Steering group for barge degassing to meet in Antwerp on 7 June
The problem of degassing is one that has regularly arisen in the barge industry. On 7 June the barge degassing steering group will meet in Antwerp, where its input will be evaluated, the Port Authority news release said.
If appropriate, it will be adopted by various government authorities, the barge industry itself, the European tank storage industry and the refineries. The steering group will in the first instance draw up guidelines that may serve as a basis for degassing policy at international level. In addition it will present a summary of the latest technologies in this field, and will consider which international initiatives could offer added value.
The barge industry for its part wishes above all for there to be greater uniformity. At present, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany all have their own policies, with different guidelines for the different types of gaseous residues that can be vented and the places where this can be done. Antwerp Port Authority carried out a study to determine the extent of the problem already in 2008. It also organised various workshops with the parties involved, including government departments, the tank storage terminals, the barge industry and the shipping police. Subsequently the Port Authority raised the matter with the Central Committee for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR) and entered bilateral discussions with the port of Rotterdam.
The CCNR invited all the parties involved to set up the first steering committee for “Cargo residues in gaseous form” at the end of 2012. The task of this steering committee with Rotterdam Port Authority as the guiding force is to draw up degassing guidelines for barge transport in the Rhine navigation area. The target is to have these guidelines ready by the middle of 2014.
