Odfjell SE Annual Report 2012

ships are used for the most specialised types of chemical
products, which in addition to requiring stainless steel
transport, may also demand special handling in terms of
temperature and pressure control. Stainless steel cargo
tanks are also required for carriage of different types of
acids.
the core chemical tanker fleet
For a global and long-term operator such as Odfjell it is
clearly an advantage to possess a varied and efficient mix
of ships and thus, to be able to adapt rapidly to changing
market requirements.
Odfjell carries several hundred different products every
year; organic chemicals such as alcohols, acrylates, aromatics
as well as clean petroleum products, lubricating
oils, vegetable oils, animal fats and inorganic chemicals
such as sulphuric and phosphoric acids and caustic soda.
With a frequent presence in all major trade lanes, Odfjell
can offer unique and flexible services allowing customers to
ship small parcels from 100 to 150 tonnes to full cargoes of
up to 50,000 tonnes. By entering into contracts of affreightment,
the customer can plan regular shipments in order to
meet required delivery targets. However, a significant part
of the cargoes carried by chemical tankers is fixed in the
spot market, often by trading companies taking advantage
of arbitrage of commodity prices.
Odfjell’s strategy involves consolidation of loading and
discharging operations at certain key hubs for chemical
distribution. Our investments in small ships for transhipment
purposes, and in tank terminals at major ports such
as Houston, Rotterdam, Singapore and Onsan, play an
important role in this respect.
15.9% Odfjell
13.1% Stolt-Nielsen
7.9% Fairfield Iino
6.5% Tokyo Marine
5.5% Navig8 Chemicals
5.4% MISC
5.3% Nordic Tankers
17.4% Other majors
23.0% Others
We define a core chemical tanker as follows:
• IMO II capacity, fully or at least centre tanks
• Average tank size ≤3,000 cbm
• Commercially controlled by core chemical operator
• Chemical carrier with ≥50% stainless steel capacity
Tank terminals are an integral part of the chemical logistics
chain and their services constitute a natural link between
our traditional shipping services and inland transportation
by different modes such as barges, railcars, trucks, ISO
containers and pipelines. Odfjell’s tank terminals handle,
store and distribute bulk liquid chemicals to and from all
different modes of transportation.
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odfjell annual report 2012