Tank Storage Asia to address biggest storage terminal industry challenges

The most prominent challenges, developments and solutions in the Asian bulk liquid storage industry will be discussed and debated at Tank Storage Asia’s conference.
Innovation, regulation and safety are the key themes that will be discussed during the two-day conference and exhibition when it returns to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre on September 25 & 26.
This year’s event will champion innovation, with several seminars hosted by leading industry experts set to discuss the latest technological developments, all accessible to conference delegates only. Mark Lim, commercial manager at Stolthaven Terminals, and Chye Poh Chua, CEO at ShipsFocus, will present a session on big data and artificial intelligence, detailing how technology can be used to reduce tanker waiting times and enhance terminal utilisation. The seminar will promote inclusive growth, encourage marine commerce to digitalise, and help maritime SMEs close the digital divide.
Edwin Ebrahimi, innovation engagement leader at Vopak, will discuss how the storage operator has implemented Lim and Poh Chua’s guiding principles to become truly digitalised. IT/OT solutions, including drone inspection technology and robotics for in-service tank inspections, have been used to solve challenges at Vopak’s Singapore terminal. The seminar will provide key insights and strategies that attendees can implement in their own organisations to drive digital transformation.
Another key theme at the event is regulation; specifically, IMO 2020. Sushant Gupta, director – Asia-Pacific refining, at Wood Mackenzie, will explain how the legislation represents a positive move to drive down emissions and improve sustainability. He will also answer questions on how the sector will adapt to changes in demand for high and low sulphur fuel oil, and what this means for storage opportunities in Asia.
Paul Hickin, associate director at Platts, will examine how global supply and demand balances for oil will be affected by IMO 2020, and how market dynamics and structures will react. He will also look at OPEC’s determination to cut output beyond 2019; a development that Harshit Sharma, oil & gas expert at Lux Research, will also address while debating the role hydrogen will play in a decarbonised future. Sharma will highlight the global energy transition and encourage companies to improve their green credentials by investing in low carbon energy alternatives. Sharma will also discuss characteristics of the new fuels on the market, including marine gasoil (MGO), very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). He will also reflect on the commercial opportunities that will present themselves after the introduction of IMO 2020.
Safety is another industry theme that will be explored at Tank Storage Asia. Lai Siang Yeong, asset and operations manager at Oiltanking Asia Pacific, will discuss how the business has focussed on process safety improvement to become compliant with Singapore’s Safety Case Regime.
There will also be plenty of opportunities at the event for professionals to network with their peers and share best practice in relation to innovation, regulation, safety and more. An online, one-to-one networking platform will allow visitors to set up meetings with suppliers and prospects and manage their schedule during the event. The TSA Connect Lounge on the exhibition floor will also provide a comfortable space for visitors to host meetings.
Mark Rimmer, Tank Storage portfolio director, says: ‘Tank Storage Asia is alert to the biggest issues currently affecting the Asian tank storage industry. The event will examine the trends that are most prevalent in great detail. This is what brings leading professionals to the event, year-on-year.’
Over 80 exhibitors and more than 20 conference speakers, including experts and analysts from top terminals and oil majors, will contribute to the pool of thought-leadership at the show.
For more information on visiting the exhibitor and attending the conference visit www.tankstorageasia.com.