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A new automatic vehicle recognition system (AVR) has been launched by Cameron Forecourt, which instantly identifies vehicles at the refuelling point.
The system uses a tag with a unique code which is attached on or near the vehicle fuel filler to communicate with a transponder mounted inside the fuel nozzle. Information is then passed to the fuel island controller via a radio link, which allows fuelling to commence once a positive ID is received.
The German-engineered DervPoint system has been proven in use throughout Europe and is now available in theUKthrough Cameron Forecourt.
The system means the driver does not have to enter data into the fuel island terminal, saving valuable time, and the need for a positive ID removes the risk of “ghost” vehicles or containers being filled illegally.
Because the ID media and the reader are permanent fixtures on the vehicle and in the fuel nozzle head, the risk of loss or misuse is less than with other types of access devices such as smart cards or keys.
The same system can also provide mileage or hours-run information to an additional unit placed in the can, which is powered by the vehicle.
“This system takes away the risk of human error or misuse. Unless the unique ID is successfully registered it will not allow fuel to be drawn and it only allows fuelling while the nozzle is in the neck of the tank,” said Martyn Gent, Cameron Forecourt sales and marketing director.
www.cameron-forecourt.co.uk
Brigade Electronics has launched a finance lease rental scheme aimed at medium to large truck fleets, in response to the growing number of operators struggling with rising costs and the reluctance of banks to lend money in the current economic climate.
With increasing demands placed on contractors to fit vehicle safety devices – including side and rear view camera monitor systems, side sensors, reversing alarms and mobile digital recording systems – initial outlay can be high. Spreading the cost, says the company, can create cash flow benefits and demonstrates a return on investment from day one.
Philip Hanson-Abbott, managing director of Brigade Electronics, said: “The payment plan increases customer choice and flexibility, enabling operators to improve safety and efficiency without compromising on quality. We understand the problems operators are facing and are continuously looking for ways to improve our offerings.”
Brigade’s finance lease rental scheme is underwritten by Syscap Ltd.
www.brigade-electronics.com
New sliding vane pump from Blackmer
Blackmer has announced the availability of the STX2A-DEF Sliding Vane Pump, designed specifically for the transfer of AdBlue.
As a result of the 2006 European Euro IV emission-control regulations that limited the amount of nitrogen oxide that diesel-powered vehicles can emit, most new European diesel vehicles feature a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system.
AdBlue’s corrosive properties make it incompatible with a wide array of metals, such as carbon steel, copper, zinc, lead and aluminum, or any plastics or metals coated with nickel. If AdBlue is used with any of these materials, trace levels may be found in the fluid, rendering it unusable. In fact, vehicles that use contaminated AdBlue can be susceptible to severe engine and SCR system damage.
The new pumps have been designed with 316 stainless steel, which allows them to meet the ISO 22241 material and cleanliness standards that are required for AdBlue-handling applications. They also provide the lower flow rates end-users require—from 60 to 227 lpm (15 to 60 gpm), and push rods for slower pump speeds from 350 to 780 RPM. There is an internal adjustable relief valve and three drain ports which allow draining in any mounting position.
For more information visit www.blackmer.com.
New generation of Apollo oil tank alarms announced by Dunraven Systems
Dunraven Systems has announced significant new additions to the Apollo range of storage tank monitoring and telemetry equipment.
GRPS and broadband technology options have been integrated into the existing remote tank monitoring system, Apollo RMS. Used by an ever-increasing number of fuel distributors throughout theUKandIreland, Apollo RMS allows distributors to remotely monitor customers’ tanks, which is proven to assist in reducing fuel delivery costs.
“The introduction of GPRS and broadband options makes a great product even better. They provide even greater flexibility to fuel distributors seeking to minimise distribution overheads, whilst increasing bottom line profitability,” explains Dunraven managing director, Gerry Jones.
The new GPRS option uses a sensor to monitor the level of fuel inside the tank and relays this information to a modem positioned inside the customer’s home or office. The modem then relays this data to the customer’s preferred fuel distributor at predetermined intervals.
Complementing Apollo RMS, is a new generation of oil tank alarms, which will be available from Dunraven before the end of this year.
“In response to customer demand, we’ve developed and will shortly be launching a new family of anti-theft alarms. Designed primarily for installation on to heating oil and diesel tanks, the new range will comprise both remotely monitored and stand alone product options, providing consumers and tank installers with a choice – not a compromise,” says Gerry.
