came as a response to an accident in July 1987 when a road tanker carrying gasoline ran out of control and crashed into a café in Herborn, killing four people. The provision is still in place in the snappily titled Gefahrgutsverordnungs-Strasse and is perhaps not well understood by hauliers outside of Germany.

At the time, we said of the German action: “The move has infuriated the road transport industry, jeopardised the status of the ADR Agreement and placed the European rail tank wagon leasing business in a difficult position with practically no time to plan for their being granted a virtual monopoly on the long-distance carriage of bulk hazardous liquids through the Federal Republic.”

Perhaps, as things turned out, we were being overly dramatic: the ADR Agreement remains firm and there does not appear to be any problem with delivering dangerous goods in bulk in Germany, albeit a number of major players in the chemical industry do make more use of rail transport than their peers in other European countries.

There were suggestions at the time that other states would follow West Germany’s example. Spain, for instance, was thought a likely

candidate, not least since it suffered one of the highest rates of road accidents in Europe. Since then, and following its accession to the EU in 1986, there has been massive investment in its road network and things are much better. Plus, there was always the issue of the Iberian gauge rail network, effectively split off from the rest of Europe by the need to transload goods at the French border. While Euro-gauge tracks are making inroads into Spain, the link with the chemical hub at Tarragona is still not complete, making it harder for manufacturers there to achieve seamless movement by rail to the rest of Europe.

The November 1988 issue also looked at the latest session of the ECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, which had finalised the changes to ADR due to enter into force in 1990. Much of the work dealt with revision of the requirements for explosives and radioactives but there was also a lot to be done to adopt the new Class 9, as well as Appendix A.6 on intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). It is illuminating to remember that those provisions are only thirty years old, when they are now such an integral part of the dangerous goods supply chain.

HCB also reported on the August 1988 meeting of the Group of Experts on Explosives, the last prior to its merger with the UN Group of Rapporteurs. There were concerns among the explosives experts that the move would lead to less time being available for discussion of Class 1 issues which, for them at least, were obviously much more important than other classes.

LEARNING BY TRAINING

By Arend van Campen

THE CASSANDRA EFFECT

I recently read an interesting article by Richard A Clarke and RP Eddy called ‘Why visionaries who can accurately predict looming disasters are often ignored’.

The authors wrote: Cassandra was a beautiful princess of Troy cursed by the god Apollo. He gave her the ability to foresee impending doom but the inability to persuade anyone to believe her.

I could not help feeling touched by this article as it confirmed exactly what I am experiencing myself. I have been writing this column and my blog for some years now, but despite the truthfulness and predictions based on logic and empirical research, most of what I write seems to be ignored.

The column which I write for HCB and my publications on LinkedIn are well researched. I trained myself as a cybernetician and a systems scientist, because by combining scientifically sound insights obtained from these sources, I learned how to predict looming disasters. I even developed a measurement or mapping tool to do this. It measures the so-called limitations of reality, for which I coined the term Realimiteit

What Clarke and Eddy write about Cassandra is that, although her predictions were sound and logical, people did not want to listen to them. Neither was she able to convince the people she was right. Thus, Troy was destroyed after the Trojan Horse was allowed to enter the city.

Information, in this case in the form of a prediction, even perhaps of negligible value, still must be contemplated when decisions are made. Not considering even a little part of it will alter the outcome beyond control (the ‘Butterfly Effect’). The suppression of information for ulterior motives - for example, a prediction based on science, an observation that is being deemed irrelevant, or suggestions by

those who are able to foresee things - directly destabilises intended results and makes them uncontrollable. Predictions and facts should be weighed and used as feedback in order to steer an organisation, because only then it learns and can adapt.

Cassandra knew this, as do many philosophers who ask ‘ALL’ questions and can reliably synthesise what is going to happen next. The same applies for our hazardous cargo industries. HSE failures and risk can only be prevented by using all information and by listening to Cassandras. Perhaps Cassandra was an early cybernetician? I feel she certainly was a ‘systems thinker’.

An example: the Macondo Oil Spill Disaster, which cost BP about $62bn, was in fact caused because information about the instability of the foundation of the cemented wellhead/Christmas tree was ignored. People and instruments warned about it, but these predictions were disregarded. Earlier I explained the value of requisite variety and the creation and sustenance of viable systems. This means that any operation, business or process undertaken can be maximally controlled by accepting even the smallest pieces of information and using them to govern our intentions. This will prevent disaster, because now you can predict catastrophe by epistemological knowledge using systems science and cybernetics. If you happen to know Cassandra, please listen to her.

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.

CONTAINERS OF INTEREST

DEMAND FOR INTERMEDIATE bulk containers (IBCs) continues to grow steadily across the UK, European and international markets with sales of new, remanufactured and reconditioned containers on the rise. According to Phil Pease, CEO of the Industrial Packaging Association (IPA), recent statistics show the European market growing from around 1.4m units in 2006 to just under 4.0m units in 2018. This growth is across all key markets, which cover chemicals, dangerous goods, foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals.

While there has been some conversion to IBC use from both the plastics and steel drum markets, it is believed that a substantial part of the growth is not from market share but overall market growth. IBCs are able to hold a larger capacity when compared with kegs and drums, and a general increase in raw material productivity has led to more raw materials being transported, contributing to the rise.

Never prone to resting on their laurels, IBC manufacturers continue to drive the popularity of their products through research and development. NCG-Mauser recently launched its SM-PCR series IBCs. These IBC bottles are produced using Mauser’s multilayer technology where the inner layer is virgin polymer but with post-consumer recyclate (PCR) used for the outer layer, ensuring product safety and environmental efficiency in one package. Werit, a leader in industrial packaging, now has a unique range of “mini-me” 300-litre IBCs that are available on wooden or plastics bases, complementing its already existing 600-litre, 800-litre and 1,000-litre products. Werit’s IBCs also have

a pressure management discharge system, which allows product discharge through the vale without removing the lid, thus minimising the risk of contamination.

Continuous development of IBCs and IBC technology is a driving force within the industry and with new developments come new opportunities, not only for suppliers but for consumers as well, Pease says.

NEW RULES

Regulations and safety standards are constantly being reviewed and improved upon by international alliances of trade organisations such as the International Confederation of Plastics Packaging Manufacturers (ICPP), the International Confederation of Container Reconditioners (ICCR) and their representation at the UN Committee of Experts. The 53rd session of UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods will take place in Geneva next summer and is set to reflect the current interest in IBCs, with a number of proposals from Belgium. Some of these proposals include inner receptacle marking, routine maintenance requirements and marking of dates. Other proposals on IBCs include an ICPP proposal to clarify reference to the stacking mark and a proposal from the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and the Dangerous Goods Advisory Council (DGAC) on multiple marking of IBCs where more than one design type conformance is covered.

There is currently a lot of media attention on single-use, retail packaging waste reaching the ocean. One of the important aspects that is being focused on is the capability for repeated reuse on a global scale. Both drums and IBCs transport products on international journeys before being cleaned, inspected and tested to ensure safe reuse with minimal energy consumption and proven sustainability, an important step in an effort to reduce the global carbon footprint. The ability sets the industrial packaging sector in a different class of environmental efficiency compared to retail packaging and it is important that is recognised in any environmental legislation being developed. HCB www.theIPA.co.uk

CONTAINERS • IPA’S PHIL PEASE REPORTS ON THE CONTINUED GROWTH IN IBC MARKETS IN EUROPE AND THE TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT THE REGULATORS WILL BE GETTING TO GRIPS WITH NEXT YEAR

PACKAGING MADE EASY

EQUIPMENT • LEADING IBC MANUFACTURER SCHÜTZ HAS INTRODUCED SOME NOVEL REFINEMENTS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND PROTECT LADINGS FROM CONTAMINATION

TRANSPORTING LIQUIDS – ESPECIALLY chemicals – is a risky business. Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), while efficient and versatile, can still be subject to tampering and contamination, despite the traditional failsafe methods the industry is used to seeing. Schütz Packaging Systems, a global leader in industrial packaging, previewed two new components for its range of IBCs at the FachPack 2018 exhibition, held in Nuremberg, Germany from 25 to 27 September, that are designed to improve product security.

High-quality packaging does not only come into its own under extreme circumstances. The benefits begin much earlier during daily operations, helping users save time and money. To further boost these advantages, Schütz is constantly working to increase the overall performance of the company’s packaging systems. As well as application safety, the company focuses on the question of how handling in the supply chain can be made easier and more convenient for users.

In light of this, the company has introduced a new safeguard system for its IBC outlet

valves that aims to reform the current methods of protecting originality. Schütz

Ecobulk containers, the company’s flagship IBCs, are always transported and stored with a closed and secured outlet valve. In order to open the valve, the customer must first remove the screw cap and thus the red polyethylene disk so as to reveal the foil seal that acts as a concealed originality protection method.

SAFETY FIRST

Until now, there have been two options to secure the outlet valve: a steel safety screw or a plastics safety clip. In day-to-day operations, Schütz believes both options are unsatisfactory. Use of a safety screw means that an additional tool is required to open the screw, along with the constant risk that the screw might get lost. The same applies when a safety clip is used, with the additional risk of the clip being dropped when the valve is opened, making it impossible to secure the valve at a later point.

Schütz’s new safeguard system consists of a yellow tab that is integrated in the valve between the casing dome and the handle. The tab is easy to use: the latch is simply pressed up with a thumb, requiring no tools. By pressing the latch up, the handle of the outlet valve is released and can then be turned to discharge the product. After discharge, the handle is moved back into its original position to close it and the tab can then be pressed down again, snapping into place to relock the outlet valve.

The option of reclosing the container quickly and easily is a great benefit, as up to now that process has been laborious and timeconsuming. This is especially beneficial from a regulatory standpoint as transport regulations demand that the container is securely closed, a condition that is also required under the terms of the Schütz Ticket Service when the container is collected after use.

Another of Schütz’s added features is its originality sticker, designed to provide additional protection. The sticker, which is attached to closed lock at the factory, breaks when the tab is pushed up for the first time, instantly showing that the valve has been opened. The originality strip protects the filling product from tampering, effectively

ruling out the risk of contamination and protects the original quality of the product.

All of Schütz’s EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol) products – which are commonly used in foodgrade applications – have been fitted with the new safeguard system as standard and a final conversion of all other valves will take place over the course of the year.

TAMPER EVIDENCE

To accompany its Safeguard system, Schütz has also introduced a new peelable foil seal. One of the key components used on outlet valves is the foil seal that usually has to be removed by cutting with a knife prior to initial discharge. These seals are quite fiddly and the potential for contamination cannot be ruled out if the product comes into contact with aluminium residue of the cut edges, a particularly serious problem considering aluminium reacts with number of regularly transported chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide and a wide range of acids.

This new, practical solution is made of several layers of high-quality materials –mainly polyethylene terephthalate – and brings together the benefits of increased quality and easy handling, says the company. The round seal is simply peeled off by hand without the need for additional tools and leaving behind very little – if any – residue. This new, optimised variant is ideal for packaging products that are sensitive to metal and has the added benefit of making it impossible for the filling product to accumulate behind cut edges.

The new seal also provides increased protection against contamination since it is impossible to discharge product without destroying the foil, meaning that it is obvious at a glance whether the outlet valve has already been opened.

The company will equip all outlet valves for the Foodcert and Cleancert lines with the new foil seal.

STIR IT UP

Elsewhere at the FachPack event, Schütz exhibited its Impeller, a device designed to safely stir viscous media. A stirrer can pose a potential contamination risk for sensitive filling products due to the residue of any previous products. Schütz’s single-use stirrer is connected to the screw cap of the IBC and is pre-inserted at the factory.

The use of the Impeller as a disposable system means that risk of contamination can be reduced significantly, in addition to the savings associated with cleaning. The Impeller is available for all 1,000-litre and 1,250-litre Ecobulk IBCs with DN 150 and DN 225 filling openings.

Of further interest to the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry,

Schütz was displaying its new Foodcert + Asepctic and Cleancert + Dualprotect IBC models at FachPack. Both models feature a UN-approved LDPE liner, sterilised with gamma radiation, that unfolds and aligns itself within the bottle during filling. This minimises conctact with oxygen both during filling and during transport. The liners are also ideal for use with adhesives, preventing premature curing and hardening.

Schütz, founded in 1958, is a leading international producer of high-quality transport packaging, employing more than 5,500 people at over 50 production and service sites around the world.

FachPack 2019 will once again take place at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 24 to 26 September 2019. HCB www.schuetz.net

NEW AND IMPROVED

Materials, and Nikita Mikhin, deputy director of Obninskorgsintez, who represent longstanding partners advocating Greif’s product quality and customer service excellence.

The new 6,000-m² facility will employ a team of 50 and features an automated steel drum line with an annual capacity of two million units. The facility is also in close proximity to several of Greif’s key customers.

shipping drums and intermodal tank containers and can be made from metal, plastic or composite material.

GREIF, A GLOBAL leader in industrial packaging, recently welcomed more than 200 guests to the official opening of its new Russian steel drum production plant in Vorsino Industrial Park, Kaluga. The new facility (above), Greif’s ninth plant in Russia, is situated 80 km south-west of Moscow and has already begun production of the company’s state-ofthe-art drums, with a new intermediate bulk container (IBC) line due to be launched in 2019.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pete Watson, CEO of Greif, highlighted the expertise of the Greif team in Russia and the results that they have achieved over the past 25 years. Also In attendance were Dmitry Orlov, CEO of Gazprom Neft-Bitumen

“We are delighted to officially open this latest Greif facility to better serve our local customer base,” says Konstantine Savinov, general manager of Greif Russia. “Delivering greater flexibility, reduced lead times and lower transportation costs is central to our ongoing improvement plans. The Kaluga plant will enable us to achieve all of this with existing partners and further build on our market leading position by introducing new customers.”

ON BRAND

In addition to its new facility, Greif has introduced some improvements to its range of GCUBE IBCs. IBCs are stackable, reusable containers with an integrated pallet base mount that allows them to be easily manoeuvred with a forklift. IBCs have a volume range that sits between standard

Demand within the global market for IBCs has grown steadily in recent years with the rising need to transport liquids such as food, fuels, chemicals and hazardous materials. Some of the major growth drivers in the IBC market are the provision of cost-effective transport and storage, uncomplicated maintenance, and their reusability. The new innovations see Greif replace the generic aluminium foil seal with a GCUBE-branded one, designed specifically to remove the risk of product counterfeiting while also offering customers the reassurance of improved product protection.

“We continue to invest in our GCUBE IBC solutions and this new branded butterfly valve seal is yet another significant market development,” says Luca Bettoni, EMEA IBC and plastic product manager at Greif. “We are the first company to introduce a branded aluminium foil seal to its IBC valves giving customers total confidence in the integrity of the seal and most importantly the contents of the container at its end destination.”

Both the branded foil seal and the safety screw can be removed by hand. Additionally, the technology that Greif implement means that no foil residue will be left on the valve outlet, eliminating the risk of contamination.

MANUFACTURING • THE OPENING OF GREIF’S NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY NEAR MOSCOW WILL UNDERPIN GROWTH IN LOCAL DEMAND AND PLUG A GAP IN GREIF’S GLOBAL IBC AND DRUM NETWORK

“With this new valve we combine safety with the easiest handling: just your hand is enough to open the valve with no need for tools such as screwdrivers or cutters,” continues Bettoni. From an operative’s perspective, it is much quicker and easier to open valves by hand and the additional benefit of full recyclability is –from an environmental standpoint – a bonus.

IBC BENEFITS

Other recent IBC developments at Greif include the GCUBE Shield, which offers revolutionary barrier protection compared with fluorinated and six-layer IBCs, with improved product stability, shelf-life and operational performance. By adopting IBCs, end users can benefit from a reduction in harmful air pollutants coming from their product and an increased protection of the product against oxygen permeation from outside the container. Attributes such as these make IBCs suitable for a range of industries including flavours and fragrances, paint, agrochemical, speciality chemicals.

Greif recognises that minimising the environmental impact of packaging is a priority, but when implementing sustainable practices, safety cannot be compromised, especially when dealing with hazardous chemicals. Greif’s GCUBE IBC portfolio is developed with sustainable and optimum life-cycle capabilities in mind. The company has recently secured UN 1.6 approval for its high performance IBCs with reduced environmental impact and demand for its reconditioned IBCs continues to rise.

In addition, the company has recently received gold recognition from Ecovadis for its commitment to corporate social responsibility. Ecovadis operates the first collaborative platform that enables companies to monitor the sustainability of their suppliers across 150 sectors. Greif has been reported as one of the top 5 per cent of all suppliers assessed by EcoVadis. This news comes after the company joined Operation Clean Sweep, an international programme designed to prevent pellet, flake and powder loss, earlier this year. The programme was originally designed by the plastics industry with the support of The British Plastics Federation and PlasticsEurope, and aims to protect

marine wildlife from harmful plastics and by-products that end up in the oceans.

The GCUBE model heralds the new generation of IBCs, claims Greif. New technologies are emerging every year that are enabling change within the industrial packaging industry. Greif is at the forefront of innovation. In 2018, chemical and pharmaceutical industries remain the major end-user industries of IBCs as these containers allow them to transport all types of solid or liquid products, including goods that require safe handling, Greif reports. Demand is also growing in the food and

beverage sector where product integrity and shelf-life storage are becoming increasingly important.

The company currently has ten IBC facilities across EMEA out of a total of 14 around the world after recently opening two new sites in the Netherlands and Spain, and is expanding several of its existing product lines. Greif was established more than 140 years ago and currently has annual revenues of $3.7bn. The company employs more than 13,000 employees in over 200 locations across more than 40 countries worldwide. HCB www.greif.com

TALK TO YOUR TAILOR

MANUFACTURING • THIELMANN HAS HAD A BUSY 2018 WITH A BIG FOCUS ON CONTINUED EXPANSION INTO THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET FOR STAINLESS STEEL IBCS AND TANK CONTAINERS

SERVING THE US market from its North American headquarters in Houston, THIELMANN has been working closely with its customers to develop solutions for their processing, dispensing, storage and transport requirements across a range of industries. The company specialises in a number of sectors, including those involving hazardous and sensitive cargoes, such as the chemical, coatings, nuclear, pharmaceutical and oil and gas industries.

As it does elsewhere around the globe, THIELMANN continues to strive for excellence in its solution development and manufacturing processes. In line with the Section 232 Tariffs on aluminium and steel that came into effect

in March 2018, all THIELMANN products sold within the US are manufactured entirely from stainless steel produced by US-owned companies, using top-quality, high grade AISI 304/316 stainless steel, and are designed to meet the stringent requirements of operations involving the storage and transport of dangerous goods.

Not only does stainless steel offer excellent isolation from external particles, pollution and oxidation, it protects against temperature changes, provides a barrier against UV light, and – as an inert materialensures that the properties of the products it stores and transports remain intact and unchanged. All of which are critical for hazardous cargo operations.

LIFETIME SOLUTION

From start to finish, customers can be sure that a THIELMANN IBC or tank container will meet their operational needs throughout its service

life – a huge benefit. Unlike manufacturers looking to mass produce a one-size-fits-all solution, THIELMANN works with its clients to find the right solution – from ensuring the product meets the correct safety directives to engineering a system that fits into existing handling and transport logistics chains.

“The THIELMANN advantage is our flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of our customers,” says Sebastian Bojarski, head of THIELMANN’s sales department. “We are not looking to simply provide a generic solution for all. Instead we work closely with our customers, striving from the very beginning to meet their needs one hundred per cent, and follow that up with tailored servicing, refurbishment and maintenance options.”

These servicing options are designed to keep the containers in optimal condition throughout their service life. Full service and repair programme options include internal and external inspection, repair, pressure testing, refurbishment, re-equipping, certification and container advisory.

