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TANK CONTAINERS
A recent three-compartment, 24,000-
litre swap tank from Magyar
intermodal journeys across Europe,
while a series of new swap
body tanks for the carriage of
heated products are under construction.
Other recent output has
included several 20ft ISO tanks
with different types of linings.
Surprise newcomer
The rise and fall in the fortunes
of South Africa’s tank container
manufacturers have been notable
features of the tank container industry
over the past decade. In the
1990s there were five builders of
tanks in South Africa but by summer
2005 only one remained in
operation. The waning of the
South African star has come as a
result of an appreciating rand and
increasing competition from
China in the manufacture of
standard tanks.
However, late in 2005 a new
company - GasCon - emerged to
take over the gas tank container
production line at the mothballed
Consani plant in Cape Town.The
GasCon operation is mentioned
in last month’s tank manufacturers
survey.
More recently, another South
African manufacturing firm has
entered the tank container arena.
This is GRW, a builder of road
tankers for the local South African
and international markets,
which is cooperating with Flax
Field Trading of Rotterdam in the
provision of swap tanks specifically
built for the European intermodal
market.
The design of the GRW swap
tanks has benefited from the input
of Flax Field, the principal
officers of which are former
Consani employees. Flax Field is
also cooperating with Singamas,
the Chinese container builder, in
the startup of a new production
line for the manufacture of standard
20ft tank containers.
As regards the GRW swap tank
design, capacities in the 30-35000-
l range are available. GRW reports
High utilisation boosts lessors
Sustained high fleet utilisation
rates have encouraged tank container
leasing companies to return
to the newbuilding market.
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that the use of its modern manufacturing
plant, where barrels are
manufactured without the need
for an additional circumferential
weld seam, will enable the construction
of low tare weight swap
tanks incorporating features designed
to reduce maintenance and
ensure that operating costs are kept
to a minimum.
Flax Field personnel will liaise
with customers in Europe
to ensure that the swap tank
specifications are tailored to suit
their needs. Flax Field engineering,
sales and marketing and after
sales functions are provided
from the new ITT tank service
centre in Rotterdam Europoort
that the company is sharing
with four other specialist companies.
Purpose-built equipment for
swap tank manufacture is now in
High tank container prices in
2005 curtailed the newbuilding
programmes of tank container lessors,
historically the most prolific
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New to the European scene - a swap tank from GRW of South Africa
buyers of new tanks. However,
despite the restrained purchasing
programmes and the weakness of
the dollar, lessors have been able
to maintain high fleet utilisation
rates over the past 12 months on
the back of robust demand.
The strong market has been
sustained into 2006, to the extent
that several lessors believe that
improving tank container lease
rates can now support investment
in newbuilds.The current activities
of a number of major tank lessors
are profiled in the following
paragraphs.
Trifleet expansion
Trifleet Leasing, the world’s third
largest tank container lessor, has
experienced a particularly busy last
12 months. In addition to broadening
its customer base and creating
a worldwide operations system
which allows all its offices and
customers to have real-time access
to contract and fleet data, the company
appointed Philip van
Rooijen to take over as managing
director in July 2005.
In addition, ING Lease
(Nederland) BV, the parent company,
made funds available for a
range of new investments, including
a series of gas tanks from Van
Hool and GasCon. In addition,
Carol Maddox departed Trifleet in
October 2005 to start her own
company, Maddox Quality BV.
“Our fleet now stands at approximately
8,100 units,” states
Philip van Rooijen. “Due to the
high purchase prices for new tank
containers, stemming from high
steel prices and an imperfect market
structure on the supply side,
we only added a net 125 tanks to
our fleet in 2005. Nevertheless, In
spite of the weak dollar exchange
rate compared to the euro and the
continuing market pressure on
lease rates, we increased revenues
last year, as a result of strong demand
and high utilisation.
“Our fleet expansion plans for
this year are much more ambitious.
So far, we have ordered approximately
1,000 new tanks from
place at the GRW factory in South
Africa.The Flax Field/GRW partnership
expects to supply 200
swap tanks in Europe each year. ❏
manufacturers in China and South
Africa. These units will join our
fleet over the 2006-07 period.”
Fleet strengths
In highlighting its strengths to the
market,Trifleet Leasing states that
its fleet is comparatively young and
that its tanks incorporate features
as standard that the industry often
considers to be an extra. Such features
include spillbox covers, additional
and horizontally positioned
top flanges and heated bottom
discharge arrangements.
The availability of a unique,
real-time customer log-in area
with extensive information on
technical tank details, rate indications
and contracts is also marketed
as a particular selling point.
“In addition, unlike other major
lessors,Trifleet accommodates
a wide range of customer types,
from major corporations and
transport operators to state-managed
enterprises,” continues Philip
van Rooijen.
“Also, with tanks from our
large, new orderbook now flowing
into our fleet,Trifleet is able
to meet orders for newbuild liquid
and gas tanks on short notice.”
Too much power?
Major leasing companies, with
their periodic orders for large
batches of new tanks, are sensitive
to the availability of tank container
production facilities.This is a critical
issue at the moment, with the
bid by China International Marine
Containers Group Ltd
(CIMC) to acquire Burg Industries
BV currently being reviewed
by the European Commission’s
antitrust branch.
CIMC is the world’s largest
manufacturer of tanks and
amongst the Burg portfolio of
companies is Welfit Oddy of South
Africa, the world’s second largest
tank builder. At the moment, no
other tank manufacturer is able to
match their output.
“To ensure fair competition
and the availability of a good tank
container at a competitive price,
European network
Clean inside. Service outside.
Safety all around.
A 24,000-litre Exsif tank is readied for an export cargo at a Houston tank depot
cleaning facilities
maintenance & repair
Central European contact: cotac europe GmbH, Holländer Str. 1-7, 68219 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)621/8998-101, info@cotac-group.com, www.cotac-group.com
34
April 2006