GOFA: a safe, environment-friendly and economical transport specialist

LPG-Trailer made of duplex stainless steel from GOFA

Photo: GOFA

GOFA Gocher Fahrzeugbau GmbH (www.gofa.de) is a global-player, market-leading pressurised tanker builder. In the product areas of gas (cryogenic atmospheric gases, combustible cryogenic gases, CO2, LPG and other gases), liquids (chemicals, food) and silo, GOFA has a full range of trailers, semi-trailers, containers and swap containers, in addition to fixed and swap bodies.

For more than five decades, we have been building technically and qualitatively advanced products “engineered & made in Germany” with currently around 240 employees and distributing them all over the world. Since 2011, we have been combining the strengths of a German medium-sized company with the global corporate network of the Nasdaq-listed parent company Chart Industries, Inc. (Ball Ground/Georgia, USA, www,chartindustries.com), the world market leader in cryogenic investment goods.

LPG

Whilst the transport containers for petroleum gas and heating gas – known for short as LPG for Liquefied Petroleum Gas – were only made of steel until a few years ago, high-strength duplex stainless steel is now almost exclusively used. This provides considerable advantages during transport: owing to the lower wall thickness, the tanks made of the high-strength material are almost 1,000 kilograms lighter, fuel consumption is accordingly lower and a significantly higher transport volume can be carried. This makes the new container material more economical and also protects the environment.

GOFA sales representative Karl Bauer calculates the additional benefits for logistics companies based on an example: “the container volume is indeed considerably larger. If a trailer made of steel with a laden weight of 40 tons holds 50,000 litres, we can achieve a volume of up to 52,500 litres with a tank made of duplex stainless steel.

LNG

GOFA claims to be the European market leader in transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, the demand for trailers to transport the heavy goods vehicle fuel is still quite modest in Germany. “It is only now that the demand for LNG trailers in this country is beginning to get off the ground”, says Bauer. According to our information, over 80 LNG service stations are planned in Germany. He advises customers from the LPG and mineral oil field, not least in view of the turnaround in energy policy in the transport sector, to also deal with this issue.

LNG-powered tractors have already been in widespread use in various European countries for years now, as they generate markedly lower CO2 emissions and particulate matter.

Cryogenic gases

GOFA is also the market leader in trailers for the transport of cryogenic gases such as nitrogen, argon or oxygen. “We now even deliver these vehicles all over the world”, says Bauer proudly.

Access to many global markets was opened up by forming part of Chart Industries in 2011, where advantage could be taken of synergies. “We have experienced a very, very high level of growth in export, where we are continuing to expand”, is how Bauer describes the company’s development.

At the expo PetroTrans 2020, GOFA will be exhibiting an LNG trailer equipped with a measuring system from the affiliate Flow Instruments.