“In the maritime industry, things change fast. A blip in the arrival schedule of a ship can send everything into a spin,” says Wim van Gulck, Product Manager Industrial Chemicals, Caldic Benelux.
That’s exactly what happened when a vessel docked unexpectedly in Antwerp, only to discover it lacked a critical component for environmental compliance: sodium hydroxide, better known as caustic soda. “Without it, the ship risked being hit with serious fines,” Wim explains. “Caustic soda is essential for the scrubbing process that removes harmful gases from a ship’s exhaust. When docked, ships are under tighter regulations because they are closer to populated areas.”
A partner working with the ship’s company reached out to us just before the weekend - an especially tricky time for urgent requests. But for Wim, the timing wasn’t going to be an excuse.
We’re built to handle these scenarios. That’s why we maintain strong supplier relationships, have trained teams on standby, and invest in secure storage for corrosive materials.
With a quick internal check, Wim confirmed that our facility in Hemiksem had the necessary stock. "That site is specifically designed to store and manage hazardous chemicals safely. It was the perfect starting point," he recalls.
The next step was rapid transport and coordination. “We called on our trusted transport partner and our experienced crew. They know exactly how to handle materials like this, down to the smallest safety protocol,” says Wim.
“We had to shut down the dock to move the product safely, there could be no margin for error. This meant aligning with port authorities quickly and precisely.”
The ship successfully received their required batch of caustic soda just in time for the vessel’s arrival.
A medida que las industrias evolucionan, también deben hacerlo los materiales que impulsan su progreso. En Caldic, habilitamos la innovación con soluciones de materiales avanzados diseñadas para el rendimiento, la sostenibilidad y aplicaciones de próxima generación.
