COA Container Pavilion at Intermodal Europe 2022
Intermodal Europe 2022 takes place in Amsterdam from Tuesday 8 to Thursday 10 November 2022. Further information on www.intermodal-events.com.
As in previous years, the COA will organise a Container Pavilion at the Exhibition. Pavilion sponsorship is open to COA member companies. There are many benefits of Sponsorship, including exclusive use of Meeting Rooms on a time-tabled basis, as well as the opportunity to have a “commercial” presence at the event.
If your company is interested in becoming a Sponsor of the COA Pavilion, please contact Kate on kate@containerownersassociation.org for further information and Stand Package Details.
COA Members Meeting: Amsterdam – Monday 7 November 2022
After a gap of three years, the next “face-to-face” COA Members Meeting will take place in Amsterdam on Monday 7 November 2022 (the day before Intermodal Europe).
The Conference Programme will include updates, presentations and work group sessions covering COA projects and and activities, including the following:
– Developments in the Container Shipping and Manufacturing Industry
– COA WG project to harmonise Cedex Repair Code Interpretations
– Pest Minimisation and Improvements to Container Design
– Reefer Telematics UDM
– Container Coatings – Transition Status
– COA Flexitank Quality Conformance and Recycling Project
– Environmental Strategy
The Conference will conclude with a Networking Reception for all participants. Further details – including Meeting Registration and Hotel Information – will be published shortly.
COA Work Group: Harmonisation of CEDEX Code Interpretations
Over a number of years, different “interpretations” of the CEDEX Repair Code Standard (as well as non-CEDEX based standards) for the coding of container repair estimates have been developed – with the result that there is no single industry “standard”.
With the growing need for digitisation, a unique industry Standard which meets the latest IT requirements is essential. Based on this, the COA established a Work Group of industry experts from all stakeholders for the Harmonisation of CEDEX Code Interpretations.
The aim of this initiative is to:
- Build a clear one-to-one set of codes for all the different type models of the containers, based on their integral components;
- Reduce all codes to a minimum necessary set of clearly defined list members.
- Define fixed connections between components and the related damage and repair codes under the boundary conditions of the respective Inspection criteria (UCIRC, IICL 6,CIC)
- Define the respective scaling rules for every resulting valid component-repair combination
- Build an administration and governance platform together with an organizational unit to hold, administer, revise and publish the final standard.
To achieve these goals, the COA CEDEX Work Group has been analysing the common data code set and developing a new, unified, system which uses the industry-wide CEDEX code structures, and also builds on the required framework for a modern IT integration of a real standard for all stakeholders of the industry.
This will open the possibility for both CEDEX based and other coding systems to move – and also includes code subsets such as the recently released Equipment Code Standard (ECS) of the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL).
The result is the foundation for a direct data exchange in any direction between all relevant parties – depots, shipping lines, traders and leasing companies.
The COA Work Group has now reached a stage where the code lists have been established for the most commonly used container types (G and U; P and R in progress) and the prototype for a publishing and governance system is also available.
As part of the consultation process, COA Members and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to review the COA CEDEX Code Set system, the so-called “CEDEX Dependencies” and give their comments. This will be published in early July.
COA Container Coatings Webinar: PDFs of Presentations available
The COA organised a Reefer Container Coatings Webinar on Thursday 19 May 2022, attended by 82 persons. The topics of the Webinar were:
- “Advances in Container Coatings Development”
- “Reefers: The Transition to Low VOC Coatings”
Presentations were given by Dowill, KCC, Hempel and CIMC, covering the latest data on coatings currently in use – and the developments underway.
PDFs of the presentations are available to be downloaded – click HERE.
COA Flexitank Webinar: PDFs of Presentations available
“Best practice in the Environmental Disposal and Recycling of Flexitanks” and “Flexitank Quality Conformance” were the topics of the latest COA Flexitank Webinar, which was held on 25 May 2022, attended by 85 persons.
The Opening address was made by COA Chairman Uffe Ernst-Frederiksen (Maersk Line) during which he reviewed the progress that had been made in recent years. Subsequent speakers provided an insight into the recycling of flexitanks, highlighting the fact that many shippers and consignors are not supportive of the costs to recycle. However, one pilot recycling scheme in the UK was presented.
The COA will continue to promote and encourage environmentally-acceptable disposal of flexitanks.
PDFs of the presentations are available on the COA website – click HERE.
Pest Minimisation Project: Improvements to Container Design
The COA is one of four industry organisations – together with the World Shipping Council, the IICL and BIC – which have joined the United Nations Task Force which has been set up to investigate the movement of pests in containers. The container industry group is investigating possible improvements to the container design that by the modification some features might deter the harbouring of pests.
Discussions are taking place between relevant stakeholders about how the project can be best undertaken.
Container manufacturers are being contacted to ask them to look at any possible design improvements that could be made.
The International Plant Protection Convention (the UN Agency) is organising a meeting in September – “International Workshop on Reducing the Introduction of Pests Through the Sea Container Pathway”.
Members interested in this project should contact secretary@containerownersassociation.org.
Cargo Integrity Group: promoting the CTU Code
The Cargo Integrity Group is an alliance of 8 international organisations: WSC, ICHCA, COA, WSC, Global Shippers Forum, BIC, FIATA, TT Club
The purpose of establishing the Group was to promote safety in the container shipping industry through greater adherence to – and application of – the “IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units” (the so called “CTU Code”)
COA supports this work as it is relevant (directly and indirectly) to all of the COA’s Members and it is promoting safe operations
COA Environmental Strategy Document Published
“Sustainability” and “Environmental” are important challenges for the container shipping industry as a whole.
The COA Board recently agreed that the COA should have an Environmental Strategy in place, to reflect the COA support of initiatives which – in a cost effective manner – reduce the impact of container manufacture, use and disposal and thereby enhance its environmental sustainability.
A draft document has been published and is available for review. Feedback from Members is welcome. To view the document, please click on this link: COA Environmental Strategy.
Members who are interested in contributing ideas for this Strategy Document should contact Patrick Hicks, COA Secretary – secretary@containerownersassociation.org.
COA Flexitank Quality Conformance (CQC)
The COA Quality Conformance (CQC) scheme provides for a list of flexitank manufacturers and operators that have successfully completed five indepent audits including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, Installation, Use and Training Manual, Materials Batch Test and Rail Impact test.
The Flexitank Quality List (FQL) is available from COA website and is used by Ocean Carriers and Shippers as part of their risk assessment when evaluating flexitank shipments for safe and reliable transport.
Further information: https://www.containerownersassociation.com/coa-fqml/
COA Technical Reports, Publications and Presentations
Members are reminded that they can download all COA Reports and Presentations from the COA website. The following have been published this year:
COA Reefer Telematics Interoperability Standard
The COA has published an open standard Reefer Data Classification Scheme, supported by an open source Unified Data Model (UDM), permitting interoperability of telematics device data from the industry’s leading container refrigeration machinery manufacturers.
To download a copy of the UDM, click HERE
COA Reefer Coatings Transition – Technical Briefing Report
The COA has published a Technical Guidelines Document (TG-07) for COA Members, providing information about the transition of coatings applied to reefer containers, commencing July 2021
To download a copy, click HERE.
COA Flexitank Code of Practice TG-07
The existing COA Flexitank Code of Practice for manufacturers and operators has undergone a review, incorporating updates and editing the format for ease of reference. The new version will be published later this month.
Webinar Presentations
Recent webinars on the following topics:
– Flexitanks: Recycling and Testing
– Reefer Telematics UDM
– Reefer Coatings Transition
Members may download copies of the presentations, click HERE.
