In May this year, the Clipper Freeport – a VLGC (Very Large Gas Carrier which can carry approx. 44,000 mts of LPG) carrying LPG from the Phillips 66 Freeport LPG Export Terminal on the Gulf of Mexico, docked at Immingham Port on England’s east coast.
Chartered by Phillips 66 since its maiden voyage in 2017, the Clipper Freeport was the first-ever VLGC to enter Immingham – the largest vessel to enter the Port.
A complex operation made possible by a seamless collaborative effort between London Commercial, Humber caverns and APT/ABP – the two-port schedule saw 25 KMT of refrigerated propane successfully discharged before heading to Europe for its second discharge.
Measuring 230.11 metres in length with a 32-metre breadth and a 11.5 metre draft, the vessel is so vast that Phillips 66 had to have a new gangway constructed.
Paul Turner, Phillips 66 Limited LPG sales manager in the UK made his way to Immingham Caverns to welcome the Clipper Freeport and was invited onboard to check out this monumental supertanker: “The Clipper Freeport really is an immensely impressive vessel and equally so when on board. Apart from the sheer scale, what struck me most about this world-class LPG carrier is how immaculate every part of the ship is – considering the nature of her operations. An extraordinary environment managed and maintained by an expert, dedicated crew. They even have a basketball court on deck!”
Whilst LPG is primarily produced and supplied into the UK market by Phillips 66 Limited’s Humber facility, it is supplemented by imported propane to meet increasing customer demand.
The Tank Storage Association (TSA) has published its 2021 Annual Review of the UK’s bulk liquid storage sector. The review contains key data and information on terminals, process safety, occupational health and safety as well as on the industry’s contribution to the UK economy.
Peter Davidson, executive director of the Tank Storage Association, said: “I am pleased to launch the sixth edition of TSA’s Annual Review. The review continues to provide a comprehensive and timely insight into the bulk liquid storage sector in the UK. In addition to valuable industry data and information, this year’s report shines a light on the sector’s commitment to attract, develop and retain the next generation of talent. As we look ahead, it is clear to us that investing in the next generation today will ensure our sector continues to go from strength to strength.”
For an electronic copy of the 2021 Annual Review, click here.
Employees of Grangemouth based Rix Petroleum will begin the eight-mile-long climb and descent of Ben Nevis on Saturday 3rd July, raising £2000 for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
The foundation supports people with motor neuron disease (MND) and is named after former Scottish rugby player Doddie Weir, who was himself diagnosed with MND.
Having always wanted to climb the iconic peak, Gail Fawcett, business unit manager at Rix Petroleum, came up with the idea and roped in colleagues Lisa Welsh, Ian Patterson, Ross MacRae, Paul Graham and Connor O’Hagen to join her in the challenge, along with more friends and family members.
Rix Petroleum started supporting the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation earlier this year. The charity’s two main objectives are to raise funds to invest into MND research and support people living with the condition to have as full a life as possible.
Gail said: “Ben Nevis is a true Scottish icon and so is Doddie Weir. They’re both giants in their own right. So, when it came to raising money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, summiting the UK’s highest peak seemed like the only appropriate thing to do. Plus, I’ve always wanted to climb it, so it was too good an opportunity to miss.
“We’ve all started training and with just a couple of weeks to go, the excitement is building. I think we can do it in around eight hours, but other members of the team are thinking a bit quicker, so there could be a bit of competition on the day.”
UKIFDA has revealed it will be donating £2,000 to National Energy Action (NEA) from the proceeds of this year’s UKIFDA EXPO and Future Fuels conference being held on 7-8 July.
“We are delighted to announce our plans to donate £2,000 to NEA from the profits of our UKIFDA EXPO 2021,” says Ken Cronin, UKIFDA chief executive.
The 2021 winner of the prestigious ‘Driver of the Year’ award will, this year, be presented at a virtual ceremony during UKIFDA EXPO 2021 and Future Fuels on 7-8th July 2021. As well as the coveted title the winner will also receive £1000 prize money and certificate and, most importantly, the recognition of the industry in a year of unprecedented challenges that has seen many of the industry’s drivers go well beyond the ‘extra mile’ on behalf of their customers and colleagues. Sponsored by OAMPS – the specialist insurance advisor to the hazardous fuels and environmental industries – the 2021 Driver of the Year Award will celebrate the best UKIFDA member drivers in the industry.
Redruth-based Mitchell and Webber, the first company in the UK to put HVO fuel to the test during the successful trials started last November, has supplied the renewable hydrotreated vegetable oil to heat a primary school in Gwinear.
Mitchell and Webber director John Weedon commented: “We all appreciate the need to help the environment as a priority and these trials are to ensure the fuel will work well when converting existing set-ups.
