InfraLeuna has commissioned a central rail heating terminal at the Leuna chemical site, adding a dedicated facility for reheating sulphur delivered in tank wagons before unloading. The installation is a response to longer supply chains that increase the likelihood of sulphur arriving below the temperature needed for pumping and discharge.
The terminal is laid out for full-train handling, with two tracks providing eight stabling positions each. This enables up to 16 tank wagons to be processed in parallel. Heating is provided by steam, with a stated maximum product temperature of 150°C. The design includes an integrated steam pressure-reduction station to support tighter process control, including defined heating cycles below the 150°C maximum.
Operations are structured as an end-to-end rail service. Wagons are taken over at Großkorbetha station and shunted to the heating terminal. On-site work covers connecting and disconnecting steam lines to wagon heating registers, regulating steam feed, and continuous monitoring during the heating cycle. The stated process window is up to 48 hours to complete heating for a batch of wagons.
From a network perspective, InfraLeuna holds the status of a licensed railway undertaking, allowing it to run over the DB network for inbound and outbound movements.
Leuna’s logistics positioning combines rail connectivity within Germany and to western European markets with direct access to the A9/A14/A38 motorway junction. The site documentation associated with the project references typical distribution lead times of around 48 hours, depending on destination and operating plan.
The terminal has been designed as a modular platform. While the initial configuration targets sulphur, the layout is intended to accommodate other basic materials that require heat input to restore pumpability before unloading. Technical provision has also been included for potential additional heating points for road vehicles, with future adaptation covering tank trucks and ISO containers.
