ISO tanks replace tankers for bulk liquids

Namibia is following the global trend of replacing bulk vessel tankers with modular ISO tanks for the importation and export of bulk liquids, says Kreason Pillay, managing director of M&S Logistics in South Africa. The company is represented in Namibia by agents and the South African office. “We are able to offer ISO tanks for bulk liquid delivery from South Africa and globally as our equipment is positioned globally. We offer a full range of services and logistics solutions to our customers in Namibia. “We are currently participating in new mining activities where there is a demand for liquid in bulk,” he says. Demand is expected to grow as the Namibian oil and gas industry expands. The company is also increasing its footprint in the petrochemical sector. New offices have been opened in Singapore and Baku to service the oil and gas industry in those regions. Pillay says shippers are opting for ISO tanks along the Namibian corridors. “They are preferable to other means of liquid transport. They are safe, reliable, can be used for storage and are truly multimodal – the containers can be transported by sea, road and rail.” This is in line with global trends where shippers are looking more for bulk solutions, and moving away from the conventional drummed products, he said. “If products are consumed in bulk for production then ISO tanks are the solution. “Drums are more costly, which adds to the price of the product. “They also require storage space and need to be disposed of at some point. “We are finding that many of the environmentally conscious shippers and suppliers are realising that seeing a drum with their name on it being used by householders to carry and store water is not socially responsible. “They see ISO tanks as a solution,” he says. INSERT & CAPTION We are currently participating in new mining activities where there is a demand for liquid in bulk. – Kreason Pillay