Starting in December, international logistics company Hoyer GmbH began using 40-foot containers for the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The new containers are ideal for this type of transport and offer enhanced safety and economy, according to Hoyer officials.
Hoyer’s newest 40-foot and longer tanks are distinguished by the fact that not only the inner tank is completely made from stainless steel but the outer tank, parts of the frame and the pipe connections as well. Even though these are great preconditions for the safe transport of LNG, risk management studies about the transport of dangerous goods are being conducted on a regular basis.
The ISO tank containers can hold at least 46 cubic meters (12,151 gallons) of product, and they can be outfitted with a special pumping system and a metering section. While the pump achieves a faster unloading because of its higher exit pressure, the metering section allows precise measurements of the content.
Just last year Hoyer massively expanded its global gas logistics business and by the middle of 2013 had increased its fleet to about 1,000 units of 20-, 30-, and 40-foot tank containers.
“Demand for gas containers for the transport of LNG is rising,” said Jürgen Schlötelburg, director gas equipment pool and development. “The reasons for this are the changed extraction and delivery structures of natural gas, among other things.”
Especially in North America and Asia there are large natural gas deposits that are currently being developed. Natural gas that has been extracted is liquefied at minus 161 degrees Celsius and then transported to its destination. The transport of LNG in a tank container is flexible and complements the usual transport in pipelines.
The new gas containers allow Hoyer to expand its portfolio and to position itself for future market developments, according to company officials.