ATPC
Optimised logistics
Since it was last featured in European Oil and Gas in August 2011, Antwerp Terminal and Processing Company (ATPC) has continued to enjoy a frenetic period of sustained growth and development.
The company was acquired by the VTTI group in 2010, which opted to redirect the business from refining only to becoming a more commercial storage and processing provider. This saw the group make investments in the company and its infrastructure valued at 150 million euros. This investment, backed by many years of experience, makes ATPC an obvious choice for world-class storage and logistical solutions.
Located within the ARA (Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam) region ATPC represents the heart of Antwerp’s comprehensive harbor infrastructure. Today the company owns one of Europe’s largest tank storage facilities as well as one of the largest bitumen processing plants. In addition to these assets ATPC has recently completed the development of full loading and unloading facilities for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which are fully operational. These investments and upgrades are representative within ATPC and its parent company VTTI, founded in 2006. VTTI is one of the world’s fastest-growing independent energy storage companies. Offering 8.6 million cubic meters of combined storage capacity in 14 countries, across five continents, VTTI’s role is to provide safe and environmentally sound storage and to sharpen the competitive edge of its customers through strategically located advanced terminals around the world.
ATPC gives excellent solutions to its customer’s logistical needs, the facility can be accessed via sea, road, rail and pipeline ensuring that the facility remains a vital hub within the oil, gas and petrochemical industry. Located in the centre of Antwerp’s harbor infrastructure and connected to an extensive pipeline network, supported by ICE, CDI-T and the ability to supply aviation fuel (certified Jet A1), it is in a strong position to attract new businesses.
ATPC is at the doorstep of several of the world’s premier energy and petrochemical suppliers including, BASF, Total, ExxonMobil, Ineos, Bayer, Degussa and Borealis. The most recent example of its robust growth strategy is the investment of an LPG storage and handling facility. At the waterfront barges and seagoing vessels can handle LPG where, via an unique privately owned rail infrastructure with six rail track shunting facilities, RTC’s can be loaded and unloaded. This state-of-the-art facility will set a new standard in safety, reliability and flexibility. The launching customer for this installation is one of the world’s leading petrochemical companies located in the south of the Netherlands.
ATPC places great importance on having a well-trained and motivated workforce and central to this is its embedded culture of responsibility that extends to health and safety and to the environment. Recently the company achieved 1150 days worked without lost-time or injury, which represents approximately two million hours of safe work carried out by its workforce and contractors. Commenting on this safety performance, Gert Quint, general manager of the company, comments: “This is truly a remarkable achievement, made possible only through the conscious effort each person put forth every day to work safely. This milestone could not have been possible without the superior dedication and teamwork demonstrated by all personnel and contractors. Of course we must continue with our safe working awareness as safety has no end.” In addition to this ATPC has taken part in one of the biggest soil remediation projects in Flanders since being part of VTTI; more than 150,000 tonnes of historically polluted soil has already been removed, representing an investment of more than 12 million euros.
Martine Borghs, project manager says: “ATPC provides first-rate storage solutions and is keen to impress future customers with its world class technology and dedication to service and efficiency. Together, with our own facilities and well trained educated and experienced workforce, many potential projects are initiated to do what we do best in class: provide the customers with the best possible logistical services in storage, handling, blending, and processing of feedstock, compounds and finished products.
“We love to debottleneck and optimise customers’ logistical challenges, not only in providing existing infrastructure but also to set up partnerships, long-term agreements and investing in customised solutions. Our differentiator compared to business colleagues is not only our combined installations (as mentioned refinery, gas and oil storage handling) or our extensive pipeline and rail connections, truck handling and marine infrastructure, but the most important reason that makes the difference is our strong belief in the qualities and competences of our people.” To summarise ATPC’s ethos regarding future innovation Gert comments that: “the best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
ATPC
Services: Commercial storage and processing