“We are pleased that only a low-cost conversion is needed in many cases and so far tests are extremely promising with all boilers performing well.”
Gwinear Community Primary School is the first in the country to use the renewable liquid fuel. Head teacher, Lee Gardiner, said: “Since our school is such a historic building it is extremely difficult to insulate using more modern techniques. Installing a completely new system would likely be disruptive to daily school life and could possibly damage such an important structure.
“So when I saw the success of Mitchell and Webber’s HVO conversions in other settings across Cornwall, I knew I had found the perfect option for Gwinear.”
Local MP and Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs, George Eustice, said on visiting the school: “It could be a very important stepping stone on the way to net zero in rural areas like this.
“There are a lot of people still reliant on old oil-fired boilers and this is a more environmentally-friendly fuel.
“They’re getting good results on boilers large and small.”
Fuel Oil News looks forward to seeing more success stories highlighting the positive future for alternative liquid fuels.
Despite objections, Certas Energy’s plans for a new £1.5 million fuel depot on the Isle of Wight have been given the go ahead, with Certas promising to be on the Island “for the long-haul”.
Hazchem Safety, a technical workwear provider to the fuel & gas distribution industry for the past 25 years, explains to fuel oil news some of the ways in which it is working to supply sustainable variations of hi-vis workwear, footwear and PPE as well as ways to recycle end-of-life garments.
Working in an industry where carbon emissions are, for now, inevitable, the small efforts which businesses make to become more sustainable are crucial. Slight changes in operations from paperless transactions to eco-friendly uniforms are some of the ways to work towards net zero.
Whatever your specification of workwear or PPE, Hazchem believes that you don’t have to be left out of the Green Revolution and is working to offer sustainable solutions.
Why should you consider sustainable garments?
The clothing industry contributes a shocking 10% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the entire aviation or shipping industries. Most unwanted clothing ends up in landfill or is incinerated when the raw materials could be reused in further garment production, a process which uses less fossil fuel and produces less emissions, than if they were to be made from brand new materials.
Sustainable garments are set to become permanent fixtures within technical workwear product lines, offering the same necessary safety specifications with less damage to the planet.
In response to end users’ needs for ‘green’ solutions to everyday operations, Hazchem is expanding its product lines to give customers a choice of sustainable options, such as the Ecovis range of hi-vis EN ISO 20471 garments, produced with 100% recycled polyester, with the same visibility and added environmental considerations, such as bio-degradable product packaging.
Something new – FR Fabrics with sustainable sources and processes
Taking advantage of innovations such as ModacrylicECO™ blend fabrics, Hazchem product manager, Rick Clark, explained how the company is developing inherent flame resistant and ARC Workwear using a sustainable and natural fibre. With customers at the focus point, Hazchem is keen to source and develop environmentally conscious workwear options which can be used seamlessly within the industry.
ModacrylicECO™ fabrics from HAZTEC® include a substantial content that is from sustainable materials and sources, and produced with eco-friendly processes requiring less transportation than that needed for the production of cotton. This content has minimal environmental impact, and even solvents used in the process are captured to be used again.
Sustainable safety footwear
Committed to providing customers with what they need, Hazchem is seeking out sustainable workwear options such as the COFRA GreenFit footwear range, constructed with eco-friendly materials.
Using COFRA’s own innovative material, ‘Poly-Green’, a blend of virgin and recycled Polyurethane used in various parts of the shoe, makes for a perfect combination of support and shock absorption. Without compromising on necessary technical specifications, this carefully considered material is also antistatic, antibacterial, and anatomic, keeping the feet dry and the wearer safe and comfortable.
Chosen for its commitment to sustainability, the COFRA footwear range features laces and labels made from 100% recycled bottles. In addition, each pair from this range is packaged in a 100% recycled paper carton.
Want not? Waste not! End of life garment recycling
Responding to common problems experienced with technical workwear by their customers, Hazchem has developed a 100% sustainable and traceable system for securely disposing of company branded garments – through shredding end-of life garments so they are ready to be re-used as Geotextiles, special papers, and other innovative products.
Recycling technical workwear may seem a complex, specialised process, but Hazchem’s system is simple, with a straightforward collection service from your site. Whether this collection is a one-off, weekly, monthly or every 6 months, your end-of-life garments are safely shredded, re-purposed, and a certificate is issued to prove it.
As he looked forward to his retirement in May this year, Fuel Oil News spoke with Bob Taylor, managing director of World Fuel Services’ UK Land Business, who shared with us his thoughts on the highs, lows and future of the industry.
Telling us more about his history in the fuel sector, Bob says:
“In a nutshell, my entire career has been in fuel. When I left school at 16, I wanted to work in computers. But I got offered a job as a clerk in a fuel company called Fuel Fast and took that instead.