At the top end of its product line, THIELMANN also offers increased servicing for ISO and non-ISO tank containers, with field service support, periodic upgrades, design and safety case reviews. More indepth bespoke support solutions include post-design services, contractor logistics support, contracting for availability, operator and maintenance training, spares, codification, obsolescence management, regeneration and upgrades. These services are tailored to give THIELMANN’s customers across many different sectors increased confidence in their tank container fleets throughout their full life cycle –a period that may be as long as 30 years.

“The North American market is highly competitive, but our reputation as the leading manufacturer of stainless steel IBCs, kegs and container solutions positions us perfectly to tackle this market and we are seeing huge success here already,” Bojarski adds. “This is where our customers see the biggest advantage: we really are the one stop shop for tailor-made container solutions, and we are only going to continue to grow our market lead in the future.” HCB www.thielmann.com

NEWS BULLETIN

INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING

FLEXICON RELEASES DRUM DUMPER

Flexicon has unveiled a new Tip-Tite® pail dumper for the dust-free handling of highdensity solids. “Intended for powder metals, chemicals, pigments, minerals or other heavy, dense bulk solids, the unit features dual hydraulic cylinders that work in tandem to raise and seat the pail rim against a speciallyconfigured, elongated discharge cone and then tip the pail to an angle of 45˚, 60˚ or 90˚ with a motion-dampening feature,” the company says.

“At full rotation, the discharge cone seals against the inlet of the receiving vessel, creating a dust-tight connection and allowing controlled, dust-free discharge through a pneumatically-actuated slide gate valve.”

www.flexicon.com

MAUSER MAKING CHANGES

BWAY, Mauser Group, National Container Group (NCG) and Industrial Container Services (ICS) have combined to form a new company, Mauser Packaging Solutions, with the aim of reliably and sustainably delivering products and services across the entire

packaging lifecycle for customers around the globe. With a promise of ‘Redefining Sustainability’, Mauser Packaging Solutions will serve customers of all four legacy companies with capabilities that span every phase of the packaging process.

“When developing our growth strategy, we recognised that customers were looking for a global partner to deliver sustainable packaging solutions and close the loop from purchase to reuse,” says CEO Ken Roessler. “For the first time, businesses have a single partner who can deliver an industry-leading portfolio of products and services, of the highest quality and widest range, around the world.” www.mauserpackaging.com

GREIF ADDS TO UK PRODUCTS

Greif has released a new line of speciality steel and stainless steel drum types at its Burton-onTrent plant in the UK. “We are constantly seeking new ways to meet customers’ expectations and market demand which is what led us to expand our range,” says Tim Hingham, speciality sales manager at Greif UK.

“Our stainless steel drums are a high-integrity option for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Stainless steel offers a high level of chemical resistance and can provide flawlessly pure and sanitary performance.”

Greif has announced a third-quarter net income of $67.7m from net sales worth just over $1.1bn. This compares favourably to respective prior-year figures of $43.9m and $961.8m. “Greif delivered solid third-quarter results, with stronger year-over-year operating profit before special items, earnings and free cash flow,”says president and CEO Pete Watson. “Our Paper Packaging and Flexible Products segments continue to demonstrate strong results. Our Rigid Packaging segment experienced strong demand across much of the portfolio, but was impacted by the continuation of rising raw material costs and unique headwinds in certain regions of our global business.” www.greif.com

GENERAL STEEL DRUM ENTERS THE MIDWEST

General Steel Drum has acquired North Coast Container, based in Cleveland, Ohio. The move adds a fourth company to the portfolio owned by the Stavig family, joining Myers Container and Container Management Services, and gives them a foothold in the Midwest.

“We are pleased to be joining forces with the Beardsley family who have built a formidable business since its inception in 1983,” states Kyle Stavig, CEO of General Steel Drum. “The Beardsley and Stavig families have been friends for generations. This transaction is good for North Coast, good for our customers, and good for the Stavigs’ container businesses that, collectively, now have the ability to service customers across the country.”

Jim Beardsley will remain as senior executive vice-president of North Coast Container, which will now operate as North Coast Container LLC. www.generalstreeldrum.com www.ncc-corp.com

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE

BARGES • ANTWERP’S LATEST INITIATIVE IN INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT SHOULD BRING BENEFITS TO ALL PLAYERS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND ALLEVIATE ROAD CONGESTION

FOR MANY IN the chemical supply chain, the idea of ‘intermodal’ transport conjures up images of containers and tank containers switching between rail and road. But in some parts of the world, the use of inland waterway transport offers a third and very important leg to the concept of intermodalism. This is especially true in the port areas of the Benelux countries, where rivers and canals provide a very useful way of moving goods to the industrial hinterland – especially at a time when road congestion is continuing to get worse.

Barges are a common sight in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, bringing in containers to load onto deepsea vessels, taking delivered boxes away, and shifting cargo between terminals. However, it has

become increasingly apparent that the current situation is far from ideal, with many barges spending much of their time light on cargo and having to make multiple moves within the ports to discharge and load containers.

As such, earnings in the barge sector – where much of the capacity is either independent or skipper-owned on behalf of larger players – have been low for some time, and insufficient to support the long-term health of a sector that is vital to the efficient operation of the ports themselves.

ROADMAP FOR WATERWAYS

The Port of Antwerp is now taking steps to improve matters. Last month it began a pilot trial of a new system to encourage greater efficiency in container barge transport, in

effect imposing a benchmark for efficiency by requiring all barges calling at container terminals to make at least 30 container movements (on, off or on/off) per call.

The Port of Antwerp explains the purpose of the trial thus: “A roadmap has been drawn up to ensure sustainable growth of container barge transport in the port, with structural, feasible solutions to make the chain of transport more efficient. All the parties involved have committed themselves to fast implementation.”

To achieve efficiency gains, those in the supply chain will be required to collaborate in terms of planning barge movements and to consolidate container volumes. Digitisation will be needed to provide the tools and information necessary to put it all into practice. “The interplay of all these measures should create new growth opportunities for container barge transport and raise the efficiency of all partners in this transport chain,” says the port.

BUILDING BULK

The first step towards Antwerp’s goal is the consolidation of container volumes so as to avoid the need for barges to tie up at the deepsea terminals to offload just a few boxes. This will require the bundling of containers at

‘consolidation hubs’, both within the port of Antwerp (on both sides of the Scheldt) and on barge waterways in the hinterland. This will involve the participation of ports such as Genk, Ghent, Moerdijk, Meerhout, Oosterhout and even Duisburg, as well as others.

The Port of Antwerp says this will provide advantages for players at all stages of the supply chain. Barge operators will make fewer terminal calls per port all, enjoy shorter turnaround times and more efficient freight movements, and make more efficient use of their resources and equipment. Similarly, for terminal operators, the aim is to allow more efficient planning and handling of barges calling at the dock, make more efficient use of resources and equipment, and generate higher productivity. An important outcome should also be faster and more reliable handling and transit of containerised goods for shippers and freight forwarders.

To help container barge operators make the transition to larger call sizes, the Flemish government and the Antwerp Port Authority are making financial support available on a temporary basis.

BETTER PLANNING

Backing this up, efficient planning and collaboration by barge and container terminal operators will lend more structure and transparency to the planning process in terms of the scheduling of barge movements. That transparency will lead to the smoother movement of barges through the major ports and allow terminals to guarantee minimum barge handling capacity.

The Port of Antwerp is also trialling an online Barge Traffic System (BTS), a unique slot request and monitoring system for barge and terminal operators. Barge operators send a request to the terminal operator via BTS and terminal operators draw up a schedule of loading and unloading

operations, making it available to barge operators via BTS.

This pilot project involves the participation of terminal operators PSA, MSC and DP World. Its aim is to simplify the entire planning cycle, making it more efficient. The Port of Antwerp describes it as a “unique initiative that will be continued in future, if evaluation is positive”. It will also allow active collaboration between barge operators in order to make their own planning processes more efficient.

The advantages of this aspect of the overall project include more accurate planning and communication for barge operators, through a uniform and transparent procedures. This should lead to shorter turnaround times as timeslots will be more realistic, further adding to asset productivity.

For terminal operators, realistic scheduling and monitoring of terminal operations will allow rapid and accurate adjustments to loading and unloading operations and allow any scheduling conflicts to be identified well in advance.

GET IT ONLINE

The entire process as envisaged by the Port of Antwerp will rely on digitisation and the centralisation of data, to permit proactive scheduling and monitoring. This aspect of the project is being led by NxtPort, which will introduce a number of new digital applications. “The focus is on sharing

information at an earlier stage, so that all parties can achieve gains in efficiency,” says the Port of Antwerp.

If successful, Antwerp’s project promises enhancements to port turnaround times not just for barges but also for the deepsea container vessels that are using terminals in Antwerp. There are also obvious advantages for the container terminals themselves, which should be able to speed throughput.

More fundamentally, though, greater efficiency and transparency in the movement of containers by barge should have the added benefit of giving shippers and freight forwarders greater confidence in the use of this mode of transport, encouraging them to move more freight off the already congested road network in northern Belgium.

And the benefits cannot come soon enough. In the first three quarters of this year, Antwerp reported a 6.8 per cent increase in the throughput of containers to 8.3m TEU; Marc van Peel, port alderman, commenting on the third-quarter figures, said: “Sustainable growth for our port is possible only if we make sure that it remains accessible to people and goods. We are assuming our responsibility on this front, together with the port community. On the goods transport front, we are aspiring to a modal shift by 2030, with a drop in goods transport by road and an increase by rail and inland navigation.” HCB www.portofantwerp.com

A RAPID INCREASE IN CONTAINER THROUGHPUT IN THE PORT OF ANTWERP IS MAKING IT MORE URGENT THAT A SOLUTION IS FOUND TO MOVING CARGO OFF THE ROADS, BY MAKING BARGE TRANSPORT MORE TRANSPARENT AND EFFICIENT

HIGH FLYERS

improvements in industrial safety, and this is nowhere more apparent than in the transport and storage of dangerous goods.

The tank storage and tanker shipping industries are among those sectors that have taken a particular liking to this new wave of technology. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

take place over several days. A drone, on the other hand, can inspect an entire tank in as little as two hours.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), robotics and other new technologies are transforming the world we live in. While there are understandable concerns that such technologies, should they run amok, could cause untold harm but, equally, it cannot be denied that, when they are properly organised and managed, they offer enormous benefits, both to industry and to mankind as a whole.

In particular, the emerging ability to deploy autonomous vehicles and robots to replace human beings in highly hazardous operations presents the possibility of major

- or ‘drones’ as they are commonly called - are proving to be a big hit with terminal operators, providing increased accuracy, significant cost savings and – short of one falling on someone’s head – an much lower chance of injury to personnel.

OUT WITH THE OLD

In an age where there is a heavy focus on operational efficiency, companies are losing time and money performing manual inspections. Drones have been shown to be up to four times faster than traditional inspection methods, with oil and gas businesses reporting seven-figure savings as a result. When inspections are carried out by humans, the safety measures that have to be taken can mean that the inspection has to

“We conducted the first UAV tank inspection in 2015 and have seen the industry embrace the technology wholeheartedly,” explains Malcolm Connolly, founder and technical director of Cyberhawk Innovations, a leading UAV inspection expert. Traditional inspection methods require scaffolding and teams of surveyors and technicians to perform visual survey and take measurements. “Naturally, there are multiple liabilities associated with this type of work, ranging from dropped objects when lowering equipment into the tank, to potential damage to the tank coating, and working at height within confined spaces,” says Connolly. “UAV inspection not only reduces these risks but also offers a quicker, cost-effective means of inspection.”

Vopak, a specialist in the storage of liquid and gaseous chemicals, adopted the use of drones in 2016 in order to eliminate the risks to its personnel associated with working in confined spaces. The company deployed Flyability Elios drones, which are surrounded by a protective cage, enabling them to fly right up against the walls of the tank without damaging either the tank or the drone itself. These types of drones »

DRONES • OPERATORS ACROSS THE DANGEROUS GOODS SPECTRUM ARE WAKING UP TO THE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY BENEFITS OFFERED BY THE LATEST GENERATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

have become the popular option and are normally fitted with a camera and a bright LED light in order to assist with and monitor the inspection in real time.

Avetics Global, a drone solutions company based in Singapore, creates drones for a variety of industrial uses, including visual inspection. The company has built custom in-tank drones as well as proprietary tethered drones that have an integrated power supply, giving them an unlimited fly time. Innovations like these are helping to bridge the gap between the old methods of visual scanning and confined space inspection, and modern methods using UAVs that are still being tested and adopted around the world.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

UAVs have also been used in industrial markets to carry out 3D scanning, a new method of scanning large structures. By connecting a 3D scanner to a drone, not only is the 3D mapping process much safer, as nobody needs to perform any dangerous climbs, but it means that difficult-to-reach areas can be successfully mapped out, improving accuracy. For large storage tanks and barges, 3D scanning is especially beneficial as the information gathered can be used to identify true shape, geometry, deformation and locations of interior structures. Developments in drone technology are allowing a wider range of 3D laser scanners to be attached to UAVs.

Drones offer a lot of competitive advantages in other sectors as well. The maritime industry, for example, has adopted the use of drones for a variety of tasks, one of note being vessel inspection. Surveying tanks on board ships can be a risky enterprise, with enclosed cargo holds known to contain noxious and flammable gases. Cargo tanks can also sometimes be filled with water during a process known as ‘rafting’, which poses an obvious danger for anyone carrying out inspections inside the tank. Some tanks on ships are more than 25 metres deep and the use of traditional methods requires

erecting large amounts of scaffolding, hung staging equipment and other specialised solutions such as portable gas detectors, all of which must meet rigorous safety standards and be checked continuously. Drones make it possible to eliminate all of these issues, streamlining the process and reducing risk significantly. From a health and safety standpoint, drones are just the logical next step. Severe injuries and fatalities are unfortunately all too common in industries where working at height is required.

FASTER CALL-OUT

For a while now, drones have also been used for humanitarian and disaster response. Fires can cause irreparable damage to infrastructure if not attended to quickly.

UAVs have been put to work in terminals where the risk of fire might be higher than average and the results are quite extraordinary. Using current methods, should a fire break out on a tank farm, there are a few options that operators can utilise, but a lot of them are costly and either require the tank to be fitted with an auxiliary appliance as standard, or to have one retrofitted to the tank. All terminal operators know that fighting fires quickly and efficiently is vital, but it is

not always possible to have the latest, most advanced tank equipment fitted to every tank on a farm. These systems also rely on up-todate monitoring systems and an adequate supply of foam, for which tank fires will usually require large volumes.

Ultimately, drones have an extremely beneficial vantage point in the instance of a fire breaking out, enabling a lot of information to be gathered in a short space of time. Drones have provided a revolutionary way to monitor scenes, with 360-degree cameras providing all-encompassing surveillance and thermal cameras able to immediately pinpoint precise locations of fires, something that is especially useful at night. Additionally, the increased precision of a drone means that the affected and nearby areas can be evacuated quickly and efficiently. Due to the increased speed at which an assessment can be made, the response time of local fire departments can be decreased significantly and their time on-scene utilised more effectively.

A recent report on drone use from Goldman Sachs estimates that $881m has been spent to date on drone use in fighting fires globally and the sudden rise in popularity of drones is something for which the industrial sector has been more than thankful.

LOOKING AHEAD

Drone technology continues to evolve rapidly and the next stage appears to involve automation. While already a comparatively quick and simple solution compared to the traditional alternative, drones have the potential to improve things yet further for tanker operators. Fully automated drones, pre-loaded with a 3D model of the ship, can make their way around the vessel without requiring a human operator, stopping at points of interest to obtain detailed video and images.

“I don’t even know of a manufacturer that creates purely remote-control drones,” says Robert Garbett, CEO of the Drone Major Group. “They are all – to some degree –autonomous, which is where the technology is going. Use of operators in maritime drone technology will reduce over time as the technology becomes more intelligent and better able to cope with the environment.”

Amazon, the global e-commerce website, is investing a lot of money and resources into the use of drones as delivery vehicles and many industrial sectors are keeping an eye on the development. The use of ‘cargo drones’ for the delivery of even quite large consigments is under investigation, even in the dangerous goods sector.

There are those who think that the use of unmanned vehicles would be a positive step when dealing with hazardous substances; on the other hand, many are wary of putting such substances in the ‘hands’ of a relatively young technology. There will certainly be no transport of dangerous goods by drone until it is permitted by regulations and there will also be insurance considerations to be taken into account.

Nevertheless, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released information regarding the future for cargo drones, stating “the industry needs to react quickly to address

challenges and capture the opportunities offered by this new branch of civil aviation”.

Not everyone is convinced. The port of Shanghai, for instance, has banned all drones from entering the vicinity. China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) conducted inspections on vessels entering the Yangtse and Huangpu Rivers between 15 September and 15 November. While this is not a widespread ban – nor is it a common occurrence – it does show a lack of trust in the technology as well as a hesitancy to adopt the equipment for mainstream use in the shipping industry.

Understandably, due to their complex nature, it will take time for drones to become the norm, but the progress that has been made in the past few years demonstrates industry’s desire for advancement. And a new generation of people is now entering the workforce; with young minds come new ideas. Drones may only be the beginning of what is to come for the dangerous goods industry. HCB

PLUGGED IN

TANK CLEANING IS such a fundamental part of the bulk liquids supply chain that industry operates a Europe-wide system to ensure that tanks are properly cleaned. Oversight of the cleaning process also ensures safety and operational efficiency. The uniform European Cleaning Document (ECD) was introduced by the European Federation of Tank Cleaning Organisations (EFTCO) in 2005 and has proven so effective that more than 3 million paper ECDs – each in four-fold copy – are produced every year.

That is a lot of paper. And these days, when there are alternatives, it is no longer sustainable to be generating 12 million sheets of paper a year, with all the potential shortfalls inherent in a paper-based system. Mistakes can be made, documents can be amended or even forged, and the documents themselves can get lost.

To address the issue, four organisations joined forces to see how best to digitise the process. EFTCO partnered with the European Chemical Transport Association (ECTA), the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and Essenscia, the Belgian chemical industry association, to develop the electronic ECD, or e-ECD. And after successful pilot trials, the system is being rolled out during the fourth quarter of 2018.

CHANGE THE GAME

“The new digitalised e-ECD process is a real chemical industry game changer,” the four associations agree. “It overcomes the typical administrative burdens of a paper-driven process, it increases the overall product quality by visualisation of the three previous loads, and allows a much safer, more efficient and more reliable use of logistics resources.”

Having the ECD in a digital format allows it to be shared among the relevant chemical shippers, tank operators and tank cleaning stations, and it remains accurate and available in real time. Digital communication is fully traceable among all parties, meaning fewer errors and a more transparent and accurate exchange of information, which in turn delivers a high quality service to the end customer.

In the longer term, the partner organisations expect the digital exchange of ECD information will mean less manual work and, because loading sites have access to cleaning information ahead of a vehicle’s arrival, faster site entrance and loading. At a time when transport companies are finding it very hard to recruit drivers, that on its own is a good thing: drivers need to spend more of their working hours driving rather than waiting for loading.

In addition, the e-ECD concept fits in with the industry’s Responsible Care principles. When information is lacking or incorrect, safety throughout the supply chain can be compromised. Digital exchange of the information eliminates that risk, making e-ECD “uniquely placed” to enhance Responsible Care levels right across the chemical supply chain.

The four trade associations involved in the e-ECD project wrestled with the issue of finding a neutral platform to host the system. Their solution was to form a non-profit body, the European Chemical Logistics Information Council (Eclic), which is now managing e-ECD. The platform itself is operated by NxtPort, which has built expertise in similar systems through its work in sharing data among port users in northern Europe.

