Bulk Distributor Sept/Oct 17 | Page 22

22 BULKDISTRIBUTOR Logistics September / October 2017

Continued from page 1

Nij in Nederland

As if the Rastatt problems were not enough to highlight how a combination of neglect and bad policy often runs counter to the goal of shifting more freight onto rail , the Dutch government is proposing to ban the carriage of certain dangerous goods ( DGs ) on some sections of the country ’ s network . Infrastructure minister Sharon Dijksma wants to ban DGs from the Amersfoort-Apeldoorn and Eindhoven-Venlo routes , two popular freight corridors running to and from Germany and Belgium . The measures are aimed at forcing operators onto the purpose-built Betuweroute , which is considered safer for carrying DGs . The ban would apply to the transport of flammable gasses and high toxic liquids in chemical categories A and D4 . But several railway industry executives have expressed concern over the proposed route enforcements arguing it could greatly affect the European rail freight industry . The measures might lead to a shift in transport modes and hence higher costs , fewer options and more safety risks to more people living near transport corridors ,

they argue . Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail issued a statement saying that the ban would drastically impact international rail freight , particularly in the Ruhr conurbation , Germany . Operations along these freight corridors are mostly international and excluding some of these operations would result in a shift to other railway sections via roads or ports in neighbouring countries , ProRail warned . Apart from the higher cost implications not all locomotives are equipped to access the ERTMSsystem that is used on the Betuweroute . The Dutch Commission for the Transport of Dangerous Goods said such a move could seriously hurt the Dutch economy . “ A limitation of railway capacity means a limitation of growth potential and ultimately , a profit reduction compared with neighbouring countries ,” it stated . RailGood , a trade organisation for the transport industry , said it was the latest in a steadily rising administrative and cost burden placed on the industry . While the costs of transporting DGs to and from the Netherlands are increasing , they remain constant in other parts of Europe , it said

Schmidt commits to �����������

An agreement has been signed to develop a new chemical industry cluster for processing plastics within the Kaluga Industrial Zone , south-west of Moscow , Russia . The deal was signed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum by Saint-Anatoliy Artamonov , governor of the Kaluga Region , Alexey Kozlov , managing director of SIBUR , Horst Schmidt , managing director of Karl Schmidt Spedition ( KSS ), and Nikolay Krutschinin , CEO of ‘ Freight Village Kaluga ’. It is a continuation of a memorandum signed earlier , detailing the participation of all parties in the development of this major logistics hub . Schmidt will construct the hub on the premises of the Freight Village Worsino Terminal . Among other goals , the objective is to distribute production from Sibur ’ s ZapSibNeftekhim manufacturing site in Tobolsk currently under construction and designed to produce 2 million

tons of polypropylene and polyethylene a year . The agreement encompasses services for receiving , packaging , storing and shipping the polymer products to Sibur ’ s Russian business partners and those abroad for 20 years . From Sibur locations to the hub , products will be transported as bulk goods in container block trains , consequently increasing logistics efficiency compared with transport on pallets . Total hub capacity is 670,000 tons a year . Sibur ’ s polymer production share of 500,000 tons a year will ensure the hubs ’ s pro rata utilisation . The container terminal with a capacity of 1,300 40ft boxes and its refurbished warehouse will be able to accommodate more than 40,000 tons of polymer products at any given time . Schmidt ’ s total investment in the project is more than 2 billion Rubles (€ 29 million ). In addition to co-operating with Sibur , Schmidt will be able to use the facility as a distribution centre for clients in Russia and Western Europe .

The Dutch government wants to force certain dangerous goods carriage onto the Betuweroute

Artist ’ s impression of the new Schmidt / Sibur hub in Kaluga Industrial Zone

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