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The Tank Storage Association’s 2013 Conference & Exhibition will be held at the E.ON Lounge at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, on Thursday 19th September 2013.
TSA’s Conference and Exhibition is the UK’s leading event for the bulk liquid storage sector, designed to successfully bring people together who care about safe and effective bulk liquid storage operations. The event is moving to a larger venue to aid growth.
Martyn Lyons, TSA chairman said: “We are all excited about moving TSA’s Conference & Exhibition to the E.ON Lounge at the Ricoh Arena in 2013. This represents a significant next step in the development of this successful event. Plans are still at an early stage but the intention is to accommodate significantly more delegates and to double the number of exhibitors.”
http://www.tankstorage.org.uk/
Formula 1 driver Jenson Button has been educating UK drivers about the benefits of ExxonMobil’s synthetic engine oil, Mobil1.
Research carried out by the brand found that 94% of motorists are unaware of the benefits offered by synthetic engine oils, and almost 50 per cent are not sure why oil is needed in an engine.
The track star took time out of his busy schedule to demonstrate how to check your car’s lubrication levels at the UK headquarters of ExxonMobil in Leatherhead, Surrey.
Jenson said: “I rely on Mobil 1 to help improve the efficiency and performance in my Vodafone McLaren Mercedes race car. But you can also benefit from these fuel economy savings by changing your engine oil to Mobil 1 today.”
“Mobil 1 is dedicated to educating consumers on the benefits of using synthetic engine oil technology, which includes helping to minimise lubricant break-down and contamination in a car engine” said Dan McGoldrick, field marketing advisor UK, Nordic and Benelux for ExxonMobil Lubricants & Specialities.
ExxonMobil has also introduced Mobilgard 560 VS – a new high-performance cylinder oil, which helps reduce wear, extend engine life and ensure optimal reliability in severe operating conditions.
Norbert Dentressangle has announced a multi-million pound investment to upgrade its Euroterminal site on Trafford Park in Manchester, creating what it calls “the UK’s safest, most modern top tier COMAH warehouse”.
By increasing racking density at the 200,000 sq ft Euroterminal site, the company will increase capacity by 40%, creating an additional 8,000 pallet spaces to meet increasing demand for hazardous goods warehousing.
Due for completion in February 2013, it is expected that the project will create approximately 30 new jobs at the site, which currently employs 100 people.
Karl Hudson, regional general manager for Norbert Dentressangle’s COMAH operations, said: “Increasing the capacity of the site, along with the range of products we can handle, is a highly complex process and involves upgrading a whole host of ancillary facilities and equipment in line with the latest COMAH Regulations. As a result, we believe that Euroterminal will become the UK’s safest, most compliant Top Tier COMAH warehouse.”
www.norbert-dentressangle.co.uk
Neil Schofield, head of external and governmental affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group
DECC’s decision to bring forward the Green Deal cashback scheme for boiler replacements to the second week in January has been welcomed by Worcester, Bosch Group.
Neil Schofield, head of external and governmental affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group, who lobbied the government over its scheduling of the boiler cashback scheme on behalf of the HHIC, commented: “The decision to bring forward the availability of cashback for boiler replacements is certainly a welcome one, as it brings some much needed stability to the industry. We were extremely pleased to see DECC integrate boiler replacements within the Green Deal back in October, but were alarmed to hear that the cashback scheme would not launch until the end of January.”
He added: “With the Green Deal regarded as ‘the only show in town’ for the heating industry at present, there is a massive opportunity to make it a success. An additional three weeks of subsidised boiler sales in January is likely to stimulate demand for insulation and get the Green Deal off to the flying start that was intended.
“We are extremely pleased that DECC has taken action following feedback from the heating industry and look forward to engaging with installers nationwide ensure there are enough accredited professionals to make the Green Deal a success.”www.worcester-bosch.co.uk
Hytek’s solution to dual filling is the Alpha twin
Hytek has launched the Alpha twin, making it possible to dual fill vehicles at the same time.
With the increasing popularity of biodiesel and Adblue, operators previously required one pump per fuel, or the same fuel at two different speeds. But the development of the popular Alpha pump means only one is required, enabling savings on cost and space.
Front nozzle holsters are optional at no extra cost where space to the side of the pump is limited. The twin comes with a multitude of pumping speeds 50/50, 50/70, 50/90L/min. The dual display gives the option to pull up to either side of the pump and still be able to see the dispensed amount.www.hytekgb.com
Children from William Tyndale Primary School, Islington help launch the campaign
A national Brake campaign is appealing to drivers to slow down to 20mph around homes, schools and shops, and calling for 20mph limits in built-up areas, so that children and adults can walk and cycle safely.