Those looking to learn more about e-ECD and its benefits are invited to attend ECTA’s Annual Meeting in Düsseldorf on 29 November, where Peter Devos, joint managing director of ECTA, will be speaking on the topic. Other presentations will look at the role of digitisation in standardising operational processes in the logistics chain, for which the development of e-ECD provides a model for future projects. HCB www.eclic.eu

TANK CLEANING • THE SHIFT FROM PAPER TO ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION RAISES THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE QUALITY AND ACCURACY AND SAVE TIME FOR ALL THOSE INVOLVED

GOING FOR GHENT

and expanding our warehousing facilities and solutions with added value, it also offers sufficient possibilities for further expansion in the future. Moreover, with this new site, we now also have our own location in East Flanders in addition to those in Antwerp and Limburg. This geographical spread and proximity are extremely interesting for our customers.”

with this strategy,” Bervoets adds. “So at the same time, we are building a sustainable future with this site. Therefore, we are very grateful to North Sea Port, which is experiencing strong growth itself, for its support in this extremely important new chapter.”

FOCUS ON CHEMICALS

H ESSERS HAS formally opened its new warehouse facility in Ghent, Belgium. The site on the Kluizendok currently has 25,000 m2 of space, built for two chemical companies, with construction continuing to a planned 75,000m2 capacity.

“We were already active in Ghent, providing logistic services at the sites of our customers,” Gert Bervoets, CEO of H Essers explains. “Considering the increase in our activities in the chemical segment, and our customers’ growing demand for total solutions in this segment, our own site was bound to follow.

“Our new strategic site at the Kluizendok meets all our requirements as a further growth point in our chemicals segment,” Bervoets adds. “It is not only suitable for setting up

The location of the site adds to what H Essers calls the synchromodality of its offering for the chemicals sector, based as it is on a strategically important transport artery. “We never stop optimising our transport flows as much as we can to provide an appropriate and sustainable response to challenges such as the congestion of our roads, rising fuel prices, and the impact on the environment,” Bervoets says. “We do this by focusing on synchromodality and developing customised solutions in which we combine various transport modes such as maritime and inland shipping, and road and railway transport in a smart and dynamic way; always on the basis of the desired duration, the least impact on the environment, and at the most optimal cost price.

“Thanks to its trimodal accessibility via road, rail and water, the Kluizendok entirely accords

Recent investment by H Essers has indeed focused heavily on the chemicals sector; earlier this year it embarked on construction of a ‘megasite’ at Dry Port Genk and has also acquired the tank container operator Huktra. This latest investment fits in with the same strategy, as Bervoets explains: “This year alone, we have invested no less than €40m in new assets for our chemicals segment. In the coming years, we will continue to pursue this line of strategic development in complex supply chains. We operate internationally, but given the strong chemical cluster presence of companies in this segment in Belgium, our national operations are considerable too.”

The opening of the Kluizendok site was attended by representatives of North Sea Port, which H Essers regards as a strategic partner, as well as a number of chemical companies that have production activities in the chemical cluster in East Flanders and that have an interest in the total logstics solutions that H Essers is now looking to provide. HCB www.essers.com

WAREHOUSING • THE LATEST ADDITION TO H ESSERS’ LOGISTICS ASSETS FURTHER EXPANDS ITS CAPABILITIES IN THE BUSINESS OF HANDLING CHEMICALS IN NORTHERN BELGIUM

ALL FOR ONE

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL business from the ground up is a difficult task, not least when the service you want to provide is almost unheard of within the industry. TankContainerFinder.com (TCF), coming from humble beginnings as a matchmaking service for tank container operators and users, has realised its ambition of becoming a fully operational booking platform.

The company, launched in 2017, relies on the expertise of its hard-working staff to ensure best practice and innovation is a top priority. “Working at a start-up like TCF requires everyone to wear multiple hats,” explains Léon de Bruin, co-founder of TCF. “With my knowledge in e-commerce, digital marketing and development, I am able to act as the bridge between our sales team, the developers and most importantly the clients.”

With the transition into a booking platform officially taking place in July 2018, the company is now focusing on functionality improvements by examining customer feedback. Improved features such as userto-user chat functionality allow cargo owners to get information directly from suppliers, improving the efficiency of the quotation and negotiation process. Right now the platform is free of charge but a paid version is expected to launch at the end of this year that will enable the company to further scale its development team and work on more functionality for the platform.

KEEPING SCORE

In a recent survey distributed by TCF to its users, it scored a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +86. The NPS is a management tool that gauges the loyalty of a company’s customers, with scores higher than 0 generally considered good and a score of +50 or higher deemed excellent.

As part of the survey, TCF received some positive written feedback from its users: “Due to the complex nature of ISO tanks, we normally leave it to our suppliers to handle arrangements. Since they also have difficulties on their end, we often don’t hear back,” explained Russell Lecompte, sourcing manager at Chemical Distribution Network (CDN). “Since TCF launched, we have been

able to take back control, making it easier to execute quotes and manage orders.”

“This is a really easy way to find cargo for our tanks,” said Mandar Sawant, costing and system controls manager at Exodus ChemTank, a worldwide tank container operator. The platform currently has 760 active users in 103 countries worldwide and has generated 682 enquiries for tank containers, equating to $16m worth of business to date. Platform users are able to place requests by searching for products, UN numbers or T-codes, strengthening the company’s long-term dedication to practicality and ease-of-use. In addition to searching for products, users can also compare different offers, saving time, money and manpower.

Europe’s chemical producers, distributors and logistics service providers have been crying out for some years now for neutral platforms that will allow them to enhance asset utilisation, improve efficiencies in the supply chain and reduce costs all round. TCF’s offering to the market is a working example of how such platforms can amplify collaboration and digitisation in the industry.

Currently, both cargo owners and suppliers can register on TCF’s website and try out the platform for free. HCB www.tankcontainerfinder.com

PLATFORMS • TANKCONTAINERFINDER HAS EVOLVED SINCE ITS LAUNCH WITH NEW FUNCTIONALITIES HELPING IT BECOME THE LEADING BOOKING PLATFORM FOR TANK CONTAINERS

PLASTIC BEACH

ROTTERDAM’S REPUTATION AS northern Europe’s busiest port is based primarily on its oil and – increasingly – container trade. But that does not mean that the port authority is failing to address the needs of the region’s chemical shippers.

During the European Petrochemical Association’s (EPCA) Annual Meeting in Vienna last month, the port announced the launch of its first dedicated facility for handling polymers, the Rotterdam Polymer Hub (RPH), a joint initiative of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Euro-Rijn Group and entrepreneur Geert Van De Ven.

RPH will consist of two halls with a combined floor area of 35,000 m² and a storage capacity of some 550,000 tonnes. A plot in the Maasvlakte area has been chosen for its proximity to a number of deepsea container terminals, its modern infrastructure and good connections with the European hinterland.

RPH will consist of a hall for the storage of packaged products, an outdoor area

where cargo can be kept in 30-ft containers and, in the longer term, vertical silos for bulk storage. The operator expects to take the halls into use in the third quarter of 2019.

“We hatched the plan to set up a dedicated storage hub for polymers in Rotterdam in response to growing import flows from the Middle East and the US,” says Emile Hoogsteden, the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s director of containers, breakbulk and logistics. “I am proud that entrepreneur Geert Van De Ven and EuroRijn Group have decided to locate this new node in the port of Rotterdam.”

Van De Ven adds: “The Port of Rotterdam Authority has been closely involved in this project from the outset. Maasvlakte’s existing infrastructure aligns perfectly with the RPH concept. When you add the right partner – Euro-Rijn Group – and promising talks with various business-related service providers, Rotterdam more or less becomes a natural choice of location.”

LOCATION, LOCATION

The Port of Rotterdam has more than 100 ha of land available in the Distripark Maasvlakte West site, for which it is targeting investment by chemical logistics firms. “Maasvlakte Distribution Park West offers options for large-scale distribution of chemical products, including hazardous substances, agricultural products and high-quality consumer goods, including electronics,” says the port.

The port also notes that the site is surrounded by strong clusters, including the chemical industry – there are more than 45 chemical production companies and refineries active in the immediate vicinity. In addition, the development of Eemhaven’s ‘Cool Port’ and the strong clusters of refrigerated/frozen storage at Maasvlakte and in the Merwe-Vierhavens have also made Maasvlakte Distribution Park West an attractive location for agricultural distribution.

Maasvlakte Distribution Park West also benefits from having its own customs post and a 24-hour truck parking area, Maasvlakte Plaza, which provides a restaurant, showers and free wifi for drivers, a fuel station, truck wash, weigh station and a container repair depot. Furthermore, the port says, the site’s proximity to Rotterdam offers employers the opportunity to draw on a huge pool of highly educated and motivated workers. HCB www.portofrotterdam.com www.eurorijn.com

PORT • THE PORT OF ROTTERDAM IS CONTINUING IN ITS EFFORTS TO ATTRACT MORE CHEMICAL BUSINESS, WITH ITS LATEST INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON THE TRANSHIPMENT OF POLYMERS

OPEN TO OPPORTUNITY

PREVIEW • INTERMODAL EUROPE 2018 WILL BRING TOGETHER THE LATEST SHIPPING DEVELOPMENTS FROM ACROSS ROAD, RAIL AND SEA INDUSTRIES AT ITS GATHERING IN ROTTERDAM

THIS YEAR’S INTERMODAL Europe conference and exhibition will take place between 6 and 8 November 2018 at the Ahoy Rotterdam. The event, organised by Informa Exhibitions, will play host to exhibitors and industry leaders from around the world. The conference sessions that take place across all three days cover a wide variety of topics from digitisation to women in shipping, alongside an exhibition that is set to welcome more than 6,000 global container professionals.

The conference will open with a panel moderated by John Fossey, contributing editor of World Cargo News, that will give an overview of the worldwide container shipping market. The panel will feature a wide range of discussions on key issues impacting the market in 2018 and will include panellists

Tim Power, managing director at Drewry, Rahman Al Turky, senior manager transportation and logistics, EMEA at Alcoa, and other key industry speakers. Discussions will include the current state of the worldwide economy; trade wars; tariffs; trade routes along the One Belt One Road initiative; as well as the ongoing supply-demand imbalance and intermodal finance.

Later in the day, a forum on women in shipping and logistics will focus on key trends for the future of the industry as well as the impact of macro events such as Brexit on the industry. The forum, moderated by Lena Göthberg, shipping thought leader, consultant, host and producer of The Shipping Podcast, will also focus on methods of attracting more women into the industry. Currently, women are hugely under-represented and only with discussions like those held at Intermodal can progress be made.

THE DIGITAL ERA

One topic that will be focused on heavily this year is smart shipping and digitisation, with automation becoming more and more commonplace, and smart devices making their way into every facet of the dangerous goods supply chain. Intermodal 2018 will be covering topics such as: automated intermodal rail terminals, smart ships and digitisation in logistics. The push for automation and desire for terminals to enter the digital world is a hot topic at the moment, with companies spending a lot of money and time on research and development into new methods of digitising the supply chain.

The exhibition, which is free to attend, will bring together more than 6,500 senior buyers and over 140 global exhibitors, the organiser says. There are a number of companies on the list of exhibitors that will be familiar to HCB readers, including Emerson, Klinge and Maersk. “I think I can sum it up in one word, which is ‘productivity’,” says Mikkel Swane, regional vice president of marketing at Seaco. “It’s tremendously well-attended by our customer base.”

The closing forum on day three of the event will be largely Rotterdam-focused. Again concentrating on digitisation, the forum will contain talks from Joyce Bliek, director of digital business solutions at the Port of Rotterdam, Tom van Dijk, consultant and logistics blockchain lead at CGI as well as Anne Mieke Driessen of Intel. A heavy focus will be placed upon digitisation in ports as well as what other applications can be implemented to further improve port operations and the supply chain. HCB www.intermodal-events.com

VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL GATHER THIS MONTH IN ROTTERDAM FOR THE INTERMODAL SHOW

NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTICS

HOYER SPREADS ITS WINGS

The Hoyer Group (above) has further extended its services in the aviation fuel supply sector with four significant contracts in recent months. Its Petrolog business unit won a contract with Air BP for fuel deliveries to 96 airports throughout the UK, another with World Fuel Services (WFS) to supply four airports in the north of the UK, a deal with Total Deutschland to supply Berlin Tegel Airport in Germany, and an extension of its contract with Valero Energy in Ireland.

The Air BP contract covers the whole of Air BP’s delivery logistics, including monitoring of stocks, generating and receiving orders, and delivery.

“We are very pleased to be able to add new business that further extends our relationship with long-standing customers,” says Mark Binns, director of the Petrolog business unit. “Expansion of our involvement in aviation fuel supply is an important strategic step for Petrolog.”

Hoyer’s Chemilog business unit is also involved in helping to maintain smooth air traffic; it supplies several airports with de-icing agents for runways in the winter months and also covers distribution of aircraft de-icing agents for a major supplier over much of Europe.

In the UK, the Hoyer Petrolog tanker fleet is being expanded, with 89 new MAN vehicles due to join before the end of the year. Most of the new units, all of which meet Euro 6 standards, are replacements for older tractors, but 14 represent additional vehicles to handle new business.

“With almost 500 tractor units across the UK, Hoyer is the market leader in fuel distribution,” says Ian McLean, head of international key accounts at MAN. “It is fantastic to see MAN vehicles and service underpinning this growth and delivering on the company’s requirements. As a manufacturer, MAN offers a robust and trusted ADR and Pet-Reg approved vehicle solution, which in turn has the support from a focused dealer

network who provide the highest levels of after sales support to hazardous goods vehicles and operators.”

Petrolog has also started trials with an LNG-fuelled road tanker in a joint project with Total Deutschland. The new Iveco vehicle will be used to handle fuel deliveries to Total service stations in the Hamburg/Bremen region. Hoyer sees LNG trucks as “interesting and promising,” says Mark Binns. www.hoyer-group.com

PEACOCK ADDS ALTERMIJ

Peacock Container has acquired Altermij Tankverhuur’s tank container fleet, lease portfolio and intellectual property rights. The deal adds 128 tanks to Peacock’s owned and managed fleet, which has more than doubled over the past three years to some 5,000 units.

“We welcome this opportunity to extend our services to logistics providers and end users in the oil, chemical, gas and food processing industries in our core European markets,” says Jesse Vermeijden, Peacock’s managing director. “Our diverse fleet of standard and specialised ISO tank containers will enable us to offer flexible solutions both to existing clients and to new customers who we look forward to serving as a result of this transaction.” www.peacock.eu

VTG CLOSES NACCO PURCHASE

VTG AG has completed the acquisition of CIT Rail Holdings (Europe) SAS and its affiliate Nacco Group, some 15 months after first announcing the plan. The transaction adds more than 11,000 rail cars to VTG’s fleet, taking its total rolling stock to more than 94,000 units.

“The Nacco takeover will strengthen our market position in Europe for a long time to come,” says Dr Heiko Fischer, chairman of VTG’s Executive Board. VTG plans to fit its Connector telematics units to all the acquired railcars in the coming years.

As part of the takeover, VTG was required to arrange the sale of 30 per cent of the Nacco fleet; Wascosa AG and investment firm Aves One AG took 4,400 rail wagons, clearing the way for the transaction.

“By acquiring Nacco’s freight cars, we are significantly accelerating the growth we have established over recent years,” says Philipp Müller, Wascosa’s president. “Nacco’s young, modern rail wagon fleet is the ideal addition to Wascosa’s offerings and allows us to further diversify our range. This will open up additional opportunities for growth in both existing and new market segments.”

Wascosa says it expects the acquired wagons to be integrated into its existing fleet by the end of the year. The deal means that Wascosa’s fleet growth has exceeded its target for the year by more than 40 per cent. www.vtg.com www.wascosa.ch

ACTROS FOR AIR PRODUCTS

Air Products has ordered 90 new Mercedes Benz Actros trucks (right) to handle the transport of industrial gases from its production and distribution centres in the UK and Ireland. The new trucks are fitted with FleetBoard telematics systems, which record and process data from the vehicle and can rate the driver’s performance to help target training. They also have Predictive Powertrain Control systems, an innovative cruise control that employ digital mapping and GPS data to manage vehicle speed and gear changes to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Air Products’ category specialist Andy Stanfield says: “Our initial analysis of the bids we received focused on the total cost of ownership, including projected expenditure on acquisition, servicing and repairs, and fuel, as well as residual values. By our calculations, the Actros was clearly the best buy.

“We also demanded the highest standards of safety, and evidence that we could rely on our new trucks to spend the maximum time out on the road rather than in the workshop. Thanks to their ground-breaking technology the Mercedes-Benz trucks ticked both of these boxes too.” www.airproducts.co.uk

STOLT POSITIVE ON TANK DEMAND

Stolt Tank Containers has reported thirdquarter operating profit of $17.7m, down on the $18.8m recorded in the prior period in line with seasonal patterns but 20 per cent up on the previous year’s figure. The company notes a 2.2 per cent increase in demurrage revenue, “underscoring the global trend in the use of tank containers for inventory storage by customers”.

Over the period, STC leased in nearly 1,000 tanks, expanding its fleet by 2.6 per cent to more than 39,000 units. “The outlook remains positive,” says Niels G Stolt-Nielsen, CEO of parent Stolt-Nielsen Ltd. “Global tank container demand continues to grow and STC continues to leverage its strengths as the market leader.” www.stolt-nielsen.com

NEW HQ FOR H ESSERS

H Essers has started construction of a new headquarters complex in Genk, Belgium (above). The company is growing by more than 10 per cent a year with recent expansions in Italy, Denmark and Romania, the acquisition of tank container specialist Huktra in Zeebrugge earlier this year and, more locally, additions to warehouse capacity in Ghent and Genk.

As CEO Gert Bervoets explains, “This growth also leads to an increasing number of employees, including at our head office in Genk. Consequently, the need for more infrastructure for our employees arises.”

Work on the main building is scheduled to start next June and should take no more than two years.

www.essers.com

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

CONFERENCE REPORT • INCREASING REGULATION IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES SECTOR AND THE PROMISE OF DIGITISATION WERE HIGH ON THE AGENDA AT THE FECC CONGRESS

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS, PARTICULARLY those with a full-line portfolio, operate in a very complex environment. This year’s Annual Congress of the European Association of Chemical Distributors (Fecc), which took place in Nice in June, considered some of the ways in which that complexity affects distributors and their principals and what digitisation might be able to offer to help them manage their supply chains.

Following on from Dorothée Arns’ presentation on trends and challenges affecting European chemical raw materials, as detailed in the first part of this report, (HCB October 2018, page 92), Andrea Matviw, Merck’s head of supplier quality, turned attendees’ attention to future trends within the sphere of pharmaceutical distribution partnerships. Pharma firms, she said, require

“the right material, the right quality and at the right time and the right costs”. By using chemical distributors, they are able to enjoy better inventory management and lead times while ensuring high levels of customer service concurrent with streamlined communication and market knowledge. Meanwhile, they also stand to benefit from better shipping services; a consolidation of services; a standardised cold chain; improved volume handling; and better pricing.

Matviw explained that there are essentially three types of distribution partnerships at play today. The first she termed “distribution transaction only”, whereby the distributor neither undertakes any Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) activity, such as repackaging, testing or re-labelling, nor any physical material storage. The second sees the

distributor undertaking storage in addition to straight-forward distribution and the third both storage and GMP activity as well.

CHEMICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Distributors, she continued, are expected to fully adhere to all necessary “chemical specifications”, such as maintaining correct temperature, light and humidity levels; complying with all other transport and storage mandates; and meeting all applicable shelf life/expiry requirements. As well as implementing “systems to ensure these conditions are maintained”, distributors must also have all the right documentation in place, including all appropriate certificates, such as SDSs and certificates of origin. In addition to following correct process protocols, they must also operate a system for complaint handling and provide a point of contact for requests to the manufacturer as well as “support for qualification or authority registration activities”. Noting that distributors also need to sign all appropriate quality, technical and service

FECC CHOSE NICE AS ITS 2018 VENUE, GIVING DELEGATES THE SPACE TO DISCUSS IMPORTANT MATTERS

agreements with the principal in question, Matviw concluded her presentation by stating that Good Distribution Practice (GDP) needs to be followed by all concerned parties as per regulation. “Specific requirements have to be applied to chemical distribution depending on the intended use and the level of handling from the distributor,” she said, adding that “distributors can provide certain advantages to pharmaceutical companies when approached as a partnership”.

