Palm Oil: The Global Trade Giant and Flexitank's Golden Partner

As the world's most produced and actively traded vegetable oil, palm oil has long permeated every aspect of our lives. From crispy biscuits and rich chocolate to everyday detergents, cosmetics, and even industrial lubricants and biodiesel, its presence is ubiquitous. This oil derived from the fruit pulp of oil palms has become the undisputed leader in the global oils and fats market, thanks to its high yield, low cost, and wide range of applications – global production exceeded 77 million tons in 2023, accounting for over one-third of total vegetable oil production.

However, efficiently and safely transporting this liquid gold from its main production regions in Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia account for over 80% of global output) to all corners of the world presents unique logistical challenges:

1.      Temperature Sensitivity: Palm oil has a melting point range between 24°C and 40°C. While it remains liquid in warm producing regions and during summer, it easily solidifies or semi-solidifies when transported to temperate or cold regions, especially in winter, making discharge difficult or even impossible.

2.      Contamination Avoidance: As a food-grade raw material, it demands extremely high cleanliness standards, requiring strict prevention of contamination by water, impurities, or other oils during transport.

3.      Residue Loss: Traditional transport methods (such as steel drums and tank trucks) are prone to residue during loading/unloading and cleaning, resulting in waste of valuable product.

Flexitanks: The Revolutionary Solution for Modern Palm Oil Transport

UNI Flexitank recognizes how food-grade flexitank technology has revolutionized the bulk logistics of palm oil, becoming a key driver for its global circulation:

·       Significant Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement:

o   High Capacity: A 20-foot standard container flexitank can hold approximately 16,000 - 24,000 liters of palm oil, far exceeding the capacity of steel drums and IBC totes, significantly reducing unit transport costs.

o   Reduced Residue: Flexitanks' "single-use" nature virtually eliminates discharge residue (typically below 0.1%), greatly reducing product loss. The flexible bag allows near-complete emptying under gravity.

o   Simplified Process: Eliminates the need for costly container cleaning and return transport, as well as the management costs associated with empty drums/containers.

·       Guaranteed Product Quality:

o   Specialized Inner Layer: Food-grade flexitanks use multi-layer co-extruded films (e.g., PE/EVOH/PA/PE) compliant with strict standards like FDA/EC, providing excellent barrier properties to effectively prevent oxygen permeation, moisture ingress, and grease leakage, ensuring palm oil freshness and safety.

Palm oil, as a cornerstone of modern industry and daily life, relies on innovative logistics solutions for its efficient, safe, and economical global circulation. Food-grade flexitank technology, with its significant cost advantages, food-grade requirements, and operational flexibility, has become an indispensable transport carrier in the international palm oil trade. With ongoing technological advancements and the pursuit of sustainability, flexitanks will continue to be optimized and upgraded, providing the global palm oil supply chain with more reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly logistics assurance.