Meet our challenge solver - Wim van Gulck

Challenge

The high-demanding, fast-paced, and unpredictable nature of the maritime industry opens itself to numerous challenges that require consistent communication and quick response times. When we were contacted at the last minute to accommodate a delivery for the unscheduled arrival of a vessel, we had to ensure that we accounted for every last detail to enable safe and timely transport.

Solution

An oversight caused a ship to arrive at Antwerp earlier than its purported time only for it to not have a sufficient stock of sodium hydroxide (also known as caustic soda).

Caustic soda is part of our maritime portfolio and is a key product due to its use in scrubbing polluting gases emitted from the ship. With strict regulations put in place to reduce emissions, especially at dock sites, the ship was at risk of facing heavy fines for potentially violating them.

A partner who works with the ship’s company called us just before the weekend, informing us of the situation. We were in a predicament because we needed a reliable transport service as well as personnel that could obtain the required amount and deliver it safely.

Our experience working in this industry has taught us to anticipate such requests and our storage facility in Hemiksem, which is well-equipped to handle this corrosive chemical, had the quantity needed for the vessel.

We were able to call on our colleagues, who are well-versed in handling the material, and our trusty transport service to deliver the product to ship. Liaising with the right authorities at the shipping terminal, we shut down the dock – a requirement to transport the product safely – and got the caustic soda to the ship in the nick of time.