MANY CHALLENGES

The are many challenges associated with the pharma business of which distributors should be aware, warned Sabari Roy, Novartis’s global head of compliance and audit. Traceability in the supply chain is “a must”, she stated, noting that the sector is characterised by “often complex” supply chains. In addition to the large amount of documentation that is needed, the business also has a “high impact in failure mode”. Moreover, while the pharmaceutical business is highly regulated, regulatory requirements are “not always standardised”.

Breaking this down, Roy told delegates that the regulations governing the pharma business can be seen as resting upon four pillars: societal laws concerning, for example, “discrimination, child labour, slavery and human rights abuse”; finance, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US; the environment; and the patient. This latter category of regulations can themselves be seen as covering quality, such as regards GMP and GDP; safety, as exemplified by the

EU Falsified Medicine Directive; and efficacy, such as those concerning clinical trials. What’s more, after describing the reality facing todays pharma players as “complexity”, she expressed her belief that the current regulatory burden will only increase over time. Companies such as Novartis therefore need their suppliers and distribution partners to be able to control where the materials used for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products are sourced from as well as the quality of such materials. They must also be able to provide full traceability while having processes in place to fight falsification, such as utilising methods of serialisation, track and trace and tamper-proofing. Similarly, they must be able to act urgently when or if needed, being able to implement a rapid recall process while also being able to quickly provide alternative suppliers and source information. The pharma business is complex, she concluded, to protect patients; avoid drug shortages; prevent falsified medicines entering onto the market; and to bring lifesaving drugs to those that need them. “We expect our partners to establish processes to support the overall regulatory requirements,” Roy said.

RESOURCES FOR COMPLIANCE

Building on these themes, Dr Frank Milek, head of quality assurance, quality control and GMP at Aug Hedinger, explained that things were a lot simpler back in the 1990s - the regulatory environment became a lot more complex in 2004 with the introduction

of GMP. This itself became more demanding following further changes implemented in 2011 and 2015.

Consequently, the main challenges facing distributors today include the need to “provide full traceability information about every part of the supply chain”. They also have to have “significant resources” to provide regulatory and technical information while also maintaining GMP-compliant premises and equipment for storage and repackaging and a GMP laboratory to provide analytical data to end customers. This therefore requires more human resources in the form of “educated and competent personnel”.

The onus is also on distributors to foster stronger relationships with, and garner greater support from, original manufacturers. Distributors must also manage quality agreements with customers and suppliers and, while hosting audits at their own sites, also arrange audits at those of their suppliers. Milek told delegates that, when undertaking any pharmaceutical activities, they need to seriously question whether their “business volume [can] justify such resources and effort”. What’s more, as regards the outlook for the future, Milek echoed Roy’s sentiments by stating that “requirements and the need for resources will only increase”.

BLOCKCHAINS EXPLAINED

Turning to matters technological, Chainstep managing partner Frank Bolten spoke about blockchain: “a decentralised data structure that allows participants to transact »

directly with each other and stores the state and history of participant’s’ transactions”. Adding value to the internet, interlocking communication, interaction and transaction, blockchains, he noted, are “peer-to-peer [P2P]; transparent; encrypted; private; uncensorable; [and] immutable”.

Furthermore, the key benefits of blockchain technology, include “disintermediation”, which results in “increased efficiency, decreased costs [and] faster processing”. It also offers enhanced security as it is “cryptographically secured/validated” thus providing “accountability and provenance” as well as “ownership tracking”. There is also “less systemic risk” due to the ability of blockchain to facilitate “increased transparency, improved risk diversification [and] automated regulatory oversight”. Blockchain also promises more automation in terms of “internal record keeping, documentation processing, multiparty process compatibility, M2M and AI on the internet”.

Richard Zbinden, co-founder and finance director of CoreLedger, noted that a public blockchain “enables the Web of Value” thanks to its ability to offer “a global proof of ownership without intermediary” and its “immutability of proof of ownership”. The Web of Value, he explained, concerns “unique globally available immutable lifecycle-

describing documentation” and is a “public available place where you can broadcast unfalsifiable offers”. It is also a “multilateral settlement engine for any kind of asset” and can also be a “search engine for multilateral settlement” while also offering “cryptofinance wallets and custody”. As for blockchains being a “driver of transformation”, he identified three notable megatrends, viz “cryptocurrencies as value store”; “P2P transactions without intermediary”; and “wallet management”, whereby the “life management platform is the future”.

LEAN INTO SALES

On the subject of digitalisation, Specialchem CEO Christophe Cabarry, urged delegates to embrace “a new world” of lean sales and marketing. Prior to the turn of the century, chemical companies, he said, pursued a ‘reach out’ approach to sales and marketing, whereby around 95 per cent of contacts with customers were initiated by a supplier’s sales force. Today, though, this has drastically changed, with more than 70 per cent of contacts now initiated by customers through the use of digital technology. Thus, while contacts were traditionally garnered through sales teams, trade shows and press coverage, they are now more likely to be initiated via websites and blogs, social networks, search

engines, emailings, e-newsletters, webinars and industry platforms, such as his own company Specialchem.

“Customers’ behaviour is digital,” he asserted, adding that business-to-business (B2B) practices have digitalised rapidly. Citing IHS Globalspec data, he noted that when sourcing information for work-related purposes, 89 per cent of those surveyed used general search engines while 79 per cent also used suppliers’ websites; 76 per cent online catalogues; and 54 per cent industryspecific search engines. Sticking with the stats, Cabarry also reported other findings that showed 90 per cent of B2B buyers now use online search engines in their research process, with 54 to 70 per cent of the buying process “already completed before the buyer contacts a potential supplier”. Moreover, he continued, 66 per cent of B2B buyers “narrow their pre-selection down to two to three potential suppliers” while 38 per cent “make half or more of their work purchases online”, something that is expected to reach 55 per cent by 2020.

Before the digital era, customers seeking to purchase speciality chemicals would make the “exploration and screening phases” with suppliers. As such, the first interaction with a supplier would be personal. Now, though, the exploration and screening phases are conducted online, with the first interaction with a supplier being digital in nature and typically conducted via the supplier’s website. Personal contact, he said, is now “made only with a few suppliers at the time of sampling when 70 per cent of the selection work is done”.

DIGITAL GAINS

The digitalisation of the sales and marketing function, Cabarry revealed, offers companies at an advanced level the opportunity to achieve “gains in four directions”. Firstly, it enables them to “adapt to a digital world” in which their customers have already gone digital and want to interact digitally with their suppliers. Similarly, these companies “know they need »

PRESENTERS DISCUSSED HOW DIGITISATION WILL AFFECT CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS

to be shortlisted by customers before they can even talk to them” and “know it is better to be found by a customer in movement than to try to put customers in motion”. They also know, he said, “that customers now choose the way they want to interact” with their suppliers.

Furthermore, the digitalisation of sales and marketing can also reduce the cost to sell as it offers significant cost savings when compared to pursuing a “traditional sales reps-intensive, market-interaction structure”. At the same time, it also enables companies to “make their sales force much more effective” by allowing them to concentrate on “interacting with the best potential customers and not run after prospects like before”.

A third key benefit is the ability to gain market share. Companies at the advanced level, Cabarry asserted, want to keep their leadership image and “want to gain market share versus companies that do not digitalise fast enough”. In so doing, they can “capture a larger fraction of customers in search mode” and also develop better products by better using market data. At the same time, a fourth factor is the “gain on pricing” offered by digitalisation. Superior market data, he argued, can lead to better segmentation and then enhanced pricing by segment and better prices as they capture more customers in search mode.

All this, Cabarry said, is what Amazon Business does when it enters a new market. Moreover, not only is Amazon Business “already a reality” but the possibility of it entering the chemicals sector “is a serious hypothesis” as it already sells small quantities of laboratory chemicals. With all this in mind, he told delegates that the distribution of speciality chemicals in a digital world would require the ideal company to centre its sales activities on the digital user. As such, it would need to adopt a multi-channel presence; pursue “effective interactions”; and employ “smart data collection and usage” methods. Furthermore, it would also need to maintain a “digital relationship” with its customers by, inter alia, offering “specific digital services for regular customers”, such as online lab access, for example.

MAJOR POTENTIAL

In a similar vein, Deloitte Deutschland partner Dr Alexander Keller noted that B2B selling is becoming more like that associated with business-to-consumer (B2C) selling. Ever more expert in their purchasing habits, chemical customers, he said, are making greater use of “customised product and service choices and pay-per-use models”. Digital technology is also

enabling them to “select, consume and engage seamlessly across portals” while also allowing them to engage and interact with products or services and share preferences and feedback through new communication channels.

As a disruptor, digitalisation also means the chemical industry now risks seeing its traditional value proposition being diluted. Speciality chemical companies and distributors, he said, “developed their business model and offering from a chemicals-based one into providing solutions and services”, allowing them to differentiate themselves from the competition while “charging the value-add”. However, digitalisation has the potential to threaten this from two sides.

Firstly, the “broad-based availability of information and advanced data analytics” is “enabling customers to create solutions themselves” and source their own components. At the same time, “new market participants are providing the solution part and enriching it with other non-chemical-related services” and in so doing positioning themselves between the customer and the chemical industry.

Digitalisation, he said, comes “with opportunities and risks but [is] for sure changing the ways companies are operating”. Chemistry 4.0, he continued, “is changing the markets, the competitive landscape and the parameters the chemical distribution industry is working in”. However, change is not a new concept to the industry. “A number of topics have been addressed (some of them a long time ago),” Keller stated. Importantly, though, the upcoming changes “will be more deep and significant than before”, he warned.

“Chemistry 4.0 and digitalisation are hot topics and buzzwords at the same time, so to determine where being today and what are the most important areas requiring action is crucial.” HCB

The 2019 Fecc Congress will take place in Barcelona in June; more information will be provided on the dedicated website, www.fecc-congress.com.

CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION

M&A • UNIVAR’S PLANNED ACQUISITON OF NEXEO SOLUTIONS WILL CREATE A GLOBAL GIANT IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF CHEMICALS AND INGREDIENTS, TOPPING OFF A YEAR OF CONSOLIDATION

UNIVAR, ONE OF the leading global chemical distributors, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Nexeo Solutions in the form of a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.0bn. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is anticipated to close in the first half of 2019.

“This transformational combination is designed to create the premier global chemical and ingredients distributor, with exciting opportunities for our customers, suppliers, employees and investors,” says David Jukes, CEO of Univar. “Together, we

will drive growth and shareholder value with the largest North American sales force in chemical and ingredients distribution, the broadest product offering, and most efficient supply chain network in the industry. We expect the transaction to be accretive to earnings and cash flow beginning in the first full year post closing and to generate $100m of annual run rate cost savings by the third year following close and reduce annual capital expenditures by $15m immediately.”

The merger agreement provides for each share of Nexeo stock issued and outstanding to be converted into 0.305 shares of Univar common stock and $3.29 in cash, subject to adjustment at closing, representing a purchase price of $11.65 per share of Nexeo common stock. The cash consideration is subject to a potential reduction of up to $0.41 per share, based on Univar’s stock trading price prior to the completion of the acquisition. The transaction is expected to deliver $100m, or approximately $0.43 per share after tax.

BEST PRACTICE

“By combining the best capabilities, talent, and resources from our two companies we will be even better equipped to deliver superior service and expanded value to our customers and supplier partners,” continues Jukes. “We expect to leverage Univar’s leading e-commerce and digital capabilities across Nexeo’s financial systems and centralised ERP platform. By doing so, we aim to accelerate the digital transformation already underway at Univar and reduce costs, while enhancing the ease of doing business. Our shared commitment to safety and innovation and our common organisation structures provide a strong foundation for a smooth and successful integration.”

David Bradley, CEO of Nexeo adds: “We share Univar’s confidence in the future of our combined enterprise, given the strong strategic alignment across our business models, go-to market strategies, superior product offerings, and digital capabilities. This combination represents a logical and compelling step forward, consistent with our focus on accelerating growth for the benefit of our customers, employees and suppliers. We are especially pleased that Nexeo’s employees are highly valued by Univar, and that our shareholders will be able to participate in the company’s future success through ongoing equity ownership.”

Consistent with its focus on chemicals and ingredients distribution, Univar has hired an external advisor to evaluate strategic alternatives for Nexeo’s industryleading plastics business, which may include a potential divestiture. Nexeo’s plastics business is a distributor of prime thermoplastic resins and other products supporting OEMs, moulders and design firms around the world, and will represent less than 10 per cent of the combined company’s earnings. The business will continue to be led by Shawn Williams, executive vice-president of Nexeo Plastics. The review is expected to be completed concurrent with the close of the transaction. HCB www.univar.com www.nexeosolutions.com

BULLETIN

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION

UNIVAR ONLINE IN CANADA

Univar has announced the launch of a new Canadian e-commerce platform, MyUnivar. com. The platform offers a product catalogue of more than 10,000 industrial chemical and food ingredient products, all available for online purchase. The MyUnivar.com platform, first launched in the US in October 2017, has seen a steady increase in online orders ever since.

“The next generation of buyers, supply chain professionals and purchasing leads expect the same convenience and ease of access they experience on consumer ecommerce sites,” says Mike Hildebrand, president of Univar Canada. “At Univar, it is our vision to be the most valued chemical and ingredient distributor in the world, and we are committed to protecting our position as the preferred distribution partner in Canada. It is also our goal to be the number one destination for digital content and commerce in our industry, and that means ensuring we have the best digital experience to meet the demands of our customers and the industry.” www.univar.com

SAFIC TO SERVE IRELAND

Safic-Alcan has extended its distribution agreement with PMC Organometallix to the UK and Ireland. “This agreement will further strengthen our existing partnership with PMC,” says Philippe Combette, CEO of Safic-Alcan. “With our dedicated teams based in the UK, Safic-Alcan is well positioned to efficiently answer British and Irish market expectations and to provide PMC customers with cost-effective and innovative solutions.”

Safic-Alcan can now serve UK and Ireland customers as an authorised distributor for FASCAT® and Fine Chemicals, highly selective catalysts for esters, urethanes and siloxanes used for industrial applications. www.safic-alcan.co.uk

BRENNTAG BUYS DESBRO

Brenntag has acquired the Desbro Group, a Nairobi-based distributor with operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the UAE and 2017 sales of some €70m. “With Desbro, we are taking over a leading and renowned market player,” says Karsten Beckmann, CEO

of Brenntag Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The company provides us the needed market expertise, organisation and infrastructure to build on our strategy to claim outstanding Africa coverage. Combined with Brenntag’s knowhow and existing product and supplier portfolio we will create an overall presence and offering in both Africa and the Middle East.” The acquisition is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2019.

Brenntag Canada has meanwhile opened a new 20,000-m² facility in Beauharnois, Quebec. The new facility will handle some 20,000 tonnes of CNG per year as well as a wide variety of chemicals, and will offer packaging, storage and logistics services. It is located on-site at a major supply partner, reducing the mileage required to serve its customers.

“We are looking forward to a safe, longlasting operation and full commitment to our new community,” says Lars Schneider, president of Brenntag Canada. “We are delighted that nearly all the committed, professional, and well-trained Brenntag staff has decided to move into the new facility. This smooth transition ensures a continuation of our dedication to our Safety 1st core value, commitment to sustainability, and focus on customer service.” www.brenntag.com

BM STRENGTHENS IN FRANCE

Bodo Möller Chemie Group has acquired Acanthe, a distributor of moulding products based in Neuville-sur-Saône, France. “Acanthe is a distinguished distributor with strong knowledge for applications in the moulding and composites industry. With their goal of serving the industrial users on eye-level, Acanthe fits the Bodo Möller Chemie strategy of consultancy and distribution,” says Frank Haug, Bodo Möller CEO.

Acanthe serves a number of principals, including Ebalta and DowDuPont, that are

already long-term partners of Bodo Möller and the acquisition therefore “opens many new synergies in terms of geography, extended competencies and supply base,” as Lionel Breuilly, managing director of Bodo Möller Chemie France, explains.

Bodo Möller has meanwhile opened a new Adhesive Competence Centre (ACC) that, it says, “consolidates all services related to the requirements of industrial adhesive bonding” and “concentrates all knowledge” for adhesive applications within the automotive, rail, aerospace and electronics industries.

“The testing laboratory offers important knowledge for [the] industrial usage of adhesives and polymer resins and [can implement] more than 15 test methods and standards,” Bodo says, noting that the new laboratory is certified according to EN6701-2, DIN 2304 and ISO 9001:2015. www.bm-chemie.com

IMCD ACQUIRES VELOX

IMCD has acquired Velox, a Hamburgheadquartered speciality chemicals distributor with operations across 18 European countries. Velox primarily serves customers from the plastics, composites, additives, rubber and paints and coatings industries and last year closed its books with revenues worth €155m and a normalised EBITDA of €5.4m.

“This acquisition enables IMCD to further strengthen its position as a distributor of speciality plastics and additives,” says IMCD CEO Piet van der Slikke. “Our portfolios very well complement each other and we expect to be able to create more value for our suppliers and customers.”

“Joining IMCD will provide Velox with excellent opportunities to further develop and execute its strategy as a leading distributor to the plastics and composite industries,” says Francois Minec, general manager of Velox. www.incdgroup.com

PIET VAN DER SLIKKE: IMCD STRENGTHENING ITS POSITION IN PLASTICS

THE TANK ARENA

SHOW REPORT • A VISIT TO THE ANNUAL TSA CONFERENCE IS AN EASY WAY TO KEEP UP WITH TECHNICAL AND REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WORLD OF TANK STORAGE

THE UK TANK Storage Association (TSA) held its 18th annual conference and exhibition this past 27 September, once more at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, home to Coventry City FC and Wasps RUFC. The heaving exhibition room hosted 62 companies keen to display their wares to the assembled throng of storage terminal professionals, a throng that grows larger every year.

The conference, under the theme of ‘Building Better Performance and Leadership’, came at a critical time for the UK tank storage industry, with Paul Denmead,

TSA president, saying: “There are many challenges ahead, including the impact of Brexit and withdrawal from the Customs Union, and the government’s ambitious plans for decarbonisation, which would see a significant reduction in the need for hydrocarbon transport fuels from 2040 onwards.”

Indeed, that 2040 timescale may yet prove conservative: since the TSA conference there have been calls to bring forward the phaseout of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicle sales to 2035 or even sooner.

The conference was ably chaired by Paul Thomas, chair of the Process Safety Forum (PSF), a group formed nearly ten years ago at the behest of the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to bring together the expertise of five trade associations –including TSA - with understanding of the risk

management of highly hazardous processes. PSF now has 14 trade associations involved in its work.

“I expect there will be a lot of ‘preaching to the converted’ today,” Thomas began. “We all know and believe that excellence in process safety leads to excellence in commercial performance.” He urged delegates to share that knowledge and passion and to leverage the role that TSA plays alongside other organisations to help share the message to a wider audience.

MOVING PRODUCT

The keynote presentation was given by John Leavens, director at IHS Markit, who described the current and future trade imbalances in refined petroleum products and their impact on the demand for storage capacity. At the heart of his presentation was the impending arrival of sulphur limits on marine fuels, imposed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in order to reduce sulphur oxide emissions from shipping activities and due to enter into force on 1 January 2020.

At present, marine fuels used outside special Emission Control Areas (ECAs) have a maximum allowable sulphur content of

4.5 per cent. As from 2020, this limit will be reduced to 0.5 per cent, which will place severe constraints on refiners, who have been used to seeing the marine fuels market as a useful sink for high-sulphur material and will be left with a surplus of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO). Not all refineries are equipped with desulphurisation systems and not all have the ability to crack HSFO into lighter products, so there may be some movement of fuel oil to refineries with upgrading capacity.

