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Chemical industry is one of the most dynamically developing sectors of Russian economy, although just meeting transport demands of chemical industry plants often becomes a constraint for the implementation of production plans. Alexander Fokin, the CEO of Spectransgarant (Rail Garant Group), tells about conditions and possible development paths of the chemicals transportation market.

- Alexander, what, as per your estimations, are the evolution and volume of the market of chemical goods transportation in tank containers? What is it related to? Will these trends remain in medium-term or long-term prospective?

Today, a growth trend is typical for the chemical goods transportation segment. According to experts of the industry, as per the year’s results, the transportation volumes may increase up to 40 % as compared to amounts of the last year.

As the chemical tank car fleet becomes obsolete and due to minimum production output of new rolling stock we see the future of petrochemical goods transportation as the containerization. Considering lack of need for the intermediate transshipment of goods with multimodal transportation tank containers are the most efficient and convenient to use.

In this connection, we forecast, both for the medium-term and for long-term prospective, the growth of chemical goods transportation in tank containers.

- What are features of the transportation of goods of such category in tank containers?

First, these are general risks related to the transportation of hazardous goods irrespective of transportation method.

In addition, when transporting chemical goods strict requirements for cleanness of the tank container internal surface are imposed. Even slight deposit on metal due to earlier transported goods often results in the changes in grade of product filled again, so every time it is required to wash a tank container when changing products. But washing stations are not always available on the way between on plants and another, which causes additional time and financial cost.

- How can you assess the provision of this kind of transportation with tank containers?

In general, tank cars are used to transport chemicals in the network, so one could not speak about the provision of this kind of goods with tank containers; there are very constraint number of players in this market segment.

- What are the main problems of carrying out such transportation and development of this market segment in whole?

The main problem is lack of any infrastructure for the tank container operation at product discharge/refill stations. All that we have in the network is focused on the tank car handling. In addition, there is limited number of stations in the network that have permission to operate tank containers. This once again confirms a fact that the chemical goods transportation in tank containers is just being mastered in Russia.
Recently, another important problem has been a problem of often tank container dekitting. Due to the fact that imported tank containers are mostly used in Russia spares are required to be ordered in manufacturers’ countries, which takes much time.

- Is any competition in the market between railway operators or between them and other modes of transport awared?

Undoubtedly, as for any transportation ways, competition still exists here: this is the transportation in tank cars, tank trucks and even tank container transportation by trucks.

- What are the main objectives and volumes of chemical goods transportation? What positions and objective will mostly be developed?

It is very difficult to list transportation geography and product names due to the existence of multiple chemical plants and chemical products accordingly. This market segment features the dynamic development, so the number of plants is still growing.

We don’t prefer some specific products, the transportation of which is already adjusted. Quite the contrary, we always undertake to transport whatever new with pleasure. Just this doesn’t allow us to cease our development.