The GO 2O campaign was launched during Road Safety Week through street parties and events across the UK. A survey of more than 8,000 children aged 7-11 by Brake, Brain Injury Group and Specsavers revealed that 70% would be able to walk and cycle more if roads in their neighbourhood were less dangerous. 43% said they have been hit or nearly hit while walking or cycling, and more than half worried about being hurt by traffic when out and about.
The GO 20 campaign is highlighting that slower speeds in towns, cities and villages can help deliver a post-2012 legacy of active communities, and prevent pedestrian and cyclist casualties, which increased in 2011. Many authorities are already recognising the benefits of 20mph by implementing town and city-wide 20 limits.
Dantec has announced the completion of a £30,000 investment to increase capacity on its production line.
The new line will increase manufacturing capacity by 30% in both 75mm and 100mm bore hoses, significantly reducing lead times. The project is being built using the in-house expertise of Dantec’s maintenance engineer Eugene Smit and is being overseen by works manager Ian McGillivray.
The company’s composite hoses are used to transfer petrol, oil products, chemicals and liquefied gases. This year, turnover at the Wirral-based firm rose to £5.6m and sales to the Middle East doubled.
The mayor of Wirral, councillor Gerry Ellis and mayoress Margaret Ellis opened the new facilities at the firm’s works on Tarran Way, Moreton.
Jon Loach said: “Dantec knows that growth in the competitive global market can be driven by investment at home. As we target potentially lucrative export markets like the USA, Middle East andAsia we are promoting job creation through investment on a local level. We are keen to increase our sales and turnover by working with export partners to improve performance and are optimistic that we will grow again this year.”
The company is launching a fresh transatlantic campaign after signing a major deal with Texas agency True North Works to promote Dantec in the USA.
Managing director, John Laidlaw, said: “This partnership will play a crucial role in our fresh strategy aimed at driving growth, profile and reputation across the USA. There are more than 800 fuel storage terminals in America compared to around 650 in the whole of the EU. Despite being a mature market it is dominated by weaker products. This presents a terrific opportunity for Dantec.”
Over the past 12 months the company has seen its attitude to expansion bear fruit, by announcing a trebling of sales in the marine sector.
www.dantec.com
Q8Oils has reacted to customer demand for a high performance but cost effective low SAPS commercial oil with the launch of Q8 T904 10W-40.
The oil has been developed due to new technology from one of the company’s additive suppliers, which has allowed Q8Oils to provide a cost effective low SAPS commercial engine oil that covers both ACEA E6 and E7 applications. The oil has been designed for EURO 4 and 5 diesel engines equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) or catalytic after-treatment systems, operating on low sulphur diesel fuel whilst under severe heavy-duty conditions.
The benefits of the newly launched oil include minimised DPF plugging, protection for catalytic after-treatment systems, excellent protection against bore polishing and cam wear, prolonged oil drain intervals and reduced maintenance costs. The product provides quick lubrication after cold starting, thus limiting engine wear and engine fouling due to the reduction of combustion soot.
Kevin Duncan, technical manager at Q8Oils, said: “The launch of this new engine oil illustrates Q8Oils’ dedication to both product innovation and responding to the needs of our customers. We are pleased to offer a new cost effective solution to the many customers needing to supply engine oil for EURO 4 and 5 diesel engines.”
www.q8oils.com.
The Hytek website is now fully updated with 90 new products
Following on from the successful launch of Hytek’s 2012 product catalogue, the website has now been fully updated with over 90 new products including a 200 litre storage tank, adblue concentration checker, mobile diesel dispenser and hi speed rotary hand pump.
The Hytek website makes ordering products much easier, after the company made an effort to develop a simple, swift and smooth online system which can be used 24 hours a day.
Once a customer has created an online account and it has been approved (usually within 24 hours), the entire catalogue of products is available to browse. Login is for trade accounts only, giving these customers access to a wider range of information, including prices.
www.hytekgb.com.
TXD sliding vane pump from Blackmer
Blackmer has extended the product warranty and performance assurance on its TXD Series sliding vane transport pumps.
The standard warranty—which applies to models TXD2, TXD2.5, TXD3, TXD1220, TXD1225 and TXD1230 —has been lengthened to 60 months from installation or 66 months from purchase. In addition, the performance assurance has been extended from one to two years from installation, or 30 months from purchase.