Meanwhile, many refineries are expected to increase crude runs to produce enough gasoil and marine diesel oil (MDO) to supply those ship operators that choose to burn lighter, low-sulphur grades instead of HSFO. Leavens confidently expects a spike in prices for middle distillates (and lighter products) around the 2020 deadline, perhaps lasting two years; this will increase the price differential between HSFO and gasoil/MDO, making the installation of scrubbers to allow the continued use of HSFO by ships an attractive option. That should mitigate the price differential over time.

Meanwhile, Leavens also expects refiners and tank storage terminals to see more business in terms of blending products for marine fuels, possibly including some products – vacuum gasoil, for instance –that have not traditionally been used in bunker fuel.

Leavens also addressed the potential impact of the move towards electric vehicles (EV) but said that improvements in fuel economy in internal combustion engines, both gasolineand diesel-powered, is having a bigger impact on overall energy demand. He expects total demand for refined products in Europe to change little in the period out to 2040.

DIGITAL THREATS

With the ongoing digitisation of the supply chain comes a greater vulnerability to cyberattacks and, while some companies seem to be doing their best to ignore the risks, this is something that tank terminal operators need to take seriously. Sarabjit Purewal, principal specialist inspector at HSE, reminded delegates that those subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulation, the UK’s implementation of the EU Seveso

III Directive, have a responsibility to address cyber-security in the same way they do physical security.

Purewal explained lucidly how the move towards linked and open IT systems, especially in the past five years, has opened up new vulnerabilities. In particular, the proliferation of new control and monitoring systems, prompted in part by the falling cost of sensors, has increased connectivity throughout the supply chain. This raises the risk not only that there are more points of vulnerability in the chain, but also that any attack on one weakness can more easily propagate throughout the network.

Purewal highlighted how easy it is these days to become a hacker – tools and instructions are easily available online – and

that companies need to guard not just against a malicious, targeted attack but also against random malware released into the internet by ingenious hackers.

While cyber-security shares a lot of concepts with physical security, operators cannot think in terms of layers of security, a common approach to improving physical security. This is because a malicious attack will use these layers of protection to open up vulnerabilities.

The EU’s new Directive on the Security of Networks and Information Systems (NIS Directive), which took effect in May 2018, places requirements on certain strategic facilities to address cyber-security issues; some tank terminals fall under the scope of the Directive. »

Purewal pointed delegates to some useful resources when drawing up risk assessments for cyber-security. The second edition of IEC 61511 requires cyber-security protection but does not say a lot about it; IEC 62443 has more information but is an ongoing project. HSE is using IEC 62443 as the basis for its own guidance, including guidance for its own inspectors, published in March 2017. One problem they have had to address is how to measure ‘as low as reasonably practicable’ (ALARP).

A second edition of HSE’s guidance to inspectors is now out for review; at nearly double the size of its predecessor, this edition takes the NIS Directive into account and also responds to feedback that it has to be more usable by industry. On the other hand, HSE does not want to be too prescriptive. Also, any guidance needs to couch the issue in terms understandable to non-specialists. Nevertheless, HSE is aware that cybersecurity is a moving target.

Work on the topic so far has, Purewal said, identified three significant issues:

• The importance of knowing that supply chain partners are addressing cybersecurity threats

• It is vital to know immediately that a cyberattack has happened, so that it can be dealt with and operations can get re-started

• The availability of capable and knowledgeable people.

Purewal reassured delegates that addressing cyber-security risks is a fairly straightforward task and that they should be able to cover 80 per cent of vulnerabilities quite readily. But companies must understand their systems, how they are connected and where they are exposed.

HSE will start a cyber-security inspection programme under COMAH in the fourth quarter of 2019; NIS self-assessments start in December 2018 for those in scope, with reports due for submission in April 2018.

Andrew Nixon, senior adviser at the Environment Agency (EA), provided delegates with an update on activity in the realm of flood prevention and response, something that the TSA conference has covered in previous years. EA is working with industry to improve resilience, Nixon said, noting that sites in scope of COMAH have a responsibility to prevent off-site environmental impacts, including during flooding.

EA has been working with the COMAH Strategic Forum to develop guidance and to identify hazards and common causes of failure in flood scenarios. A second edition of its document Preparing for Flooding was published in June 2015, outlining good practice in the identification of risk and risk

reduction methods. EA also commissioned the Chemical and Downstream Oil Industries Forum (CDOIF) to develop guidance and best practice in terms of flood preparation; this was published in December 2017 and has received international recognition – it was referenced by the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) in its investigation into the fire at the Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas in the wake of flooding from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.

Recent flooding events have generated some important lessons for tank terminal operators, Nixon said. It is vital to understand a site’s topography and its surroundings –where would flood water drain to; how would effluent be treated and stored; are there access routes to and from the site if flooding occurs. It is also vital to understand the flood risk at a site and, if flooding occurs, how bad could it be, how fast would water be moving and what damage could it create. Operators need to remember that flood defences can fail and that, if they do, other mitigation measures may well be affected too.

Nixon pointed to a recent OECD document, Towards an All-Hazards Approach to Emergency Preparedness and Response, which covers natural hazards and stresses the importance of leadership in preparation and response efforts. EA and the other COMAH competent authorities have used this, alongside their experience of recent events, in the preparation of an Operational Delivery Guide on flood preparedness. This outlines a timeframe for inspection and implementation, to provide

assurance that COMAH sites are covered, using a consistent approach. It prompts the sharing of best practice and broader thinking by terminal operators, especially in terms of wider flooding issues and recovery plans. And in terms of planning, Nixon concluded, it is best to do this on a dry day!

MEASURING SAFETY

After a rejuvenating lunch, during which delegates had plenty of time to browse the exhibition stands, Tony Gower-Jones of the Tripod Foundation gave a challenging presentation under the title ‘Building Better Performance Measures for Better

Conversations to Provoke Change’. Or, to put it another way, how to build conversations that will provoke change by using better performance measures; as Gower-Jones said, “You can only manage what you measure.”

A lot of companies work on the premise that, if they do not injure anyone, they are performing well. That is true in a way but, Gower-Jones said, it is a crude metric with a poor signal-to-noise ratio – that is, because there have been no injuries does not necessarily mean that the operation is safe.

There are now, though, plenty of tools available to explain why accidents happen: basically, this is when controls fail, either due to individual choices or lapses. Those happen for many reasons and often reveal an organisational bias. Thus, the need for a change requires a new conversation at the management level.

What sort of conversation should that be? Currently, Gower-Jones said, management tends to focus on events, not on causes. But that is because that is the data they are given. If we want to change the conversation, we have to look at things differently.

Instead of just counting how many people get injured, Gower-Jones said, look at the reliability of the barriers that are put in place to prevent accidents; get different teams to identify which barrier controls are crucial.

Human error is a factor in most – if not all –accidents but, he said, what type of errors are occurring? If we can see why people make mistakes, we can put in place measures to stop them making them. Look at management activity and behaviour, he advised: incentivise the process not the outcome. And measure the completion of safety-critical activities.

“Be careful what you measure,” GowerJones warned. Choosing the wrong metrics can generate unhelpful changes in reporting behaviour. He advised the measurement of positives, which offers a lower likelihood of the figures being fiddled. And think about the conversation you are trying to create. “The right conversation leads to cultural change, and that leads to better safety,” he concluded.

Ian Travers, a regular presenter at the TSA conference during his many years at HSE and now as an independent process safety consultant, gave an insight into the lessons he has learned from 30 years in major hazard risk control, particularly in the realm of leadership. In his presentation he echoed many of Gower-Jones’ comments, particularly the need to think in terms of outcomes rather than processes, and to listen to and engage with the workforce.

Too many business leaders get it completely wrong and can easily appear remote and out of touch with the company’s operations,

particularly in the aftermath of an incident. Most leaders do not go out of their way to discover hazards – they don’t want to know and will deny it if told, Travers said. Management cannot be complacent about the hazards inherent in their operations; they have to recognise that no system or procedure is perfect and understand the hazards and risks they present.

There are, Travers said, five key questions when it comes to process safety:

• How could it go catastrophically wrong?

• Where/when is it most likely to go wrong?

• What controls or systems are there to prevent a major incident?

• Which of these controls are most vulnerable to failure?

• What information is there to show that those systems continue to operate to the desired performance standard?

Process safety leadership is a continual task, Travers said. And it is a continuous loop in which every decision and action to improve safety needs to be validated, evaluated and measured. And it is a process in which communication is a key element.

More communication can be expected at TSA’s 2019 conference and exhibition, which will take place on 26 September. More information will be found on the TSA website, www.tankstorage.org.uk. HCB

PROCESS PROGRESS

COMMUNICATION • TEN YEARS SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION, IFLEXX IS NOW A RECOGNISED STANDARD BUT IT MUST KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES AND THE DEMANDS OF ITS USERS

INTERNATIONAL FILE EXCHANGE XML

(IFLEXX) was brought to the German petroleum industry in 2008, initially as a shared idea between some of the main players. Since then, it has gained broad acceptance and it is now regarded as the de facto standard across the country for digital communication in the oil and gas industry.

One element contributing to that success is the fact that regular meetings are held to allow system developers and users to discuss issues and the path of future development. The 14th such meeting was held in September in Bochum and was attended by personnel

from the refinery, tank terminal, trade, service station, software and consulting sectors, representing 14 of the 19 companies involved in the system.

Those who attended the meeting looked back on ten years of success, assessing how IFLEXX has helped improve the speed and accuracy of communication through the fuel supply chain. They also discussed the challenges ahead.

In a segment entitled ‘Compartment Handling’, delegates exchanged ideas on what the ideal data transfer between freight forwarders and tank terminals should look like in practice. Another key point of discussion was the synchronisation of the IFLEXX standard, which is mainly used in German-speaking countries, with the widely used international PIDX standard.

A MODEL TO FOLLOW

Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of discussion in the petroleum and chemical sectors about how to maximise the potential offered by the use of digitised systems. One major stumbling block in many areas of the supply chain is the availability of platforms for the transfer of data; these must obviously be secure and confidential and offer a neutral channel of communication that is not dominated by particular interests.

Much has also been made of the preference for industry itself, possibly through trade associations, to have ownership of those platforms, rather than leave the data space open to exploitation by third parties. IFLEXX perhaps offers a model of how similar projects in other sectors might be arranged.

“In regard to data communication, the German petroleum industry is very well positioned – not least because of the open IFLEXX format and the many possibilities it offers,” says Stephan Buhre, managing director of Implico GmbH, which organised the Bochum meeting, and IFLEXX specialist.

“The 14th community meeting was a full success,” Buhre adds. “On the one hand, the strong participation and the active exchange show the great importance IFLEXX has achieved within the oil and gas industry in the last ten years. And on the other hand, we also managed to discuss key points to render crosscompany data exchange even more effective in the future.”

IFLEXX was developed as the successor system to the Mineral Oil Partner Communications System (MPKS), set up in the late 1980s. Data exchange using IFLEXX offers the petroleum industry many advantages. Not only does XML permit the transfer of large volumes of standardised data, but IFLEXX also enables the bi-directional exchange of loading data: both to the tank truck’s onboard computer and to the petroleum company’s accounting system. HCB www.iflexx.org www.implico.com

SINGAPORE PLUGS IN

INVESTMENT • AFTER 35 YEARS IN SINGAPORE, VOPAK IS TAKING ITS TERMINALS INTO THE FUTURE WITH A FOCUS ON DIGITAL INNOVATION AND PREPARING FOR A CHANGING MARKET

ROYAL VOPAK WAS the first independent terminal operator to become established in Singapore in the 1980s, serving not only the burgeoning refining and petrochemical sector in the state but also the large market for bunker fuels. It is now also using its well-established facilities to investigate the possibilities opened up by new digital technologies.

“With support from Singapore Economic Development Board and Vopak’s Global Innovation team, we have embarked on a digital transformation journey to achieve our Industry 4.0 ambitions. This means leveraging technology such as Industry Internet of Things (IIoT), big data analytics, mobile devices and robotics to create a safer, sustainable and more productive workplace, thus creating value for our customers and driving Singapore’s competitiveness to serve the industry,” says Tan Soo Koong, managing director of Vopak Terminals Singapore.

At its Sakra and Banyan terminals on Jurong Island, Vopak is piloting the use of innovative sensors to monitor the health of the product pumps. The data collected by those sensors is transmitted wirelessly to a cloud platform where smart algorithms predict potential equipment failures well ahead of time. This allows the terminal to perform predictive maintenance on its assets, avoiding unexpected downtime and impact on customers.

Vopak is also the industry’s first to perform an in-service tank floor inspection using an intrinsically safe robot. Traditionally, such inspections require the tank to be emptied, cleaned and ventilated prior to the actual inspection by human inspectors. This requires people to enter confined spaces and potential

exposure to hazardous conditions. Cleaning and preparing the tank for entry also generates waste and vapour emissions. The use of remotely operated vehicles while the tank remains in service eliminates these needs, boosting our safety and sustainability ambitions. “Less downtime of our assets also means we can support our customers better to fulfil their business goals,” adds Tan.

READY FOR THE FUTURE

Vopak has also recently been investing in new capabilities at is Singapore terminals. The Sebarok facility has been expanded with 67,000 m3 of new tankage to handle marine gasoil in anticipation of the 0.5 per cent sulphur cap in bunker fuels being introduced by the International Maritime Organisation

(IMO) in 2020. In line with a directive from the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), it has also adapted its bunkering operations at Sebarok to allow vessels to take on fuel from barges while also loading or discharging cargo.

Vopak has also opened the region’s first LPG import and distribution facility at its Banyan terminal to serve the local petrochemical industry. “Gearing towards becoming a strategic gas centre in the future, the LPG facility will also enhance the competitiveness of Singapore’s energy and chemical industry,” Vopak says. It has also made service improvements at the Penjuru terminal to service the growing chemical market, and upgraded existing infrastructure at its sites to boost throughput capacity and more efficiently handle and blend different fuels.

“The commitment of Vopak to invest and reinvent itself over the last 35 years is commendable,” says Damian Chan, executive director, energy and chemicals, at MPA.

“Vopak’s decision to use Singapore as a pilot location for its various digital initiatives is a strong testament to our innovation capabilities and adaptable workforce. Singapore is glad to be part of Vopak’s digital transformation journey, and we look forward to many years of fruitful partnership.” HCB www.vopak.com

NEWS BULLETIN

STORAGE TERMINALS

PIN OAK SELLS FIRST TERMINAL

Pin Oak Holdings has sold Pin Oak Terminals LLC, which operates a newly built bulk liquids terminal in Mt Airy, Louisiana (above), to MPLX, a master limited partnership established in 2012 by Marathon Petroleum, for some $450m cash. Pin Oak Holdings, a partnership between Dauphine Midstream and Mercuria Energy, will retain an economic interest in the facility.

“Our team is very proud to have built a premier storage and logistics facility in Louisiana, and this transaction further validates our development strategy and ability to execute,” says C Mike Reed, CEO of Pin Oak Holdings. “We delivered top-tier logistics solutions for our customers, and we are pleased that our dedicated employees will continue to provide excellent service to our valued customers.”

The Mt Airy terminal, which has 4m bbl of fully leased storage capacity and a deepwater ship dock on the Mississippi River, was Pin Oak’s first asset. It also has space to expand capacity to 10m bbl and to build a second deepwater dock. Pin Oak Holdings has recently

begun construction of a new liquids bulk export terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas. www.pinoakterminals.com

KOOLE TAKES ROTTERDAM

Odfjell Terminals has completed the sale of Odfjell Terminals (Rotterdam) to Koole Terminals. The deal will generate some $100m of cash for Odfjell. The facility, which handles chemicals and mineral oils and also incorporates a distillation unit, has been renamed Koole Tankstorage Botlek (KTB).

“We are pleased to extend our terminal network and will work hard to transform KTB further into a state of the art terminal, where safety is our priority number one,” says John Kraakman, CEO of Koole Terminals. “We are convinced that introducing the Koole spirit of true client dedication and entrepreneurship will help KTB to become a success.”

The acquisition increases Koole’s total bulk liquids storage capacity in Europe from 2.2m m3 to 3.8m m3 www.odfjell.com www.koole.com

JOINT VENTURE FOR ANTWERP MOL Chemical Tankers and SEA-Tank Terminal Antwerp have set up a joint venture to build a new bulk liquids chemical terminal in Antwerp. The new company, SEA-MOL NV, is 51 per cent owned by SEA-Tank and 49 per cent by MOL Chemical Tankers.

The project, expected to cost up to €400m, will be located on 20.8 ha of a 45-ha site on the Delwaide Dock, for which the Antwerp Port Authority issued a request for proposals earlier this year. SEA-MOL will also enter into a concession agreement with the port for the rest of the site.

The first phase of the new terminal is scheduled to become operational in mid-2021, with phased construction up to a total of 500,000 m3 capacity for liquid chemicals and base oils. It will offer access for seagoing vessels, barges, trucks and rail cars, and will also provide a range of value-adding services, including blending, drum filling and tank container storage.

“This investment is further confirmation of our port’s ability to attract major investors.

It will also boost our position as one of the largest chemical clusters in the world. This is very good news for the port, and for our economy,” says Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Antwerp Port Authority. www.molchemtankers.com www.sea-invest.com

ARCLIGHT TAKES CONTROL

ArcLight Energy Partners has made an unsolicited, non-binding offer to acquire all outstanding common units of American Midstream Partners LP that it does not already own. If it goes ahead, the deal would likely involve a merger between American Midstream and a subsidiary of ArcLight. The proposed transaction is subject to a number of contingencies.

ArcLight Capital Partners is also engaged in a similar bid to take full control of TransMontaigne Partners, which was initiated on 9 July.

Another ArcLight affiliate has agreed a deal to acquire storage and terminalling assets in Tacoma, Washington and Baltimore, Maryland from Targa Resources Corp for some $160m. The sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The two terminals handle crude oil and refined products but are both some distance from Targa’s core operations in Texas, Oklahoma and neighbouring states. www.arclightcapital.com

STOLTHAVEN ON TRACK

Stolthaven Terminals has posted third-quarter operating profit of $18.6m, level with the prior period excluding exceptional items and 16 per cent up on the year earlier figure. The company has seen an increase in overall utilisation, mainly reflecting increased spot business in Singapore, but there was a drop in utility revenue as the onset of warmer weather reduced the need for steam heating in Houston.

Niels G Stolt-Nielsen, CEO of parent Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, says the trends are “in line with our long-term goals”. www.stolt-nielsen.com

RUBIS DOWN ON IRAQ

Rubis Terminal has reported a sharp drop in revenues for the first half of the year, with turnover down 10 per cent at €87.5m and

EBIT down 34 per cent at €21m. The company was impacted by a significant reduction of oil flows from northern Iraq through its Turkish terminal and, more broadly, the absence of contango in the market. This was offset to some extent by a 14 per cent increase in throughput in its terminals in northern Europe and a 10 per cent increase in non-oil storage in France. www.rubis-terminal.com

ANOTHER GO AT MEXICO

Infraestructura Energética Nova (IEnova), a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, and Trafigura have formed a 51/49 joint venture to develop a terminal for the receipt, storage and distribution of refined products in Manzanillo, Mexico. A service agreement covers half of the planned 1.48m bbl capacity at the site, which is expected to be onstream by the end of 2020.

The Manzanillo terminal will be IEnova’s sixth refined products terminal in Mexico. IEnova will handle project implementation, EPC, financing, operation and maintenance of the terminal, expected to cost some $200m, and will market the remaining capacity. The terminal will be designed to load refined products onto rail tank cars and tank trucks for distribution to customers in the Manzanillo and Guadalajara areas. www.ienova.com.mx

ENTERPRISE UPS LPG LOADING

Enterprise Products Partners is increasing LPG loading capacity at the Enterprise Hydrocarbon Terminal (EHT) on the Houston Ship Channel (below). On completion in the second half of 2019, the expansion will allow up to six VLGCs to load simultaneously, and to load a single VLGC within 24 hours. It will also maintain the option to switch between propane and butane loadings.

