2 BULKDISTRIBUTOR May / June 2017 Shipper
2 BULKDISTRIBUTOR May / June 2017 Shipper
Continued from page 1
improvements in intermodal transport , which could ultimately bring more traffic onto the railways . “ To boost rail transport volumes , ( legislators ) should therefore approve the use of AGVs ( 100 tonnes total weight ) on public infrastructure within a 25km radius of the intermodal terminal and include autonomous vehicles in its funding programme ,” he stated . In the case of rail freight traffic , the new system comprising large tank containers , a fully automated tank container storage facility as the interface to external rail transport , together with fully automated delivery ( first and last mile process ), enable the overall costs of conventional rail transport to be reduced by as much as 25 percent from current tank wagon transport costs , Dr Bieker reckoned . This is an opportunity to ensure that rail freight transport is still able to compete on price with road transport over the next 20 years . Another part of the logistics concept is the fully automated tank container depot , which is currently under construction at the Ludwigshafen site . It is designed to have a capacity of 2,000 TEU and has two automatic stacking cranes , each with a loading capacity of 75 tonnes . It is trimodal , meaning that goods can be handled via AGVs , trucks and rail . The tank container depot is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2018 . www . basf . com
By detaching the tank from the base the entire logistics process can be streamlined
Calcium hypochlorite – remember the rules
The Loss Prevention team at UK P & I
Club , in conjunction with CINS , has issued a reminder on the safe carriage of calcium hypochlorite . The chemical is used as the active ingredient in a variety of water purification and bleaching agents and by nature is continually decomposing , making the substance unstable and dangerous when not handled correctly . “ At normally encountered temperatures calcium hypochlorite decomposes very slowly , releasing heat as it does so . However , at higher temperatures the rate of decomposition increases and if the heat is not able to escape from within the material then its temperature increases ,” the club says . “ The packaging and quantity of the substance can have an impact on selfaccelerating its decomposition . A selfaccelerating reaction can occur and result in serious fires and explosions . When involved in a fire , the heat and oxygen released by the decomposing calcium hypochlorite will intensify the fire .”
Decomposition can also be accelerated by contamination with organic materials ( such as oil ), inorganic materials ( such as metals ) or moisture . If calcium hypochlorite is mixed with organic materials it can result in a fire without the need for an external ignition source . The temperature at which the selfaccelerating reaction occurs depends on the type , size and shape of the packaging . The temperature required will be higher for a small package compared to a larger package of the same material . This is because the smaller package will be able to lose heat to the surroundings much more readily than a larger package . The selection of type , size and shape of packaging to promote heat dissipation is therefore important . “ Dry or reefer containers may be used provided that a proper risk assessment is undertaken ,” UK P & I ’ s note continues . “ The risk assessment should include all aspects of through transport including , but not limited to , routing , climatic temperature and journey duration . “ The reefer container control temperature
UK P & I says plastic drums are to be used as the packaging for calcium hypochlorite as adequate air circulation around the containment is required in order to prevent any heat build-up
should be 10degC . In the event of a mechanical failure or of an interruption of the power supply , the insulation in a reefer will initially protect the calcium hypochlorite from external heating .” However , if there is an extended interruption to cooling , heat produced by calcium hypochlorite decomposition may accumulate faster in a reefer than in a dry container . The longer the interruption , the greater the risk that it will heat up faster in a reefer container . Prompt steps need to be taken to restore the power or fix a mechanical failure or cool / ventilate the cargo . In practice , calcium hypochlorite tends to be shipped on a full container load basis . It is not recommended that such payloads be consolidated with other cargo because this could detrimentally affect the stability of the substance due to changes in the overall thermal properties of the container contents . Plastic drums are to be used as the packaging for calcium hypochlorite , as adequate air circulation around the containment is required in order to prevent any heat build-up . Drums offer the best solution as they provide the largest surface area to be exposed to the surrounding air . “ Packaging materials must be clean , free from contaminants , and in good condition . The drums should be properly secured on pallets and within the container . Any securing method , such as shrink-wrapping , should not restrict air flow around the drums to reduce retained heat within the cargo ,” notes the club . “ Calcium hypochlorite or mixtures shall be transported in compliance with stowage requirements which state that during the course of transport , these substances shall be shaded from direct sunlight and all sources of heat and be placed in adequately ventilated areas . It is also recommended to stow containers of calcium hypochlorite where they are accessible .” www . ukpandi . com
Le Touquet warning
Commenting on speculation that newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron might look to renegotiate the Le Touquet agreement , the British Ports Association chief executive Richard Ballantyne warned against an approach which could disrupt cross Channel trade . Under the Treaty and current arrangements , UK border officials are able to carry out passport checks in French channel ports like Calais or Dunkirk before onward travel to Dover , a system which has been in place since 2003 . The BPA represents the interests of 100 port members from over 350 ports , terminals and facilities and state the UK ports industry plays a fundamentally important role in the country ’ s economy as 96 percent of the UK ’ s international trade is carried through UK ports which also handle 60 million passenger journeys and almost 500 million tonnes of freight each year – the second largest in Europe . Ballantyne commented : “ Any decisions on the Treaty should seriously consider the impacts on legitimate passengers and look to preserve the facilitation of trade flows .”
Under the Le Touquet Treaty UK border officials are able to carry out passport checks in French channel ports like Dunkirk