12 BULKDISTRIBUTOR Chemical Industry Clusters November / December 2016
12 BULKDISTRIBUTOR Chemical Industry Clusters November / December 2016
Partnering for success
In Tarragona , in Spain ’ s Catalonia region , the potential of the chemical industry is huge ; the local industry has an annual production around 20 million tons and represents 25 percent of the country ’ s production . As the world growth rate for chemical industry is expected to increase about 4.5 percent to 2030 , the perspectives of the local industry are positive . In order to better integrate logistics into the industry , ChemMed , a chemical cluster , was created three years ago , and is now the most important in southern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea area . The biggest petrochemicals companies are part of the cluster , including BASF , Dow Chemical and REPSOL , as well as important logistics actors as Vopak , CLH and TEPSA . Through this new organisation and in partnership with the Chemical Association of Tarragona , the port authority is supporting the local development . The north and south poles of the chemical cluster are both linked to the port via road and
At Tarragona ‘ traffic jams ’ do not exist and the good weather allows for on-time working
We keep you mov i ng
• Compressors
• Blowers
• Pumps
• Hydraulics
• Systems
• Servicee
also via pipeline which allow the storage terminals present in Tarragona to be connected directly to the local industry . It is this configuration of logistical integration which has been the big advantage to expand storage capacity in the port . This feature is named ‘ Dixquimics rack ’ and connects companies to the port . It is an efficient , cost-effective transportation system with only a minimal impact on the environment and sets Tarragona apart . There are 62 transport lines , which can be expanded in accordance with demand . Port of Tarragona ( POT ) is well aware of the changes currently taking place in the world economy , a situation foreseen some years ago . Now that those predictions have come true , the port has equipped itself with the facilities needed to meet the demands of new types of traffic . The strategy focuses on the provision of comprehensive logistics services for all types of cargo to or from any destination , in collaboration with the port community . That is why the main objective of the chemical
www . gd-transport . com wharf extension ( from 18 ha to 36 ha ) was to receive the biggest cargo in this market . The tendency towards cost reduction implies that the port of Tarragona must welcome large cargo consignments as a hub platform for chemical and oil products in the Mediterranean . The 15.6m of operational water depth allows POT to work with all kinds of petrochemical vessels up to 200m long . Additionally , it can be seen that chemical companies want to reduce logistics costs in order to be more efficient and try to centralise flows in one location . POT says this trend affects the port positively as it has competitive advantages in becoming a hub for chemical companies . In order to realise these new opportunities , the port had to increase its storage capacity . Finally , POT ’ s strength and competitive advantage is based on client satisfaction . Expansion has been made possible in order to respond to increased demand . Thanks to adapted infrastructure , the port remains effective and accessible without congestion which could result in demurrage costs . This additional enlargement represents a strategic investment of more than € 76 million and is a real success as the POT is already studying various investment projects from different terminals . In a few months the storage capacity at the port will increase and new products will be developed . With different types of tanks ( oils and chemicals ) the terminals present in Tarragona will be able to propose additional services to clients and so consolidate its hub position for bulk liquids . At the moment the three independent terminals in Tarragona represent 790,000 cbm of independent storage capacity . Once the chemical wharf is fully occupied the port will double capacity and could reach 1.5 million cbm . Port of Tarragona ’ s strategy includes supporting terminals to grow traffic volumes . That is why the port is working hard on developing its strengths and weaknesses ; helping terminal operators to arrive at a more sustainable choice , by , for example , decreasing demurrage . This element , which is largely beyond the control of the terminal , represents an additional cost for the client and could be decisive when choosing between different ports . At Tarragona , ‘ traffic jams ’ do not exist and the good weather allows for on-time working , so improving client satisfaction . Port of Tarragona is strategically located for the Mediterranean Sea area and one of its objectives is to capture flows coming from the Middle East . The Spanish port is already working with terminal operator DP World , which owns the container terminal in the port , as well as with chemical companies from Saudi Arabia , for example . To improve relationships with companies from the Middle East , the
port is attending different exhibitions and high level conferences , such as EPCA in October and GPCA in November . The lifting of sanctions on Iran allows new trade opportunities for the port and the chemical cluster . The goal is the development of relationships between chemical and complementary industries . Iran has huge potential for growth and as Spain was one of the country ’ s largest economic partners before the sanctions , it is vital to renew this privileged business position . The aim of ChemMed is to develop and enhance the appeal and competitiveness of the area for industry , research and logistics in the chemical plant sector . More information can be found at : www . chemmedcluster . com