“Enterprise is already the largest exporter of propane in the world and this expansion project will increase our ability to export LPGs from the EHT facility by another 30 per cent with nominal capital investment,” says AJ ‘Jim’ Teague, CEO. “Domestic production of hydrocarbons continues to exceed expectations and US demand and domestic export terminals are approaching full utilisation. Without access to international markets, excess LPG supplies would lead to a curtailment in US crude oil and natural gas production growth. Marine terminal expansions like ours will be essential to balancing the market and meeting growing global demand for US hydrocarbons.” www.enterpriseproducts.com

TRAINING COURSES

AIRSAFE TRANSPORT TRAINING PO Box 347

Cloverdale, WA 6985, Australia

T (+61 8) 9277 6968 www.airsafe.com.au

Dangerous Goods by Air –Acceptance

• November 28-30 – Melbourne

• December 5-7 – Sydney

• December 11-13 – Perth

Dangerous Goods by Air –Refresher

• November 20 – Adelaide

• November 27 – Melbourne

• December 4 – Sydney

• December 18 – Perth

AMSA Full Acceptance

• November 19 – Adelaide

• November 26 – Melbourne

• December 3 – Sydney

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL FORWARDERS

Westfield Office Tower, Suite 403, Level 3, 152 Bunnerong Road Eastgardens, NSW 2036 Australia T (+61 2) 9314 3055 www.afif.asn.au

Dangerous Goods Acceptance (Air)

• November 27-29 – Melbourne

• December 4-6 – Sydney

• December 11-13 – Melbourne

Dangerous Goods Re-certification (Air)

• November 26 – Melbourne

• December 3 – Sydney

• December 10 – Melbourne

• January 7 – Sydney

• January 17 – Melbourne

Dangerous Goods by Sea – Full Acceptance

• November 19-20 – Sydney

CAMEON PO Box 17345 Edinburgh EH12 1DJ, UK T (+44 131) 334 1929

www.cameon.com

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA)

• November 12-16 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Air

• January 14-16 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Air –Revalidation

• February 8 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Road and Sea

• February 5-7 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Road –Upgrade

• January 17 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods by Sea –Upgrade

• January 18 – Manchester

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser

• February 25-March 1 –Manchester

CLASS 7 LTD 9 Irk Vale Drive

Chadderton Oldham OL1 2TW, UK T (+44 161) 628 6677 www.class7.co.uk

RamMaster Level 1 – Foundation

• January 15 – Oldham

RamMaster Level 2 – Road

Consignment and Transport

• January 16-17 – Oldham

RamMaster Level 2 – Rail Consignment & Transport

• January 31 – Oldham

RamMaster Level 2 – Air Consignment Upgrade

• January 29 – Oldham

RamMaster Level 2 – Sea Consignment Upgrade

• January 30 – Oldham

DGI TRAINING CENTER

1060 El Camino Real, Suite B

Redwood City, CA 94063-1645, USA

T (+1 650) 306 8450

www.dgitraining.com

IATA Initial

• January 23-24 – San Francisco

• January 30-31 – Chicago

IATA Recurrent

• November 28 – Las Vegas

• January 24 – San Francisco

• January 31 – Chicago

IMDG Recurrent

• November 30 – Las Vegas

• January 25 – San Francisco Ground Transportation (49 CFR) Initial

• January 21-22 – San Francisco

• January 28-29 – Chicago Ground Transportation (49 CFR) Recurrent

• November 29 – Las Vegas

• January 22 – San Francisco

• January 29 – Chicago Multimodal Initial (49 CFR/IATA/IMDG)

• December 3-7 – Las Vegas

• January 21-25 – San Francisco Multimodal Recurrent (49 CFR/ IATA/IMDG)

• November 28-30 – Las Vegas Ground/Air Shipping - Recurrent (49 CFR/IATA)

• November 28-29 – Las Vegas Ground/Ocean ShippingRecurrent (49 CFR/IMDG)

• November 29-30 – Las Vegas Air/Ocean Shipping – Recurrent (IATA/IMDG)

• January 24-25 – San Francisco

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

• December 3-5 – Atlanta

• December 3-5 – Houston IATA/ICAO Dangerous Goods by Air – Recurrent

• December 4-5 – Atlanta

• December 6-7 – Houston IMDG Code - Initial

• December 18-19 – Houston IMDG Code – Recurrent

• December 20 – Houston Multi-Modal (Air, Road and Sea)

– Initial

• November 26-29 – Houston

• December 10-13 – Houston General Awareness

• December 17 – Atlanta

ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS USERS ASSOCIATION (EEMUA)

2nd floor, 16 Black Friars Lane London EC4V 6EB, UK T (+44 20) 7488 0801 www.eemua.org/Training-andcompetency/ TankAssessor

• November 19-23 – Rotterdam

• January 14-18 – London TankStrategies

• December 3-7 – Antwerp

INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

800 Place Victoria, PO Box 113 Montreal H4Z 1M1 Quebec, Canada. T (+1 514) 874 0202 www.iata.org/training

Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Initial, Category 6

• November 26-30 – Miami

• December 10-14 – Geneva

• December 10-14 – Singapore

• January 7-11 – Singapore

• January 14-18 – Miami

• January 28-Feb 1 – Geneva

Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Recurrent, Category 6

• November 21-23 – Geneva

• January 9-11 – Miami

• January 23-25 – Geneva

Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Shippers and Packers –Cat 1 and 2

• December 17-19 – Miami

Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Instructor Refresher

• November 28-30 – Geneva

• December 17-19 – Singapore

Professional Skills for DGR Instructors – Categories 1,2,3,6

• November 26-30 – Singapore

• December 3-7 – Geneva

• January 7-11 – Geneva Instructional Techniques for DGR (for categories 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

• December 10-14 – Singapore

Shipping Lithium Batteries by Air

• January 28-29 – Geneva

Infectious Substances Transport

• January 23-25 – Miami

Infectious Substances Transport –Train the Trainer

• January 28-Feb 1 – Geneva

LION TECHNOLOGY

570 Lafayette Road Sparta, NJ 07871-3447, USA T (+1 888) 546 6511

www.lion.com

Multimodal Hazmat Shipper Certification (49 CFR/IATA/IMDG)

• December 3-6 – Pittsburgh

• December 10-13 – Chicago

• January 8-11 – Hartford, CT

• January 14-17 – Boston

• January 14-17 – Piscataway, NJ

• January 22-25 – Philadelphia

Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification (49 CFR)

• November 29-30 – Cleveland

• December 3-4 – Pittsburgh

• December 5-6 – St Louis

• December 10-11 – Chicago

• January 8-9 – Hartford, CT

• January 10-11 – Albany

• January 14-15 – Boston

• January 14-15 – Piscataway, NJ

• January 22-23 – Philadelphia

• January 28-29 – Baltimore

Hazmat Air Shipper Certification (IATA)

• December 5 – Pittsburgh

• December 7 – St Louis

• December 12 – Chicago

• January 10 – Hartford, CT

• January 16 – Boston

• January 16 – Piscataway, NJ

• January 24 – Philadelphia

Hazmat Vessel Shipper Certification (IMDG)

• December 6 – Pittsburgh

• December 13 – Chicago

• January 11 – Hartford, CT

• January 17 – Boston

• January 17 – Piscataway, NJ

• January 25 – Philadelphia

Hazardous Waste in California

• January 7-8 – Los Angeles

• January 10-11 – Santa Barbara

• January 14-15 – Fresno

• January 17-18 – San Francisco

Complete Environmental Regulations

• January 24-25 – Charlotte

OILSPILL RESPONSE TRAINING

Lower William Street Southampton SO14 5QE, UK T (+44 23) 8033 1551

www.oilspillresponsetraining.com

Oil Spill Clearance – On-Scene Commander (IMO Level 2)

• December 17-21 – Singapore Oil Spill Response Management (IMO Level 3)

• December 10-12 – Singapore

Extreme Cold Weather Spill Response

• January 14-18 – Quebec

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

• December 4 – Accrington

ADR Initial – Packages & Tanks

• November 26-30 – Accrington

• January 7-11 – Accrington

Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Sea (IMDG)

• November 28 – Accrington

TRANSCHEM TRAINING

The Legion, Wigshaw Lane Culcheth, Warrington WA3 4LY, UK

T (+44 151) 488 0961

www.transchemtraining.com

ADR Initial

• November 19-23 – Warrington

• December 3-7 – Wakefield

• December 10-14 – Warrington

• January 14-17 – Wakefield

• January 21-25 – Warrington

TRANSPORTATION

TECHNOLOGY CENTER Security and Emergency Response Training Center PO Box 11130

Pueblo, CO 81001, USA

T (+1 719) 584 0584 sertc.org HazMat/WMD Technician for Surface Transportation

• November 26-Dec 7 – Pueblo

• January 14-25 – Pueblo Tank Car Specialist

• November 26-30 – Pueblo

• January 28-Feb 1 – Pueblo Leadership & Management of Surface Transportation Incidents

• December 3-7 – Pueblo Highway Emergency Response Specialist

• January 28-Feb 1 – Pueblo

CONFERENCE DIARY

Oil Terminal 2018

NOVEMBER

APLA Annual Meeting

NOVEMBER 10-13, CANCUN

38th annual Latin American petrochemical conference www.apla.com.ar/en/

LogiChem US

NOVEMBER 12-13, PHILADELPHIA

Supply chain meeting for senior-level executives in North America http://logichemus.wbresearch.com/

ADIPEC

NOVEMBER 12-15, ABU DHABI

34th annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference www.adipec.com

NACD Annual Meeting

NOVEMBER 12-15, CARLSBAD, CA

47th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Chemical Distributors www.nacd.com/meetings/am/2018annual-meeting/

ChemCon Europe 2018

NOVEMBER 12-16, BUDAPEST

Global conference on chemical regulation https://chemcon.net/upcoming.shtml

Labeline/HCB

Biennial Roadshow

NOVEMBER 13, HEATHROW

NOVEMBER 15, MANCHESTER

Second biennial series of regulatory update seminars www.labeline.com/events/dangerousgoods-roadshow-2/

Opslagtanks

NOVEMBER 14-15, SPIJKENISSE

Dutch-language conference on storage tank and terminal safety in the ARA port area http://iir.nl/events/opslagtanks/

Petrochemical Supply Chain and Logistics

NOVEMBER 15-16, HOUSTON

Conference on optimising polymer and liquid petrochemical supply chains www.petchem-update.com/petrochemicalsupplychain/

NOVEMBER 22-23, ST PETERSBURG

12th oil terminal congress and exhibition www.oilterminal.org/en

GPCA Forum

NOVEMBER 26-28, DUBAI

13th annual meeting of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association www.gpcaforum.net

all4pack

NOVEMBER 26-29, PARIS

Biennial trade fair for the packaging and packaging machinery industries, incorporating Emballage www.all4pack.fr

World LNG Summit

NOVEMBER 27-30, LISBON

19th annual conference and awards dinner http://world.cwclng.com/

ECTA 2018 NOVEMBER 29, DÜSSELDORF

Annual meeting of the European Chemical Transport Association www.ecta.com/event-2802705

EEMUA Storage Tanks Seminar

NOVEMBER 29, LONDON

Annual EEMUA seminar to address issues with storage tanks www.eemua.org/tni/Calendar/Events/ EEMUA-Annual-Storage-18.aspx

DECEMBER

Argus European LPG Markets

DECEMBER 3-5, LONDON

Ninth annual conference on developments in the LPG sector www.argusmedia.com/en/conferencesevents-listing/european-lpg-markets

Cryogenic Storage Tanks

DECEMBER 11-12, MUNICH

Second technical conference on liquefied gas storage www.tuev-sued.de/academy/conferencemanagement/tank-storage-systems/ cryogenic-tanks

JANUARY

Platts’ Gas Storage Outlook

JANUARY 10-11, HOUSTON

17th annual conference on gas storage issues in North America www.spglobal.com/platts/en/events/americas/ gas-storage-outlook/summary

COHMED

JANUARY 28-FEB 1, SAN ANTONIO

Annual conference of the Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development (COHMED) programme https://cvsa.org/eventpage/events/ cohmed-conference/

FEBRUARY

Digital Transformation in Chemicals

FEBRUARY 6-7, FRANKFURT

Inaugural event focusing on digitisation in the chemical industry www.argusmedia.com/en/conferences-eventslisting/digital-transformation-in-chemicals

International Petroleum Week (IP Week)

FEBRUARY 26-28, LONDON

Annual week of meetings, lunches, conferences and seminars in London www.ipweek.co.uk/_nocache

Hazardex 2019

FEBRUARY 27-28, RUNCORN Conference and exhibition on hazardous area operations www.hazardexonthenet.net/event. aspx?EventID=4783

MARCH

PPC Spring Meeting

MARCH 3-5, SCOTTSDALE

Bi-annual meeting and tradeshow of the Petroleum Packaging Council www.ppcouncil.org/upcoming-meetings.php

IATA World Cargo Symposium

MARCH 12-14, SINGAPORE

13th global conference on air cargo www.iata.org/events/wcs/pages/index.aspx

ROAD/RAIL/AIR INCIDENTS

Date Location Vehicle Type Substance Details Source

16/718 Saint-Polycarpe, freight train diesel, 20 cars of near-100-car CP train, including tank cars, derailed west of Montreal; most derailed cars landed CTV Quebec, Canada propane in fields but four fell into river; fire crews found no leaks; TSB investigating

16/7/18 Hwange, trucks sulphuric Road tanker with sulphuric acid collided head-on with coal truck in Dinde area; both drivers injured; both Nehanda Zimbabwe acid vehicles caught fire; responders dug trench to collect spilling acid; site cordoned off during decontamination Radio

18/7/18 Abini, road tanker gasoline Road tanker with 11,000 litres gasoline crashed on Calabar-Biase highway after skidding on wet road; This Day Cross River, Nigeria locals collected spilt fuel; no casualties reported; second such incident on the road within a month

18/7/18 Santa Rosa, road tanker oxygen Malfunction during delivery of oxygen to on-site tank at Kaiser Pernanente office caused explosion in tank TimesCalifornia, US truck; driver injured; patients at medical clinic evacuated, nearby highway closed Union

19/7/18 Kibarani, freight train gasoline Fuel train derailed, one wagon falling into sea; main road into Mombasa was closed during cleanup; The Star Coast, Kenya evacuations ordered; second such incident in two months

19/7/18 Upton county, rail tank car hydrochloric Some 3,000 gal (11,000 litres) hydrochloric acid leaked from tank car at railyard; shelter-in-place ordered; Your Texas, US acid spill neutralised, contaminated soil removed; cause of leak unknown; no injuries reported Basin

23/7/18 Pleasant Hill, truck fungicide 180 gal (680 litres) spilled after 250-gal container fell from truck at intersection; some spilt product reached TimesIowa, US nearby creek, causing fish kill; contaminated water pumped out of ditch Union

24/7/18 Mount Vernon, truck ammonium Truck with 24 t ammonium nitrate overturned on small road, spilling large amount of product, some reaching WYMT Kentucky, US nitrate nearby creek, a popular swimming hole; thought that truck ran on to soft shoulder while passing another truck

25/7/18 nr Winslow, truck ferrous Truck caught fire on I-49, causing some ferrous chloride cargo to spill, burn; all lanes of highway closed; 4029TV Arkansas, US chloride driver uninjured; fire extinguished within an hour

26/7/18 Westfield, road tanker potassium Tank truck found to be leaking potassium chloride when stopped for routine inspection; tanker was moved to masslive. Massachusetts, US chloride side street to allow cargo to be transferred to second tanker com

26/7/18 Sweetwater, road tanker diesel Tank truck with 7,000 gal (26.5 m3) diesel caught fire after tyre blowout caused it to run off I-20; bridge USA Texas, US badly damaged by fire, highway closed for some hours; spill of diesel to road below Today

30/7/18 Ranchi, road tanker LPG At least 20 people injured when IOCL tanker with 18,000 litres LPG exploded after being caught up in The Jharkand, India multi-vehicle crash on NH-33; fire was allowed to burn out Telegraph

30/7/18 Baton Rouge, road tanker acrylamide Tank truck found to be venting fumes at Gator Environmental facility; nearby trailer park evacuated; thought RSOE Louisiana, US that inhibitor in cargo of ‘acrylamide 50’ had expired, causing polymerisation

31/7/18 Victoria Island, road tanker diesel Fire broke out in road tanker delivering diesel to tank at Ecobank Nigeria building; employees, customers The Lagos, Nigeria evacuated; staff managed to contain blaze in generator area; cause of ignition unknown Nation

31/7/18 Marsh Mills, road tanker LPG LPG tanker suffered tyre blowout on A38; during repair, pipe was ruptured, causing leak of gas; road closed Plymouth Devon, UK for hours as a precaution against ignition; 800-metre exclusion zone imposed Live

1/8/18 Mauston, road tanker diesel Tank truck with diesel caught fire after several other vehicles hit it on I-90/94; more than 6,000 gal (22.7 m3) WISC Wisconsin, US diesel spilled; two people killed in collision; westbound lanes of highway closed for response

4/8/18 Wendell, freight train hydrochloric Four of six cars of Pan Am freight train derailed, reportedly due to wet weather; at least one car had cargo of AP Massachusetts, US acid hydrochloric acid but no leaks found; no injuries reported

6/8/18 Bologna, road tanker LPG LPG tanker ran into rear of truck carrying solvents, which immediately caught fire; other motorists were BBC Italy encouraged to flee; tanker suffered BLEVE, raining fire on street below bridge; one dead, 145 injured

6/8/18 Itele, road tanker gasoline Pondolivia Oil & Gas tanker broke down and was abandoned for several days; locals attempted to push it Premium Ogun, Nigeria to a safer place when it began to leak fuel; many locals evacuated, fearing explosion Times

8/8/18 Nakina, road tanker fuel Driver of Reliable Tank Line tank truck with unspecified fuel was killed after he lost control on notorious Bladen N Carolina, US section of NC 905; tanker ran off road into ditch, caught fire; locals unable to help due to intense heat Journal

8/8/18 St Paul, locomotives diesel Two UP locos derailed on bridge, puncturing fuel tank and spilling some 3,200 gal (12 m3) diesel to AP Minnesota, US Mississippi River; absorbent booms, skimmers deployed downstream; US EPA, state agencies on scene

9/8/18 Deposit, freight train diesel 16 cars of 59-car NYS&W train derailed after heavy rains washed out culvert; some 4,000 gal (15 m3) USA New York, US diesel spilled from loco’s fuel tank to river; cars with acids, radioactive soil were not derailed Today

10/8/18 Ekpoma, road tanker gasoline At least four people died after being caught up in inferno when road tanker rolled over, caught fire on Punch Edo, Nigeria Benin-Auchi Expressway; other vehicles also involved in the blaze

ROAD/RAIL/AIR INCIDENTS (CONTINUED)

Date Location Vehicle type Substance Details Source

11/8/18

Navi Mumbai, road tanker propane Truck ran into back of LPG tanker on flyover on Sion-Panvel highway, causing propane leak; fire crews Times of Maharashtra, India sprayed water to keep leak from igniting until specialists managed to plug the leak India

13/8/18 Colts Neck, road tanker chlorine Miracle Chemical Co tank truck struck guardrail on Route 18, rolled over and leaked ‘liquid chlorine’ to road; USA New Jersey, US spill was contained, remaining cargo transferred; driver injured; road closed for response Today

14/8/18 Hudson’s Hope, road tanker condensate Tanker truck carrying 40 m3 condensate rolled over, caught fire on Highway 29 in single-vehicle incident; Energetic BC, Canada driver injured; some leak of product; BC Ministry of Environment assisting in cleanup City

