News bulletin – tanks and logistics

NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTICS

MDI DEAL FOR DEN HARTOGH

Den Hartogh has won a contract from EMA Kimya, a division of Hunstman Polyurethanes, to distribute methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and polyols on the domestic market in Turkey. Den Hartogh is deploying modified tank containers (below) that meet local requirements and comply with standards set by the European Diisocyanate & Polyol Producers Association (ISOPA).

“We strive to serve EMA Kimya and their customers in the Turkish market with the highest safety and performance standards by providing them with innovative solutions through the application of operational excellence and customer centricity that help to create a sustainable future, while doing no harm to people or the environment,” says Kerem Gürler, general manager of Den Hartogh Lojistik Hizmetleri.

Den Hartogh has been active in the Turkish market since 2009, offering both standard and specialised logistics services for bulk liquid chemicals and liquefied gases. It operates four sites around Turkey that offer heating and the storage of loaded tank containers. www.denhartogh.com

THE ROAD TO TURKEY

Rhenus has opened a direct service between the UK and Turkey, bypassing the existing stopover in Germany. The service is aimed at customers in the automotive, chemicals, engineering, steel and textiles sectors looking to be assured that their goods will remain in one network from collection to delivery. Rhenus Intermodal Systems is headquartered in Istanbul with five offices around Turkey as well as three more customer warehouses. There will be multiple weekly departures from the UK to Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa and Izmir.

“Turkey is an important trading partner within the European market and plays a vital part in our continued global growth,” says Gary Dodsworth, director at Rhenus UK. “The breadth of the Rhenus network means we have a really strong team in Turkey that, in turn, delivers significant benefits for our UK customers. We are able to offer a one-stop-shop for their forwarding requirements - providing consistency and high service levels that are more critical than ever during such unprecedented times.” www.rhenus.group

RAFFLES GETS BAFFLES

Raffles Lease has added a number of 26,000-litre baffled tank containers to its fleet. These tanks allow its clients to ship high- and low-density products in full or short loading and have multiple 300-mm cleaning hatches in addition to the 500-mm manway. The new tanks are available for dedicated foodgrade or chemical services.

Raffles has posted an explanatory video on its website. raffleslease.com

MORE TANKS FOR ALBATROSS

Albatross Tank Leasing has expanded its tank container fleet with the delivery of new 26,000-litre units from CIMC. The tanks are equipped with a range of connections in the rear compartment, making them suitable for all types of application, as well as a full walkway and collapsible handrail. The new tanks are available on both long- and short-term rental. albatross-tanks.de

SUTTONS BAGS ESSAR DEAL

Suttons Tankers has won a new contract with Essar Oil UK to deliver fuel from the Stanlow refinery to customers in the north-west and Midlands. Essar selected Suttons as one of its haulier partners to strengthen its supply chain; Suttons says it offers Essar sustainable added value through a solution that delivers competitive advantage, facilitates sales growth and has a clear cost-to-serve.

“Suttons are a significant and reputable player in the market and we were impressed with their detailed approach in understanding the needs of our business throughout the tender process,” says Mark Barnes, head of logistics at Essar Oil UK. “Following a successful implementation at the start of July, Suttons have so far demonstrated that they will be a partner adding strength to our supply chain.”

Michael Cundy, managing director of Suttons Tankers, adds: “This new contract with Essar marks a significant point in our strategic objective to grow in the fuels sector. Our ability to drive cost efficiencies for Essar, especially in the current climate, is crucial and demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with tailored solutions.”

Suttons adds that the strategic objectives of both businesses were well aligned, with Suttons having the capability to help Essar with its growth strategy and Suttons itself being keen to expand in the fuels sector. www.suttonsgroup.com

TRISTAR’S CRYO CONTRACT

Tristar Group’s Saudi Arabian joint venture United Stars has signed a long-term contract with Sharjah Oxygen Company (SOC) to transport cryogenic liquids between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. SOC is a leading producer and supplier of industrial gases in the Middle East.

The contract will use Tristar’s recently established cryogenic gas transport division, which offers leasing of cryogenic road tankers (above) and tank containers as well as consultancy, engineering and intermodal transport services. Tristar will shortly open a specialised maintenance and repair centre for cryogenic assets in Saudi Arabia. www.tristar-group.co

EFTCO REACHES ISRAEL

The European Federation of Tank Cleaning Organisations (EFTCO) has welcomed Gold Bond Group as its first member outside Europe, giving it the status of an EFTCO Global Member. The Israel-based tank cleaning station is now permitted to use the EFTCO Cleaning Document (ECD), a support document for every tank cleaning carried out in the supply chain.

To reach this status, Gold Bond has had to prove high standards of quality and environmental protection, EFTCO says, and has fully adopted EFTCO’s philosophy of safety, environment, education and technical improvements. Gold Bond is located in the North Industrial Zone in Ashdod. www.eftco.org www.goldbond.co.il

OVERLAND BY FLEXI

TransContainer has for the first time delivered a consignment of vegoil in flexitanks to China via the inland border crossing point at Zabaikalsk. China Railways had up till now prohibited acceptance of flexitanks at border crossings, meaning they had to travel by sea.

The new service follows negotiations between RZD and China Railways, which authorised test shipments. The first consignment, involving four 20-foot containers, left TransContainer’s terminal at Penza in late August; the company hopes that this will open the way to a regular service on this route. trcont.com

VTG CONSOLIDATES IN RUSSIA

VTG has taken direct control of its tank container activities in Russia and the Baltic states, after several years of working through agents, consolidating operations at its existing VTG Project Logistics office in Moscow and supported by VTG Rail Russia. VTG Tanktainer will also establish its tank containers within the Russian market to handle local business as well as international movements.

“Russia and the Baltic are lucrative growth markets,” says Oksana Janssen, the VTG AG Executive Board member responsible for business in the Eurasia & Far East region. “Our new activities in the region are building bridges between different business units, which in turn creates customer-centric transportation solutions for multimodal tank container business.”

The decision to step up the company’s commitments in the fast-growing Eurasian space benefited from a number of factors, VTG says. An expanding network of VTG sites representing different divisions and focusing on various areas of expertise lays the foundation on which to add joint wagon hire and logistics services (rail, container and project logistics) to the existing portfolio. At the same time, bundling the group’s local presence in Eurasia can foster even greater efficiency in cooperation with both local and international partners. In all strategic decisions, the focus is strictly on the needs of the customer, which can be better addressed as a result of this reorganisation, VTG stresses. www.vtg.com