While there are many competitive copies available worldwide that attempt to duplicate the TXD pump, the company believes that none can match the quality of Blackmer’s American-made TXD pumps. The extended warranty and performance assurance are also set to inspire greater confidence in the product from customers.
TXD pumps can be configured to efficiently handle many types of products, such as fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, gasoline, avgas, jet fuel, biofuels, ethanol, petrochemicals, light lube oils and solvents. TXD Series pumps provide fast, quiet, trouble-free operation in transport applications, and have excellent self-priming and dry run capabilities.
More details are available from authorised Blackmer distributors.www.blackmer.com
Trending and analysis software from Filtertechnik
Filtertechnik has launched the new PC9001 online particle monitor with instant LED readout, computer interface and trending software.
The product is ideal for real time fuel contamination analysis, and can be used as an alarm to provide notification of any changes, or start clean up filtration units to start operating.
The benefits include a high level of accuracy, an easy installation and integration into an existing control system, and a flow rate of 0.5l per minute.
The system can provide an early warning sign for rise in contamination, component wear, filter and seal failure, water ingress, oil oxidation and cavitation.
The unit is also ideal for trending contamination levels over time or as a permanent record of cleanliness test results. Trending software is free, and supplied with each product purchased.
OPW Fueling Components EMEA has announced that the first fueling nozzles, breakaways and hoses off its AVANCE product family have come off the production line at its European manufacturing facility in Prague.
Following extensive consumer research, the new-generation nozzle and system solution will increase profitability, decrease service and maintenance costs for operators, and protect customers and the environment during the refilling process. The multi-plane AVANCE swivel breakaway has been designed to rotate 360 degrees around its axis and 70 degrees from side to side, offering superior customer convenience and safety.
“We recently featured the new product line up at the Automechanika show in Frankfurt, and the response was extremely positive,” said Fred Hess, director of sales & marketing. “Based on the feedback we received, it is clear that the innovative OPW AVANCE is setting a new standard for fueling nozzles worldwide in regards to safety, customer comfort and durability.”
OPW Fueling Components has obtained a gloval licensing agreement with Petroman to produce and market all components of the the Total Vapour Solution vapour-recovery system. The company has also reached an exclusive long-term sales and marketing agreement with Veyance Technologies, the manufacturer of Goodyear Industrial Hose, to act as the sole sales and marketing channel for Veyance Technologies petroleum dispensing hoses and other related products in Europe.
www.OPWGlobal.com
Cleanupoil.com has published the latest edition of its list of oil spill contractors.
The website says it has been working for the last ten years to compile this information which is published in a book titled – The Little Black Book of Oil Spill Contractors. The 6th edition has just come off the press and follows 12 months of revisions and updates.
The book contains contact information for over 1,000 organisations that provide some form of emergency oil spill response support and spans 155 pages.
www.cleanupoil.com
Keyfuels has achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating for its customer service, ranking in the top 10% of all businesses for delivering a first class service offering.
The fuel card and fuel management solutions company joined several other leading service providers and blue chip organisations in achieving the very best customer service ratings. The ratings were carried out independently by the Customer Service Network (CSN), which calculates a company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) and is recognised as the worldwide standard for measuring, understanding and improving customer experience.
Pete McCarthy, service and operations director at Keyfuels, commented: “Being recognised in the top 10% of businesses is an outstanding achievement for Keyfuels, particularly as we were up against specificUKservice companies.
“The ‘Excellent’ rating is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional service levels to our customers and one which our staff should be very proud of. Ultimately, Keyfuels is a people business. We work hard to develop a partnership approach with our customers to ensure they are getting the best service from us.”
He added: “Keyfuels NPS has increased by nearly 15% in the last 12 months, which has taken us from a ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ benchmark. This has been achieved by investing heavily in staff development and training, which included using an external training provider to deliver courses on customer service excellence for all operational employees.”
www.keyfuels.co.uk
MiX Telematics marketing and operations director, Steve Coffin
MiX Telematics has launched a new generation of its dashboard-mounted RIBAS display.
The new unit’s functionality has been extended to include Green/Amber/Red status lights. These lights reflect the current driving-style, telling the driver when he or she is driving correctly, when a pre-programmed operational parameter is in danger of being exceeded and when a parameter has been exceeded.
The green status light, which takes the form of a MiX Telematics logo at the foot of the display unit, indicates that a vehicle is being driven correctly. In such circumstances, this is the only light illuminated on the display.
