Given the interest aroused by my previous post dedicated to flexitanks, I am pleased to return to the subject for some economic and operational considerations with respect to other possible solutions for the transport of liquid cargo in bulk: tankers, ISO tank containers, IBC tanks and / or metal drums SCF containers.
Tanker Ship
Surely this is the overall cheapest method of transport even if, taking into consideration a door-to-door route, the high costs relating to the delivery of the load to the boarding terminal and the subsequent forwarding to the final receiver must be taken into account.
The use of a ship is possible and profitable only for significant quantities and the need for adequate land infrastructures.
Do not forget any expert costs necessary to verify the quantities actually loaded and unloaded, the conditions of the holds and any sampling.
Finally, let’s not forget that during the different passages, pumping and various transfers there is always the risk of contamination.
From a payload point of view, thanks to their modest weight, they allow greater use of the container payload compared to metal drums or IBC tanks.
At the operational level, the flexitanks simply require a suitable pumping system for loading and unloading.
Any sampling operations are possible both during the loading phase and at the time of unloading by means of special valves equipped with a “tap”.
The fact that they are assembled inside an ISO container from20 ‘hooked to the floor of a normal semi-trailer, they allow you to get almost anywhere. The latest technologies come to the aid in this process: there are many tools that can guarantee operators and consumers that the cold chain is respected. Among these are the isothermal containers .
Last but not least, using new flexitanks there is no risk of contamination due to residues from previous loads.
Tank Container (ISO)
This is the most expensive system with the exception of tanks and drums.
ISO tanks are very expensive both in terms of purchase and rental and are often not readily available at depots.
Also not to be underestimated is the fact that in the event of a claim the costs for any repairs are very high, not comparable to those of a normal ISO container.
Clearly they must be used only for products which, due to their characteristics, require particular temperatures and / or pressures for safe transport.
They also require careful and constant maintenance, as well as adequate cleaning / reclamation which, if not perfect, can involve risks of contamination for the goods.