FEATURE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT


SHIPOWNERS ADVISED CAUTION IN RUN-UP TO R-22BAN L


eading global provider of services and products to the shipping industry


Wilhelmsen Ships Service is warning of price, supply and safety risks in the run- up to the global ban on R-22 (chlorodifluoromethane or HCFC) refrigerant. The colourless gas which has high ozone depletion and global warming potential is said to be in use on 6,000-8,000 vessels worldwide. R-22 was outlawed throughout the EU


in a process that ran from 2010 to 1 January 2015. It is currently being phased out in the US where no new or imported R-22 will be permitted from 1 January 2020. As part of the Montreal Protocol (MP) - a UN agreement to protect the ozone layer - HCFC use will be phased out in member countries by 2030. “R-22 is a versatile and effective refrigerant gas that has served the shipping industry well but it is fast approaching the end of the line,” comments technical product manager Refrigeration Svenn Jacobsen. “The compliance deadlines are approaching and this has impacted tremendously on global production. As availability goes down price and supply risks go up - potentially bad news for the owners of vessels that still use R-22.” Industry figures indicate that legal


global R-22 production this year will be only 10% of the volume produced in 1990. This weak supply and relatively strong demand will exert upward pressure on prices. Jacobsen believes that if ships are slow to switch to ozone


many substitutes are made in China and sold on the black market. “At the end of the day all vessels will have to find environmentally friendly alternatives to R-22. In the meantime shipowners and operators that still require it must use reliable suppliers that can provide genuine refrigerant from approved producers. This is the only way to assure quality, standards of purity and worldwide compliance. There are heavy fines for not complying


friendly refrigerant alternatives costs could easily double over the next year. “When prices increase and/or


availability shrinks alternative and illegally produced products suddenly start appearing on the market,” says Jacobsen. “This is happening already and will only increase with demand. Gases are being smuggled into countries, mis- declared and counterfeited. The consequences of this can be serious for vessels, catastrophic for equipment with adulterated refrigerant causing poor mechanical performance and breakdown and potentially deadly for individuals.”


DANGEROUS UNAPPROVED SUBSTITUTES In the US the FBI has noted that some unapproved refrigerants contain propane, a highly flammable and explosive gas;


DNV GL CERTIFIES MARITIME EQUIPMENT


immediately,” says sales manager Gerrit Ruppel. “Now our quality-related processes are perfectly tailored to meet the special requirements of marine technology, not only in administration and product development but in production and assembly. We are simply closer to the application and from now on the systems and products that we produce will only have to be certified externally if the customer requests it.” Many ‘onshore’ hydraulic systems


Ship-classification society DNV GL has assessed and certified Ruppel Hydraulik’s quality management system. The company will now be able to process future projects in ship, port and offshore technology more efficiently because the approval and certification process will require less time. The QM system met the essential requirements of ship and port technology. “A few minor modifications were


required but we were able to make these 2


developed and produced by Ruppel Hydraulik are used in maritime environments for example those used in equipment for loading and unloading ships and to hydraulic anti-sway systems for container cranes. Approval processes for these anti-sway systems if the customer requests certification for maritime applications will be faster in the future.


Ruppel Hydraulik T: +49 (0) 5042 9322 10 www.ruppel-hydraulik-de


S1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS


In the countdown to the global ban WSS is providing the market with Unicool R- 22 synthetic HCFC refrigerant in areas where this is still permissible


with regulations; the EPA can assess fines of up to $37,000 a day for violations; and real risks to vessels and crews in not doing so. R-22 is on its way out; the industry has to be aware of how it can bid farewell in the safest, securest and most appropriate manner.” In the countdown to the global ban


WSS is providing the market with Unicool R-22 synthetic HCFC refrigerant in areas where this is still permissible. The gas is used in many maritime refrigeration applications for low, medium and high temperatures (-40 to +16° C). Unicool refillable cylinders are


inspected prior to refilling; residue refrigerant recovered to prevent environmental damage; content is 100% genuine refrigerant from approved producer; it conforms to ARI-700 purity standard; has worldwide compliance; assured quality; and refillable cylinders.


Wilhelmsen Ships Service T: +47 67 58 40 00 www.wilhelmsen.com


LIGHTER PLASTIC PALLETS SAVE 75% ON AIR FREIGHT COSTS


Aura-Soma Products has made major saving in its distribution operation following a review by Exporta Global. The perfume and skincare specialist currently exports to 55 countries from its UK base at Tetford, Lincolnshire. “Exporta Global helped us identify that we could switch from


27.5 kg wooden pallets to 4.5 kg nestable plastic pallets while retaining performance and product protection,” says despatch supervisor Berzi Gabor. “The reduction in weight has meant air freight savings of 75% on each pallet while removing the inconvenience and costs involved in heat treating pallets we ship to countries such as Australia.” Exporta Global Group managing director Dale Paterson says:


“Distribution savings can often be made by simply challenging accepted wisdom. The perception that plastic pallets will be more expensive than their wooden counterpart usually fails to take into account their lightness which can reduce air freight costs and a life expectancy up to 10 times longer.”


Exporta Global T: 0800 2944 394 www.exportaglobal.co.uk


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