UM Terminals says that its broad portfolio means it is able to adapt quickly if demand is higher or lower in a particular sector and also plan strategically for the expected increasing demand to store products, such as green hydrogen, that will play an important part in the UK Government’s Road to Zero strategy.
Bryan Davies, Liverpool-headquartered UM Terminals’ managing director, said: “While there is an irreversible move towards reducing the world’s dependency on fossil fuels, there remains uncertainty about future product requirements, although there are lots of conversations at the moment about green energy and the role it will play.
“This uncertainty means that companies like ours need to be agile and ready to meet the needs of our customers to store new, more sustainable fuels.”
Track record for adaptation
“We have a track record of adapting and updating the services we are able to provide, and this is no different as we move towards products that offer greater sustainability. Once a customer has a product they wish to take to market, it is our job to be ready to support them.
“While our business is diverse in the range of products we store for our customers, we keep a close watch on market trends so that we are positioned to be a leader in the field of green energy bulk liquid storage.”
Bryan said that companies were also looking at various ways to improve their carbon footprint, including strategically storing closer to their end customer.
He said: “Supply chains are looking a lot more closely at their last mile delivery, reducing road miles and storing nearer to their customers. It makes sense commercially, operationally and environmentally.”
Increased capacity planned
UM Terminals deliberately maintains a wide portfolio of around 40 products that it stores including vegetable oils, industrial, food and feed, chemical, fertiliser, fuels, biofuels and base oils.
It achieves this operating out of 8 terminals, strategically located across the UK, with a current capacity of over 300,000 cubic metres of bulk liquid storage, but with an ambition to increase this to around 400,000 cubic metres.
Bryan added: “We are already seeing the results of the growth plan we put in place a year ago, but the plan is ultimately driven by the way we approach new and existing customer relationships.
“We don’t just talk about being agile and innovative – it is part of the UM Terminals DNA.
“This extends to investing to meet customer needs if the business case justifies it. This could be part of the continual investment to ensure our existing facilities are best-in-class or investing to meet a new storage requirement. Ultimately, we are investing in long-term customer relationships.
The TSA also emphasised the crucial future role of tank storage here.