Tanks are not afraid of the cargo

Many experts consider the cargo transportation in the tank-containers as a promising trend, and it is not surprising. Their versatility and intermodality can contribute to both integration of the national railways in the international transport systems and to the implementation of transit potential in Russia. But for the further development of this type of transportations, first of all, the problem of the shortage of the specialized infrastructure should be solved. 

WHAT AND WHERE is transported? - a magazine "Russian Railways-Partner" asks this question to the market experts.

Eduard Kasnapuu, Chief Operation Officer of ACEX Group in Estonia answered the questions from the press:

"Single tank-container transportation is unprofitable because it is connected with the return of empty stock. Moreover, it is possible to transport only one commodity in one container. Nobody gives tank-containers on lease for single transportations. It means that only long-term cooperation is beneficial for the carrier. 

For example, transportation of palm oil from Indonesia to Europe using tank-containers is 1.5 times more advantageous than using other methods, but only on the basis of annual contract. Usually, during one-time transportations of the palm oil is transported in briquettes in the usual containers to the fabrics, is recycled there, and then is shipped to required directions.

It is also profitable to transport large batches of paper products in tank-containers from Europe to Russia by railway. The cost of transportation for each particular case is estimated separately.

All parameters are taken into account: productive capacity, warehouses, the number of employees working on loading and unloading. A decision whether to use a standard container or a tank-container is made depending on the combination of these factors". 

More information about the export and import shipments in tank-containers between Europe and Russia can be found in the electronic version of the magazine or in the printed version, which you can get in the ACEX marketing department.