14/8/18 Doddatappale, road tanker fuel Fuel tanker plunged 100 m into gorge as driver tried to avoid landslip on Bengaluru-Mangaluru NH; Deccan Karnataka, India tanker ruptured, spilling fuel into gorge; driver and cleaner both killed in crash Herald

14/8/18 Chubbuck, road tanker Two workers critically injured by explosion during welding on tank truck parked outside their maintenance KIFI Idaho, US workshop; thought that vapours in tank ignited; investigation underway

19/8/18 Rusumo, road tankers oil Road tanker with unspecified oil cargo ran into another at customs post on Tanzania-Rwanda border; The Kagera, Tanzania reports spoke of ‘powerful explosion’ that destroyed both tankers, two other cars; no injuries reported Citizen

19/8/18 Berger-Ibafo, road tanker fuel Road tanker with unspecified fuel was in collision with pickup on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, causing leak of The Lagos, Nigeria fuel; other motorists tried desperately to flee, recalling a similar but fatal incident on same road in June Guardian

20/8/18 Mutare, road tanker fuel Fuel tanker exploded at Glow Petroleum service station, cause unknown; fire spread quickly, consuming Manica Zimbabwe three vehicles; locals risked their lives to move more cars away from the blaze Post

21/8/18 San Bernadino, freight train gasohol (?) 13 tank cars derailed, prompting evacuation of several buildings; three tank cars leaked “gas- and alcohol- AP California, US based liquid” but hazmat team said there was no threat to community; local roads closed during response

24/8/18 Hawthorne, road tanker gasoline Double tanker crashed on 105 Freeway trying to avoid collision with another vehicle; front tanker exploded, CBS California, US spreading fire and killing both drivers; road closed in both directions, power to light rail knocked out

25/8/18 Greenwood, rail tank cars hydrogen Four tank cars derailed in CSX railyard; one with hydrogen peroxide leaked; nearby children’s home Fox S Carolina, US peroxide evacuated; spill contained on CSX property and was cleared up

29/8/18 El Cajon, road tanker hydrogen Hydrogen ‘flashed over’ in tank truck with 2,000 gal of liquefied hydrogen making delivery at Veridiam site; SD UnionCalifornia, US business evacuated until tank’s contents had evaporated; nearby schools, businesses also evacuated Tribune

MARINE/INLAND WATERWAY INCIDENTS

Date Location Vessel Substance Details Source

17/7/18 Syah Bandar, Mutiara gas cylinders Sparks from engine room spread fire to cargo vessel docked at Jeti Syah Bandar; crew unable to contain fire Mfame Pahang, Malaysia Kargo 3 as it ignited gas cylinders, gasoline canisters; several explosions; vessel sank; all crew escaped 24/7/18 Aracruz, Sepetiba Bay wood Three port workers died, one injured after inhaling toxic gas in hold of bulker unloading wood at Portocel, FleetMon ES, Brazil a dedicated pulp port; as often happens, two of those who died had been trying to rescue the first casualty

off Gibraltar King Arthur LPG tanker (4,500 m3, 2011) collided with containership ANL Wyong; both ships damaged, anchored FleetMon off Algeciras; not clear if gas ship was in cargo at time, en route Rotterdam from Black Sea

Ploce, STI Poplar

Product tanker (38,750 dwt, 2014), with 27,000 t unspecified fuel, collided with pier while manoeuvring to FleetMon Croatia dock; pier, transfer equipment badly damaged; no leak reported but pictures showed sheen around vessel

Crude tanker (316,400 dwt, 2005), in ballast, suffered explosion in cargo tank en route Fujairah; three crew DNA missing, one suffered burns; owner SCI later confirmed two deaths

Leak from underground fuel line at marina polluted soil, caused spill to river and marina waters; USCG News5

called

with

Four crew of general cargoship (3,500 dwt, 1992) were hospitalised shortly after arrival in port; thought that FleetMon

they had been poisoned by fumigants in cargo of grain from Croatia

Malacca Strait COSCO

Dense smoke detected in cargo hold of containership (9,100 teu, 2017); crew activated extinguisher system, FleetMon Shipping Thames which brought fire under control; vessel anchored in Singapore; cause of fire not known (or revealed)

Jose, Meganisi naphtha Product tanker (72,500 dwt, 2004), arriving at Jose Terminal with naphtha from the US, collided with pier, FleetMon

which was damaged and had to be closed; country’s import capacity severely impacted

MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS

Date Location Plant type Substance Details Source

16/7/18 Tel Aviv, airport acid

Some 400 litres unidentified acid spilled inside cargo handling building at Ben Gurion International Airport; Times of Israel hazmat crews managed to prevent spill from spreading, which may have caused closure of passenger terminal Israel

21/7/18 Kwinana, port ammonia

Five people hospitalised after being affected by ammonia leak near fertiliser plant at Kwinana Beach jetty; PerthNow WA, Australia gas leaked from storage tank at CSBP site during receipt of product; “not the result of safety system failure”

22/7/18 Golaghat, pipeline natural gas Pipeline ruptured in agricultural area near railway station; reports spoke of explosion, with pictures showing Sentinel Assam, India huge flames; locals said operator Assam Gas Co had failed to respond to warnings of leak Assam

22/7/18 Port Manatee, port biodiesel Fire broke out in 180,000-gal (680 m3) storage tank, thought to be one-third full with biodiesel, in port area; Bay Florida, US local fire crews responded, extinguished blaze without injury; some structural damage reported News9

30/7/18 nr Epping, oilwell crude oil Some 345 bbl crude oil spilled at Whiting Oil & Gas tank battery; spill contained within bund; leak caused RSOE N Dakota, US by faulty valve or piping connection, operator said

1/8/18 Midland county, pipeline natural gas Five people badly hurt by series of explosions on gas pipelines, initially on a third-party line, subsequently on RSOE Texas, US Kinder Morgan’s major El Paso line; those injured said to be ‘workers’, suggesting maintenance at the time

6/8/18 Tehran, oil refinery oil Leak of oil reported at Tondgouyan refinery; not clear how long oil had been leaking but nearby fields RSOE Iran affected as leak had impacted groundwater used for irrigation; lack of supervision blamed

7/8/18 Antioch, pipeline kerosene Leak identified on Kinder Morgan pipeline after passer-by saw liquid bubbling up into road; officials unclear East Bay California, US as to whether product was kerosene, diesel or something else; product reached storm drains Times

7/8/18 Coppell, postal depot mercury Spill of mercury from package at USPS sorting office caused facility to be closed; mail distribution to local Fox Texas, US towns interrupted; criminal investigation underway to identify sender

8/8/18 Mahul, oil refinery fuel Fire broke out in compressor shed of hydrocracker unit at Bharat Petroleum refinery; several workers hurt by Times of Mumbai, India subsequent explosion; unit closed but other refinery operations continued as normal India

10/8/18 Kisumu, pipeline fuel Locals rushed with jerrycans to collect fuel – not clear if it was gasoline or diesel – spilling from pipeline Daily Kenya alongside Kibos-Kisumu highway; Kenya Pipeline Co personnel had trouble finding location of leak Nation

17/8/18 Long Beach, chemical dicyclo- Up to 300 gal (1,100 litres) dicyclopentadiene leaked from storage tank at Total Terminals facility in port LB PressCalifornia, US terminal pentadiene area; operators found faulty valve in tank; facility evacuated, with 11 people affected by fumes Telegram

17/8/18 Breaux Bridge, oil refinery oil At least one storage tank caught fire at JP Oil Co refinery; fire crews said lightning strike hit old tank, KADN Louisiana, US sparking blaze; roads closed while fire crews dealt with blaze

18/8/18 Quintero, oil refinery chemicals Some 250 people in Quintero and Puchuncavi were sickened by noxious fumes, with local authorities blaming RSOE Valparaiso, Chile work at ENAP’s Aconcagua refinery; others pointed at Codelco copper plant; investigation underway

22/8/18 Logroño, paper ammonia Leak in ammonia storeroom at Toybe stationery and packaging factory led to fire; workers evacuated; La Sexta La Rioja, Spain factory site’s own fire team dealt with blaze without injury

23/8/18 Istanbul, factory acid Tank with acid said to have exploded at unidentified factory in Arnavütköy district of Istanbul; factory, nearby Yeni Turkey residents evacuated; teams from natural gas distributor dispatched to the site, suggesting possible gas leak Safak

24/8/18 Perekorp, chemical acid First reports of damage to crops due to oily film apparently from acid storage unit at Titan TiO2 plant in RFE Crimea plant Russian-occupied Crimea; authorities looking at whether Titan had failed to comply with regulations

24/8/18 Baton Rouge, chemical hydrogen ExxonMobil reported release of hydrogen chloride from chemical unit at refinery; workers sheltered in place; WBRZ Louisiana, US plant chloride release came a day after an unrelated small fire in the chemical plant

25/8/18 Sievierodonetsk, chemical sludge Fire broke out in sludge tank at Azot chemical plant; fire was localised by burned for three days, spreading 112. Luhansk, Ukraine plant fumes across nearby residential areas; authorities to investigate int’l

26/8/18 Willcox, fertiliser nitric acid Some 28,000 gal (106 m³) nitric acid spilled from holding tank at Fertizona fertiliser plant; spill contained Metro Arizona, US plant on site; road closed during cleanup; cause of loss of containment not known

Forensics

28/8/18 Wichita Falls, pipeline crude oil Fire broke out in roof seal of crude oil storage tank at Plains All American Pipeline terminal; fire was USA Texas, US terminal contained to one tank; understood that roof seal had been or was to be replaced; no injuries reported Today

30/8/18 West Footscray, warehouse acetone Major fire broke out in warehouse of unidentified factory, spewing dense black smoke over western The Vic, Australia Melbourne; known that there was acetone at the site, probably other chemicals too Guardian

31/8/18 Dzerzhinsk, explosives explosives Three workers killed, five injured by explosion in Sverdlov explosives and ammunition plant; subsequent AP NN, Russia plant fire burned for three hours

31/8/18 Denver, factory chlorine Seven people hospitalised for effects of chlorine leak at Colorado Salt Products plant; initial evacuation order Denver Colorado, US was soon lifted as leak was brought under control; authorities to investigate cause Post

IN LABELS WE TRUST

ANYONE WHO MOVES hazardous materials in the US knows how important – and how difficult – it is to keep current with the requirements of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR). Over the last few years alone, the regulations surrounding hazardous materials have changed significantly; Reliance Label must deal with this as well as the added complexity of new materials, inks and print technologies used to help companies stay in compliance with ever-changing regulations.

As of 1 January 2019, a new lithium battery marking transition will come into effect. The new lithium battery mark replaces the older lithium battery caution label and is easily recognised by the new graphic and the UN number associated with the type of lithium battery contained in the package. In addition to this change, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has also released a new Class 9 lithium battery handling label specifically designed for lithium battery shipments. The new handling label is for fully regulated lithium batteries; excepted lithium battery shipments are not currently required to use this label but it will be mandatory as of 1 January 2019.

In addition to lithium battery labels, there has also been an update to the Hazardous Waste Manifest, a shipping form required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOT for the transport of hazardous waste. Those who transport or offer for transport hazardous waste for off-site treatment, recycling or disposal should be aware that EPA has implemented a new five-part carbonless form that replaces the older six-part form. The new form has been in circulation since 30 June 2018 and, although the paper manifest can still be used, the digitised e-manifest is highly encouraged.

UP TO SCRATCH

As of 1 January 2017, DOT has also begun enforcing minimum size requirements for identification number markings preceded by ‘UN’, ‘NA’ or ‘ID’ on non-bulk packages. The identification number must now be marked in characters at least 12 mm (0.47 inches) high. Packages with a maximum capacity of 60 litres

(16 gallons) or less must now be marked with characters at least 6 mm (0.24 inches) and packages with a maximum capacity of 5 litres (1.32 gallons) or less must now be marked in a size that is appropriate for the size of the package. Packages that have been permanently marked before 2017 can remain in use without meeting the size requirements until the end of their service life. This requirement does not apply to other markings on the label, such as the proper shipping name.

For domestic ground, rail and vessel shipments, the ORM-D marking, used for domestic US shipments containing hazardous materials in consumer quantities, will be phased out starting from 1 January 2021. This marking will be replaced by new limited quantity markings, detailing whether the shipment is travelling by air or by another mode. In addition, the all-yellow ‘organic peroxide’ class 5.2 placard that is still sold by some companies was replaced by the new red and yellow version on 1 January 2011 for transportation by rail, vessel or aircraft, and on 1 January 2014 for all highway transportation.

Reliance Label is a supplier of placards, labels and markings for hazardous materials (hazmat) manufacturing and transportation industries. More details on its products can be found at www.reliancelabel.com. HCB

LABELLING • WITH REGULATIONS CHANGING CONSTANTLY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STAY UP TO DATE. RELIANCE LABEL DETAILS SOME OF THE RECENT CHANGES FOR HAZMAT MARKINGS, LABELS AND PLACARDS

NEED

TO DATE WITH

LATEST LABELLING REQUIREMENTS

BUFFER STOCK

THE RID COMMITTEE of Experts’ Standing Working Group held its ninth session in Berne, Switzerland on 28 and 29 May. Its main task was to finalise the changes that will appear in the 2019 edition of RID, the regulations that govern the transport of dangerous goods by rail in Europe and neighbouring regions, and to begin work on the next round of regulatory updates.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 14 Contracting States, the European Commission (EC), the EU Agency for Railways (ERA) and five nongovernmental organisations. It was chaired as usual by Caroline Bailleux (Belgium) with Colin Bonnet (Switzerland) as deputy chair.

FINAL DECISIONS FOR 2019

The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental

Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), the Committee’s parent body, circulated a list of amendments adopted by the RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting, which met in Berne in March, for entry into force on 1 January 2019. The Working Group also took into account changes agreed by its counterparts in road transport, WP15, at its 104th session in mid-May, alongside further corrections and additional amendments picked up by the Secretariat since the spring Joint Meeting.

This led to some discussion on certain points. It was decided that the square brackets in the Note to special provision 301 and in 5.2.2.2.1.1.2, relating to the revised 2018 edition of EN ISO 21028-2, could be deleted. The Working Group also adopted a proposal by the Secretariat to add a Note

to 6.8.2.6.1 in column (2) of the table of standards, pointing to the OTIF website for guidance on the application of EN 13094:2015. The Secretariat was asked to make sure those guidelines were published without delay.

An informal document from ERA sought to clarify the wording already adopted for 6.8.2.1.23 in relation to the ability of maintenance and repair workshops to carry out welding. It is important to make clear that this relates to welding on tanks. The Working Group agreed to include the words “on the tank” after “welding operations” so that the paragraph will now read:

The ability of the manufacturer to perform welding operations shall be verified and confirmed by either the competent authority or by the body designated by this authority. The ability of the maintenance or repair shop to perform welding operations on the tank shall be verified and confirmed by the inspection body according to 6.8.2.4.5. A weld quality assurance system shall be operated by the manufacturer or the maintenance or repair shop.

The Working Group also agreed with the Secretariat’s proposal to maintain hazard identification number ‘90’ in column (20) of the Dangerous Goods List against UN 3536, to avoid contradictions with special provision

RAIL • GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE 2019 TEXT OF RID, THE RAIL EXPERTS HAD PLENTY ON THEIR PLATE AT THEIR MEETING IN MAY. THERE MAY YET BE SOME LATE AMENDMENTS

389, which requires orange-coloured plates on two opposing sides of the cargo transport unit. This is underlined by a new second sentence in 5.3.2.1.1:

This plate shall also be affixed on both sides of cargo transport units in which lithium batteries are installed (UN 3536).

AMENDMENTS AMENDED

Among the other changes made to the texts already adopted are the following, which include only those applicable to the English text.

The beginning of the first sentence of 1.8.3.1 is amended to read:

Each undertaking, the activities of which include the consigning or the carriage of dangerous goods by rail, or the related packing, loading, filling or unloading shall appoint one or more safety advisers for the carriage of dangerous goods, …

A new Note is added after the 14th indent of 2.2.51.2.2:

The term “competent authority” means the competent authority of the country of origin. If the country of origin is not an RID Contracting State, the classification and conditions of carriage shall be recognized by the competent authority of the first RID Contracting State reached by the consignment.

Three new rows are added to the Table of organic peroxides in 2.2.52.4.

PENDING PROPOSALS

The European Association of Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers (EASA) had proposed that the dangerous goods safety adviser (DGSA) requirement should be extended to tank-wagon operators and entities in charge of maintenance (ECMs). However, as the EASA representative had been unable to attend the meeting, discussion of the proposal was held over to the next meeting.

The International Union of Railways (UIC) proposed that reference to its guidelines on the loading and securing of goods on railway wagons should be added to the existing footnote 1 to 7.5.7.1, which refers to the IMO/ ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code). This was deemed acceptable, although the Working Party did not agree to including the web address for the document. The change will be made in the 2019 text of RID.

UIC had been asked to provide harmonised goods nomenclature (NHM) codes for the new UN entries in the Dangerous Goods List but at this stage, pending further information, was only able to offer ‘850650’ as a code for UN 3536 Lithium batteries installed in cargo transport unit.

Meanwhile, however, after a number of amendments to the World Customs Organisation’s (WCO) commodity codings in 2017, UIC proposed some changes to bring »

RID 2019 into line. These affect chloropicrin (UN 1580 to 1583), hydrocyanic acid and hydrogen cyanide (UN 1613), phosgene (UN 1076), chlorinated salts of phosphorus (UN 1806, 1809, 1810), sulphur chlorides (UN 1828),

tetraethyl silicate (UN 1292), thionyl chloride (UN 1836), triethyl phosphite (UN 2323) and trimethyl phosphite (UN 2329). All those changes were adopted by the Working Group for inclusion in the 2019 text of RID.

Another paper from UIC provided details of the transition from UIC leaflets to ‘International Railway Solutions’ (IRS). This will necessitate some changes to the references to UIC leaflets over the coming years. In the immediate term, UIC leaflet 201 on emergency planning for rail marshalling yards will be identified as IRS 20201 as from 1 January 2019; this required a change to the reference in 1.11.

At the previous session of the Working Group, Austria had raised concerns about the continued operation of old gas tank-wagons that may continue be used in accordance with transitional provisions in 1.6.3.3.2 to 1.6.3.3.5, having encountered defects during inspections. Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands reported on measures they had introduced to address the issue, while Belgium and the UK reported that there are no tank wagons built before 1978 and operating under those transitional provisions still working.

The Austrian representative noted that, after carrying out targeted inspections and publicising the inspection results, there had been a marked improvement in the situation, with a much lower number of defects recorded so far this year. However, it could not be ruled out that problematic tank wagons had not merely been moved to other countries.

The ERA representative reported satisfaction that efforts were being made to enforce the current regulations, as the proposed amendment of the transitional provisions at this stage was not thought to be a good solution. However, it did seem that the issue highlighted the need for better communication of such problems when they are encountered and the meeting was reminded that there are two channels are available for the reporting of safety issues.

The chair highlighted the importance of a reciprocal exchange of information on the results of inspections. Even if a general improvement in the situation were noted,

PROVISIONS

GAS TANK-WAGONS

EFFORTS

targeted inspections in this area should be continued. She reminded the working group that gas tank-wagons may only continue to be used under the transitional provisions if their equipment satisfies the provisions of Chapter 6.8.

The Netherlands reported on the outcome of a meeting of the informal working group on checklists for the filling and emptying of tank-wagons for liquids, held in The Hague at the end of February. FuelsEurope submitted an informal document with comments as to how the proposed checklists could be further improved and, during the session, the representative of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) agreed that further work was necessary. These comments disappointed some delegates, who were eager to get the checklists adopted.

The informal working group was asked to take those comments into consideration and to return to the next session with a revised proposal; it was also asked to check whether the comments made had any bearing on the checklists already adopted for gas tankwagons, which will be referred to in the 2019 edition of RID.