For more information visit www.dunravensystems.com
From 4 July the company name of ConocoPhillips has changed to Phillips 66.
The name change in the UK follows ConocoPhillips’ global repositioning of its upstream and downstream operations to create two independently operated companies, which took place on 1 May of this year. As a result of the repositioning, Phillips 66 Limited, a subsidiary of Phillips 66, is focused on downstream refining, marketing operations and trading in the UK. Despite the change in name, the company will continue to market its fuel brand in the UK as Jet®.
“Although the name Phillips 66 may be new to many in the UK sector, Phillips 66 already has a rich heritage in many countries across the world. This, combined with the assets we already have in place and the unrivalled expertise and knowledge of our people, ensures we are launching from a position of strength that few in the marketplace can match,” said Pete George, manager, UK and Ireland marketing.
“Even on day one, we rank as one of the largest and best performing players in the UK industry, boasting an enviable customer base and an impressive portfolio of business divisions, including consumer-facing marketing and our world-class Humber Refinery,” continued Pete George.
A key part of Phillips 66’s global refinery portfolio, the Humber Refinery, is one of the most advanced in the world. Since its construction in the early sixties, it has been the focus of hundreds of millions of pounds worth of near-continuous investment in its facilities.
With a daily crude oil processing capacity of 221,000 barrels, it produces a range of light products and fuel oil, from low sulphur petrol and diesel to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as marine and aviation fuels. Approximately 70 per cent of the light oils produced in the refinery are marketed in the UK, while the other products are exported to customers and markets across Europe and the US.
Phillips 66 has a diverse range of customers spanning a number of sectors, including resellers and supermarkets, as well as Jet’s 350-strong network of independently operated forecourts. Aviation and marine will continue to be key markets for the business in the UK.
“The autonomy we will enjoy as Phillips 66 will give us greater focus and flexibility to anticipate and respond to the demands of the marketplace. We are excited for the future and ready to meet the needs of our customer base,” concluded Pete George.
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The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has failed to prove that fuel suppliers are abusing their position in Shetland and other rural areas.
Whilst the OFT did find a large differential between island pump prices and those on the mainland, there was no evidence of a distortion of competition. However, a door has been left open for consumers to provide evidence which may point to market distortion.
A report before the Shetland council transport body said the OFT was writing to those who had made “unsubstantiated statements” during the consultation period, advising them of the “relevant law and inviting them to provide specific evidence of any market distortion or abuse”.
The OFT found that higher prices and limited choice result from low sales volumes and weak competition, with some businesses having local monopolies. Its report to councillors acknowledges that the problems identified do not all fall within the OFT’s remit because, for example, they do not relate to illegal or anti-competitive behaviour.
OFT director Kyla Brand stated: “There is no quick-fix solution within the OFT’s powers but we have a part to play, alongside businesses, communities and government bodies.
“We have taken, and will continue to take, action ourselves to address these concerns and will share our report with government departments, local authorities, community groups and others to help ensure that this consultation informs policy discussions.”
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The latest independent figures show oil prices have become more competitive over the last four years. LPG remains the most expensive fuel for off gas main customers.
According to the Sutherland Tables, the price gap between oil and mains gas has narrowed from 48% in 2008 to 37% in 2012.
Additionally, there is now very little difference between the price of heating an average three-bedroom home with oil, electricity or wood pellets.
The results coincide with the announcement by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) that the number of fuel poor households in the UK fell to 4.75m in 2010, from 5.5m in 2009. The DECC report says that improvements in the energy efficiency of the housing stock and installations of energy efficient boilers (32% of households had condensing boilers in 2010 compared with 24% in 2009) enabled households to heat their home with less energy. There was also little change in prices for domestic energy between 2009 and 2010.
OFTEC director general Jeremy Hawksley said: “Oil is still one of the most competitive fuels for off gas main properties in rural areas, and it’s reassuring that the move towards condensing boilers has helped contribute to a reduction in fuel poverty.”
For an average three-bedroom house, it costs £1929 per annum to provide heating and hot water with LPG, while oil is 27% cheaper at £1408.Return to emailshot
Lewis Tankers has won a two-year contract from PetroIneos Fuels to transport biofuel (‘denatured’ bioethanol) by road from bulk storage tanks located in the Grangemouth Docks to the company’s fuel terminal at the Grangemouth refinery.
To meet the UK government’s targets under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, refiners are required to blend gasoline with a proportion of bioethanol, currently 5%. PetroIneos imports bulk quantities of bioethanol into Grangemouth in its natural form and ‘denatures’ by mixing it with one per cent gasoline.