“That first job taught me all sorts. I worked out on the road with drivers and in the office in sales. At the time, you only had winter prices and summer prices, which never moved. Rather than selling, it was a case of finding new customers, sharing some port and signing on the line.
“After my time in sales, I was offered a job as a depot manager. I was only 25 and hugely out of my depth, but I learned so much and ended up taking on an area, and then regional, manager role when I was in my 30s. The first time I ran a business was when I became MD of Total Butler. After this stint, I got asked to come over to World Fuels as the MD for the UK Land Business.
“All I’ve known is the oil industry. Cut my arm off and all you’ll get is oil.”
A balancing act
With a career spanning several decades and experiences gathered from several different companies in the distribution industry, Bob is well-placed to suggest what should be the top priority for any business:
“The products are all the same, the difference is the service. In every business I have worked for, there has always been a balance between delivering a great service and driving a profit. I found that the larger a distributor grows, the more difficult it is to focus on looking after employees and customers. Keeping people in sight should always be the priority.”
Evolving oil
Bob comments on the changes he’s witnessed throughout his 40 years in the industry:
“One of the biggest industry changes I’ve witnessed is health and safety. It has become so much more important, and rightly so. All our colleagues should come to work and know that they won’t come into harm.
“Technology has also evolved oil in a big way. We are now moving towards telemetry in tanks linked to an automated fuel delivery service, for those that want it in the future. These developments are key opportunities, but technology also comes with its challenges. More customers are buying online, so oil has become more of a commodity rather than a service that people feel loyal to.
“Of course, some things don’t change. Customers have always asked ‘how much?’ and ‘when can you deliver?’. And I suspect that they always will.”
When asked about the changes that Bob sees in the not-too-distant future, he says:
“We can only sell what the consumer wants, and sustainable alternatives are becoming increasingly in demand. Companies will need to go down cleaner energy routes, and we have to find a way to offer these services over the next five to ten years. Whether we sell ground source heating, renewable energy or sustainable fuels, we need to adapt.”
On the road to retirement
As Bob considers his plans for retirement, he reminisces over some of the key memories from his time in the industry:
“My career highlights are all down to the people I’ve worked with. I owe a lot of my success to the mentors who guided me. And if I have helped anybody in their career, I feel that I’ve given something back.”
A decade of decisions
“My retirement date has been set in stone for the last 10 years, but what I decide to do with these years is fairly loose. I’ve recently realised that after 43 years of hard work, I don’t have any hobbies! So, I have been getting into clay pigeon shooting and will definitely keep that up.
“Spending time with family will also take up most of my time, especially with my grandchildren. We’ve really missed them over the last 12 months and are desperate to make up for lost time. And of course, travelling. As soon as we can, we’ll get out to the Maldives and to Venice via the Orient Express – another bucket list item ticked off the list and, at some point, we’ll go to Australia for six weeks.”
Telling us about the most valuable learnings from his career, Bob concluded:
“Two words: honesty and trust. When you run a business, stay honest and you can’t go wrong.”
With more than 45,000 HGV driver tests outstanding at DVSA as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns, Logistics UK is today pressing government to introduce a seasonal visa for European HGV drivers to protect the nation’s supply chain while the organisation catches up with this backlog.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, understandably, all driving tests were suspended,” explains David Wells, the business group’s chief executive, “leaving a huge backlog of potential drivers wishing to enter the logistics industry. At the same time, 79,000 European logistics workers returned to their home countries – and this, combined with an existing shortage of HGV drivers more than 76,000 individuals has meant that haulage firms are now struggling to recruit new drivers – a problem which will be exacerbated by summer holidays for those who have worked so tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
“The government recently granted temporary visa status for agricultural workers to ensure that important crops are picked and made available for UK consumers. But without temporary visa status for the drivers to move this food to where it is needed, the supply chain will break down at the first hurdle. The two sectors work hand in hand and should be treated in the same way.
“Our members urgently need drivers to be available now while DVSA catches up with the backlog of outstanding driving tests: without this temporary cover, there is a very real risk to the availability of the food and other vital items on which we rely during the summer months.”
DVSA estimates that it can undertake 118,000 HGV driver tests in the remainder of 2021, but it will take months to catch up on the existing backlog of outstanding examinations. And, as Mr Wells explains, the industry also needs a boost from government to speed along the number of new recruits entering the market: “Even before the loss of our EU workers, logistics was suffering from a chronic shortage of drivers. It takes time and money to train new recruits to be ready to enter our highly regulated industry, but with many people suffering the effects of the current economic downturn, this cost can be prohibitive. We need government to prioritise the implementation of funded training to open the industry up to as many people as possible, to counteract the long-term recruitment issues which logistics has faced for many years and attract a new generation of drivers and other employees to the sector as older personnel retire and leave the industry.
