All divisions contributed to this improvement, which is a result of a combination of storage capacity expansions and efficiency improvement programs. In a year’s time worldwide capacity increased by 1.4 million m³ from 26.6 million m³ as per the end of September 2008 to 28.0 million m³ per the end of the third quarter of 2009.
The occupancy rate was 93% in Q3 2009. This is a slight decrease compared to the occupancy in Q3 2008 (94%). In Q3 2009 Vopak had an increased outage of tanks in certain locations as a result of an intensified tank inspection programme, as well as lower initial occupancy rates for some of the recently commissioned new tank capacity for storage of chemical and biofuels products in Asia and Europe.