As part of the contract, Lewis Tankers will also transfer the gasoline used in the ‘denaturing’ process from the PetroIneos terminal to the Docks storage tanks prior to each new shipment of bioethanol arriving. Transport is scheduled so that the tanks are empty prior to the gasoline being added to ensure accurate mixing.
PetroIneos Fuels markets and sells the fuels supplied by the refinery at Grangemouth. The business supplies in the region of 9 million litres of fuels per day. In Northern England, the company owns a road distribution centre at Dalston, near Carlisle.
Lewis Tankers currently operates a fleet of over 80 tankers from 9 operating bases within the UK. With a string of safety awards and an exemplary operating record, Lewis Tankers serves a number of leading customers in the oils, chemicals and gases sectors, including Air BP, Scottish Fuels, Gulf Aviation, Brenntag, Univar, Stepan, Sasol, Scotia Gas Networks, Q8 and World Fuel Services.Return to emailshot
The first recipient of the Suckling Transport service provider of the year award is the Southampton-based Harwood Truck Centre.
Crown Oil has won a HazardEx award for its environmental contribution to industry.
The award follows a flawless operation – reported in Fuel Oil News – in which the company removed and recycled 6.4 million litres of gas oil from Derwent Power Station in Derbyshire.
General manager, Mark Andrews, commented: “Transport and fuel oils are our core business. We strive to be responsible in the way we conduct the business and minimise our environmental impact in every way we can. To win recognition for this is something of which all the team can be very proud.”
Crown Oil takes its environmental responsibilities seriously, says Mark. The company opened an environmentally friendly HQ just last year, and all fuel deliveries by the company are carbon offset. Additionally, it offers red diesel users options to totally carbon offset their fuel. For combined heat and power plants, Crown has a high grade biofuel, derived from 100% sustainable sources. This enables users to collect maximum renewable obligation certificates to offset against other carbon producing activity.
In response to the recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Edinburgh, the Energy Institute (EI) has released new guidance for the oil and gas industry.
The Energy Institute’s occupational health and hygiene committee has updated its existing technical guidance, and is working on a second publication specific to cooling tower maintenance, both of which are now available to pre-order. This technical advice covers the guidelines set out by the Health and Safety Executive.
Committee chair, Lynne Morgan FEI, said: “The problem for the industry is that water systems can become heavily contaminated with potentially lethal bacteria. The committee’s responsibility is to advise industry on appropriate workplace, health protection issues and, where possible, provide relevant technical guidance and control measures. Further to this publication, additional guidance will follow to specifically address maintenance of cooling towers for the control of Legionella.”
The second publication, entitled Cooling tower maintenance and other controls for the effective management of Legionella risk, will be available later in the year.
Orders can be made online at www.energypublishing.org
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Fairbanks has agreed a deal to provide Euro Garages with a wetstock management service.
Euro Garages, a Blackburn-based company own petrol forecourts with food franchises, and all 74 of its service stations are set to have the ibank technology installed.
“A wetstock management service such as Fairbanks’ is critical when managing a petrol retail network,” said Euro Garages managing director, Mohsin Issa. “Their real-time service allows us to have access to valuable, intelligent information and reporting tools as well as providing peace of mind that any potential wetstock issues will be identified and resolved quickly.’’
“in addition to their loss detection analysis,Fairbanks’ daily, weekly and monthly reports give me everything I need to keep the network running smoothly,” added regional manager Guy Bickerstaffe.
“Euro Garages are a very successful and dynamic business and we are excited to be working closely with them as they continue to expand their network,” said Michelle King,Fairbanks’ operations director for the UK and Ireland.Return to emailshot
Keyfuels has appointed Laura Balmforth as its new marketing executive.
Laura will be working closely with the company’s management and sales teams to help develop strategies for ongoing business growth, building strong partner and customer relationships and helping to identify new opportunities.
Managing director, Peter Bridgen, said: “It’s an extremely exciting time. Over the last few years we’ve increased our network by more than 50%, providing the largest wholesale priced network in the UK. Our market position has been built up on the strength of this network coupled with our ability to work in partnership with our customers to develop fuel management strategies that make a real difference to their bottom line.
“Laura’s appointment highlights our ongoing investment in people as well as our commitment to providing a first class customer service.”
For the second year running, Keyfuels, which employs over 50 people at its Walsall headquarters, has achieved one to watch status in the Best Companies accreditation scheme.
