Surge in Sulfuric Acid Exports to Kazakhstan has increased the demand for tank-containers
Another factor in the growing popularity of this type of rolling stock is the decommissioning of a fleet of sulfuric acid tanks.
The proportion of sulfuric acid transportation provided in tank containers has been steadily rising. In 2021, it stood at 28%, and by 2022, it had increased to 31%. Presently, in the current year, it has already reached 35%.
«We anticipate this percentage to continue to rise as we replace the decommissioned fleet of sulfuric acid tanks,» stated Pavel Moskalenko, CEO of Spectransgarant, during the Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid Conference.
In general, by the end of this year, sulfuric acid transportation by rail may potentially reach 3.5 million tons, which is an increase of 100,000 tons compared to last year.
One of the key drivers of this growth has been export transportation, with its share rising to 20% owing to increased shipments of technical-grade sulfuric acid to Kazakhstan, particularly to Kazatomprom and Kazphosphate.
