This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Bertschi inaugura la primera terminal intermodal con ancho europeo en las instalaciones de Bayer en Tarragona

Bertschi Inaugurates the first terminal intermodal with European width in the installations of Bayer in Tarragona

15/02/2013

15 February 2013

Bertschi, Swiss company of services of international transport and intermodal, has inaugurated a new rail terminal in the installations of the factory of Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) in Tarragona. The terminal, that offers logistical service and of skilled transport to all the chemical companies of the polygon, will allow the transfer of commodities until Barcelona or Portbou, where will effect the change to the international width.

The installations of 18.000 square metres, are adapted for trains of 500 metres, with double width of road, the Iberian and the international, for when it arrive the third lane that connect Tarragona with Europe.

The terminal, that began to build by Bertschi in September of 2011, has supposed an investment of three million euros and has a capacity of 800 containers although it is foreseen to install a bridge crane that will allow to increase his capacity to 1.200 containers.

The current rail network in Iberian width forces to change the commodities of convoy when arriving to the French border or another terminal with international width. Thanks to the new installations, the companies of the polygon will improve his competitiveness, reducing the time and the broadcasts of CO2, once have of access to the European width. This terminal also will allow to reduce the traffic of commodities in the near road networks to the clúster chemical.

Roc Muñoz, Mayor of The Canonja, has been the attendant to head the act of inauguration accompanied by José Llorca, President of Ports of the State, and Ricard Font i Hereu, Secretary of Territory and Mobility of the Generalitat of Catalonia, between other authorities. In his speech, the Mayor of The Canonja has stood out that “For the regions of Tarragona, for the port and for all the petrochemical industry, is absolutely necessary that set up the third thread. It is something by what would have to bet the Government and, of course, the industry”.

The new terminal answers to a project that initiated does roughly 5 years of the hand of the Chemical Business Association of Tarragona (AEQT) and by which have bet all the companies of the chemical polygon of Tarragona. The vicinity of the installations of Bayer MaterialScience to the road that connects Barcelona and Valencia and the existence of an apartadero was one of the key factors to choose this location.

Markus Widmer, Manager of Bertschi Iberian, Hans-Jörg Bertschi, CEO of the company, and Jesús Loma-Ossorio, General Director of Bayer MaterialScience in Spain and Portugal, have participated in the inaugural act like representatives of both companies. In the evento, Loma has affirmed that “it is an opportunity to contribute value added to the standards of the factory and to the business fabric of the region”.

The set up of the platform in the installations of Bayer MaterialScience, the first customer of the Swiss company in Spain, has coincided with the 20 anniversary of the arrival of Bertschi to the Iberian peninsula.