Peter McCarthy, service and operations director, commented: “This award is very special to us as it is based entirely on staff feedback. We understand that the biggest assets any company can have are its people and we work hard to ensure that we communicate effectively with all staff.”
www.keyfuels.co.uk.
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Norbert Dentressangle fought off stiff competition to win the training category at the 2012 Motor Transport Awards.
The company’s learning and development managers, Chris Dolby (logistics) and Dawn Boatswain (transport services), received the trophy from Commercial Motor editor, Will Shiers. Chris Dolby said: “Our strategy is to develop a culture of high performance, capable of adapting swiftly to new opportunities and challenges in order to deliver profitable growth.”
Norbert Dentressangle is committed to the training and development of its colleagues and, despite tough economic conditions, has continued to invest in the development and delivery of bespoke training programmes for the shared benefit of its employees, the business and its customers. The company’s award entry focused on its management development programme, safe driving plan and driver CPC training.
www.norbert-dentressangle.co.uk
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On June 26, the joint administrators of Petroplus Refining and Marketing Ltd (PRML) announced that they had entered into an agreement for the sale of the majority of the assets at the Coryton site to a joint venture, consisting of Royal Vopak, Greenergy and Shell UK Limited.
The administrators understand that the joint venture parties intend that the future use of the site is to be an import terminal, after significant reconfiguration of the existing site. The administrators are presently overseeing the removal of all crude oil and refined products from the site and are managing the safe closure of the refinery.
The sale follows a five month exercise to explore all the options for the refinery. As stated by the administrators in May, there was insufficient interest from the oil industry and financial investors in acquiring the business as an operational refinery and, as such, the administrators commenced steps to cease operations with a view to selling the site for an alternative use. Refining ceased at the plant earlier in June.
The sale of the assets of PRML will be completed once the current refinery closure process has been concluded. This is likely to take some months, as the various units are decommissioned and remaining crude and refined products are removed from the site. There is no change to the redundancy programme announced by the administrators earlier in June. As a reminder, approximately 180 roles will be made redundant in June, with further redundancies anticipated from late July onwards as the closure progresses. It is expected that a small number of employees and contractors will be retained to provide site security beyond the end of the summer.
Steven Pearson, joint administrator and partner at PwC, said:
“It is regretful that there were no credible offers for the business at Coryton as a going concern as it has been necessary to cease refining and make employees redundant. Ultimately, the administrators have a legal responsibility to achieve the best price possible for the assets and we have been able to obtain the highest price by selling the site for an alternative use. We understand that the joint venture partners intend to develop the site in due course, which we hope will provide an important and stable source of supply of fuel for the foreseeable future.
“We recognise that the closure results in the redundancy of the majority of the employees at Coryton and we intend to work with the local agencies and authorities to provide assistance during this difficult time.
“We now have to spend the coming weeks and months completing the removal of the remaining oil and ensuring that the closure programme is safely managed ahead of the sale of the assets to the joint venture partners.”
New import terminal for oil products at Coryton
In a statement issued on June 26, energy minister Charles Hendry said: “Vopak, Greenergy and Shell have committed to investing a substantial amount in the site to develop it as a state-of-the-art import terminal. This includes paying for enhancements to the infrastructure that will keep the site viable for many years.
“As a result, the UK will have a new import terminal and its first deep water product jetty. This will allow low-cost high quality diesel to be imported, thereby enhancing security of supply for London and the South East, and more affordable prices at the pumps.
“The construction and operation of the terminal should also create significant economic activity in the region over the next 2-3 years. Vopak estimate that up to 50 direct jobs could be supported at the terminal. But, there will be much wider knock-on effects, with additional jobs available for contractors with skills in maintenance, security, engineering, truck driving and construction”.
“To continue operating as a refinery, some hundreds of millions would have needed to be invested in the plant, and unfortunately this has presented a huge barrier to potential new owners to invest because of the costs involved.
“The site is of exceptional value as an import terminal because of its location and amenities, so it is not surprising that it has had a higher sale value as an import terminal, which does not also require the extra investment a refinery would need”.
“ This is very sad news for the workers at Coryton, who will be extremely disappointed that PWC has been unable to find a buyer for the site as a refinery.
“We are doing everything we can to help these skilled people to find new posts, and are working with the Thurrock Council taskforce, local agencies and Jobcentre Plus to ensure they get the support they need at this difficult time”.
Coryton assets to be sold to joint venture