New equipment

Even during the pandemic, Nijman/Zeetank has invested in new equipment and much of this new equipment has already been delivered. However, delivery times are not always being honoured because of the global shortages of certain components for both tractor units and trailers.

Ten new innenladers were delivered to Nijman/Zeetank UK during the second quarter of this year. The trailers have undergone further optimisation, resulting in a weight advantage of around 450 kilos in comparison to the previous series. These allow more glass of certain thicknesses to be transported.

Five new innenladers were delivered to Nijman/Zeetank Poland in the third quarter of this year. Weight optimisation has also taken place in these innenladers, with a weight reduction of around 490 kilos. This means, among other things, that at certain thicknesses, more glass can now be transported.
In addition, four new triple-axle Volvo tractor units were delivered in Poland. For the intermodal transport of tank containers between the rail terminal and the loading and unloading address, a triple-axle tractor unit is required in order to fulfil the requirements relating to the permitted total gross vehicle weight. In intermodal transport, the total gross vehicle weight may be higher than in ‘pure’ road transport. However, a modified triple-axle tractor unit is required for this purpose.
Finally, nine new Mercedes tractor units have also been ordered for Poland, with planned delivery of August 2021. As things currently stand, the delivery time has been delayed until November and December of this year, but a further delay cannot be ruled out.

Ten new LNG-powered Volvo tractor units have been ordered for Nijman/Zeetank in the Netherlands. Although all tractor units were to be delivered during the third quarter of this year, only two have been delivered so far due to the shortage of certain components. The next seven units will be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year and the final unit in the first quarter of 2022. Nijman/Zeetank has been using LNG-powered tractor units since mid-2020. In view of the limited emissions and generally positive experiences, LNG-powered tractor units have once again been chosen.
Twelve new LNG trailers were ordered for the Netherlands last year. Four of these trailers were delivered back in the first quarter of this year and two trailers arrived in the third quarter of this year. The remaining six trailers will be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year and in January 2022.

LNG (liquid natural gas) is transported at a temperature of -162°C. Therefore, double-walled trailers are used to transport LNG, with an inner and outer tank, both made from stainless steel. The design temperature is -196°C. The space between the inner and outer tank is vacuum insulated. Considering the relatively high empty weight of LNG trailers, during design and construction a lot of attention is paid to optimising the trailer’s empty weight (as low as possible) and volume (as large as possible).