EPCA SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 33
DIGITISATION IN PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT OF THE E-ECD WAS JUST THE FIRST STEP FOR ECLIC, WITH MORE TO COME
In recent years, EPCA’s Annual Meeting has
altered or forged. Putting this onto a digital
value in terms of improved compliances,
done a lot to promote the uptake of digitised
platform was seen as a way of removing those
sustainability, product quality and efficiency
systems, platforms and networks among the
problems, while also making the ‘eECD’ available
among those who had adopted it, the added
European petrochemical industry and its
to all relevant players, on demand, all along the
health and safety factor is now driving digital
logistics service partners. That clarion call has
supply chain.
documentation forward. Since the Covid-19
also been heeded by their representative
Putting their heads together, the partners in
outbreak started, eECD usage has increased
associations, not least through the formation in
Eclic got the system up and running on a trial
2018 of the European Chemical Logistics
base very rapidly and the eECD has now been in
Information Council (Eclic) by the European
use in Germany and the Benelux countries for
That increase in uptake was fuelled in part by
Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), the Belgian
more than 18 months. Eclic reports that the
the translation of the eECD application into
chemical industry association essenscia, the
issues posed by the Covid-19 pandemic have
German, making it easier for the German-
European Chemical Transport Association
attracted more interest from shippers, carriers
speaking user community to initiate and process
(ECTA) and the European Federation of Tank
and cleaning stations across Europe.
eECD documents. BASF, which had already
Cleaning Organisations (EFTCO). Eclic’s initial mission was to act as the platform
Many companies had been reluctant to move
by more than 25 per cent, Eclic reports.
been using eECD at its Ludwigshafen plant,
away from established ways of working, Eclic
welcomed the move. It says: “The application is
manager for the electronic version of the EFTCO
says, but paper-based processes were also seen
recently also available in German, which makes
Cleaning Document (ECD); the supply chain was
as presenting a route for the spread of the virus.
the use for our loading personnel even more
awash with paper ECDs, which could be lost,
So, while eECD had already demonstrated its
comfortable. Other loading stations are in
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