That’s why, as an industry, we moved quickly by engaging the Energy Minister Michael Shanks, issuing consumer advice notes, briefing MPs and working with the media to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Our industry has been under a level of scrutiny we have never experienced before. I want to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to fulfil and honour customer orders at pace and under pressure.
I also want to thank all distributors that have strongly supported UKIFDA and the business principles we share as an industry, recognising in particular that we are here ultimately to serve the customer.
Over these past weeks, we have truly lived up to the motto: all for one and one for all.
UKIFDA Awards
Amid all this, I spent time judging the UKIFDA Awards. What struck me first was how many of our wider industry family have military backgrounds. Your service to both country and sector is greatly appreciated. I was also reminded of the vital deliveries we make to defence-related sites every day.
Reading the submissions was a genuine ray of sunshine in a difficult period. The pride in people, in customer service, and in going the extra mile shone through every page. The shortlists are full of remarkable individuals and companies, and I look forward to celebrating their stories in Liverpool.
EXPO – Shaping The Future of Liquid Fuels
The theme of this year’s EXPO is the future of fuels, and the events of recent weeks have put that conversation into sharp perspective.
Jet kerosene prices doubled because the market feared Europe, which relies on the Middle East for 40% of its jet fuel, lacked the refinery capacity to fill the gap, and that remaining supplies could be diverted to Asia. The closure of two UK refineries in recent years has clearly not helped the situation.
Unsurprisingly, this has reignited a fierce debate between two opposing camps: those who believe we must accelerate the shift to renewable energy and move beyond oil and gas as quickly as possible and those who argue for scrapping net zero legislation and returning to oil and gas.
It frustrates me that so much energy is spent arguing over either/or scenarios when the truth is simple: we need both.
Our sector is a critical part of the UK’s energy resilience and national security, and a major contributor to both national and local economies. We supply the fuels that heat homes, build homes, cook food, save lives, manufacture everyday products, construct wind farms and solar parks, and power ships, cars and planes. The list goes on.
Liquid fossil fuels will not be replaced totally by renewable energy, certainly not any time soon. That must be acknowledged before any debate begins. But it must also be recognised that renewable energy needs to accelerate.
This is why UKIFDA strongly advocates for lower carbon liquid fuels. They reduce the impact of what we supply without detracting from greener electricity, district heating or heat pumps. They complement them.
If the conflict has shown us anything, it is that we must accelerate renewable energy, increase refining capacity, diversify our fuels and strengthen our strategic storage.
My team
As we head to Liverpool for what I know will be an excellent two days, I only wish there were an award for “Best Team in the World” because, bias or not, I would give it to the UKIFDA team.
The workload, the personal sacrifice, the long hours, and the abuse everyone has endured over the past few months, and still being ready to open the show on time, is something I can barely fathom.
A true example of all for one and one for all.
Let’s make this the best and most productive EXPO we’ve ever had.
Image credit: UKFIDA