NEW PROPOSALS

The Secretariat highlighted some ambiguities in the use of alternative markings, such as self-adhesive sheets or paint, instead of

orange-coloured plates. The Working Group agreed with the argument that the reference to 5.3.2.1.2 and 5.3.2.1.5 should be removed from 5.3.2.2.1.

Another paper from the Secretariat sought to align RID with Article 15 § 3 of the Uniform Rules concerning the Technical Admission of Railway Material used in International Traffic (ATMF), specifically as regards the transmission of information to the ECM. A change to the ATMF text in 2015 allows this information to be transmitted either directly by the carrier or via the operator of the tankwagon. The Working Group agreed to bring the text of RID into line with this by making a change in 1.4.2.2.8.

The Working Group also agreed with the Secretariat’s proposal that uranium hexafluoride (UN 2977, 2978 and 3507) should no longer be allowed to be carried as express goods. This change aligns with other substances of packing group I that have subsidiary hazards of toxicity and corrosivity.

TANK AND VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

The chairman of the working group on tank and vehicle technology, Rainer Kogelheide, introduced the report of the 15th session of the working group that had been held in Hamburg at the end of January, primarily to consider the extra-large tank-containers now being used by BASF, thus far at least in in-plant service. »

Arne Bale, chairman of the RID/ADR/ ADN Joint Meeting’s working group on tanks, contributed a report of that group’s considerations of the subject during its meeting in Berne in March.

Cefic provided a presentation on carrying out a risk assessment that should help in developing appropriate measures for the safe transport of dangerous goods in such tank-containers. The risk assessment would compare carriage in extra-large tankcontainers on carrying wagons specially equipped for carrying these containers against carriage in tank-wagons and carriage in two conventional tank-containers on conventional carrying wagons. In addition to the behaviour in normal transport, the behaviour in accidents or incidents would also be investigated. This would include crash tests.

Cefic offered to submit an interim report to the 10th session of the Working Group

in November 2018 and said the final report was expected to be completed by March 2019. At the request of the representative of Switzerland, the representative of Cefic said that, irrespective of the ongoing risk assessment, extra-large tank-containers and carrying wagons for these containers would continue to be built in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the industry. If, contrary to expectations, the risk assessment were to lead to a different outcome, the continued use of these tank-containers and carrying wagons would have to be dealt with by means of transitional provisions.

The 16th session of the working group on tank and vehicle technology was due to meet in mid-November in Poland, immediately ahead of the 10th session of the RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group, which is scheduled for 20 to 23 November.

INFORMATION FROM ERA

Following a request in 2009 from the European Commission, ERA now provides an update on relevant information at each session of the Standing Working Group.

ERA reported that the first phase of the Roadmap on Risk Management in the context of Inland Transport of Dangerous Goods was completed at the beginning of this year with the issue of the final draft of the framework guides. RID will be informed when the guides have been officially published.

The second phase of the development of the Roadmap has now started. This will include the preparation of dedicated public web pages; and establishment of an Expert Users and Development Group for the facilitation of the framework usage and for its continuous improvement, which will include organising workshops to disseminate relevant information.

The first of these workshops were to be held in Luxembourg in July and Madrid in October.

ERA also reported on a potentially very serious incident that had taken place in the Netherlands in May 2016. According to the Dutch Human Environment and Traffic Inspectorate, a train carrying LPG was fitted with fixed composite (‘LL’) brakes; during transport, the temperature of the wheels and brake blocks on one wagon was such that all the brake blocks on this wagon were burnt and the tread of the wheels was also deformed, which created a serious risk of derailment. Fire hazards to the wheels of the wagon in question were also reported. Other similar incidents have been reported elsewhere in the EU.

The Dutch Inspectorate asked the Joint Network Secretariat (JNS) Panel to set up a task force to analyse the incident and propose measures that would avoid similar incidents. This task force met for the first time in Brussels in May 2018.

ERA highlighted that the issue is not specific to the transport of dangerous goods, although it is clear that any fire involving a tank-wagon with LPG or other flammable liquid could have disastrous consequences.

On a similar theme, ERA reported on accidents that have been notified to the

Agency and that are relevant to the transport of dangerous goods (a full list of reported accidents can be found at https:// erail.era.europa.eu/investigations.aspx).

Of interest to the Working Group was an event near Ferryside in west Wales, UK on 30 October 2017, when the braking system on one tank car suffered a catastrophic failure, causing extensive track damage over more than 70 km of the route from Milford Haven to Swansea. The train consisted of a locomotive and 29 loaded tank wagons. Examination of the leading wagon found that the brake rigging on the leading bogie had disintegrated, and that the trailing pair of wheels on that bogie had suffered significant damage (wheel flats). That wagon was loaded with 76 tonnes of diesel; the other 28 wagons also contained petroleum products. Fortunately, none derailed. Recommendations arising out of the investigation centred on improving risk assessment in the maintenance of tank wagons.

A second reported incident took place on 1 February 2018 when four tank wagons of a train derailed on plain track in Timisoara, Romania. The tank wagons were loaded with gasoline and diesel. Investigation of this incident is ongoing. HCB

NEW YEAR, NEW RULES

AIR • THOSE SHIPPING DANGEROUS GOODS BY AIR NEED TO BE READY TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW REGULATIONS ON 1 JANUARY 2019 – AND THERE ARE SOME BIG CHANGES AHEAD

THE INTERNATIONAL AIR Transport Association’s (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – the field document for all those involved in the movement of dangerous goods by air – are updated annually. The 60th edition takes effect on 1 January 2019 and contains a lot of changes compared to the current edition. The new DGR contains amendments drawn from the 2019-2020 edition of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Technical Instructions, which themselves adopt amendments contained in the 20th revised edition of the UN Model Regulations alongside other, air-specific amendments. The new DGR also contains several changes adopted by IATA’s Dangerous Goods Board, as well as the usual list of amendments to the state and operator variations.

Those subject to the DGR will be expected to have a copy of the new edition to hand as from 1 January 2019 but, for guidance, this article highlights some of the areas of the DGR where the main changes can be found.

One item common across all modal regulations from 2019 is that the term ‘risk’ has been largely replaced by ‘hazard’ after the UN realised that it was using ‘risk’ wrongly; it is now aligned with the definition of ‘safety risk’ in safety management systems.

TRAINING

Examples have been added to 1.5.0.3 to provide an explanation of the three-month ‘window’ for recurrent training and the application of the original training expiry.

IATA has also taken into Appendix H the changes agreed by the ICAO Dangerous Goods

Panel to reflect competency-based training and assessment. Although implementation of this has been held up within ICAO due to legislative issues, IATA is pressing ahead and has included the provisions as a preview prior to their entry into force on 1 January 2021, with a two-year transitional period. Extensive guidance material in draft form has also been included in Appendix H, with IATA inviting industry and regulators to review and comment on this material ahead of its implementation.

The lists of IATA-Accredited Training Schools and Authorised Training Centres in Appendix F have also been updated, along with the list of sales agents.

PASSENGERS AND CREW

Another area that is specific to the air mode is the treatment of dangerous goods carried by passengers and crew in carry-on and checked baggage. A new provision in 2.3.0.5 relates to the increasingly common practice among carriers of moving carry-on baggage into the hold, often at the gate before boarding; this requires that when such transfers take place, the operator must verify with the passenger that the carry-on item does not contain dangerous goods forbidden in checked baggage.

New text has also been introduced in 2.3.0 to clarify that the “most appropriate entry” in 2.3 that describes an item must be used and, when an article contains more than one dangerous good, all applicable provisions must be met.

Sub-section 2.3.0.8 states that radiopharmaceuticals contained within a person following medical treatment are not subject to the regulations. Similarly, though unconnected, energy-efficient lamps in retail packagings are not subject to the regulations. Provisions applicable to both have been deleted from 2.3 and Table 2.3.A

The provisions applicable to batterypowered mobility aids in 2.3.2.2, 2.3.2.3 and 2.3.2.4 have been revised to simplify and standardise the requirements for loading in an aircraft where the operator is responsible for ensuring that the mobility aid is properly restrained and protected against damage from baggage or other cargo. The term “collapsible” that was applied to lithium ion battery-powered mobility aids has been deleted.

CLASSIFICATION

Changes relating to the classification of dangerous goods are, as is normal, common across the modes and derive from the UN Sub-committee of Experts’ deliberations. This year’s amendments include clarification of the classification of ammonium nitrate fertilisers (3.5.1.2.2), significant changes to the provisions for the classification of corrosive substances (3.8) for better alignment with GHS, and new classification criteria for energetic samples (3.11.4).

In addition, new provisions are added at 3.12 for the classification of articles containing dangerous goods, nos; this it to accommodate the new UN entries for articles (see below).

As ever, there are changes to the provisions for the classification of lithium batteries in 3.9.2.6, including new criteria to address hybrid lithium batteries that include both lithium metal and lithium ion cells, and a requirement for manufacturers and distributors of lithium cells and batteries to make available a summary of the UN 38.3 tests (this provision takes effect on 1 January 2020).

Finally, the provisions for the classification of infected animal material in 3.6.2.6 have been deleted.

DANGEROUS GOODS LIST

Changes to the List of Dangerous Goods in 4.2 also reflect to a large extent amendments in other modes, taken from the UN Model Regulations. These include:

• A new UN 3535 entry for toxic solid, flammable, inorganic, nos

• A new UN 3536 entry for lithium batteries installed in cargo transport unit, and

• Twelve new UN numbers, 3537 to 3548, assigned to articles containing dangerous goods of all classes except 1, 6.2 and 7.

In addition, ‘stabilised’ is added to the proper shipping name of UN 3302 2-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, and UN 3316, assigned to chemical and first aid kits, is amended to delete the reference to packing groups; instead, the appropriate packing group must be assigned, based on the most restrictive packing group in the kit as specified in special provision A44.

More specific to air transport is the assignment of ID 8001 to disilane; this is a temporary measure while the UN Subcommittee deals with a gap in the existing provisions for pyrophoric gases. It also identifies that disilane is completely forbidden in air transport.

The ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel has agreed a new drill number, 12 – fire, heat,

smoke, toxic and flammable vapour, for lithium batteries. As such, the emergency drill code in column N for all lithium battery entries has been changed from ‘9FZ’ to ‘12FZ’.

There are, as ever, revisions to the list of self-reactive substances in Table C.1 and organic peroxides in Table C.2 in Appendix C.

SPECIAL PROVISIONS

There are four new special provisions:

• A213 identifies that hybrid lithium batteries must be assigned to UN 3090 or 3091 and the limits that apply when they are assigned to Section II

• A334 identifies the conditions that apply to lithium batteries under approval, as provided for by A201

• A806 provides information on how a shipper must determine the subsidiary hazard(s) for articles containing dangerous goods, nos, and how those subsidiary hazard(s) must be shown on the Shipper’s Declaration, and

• A807 identifies that the assigned entry must not be used for disilane or other pyrophoric gases.

The existing special provisions A21, A134, A203 and A207 will be “not used”, being replaced by a new A214. »

THE IATA DANGEROUS GOODS REGULATIONS APPLY TO ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE MOVEMENT OF DANGEROUS GOODS BY AIR, INCLUDING GROUND HANDLING PERSONNEL

A59 is revised to include reference to a maximum gauge pressure under which the exception for unserviceable or damaged tyre assemblies applies.

A67 is revised to include the test requirements for classification of non-spillable batteries from Packing Instruction 872.

A79 and A90 are revised and A89 is now “not used”, to clarify the classification of ammonium nitrate fertilisers.

A107 is revised to address the transport of UN 3363 dangerous goods in apparatus/ machinery where the quantity of dangerous goods exceeds that allowed in PI 962.

A201 is revised to include provisions permitting the transport of lithium metal or lithium ion batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft with the approval of the states of origin, destination and operator.

PACKING AND PACKAGING

There are several changes to the packing instructions, not all relating to changes in the UN Model Regulations.

PI 200 and PI 208 have been revised to clarify the terminology dealing with calculating cylinder pressures. PI 361 and PI 364 have been revised to restrict UN 1308 zirconium suspended in a flammable liquid of PG I and II to combination packagings with a maximum gross weight of 75 kg (completed package). Packing provisions for small quantities of energetic samples have been added to PI 459. PI 620 and PI 650 now contain

stand-alone requirements for the pressure differential tests. Changes have been made to PI 958 to allow the use of combination packagings as well as single packagings. And PI 966 and PI 969 have been revised to clarify the number of spare cells or batteries that may be “packed with” equipment.

Elsewhere, 6.4.2 has been revised to adopt references to new ISO standards and change the applicability dates of existing ISO standards. Changes have also been made to the list of UN specification packaging suppliers and package testing facilities in Appendix E.

MARKING, LABELLING AND DOCUMENTATION

The provisions that previously existed in 7.2.4.7 and Figure 7.4.H have been deleted as the lithium battery handling label is no longer valid in air transport.

Other changes in Section 7 offer some clarification:

• A Note has been added in 7.2.1 to draw attention to the correct application of GHS pictograms on packages

• The specification for hazard labels in 7.2.2.3.2(a) has been revised to remove the requirement for the outside line to be a minimum of 2 mm thick

• The new Class 9 lithium battery hazard label must not have any text in the bottom half other than the class number (7.2.2.3.2(c)).

In 8.1.1 and 8.1.7, notes have been added to specify that the Shipper’s Declaration form in the format shown in the 59th edition of the DGR remains valid until 31 December 2024. The example Shipper’s Declarations in 8.1.9 have been modified to reflect changes elsewhere in the DGR.

CARGO HANDLING

A new provision is added in 9.3.2.1.4 to identify that engines and machinery assigned to UN 3528, Class 3 do not require segregation from dangerous goods with a primary or subsidiary Division 5.1 hazard.

An additional exception for accessibility on loading of Cargo Aircraft Only dangerous goods has been added in 9.3.4.3 to allow UN 3528 and 3529 to be loaded in any location on a cargo aircraft.

In 9.5.1.1.3, the information required on the written information to the pilot-in-command (NOTOC) has been revised to also require that the date of the flight be shown.

In Appendix B.2.2.4 new Cargo IMP codes have been added for lithium batteries, to facilitate the differentiation of Section II lithium batteries (UN 3090 and 3480) from those lithium batteries in Section II packed with equipment or contained in equipment (UN 3091 UN 3481). HCB

The 60th edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations is available now from the usual sources.

BREAKING THE MOULD

REVIEW • THE FIRST HCC EVENT, ORGANISED BY AIT EVENTS, TOOK PLACE IN HANGZHOU THIS SEPTEMBER, BRINGING TOGETHER EXHIBITORS AND SPEAKERS

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

The aim is that the event will to become an interactive platform where domestic and international entities, associations and governmental authorities can meet, discuss and address issues with industry players and manufacturers across the entire supply chain. Topics raised at HCC this year ranged from safety in the production and storage of chemicals and the logistics chain, all the way to urgent rescue, anti-explosion supervision and management.

UP AND COMING

As of 2017, China has 19,000 companies involved in the production of hazardous chemicals, 265,000 involved in distribution and trade, and 5,500 in the storage business, employing 10m people across the board.

THIS YEAR’S CHINA International Hazardous Chemicals Safety and Logistics Expo 2018 (HCC 2018) took place on 5 and 6 September in the Hangzhou International Expo Centre, the famous location of the 2016 G20 summit.

The event, which was jointly organised by AIT Events and the Hazardous Goods SubAssociation, covered a total area of 10,000 m² and hosted more than 200 exhibitors from China and overseas.

HCC is a new trade show tailored to the needs of the hazardous chemicals industry.

HCC 2018 garnered support from multiple cross-industrial organisations and companies such as Cybermax, Shanghai Chemical Research Institute, CIMC and INGAS, all of whom exhibited the latest, most cutting-edge products and technologies. More than 2,200 visitors attended the exhibition over the course of the two days, including local safety supervision bodies, and chemicals and products testing authorities from Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces.

According to AIT, there are bottle-necked technical issues within the hazardous chemicals industry and its safety management. Few companies have deployed advanced management methods and technical tools, says the company. “We would like to promote the technical transfer of safety technology for hazardous chemicals,” says Jerry Xu, marketing director of AIT Events. “Our efforts will be put into technical research and development for HAZOP. We want to help chemical enterprises do away with low-end techniques, technology and equipment, and improve the competence of employees to help reduce safety risks.”

Organisation of HCC 2018 followed an announcement made in December 2017 by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information that posed an implementation plan to move all hazardous chemicals enterprises to specified industrial zones, for which provinces such as Jiangsu, Tianjin, Jiangxi and Gansu have all provided migration execution plans. According to statistics released by the Chemical Industrial Zone Committee, only 8 per cent of chemical industrial zones are classified as super-large or large. Some of these zones are at the beginning stages of construction, with others not far behind.

After its year-long marketing campaign, the event organisers stated that the goal of putting together a successful show and highprofile forum has, in their eyes, been realised.

AIT’s mission is to create businessto-business (B2B) opportunities for both foreign and Chinese business partners by organising conferences and trade fairs as well as related tailor-made events and services. The events company, founded 15 years ago, has experienced huge growth in international markets, having now organised 100 exhibitions across the globe.

HCC 2019 will take place on 19 and 20 September 2019, once again at the Hangzhou International Expo Centre. More information can be found at www.hcchina.org. HCB

NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED

DUST IT OFF

Police were called to a petrol station in Stokeon-Trent, UK early in September by staff who had a problem on their hands. A man was smoking on the forecourt, which was bad enough, but he then tried to extinguish his cigarette using one of the petrol pumps. It is not clear from reports if he arrived by car or on foot, though it seems unlikely he was in any state to drive.

The man was arrested, with the BBC reporting that he was “high on Monkey Dust”. We do not know what Monkey Dust is, or what affect it has, but in our day narcotics had sensible names.

SET IT HOT

Authorities around the world are on high alert for potential terrorist incidents these days so, when there was an explosion on the high street in the Din Daeng district of Bangkok, Thailand early in September, responders feared the worst. Police and firefighters rushed to the 24-hour laundromat where the blast happened, finding eight people lying injured. The laundromat itself and nearby buildings and vehicles were badly damaged. It rapidly emerged, however, that this was not a terrorist incident but a gas explosion. Police found four 48-kg LPG cylinders connected to the dryers in the laundromat and two more spare cylinders nearby. The laundromat had only been open for three days and the owner, who also ran the restaurant next door, said he had bought both electric and gas-powered dryers from a company in China. Others said they smelled gas before the blast and had gone to fetch the owner when the explosion happened.

Here, then, is another life lesson: it’s safer to stay dirty.

BLOW IT UP

Schools are a more regular source of stories for the Back Page than laundromats, however, and we were not disappointed this month.

A teacher and 59 students at a school in Kerala, India were injured when a science experiment went wrong: according to the Times of India, a volcano exploded.

The teacher had arranged a 15-cm piece of PVC pipe, stuffed with some sort of explosive, with a pile of mud on top, with the aim of generating the effect of lava flowing out of a volcano. The report mentions a mixture of vinegar and baking soda as being similar in appearance to lava (anyone know if this is true?). A fire was lit under the experiment, at which point it exploded.

Samples of the explosive were sent for analysis; it certainly appears that it was more powerful than had been expected, although the Times of India reported that modelling volcanic eruptions is a common experiment in schools. Things move on, don’t they?

In our day it was modelling ox-bow lakes.

PUT IT OUT

Finally, it is back to another goodwill store story, this time from Statesville, North Carolina, where a well-wisher turned up in August with an antique fire extinguisher. Noticing that the item was leaking, the store called the fire brigade, who called the hazmat crew, since they knew from experience that if an old fire extinguisher is leaking, it is likely to be leaking carbon tetrachloride.

And carbon tetrachloride is bad stuff, according to the SDS. Long-term exposure can cause damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys, and short-term exposure can cause nausea, vomiting and depression. Next time you want to get rid of one, call 911.