The amber and red status lights are incorporated into the icons appearing alongside the RIBAS letters, each of which stands for a pre-programmed operational parameter where:R = over RevvingI = excessive IdlingB = harsh BrakingA = harsh AccelerationS = over Speeding
Whenever a parameter comes close to being exceeded, the amber light illuminates, alerting the driver to a potential problem and thereby allowing corrective action to be taken. The amber light is intended purely as a warning sign; no record of an infringement is made against the driver by Fleet Manager at this time. However, should the amber warning be ignored and the parameter exceeded, the infringement is recorded by Fleet Manager and the red light illuminates.
“Since its introduction four years ago, RIBAS has helped revolutionised the fuel returns and safety records of fleets nationwide,” says MiX Telematics marketing & operations director Steve Coffin. “Key to this has been the system’s impact upon drivers’ awareness of how well or otherwise they are performing behind the wheel. Operators have confirmed to us time and again that RIBAS has proved itself in service as a simple yet effective means of securing a safe and efficient driving style.”
“We input the price when the order goes into the system, at the point when the customer places the order and a delivery ticket is produced. I would say that 95 % of our orders are delivered within two working days.”
Derek Wallace, Carrs Billington
“The customer will only ever pay the price that we’ve quoted. It works for us. We have reasonable storage so if the price flies away from us we’re able to absorb it fairly easily. We don’t fix the price for an entire week but instead review it on a daily basis, so there would only ever be a limited number of orders affected at any one time. It’s swings and roundabouts when the price drops as the price also remains as quoted on the day of the order.”
Helen Needham, Hingley and Callow
“Here at Craggs Energy we have always, and will always, believe that the price quoted is always what the customer should pay. We operate on a strict 3-day delivery policy so the movements in the market have minimal affect, but more importantly, all staff here are people of their word and would do anything possible to never let the customer down!”
Chris Bingham, Craggs Energy UK
“The price quoted is the actual price – it’s as simple as that, irrespective of supply or demand. There’s no hidden agenda. We wouldn’t quote a price if we couldn’t deliver for 10 days as we aim to deliver within two to three days.”
Ben More, Moorland Fuels
“As an emerging business, in a highly competitive marketplace, we are constantly canvassing new customers. It is vital that we are competitive on price, and if the price quoted does not match the price invoiced, this reflects badly on our customer service. So it is very important that the price quoted is the price the customer pays.”
Nick Goodwin, Standard Fuel Oils
The majority of Petroineos’ customers are based in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England. BP, Grangemouth’s former owner, remains its biggest customer
Particularly strong in middle distillates, the refinery’s product range consists of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, LPG, fuel oil, gas oil and heating oil. With the exception of fuel oil and LPG all products can be transported via the Grangemouth – Finnart Ocean Terminal pipeline.
Although very little fuel is now exported to the US, petrol continues to be supplied to markets in Europe, China and South Africa. With UK to UK refinery product transfers presently subject to uncompetitive additional tax measure, the company is asking the government to look at this as a matter of urgency.
Fostering good customer relationships
To better assist with product sales and marketing, Petroineos Fuels was established. “Customers like dealing direct with the refinery where manufacturing, sales, technical, quality and accounts operations are all together,” said Andrew Garner, commercial manager, PetroIneos refining.
Sales are based on Platts north west Europe prices plus or minus a premium. The company does not operate on the spot market with customers being on contract for a minimum four month term. Andrew explained: “I value longer term relationships to better serve my customers through thick and thin, so when it comes to allocation issues, all customers get a proportion of the cake.”
Positioned 110 miles from Grangemouth and 115 miles from Stanlow, the company’s rail fed Dalston terminal extends its inland reach. Supporting the Cumbrian community and the M6 supply corridor, the Dalston terminal offers an economical way of delivering fuel across thenorth westby both road and rail.
Grangemouth is the closest refinery to Northern Ireland and the province affords the company’s largest kerosene market; product is supplied into Belfast from the Finnart Ocean Terminal on Loch Long. In order to give Northern Ireland customers the same direct relationship that others enjoy in the UK, the company will be undertaking its own marketing in Northern Ireland from later this year.
FON asked if INEOS saw a future for kerosene as heating oil. “Absolutely!” said Andrew. “As one of the biggest suppliers of kerosene in the UK, we’re very committed to this excellent heating oil which is particularly suited for those off grid.”
David Blevings of the Northern Ireland Oil Federation
Rationalisation of the Northern Ireland (NI) oil distribution sector has stepped up a gear. Several businesses have been acquired by former competitors and one has gone into liquidation
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