Spotlight 31
Mark Bacon, appointed to head up Morris’s franchise programme
Shrewsbury-based oil blender and lubricants manufacturer Morris Lubricants has appointed Mark Bacon to head up the company’s franchise programme.
“I’m absolutely delighted to continue my long history in the franchise market and am extremely confident I can add value to the customer,” said Mark, who lives in Buckinghamshire.
Mark has split the last 19 years of his career working for BP and Castrol, and is excited at the new challenge which lies ahead. “Morris Lubricants is very well respected in the industry and I’m delighted to be joining what is a very strong and knowledgeable team,” he added.
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Morris has a range of products and programs to assist with very specific areas within the franchise programme and I’m excited about the support we can provide to dealerships and workshops over the coming months and years.“
Meanwhile a technical adviser with Morris has proved his knowledge of the industry by achieving a well-respected qualification. Wayne Devonport joined the Morris team just over a year ago and has been studying for the UKLA certificate of lubricant competence which he has now achieved with distinction.
Topaz has freed up resources to make a really substantial investment in the business says Emmet O’Neill
The investment will transform the company’s retail network across the country says new CEO Emmet O’Neill.
The company, which operates 330 forecourts with around 40 in Northern Ireland, is hoping that the agreed acquisition of the Esso business will be completed before the end of the year.
In a further investment programme due next year the Topaz and ReStore brands across the Irish network of Esso forecourts will be extended.
Topaz reported a pre-tax profit before exceptional items of €2.1m on a turnover of just less than €3bn. When exceptional items of €6.9m are taken into account (mostly associated with restructuring the group’s borrowings), pre-tax losses stood at €4.7m at the end of the period compared to losses of €13.6m for the equivalent period a year earlier.
Very impressed with the performance of its newest tanker, Knowsley-based Standard Fuel Oils has ordered two more.
Helping vulnerable heating oil users – Steve Davis, Midland Fuel Oils and Mark Askew with Tina Costello of Heart of England
With the help of the Surviving Winter campaign, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) is assisting people in fuel poverty who use heating oil.
Several donations have already been received from oil distributors across the Midlands where an agreement has been signed with the Heart of England Community Foundation to administer the fund, allocating awards to those most in need.
“There are many older vulnerable people now living in fuel poverty across the country,” said the Heart of England Community Foundation. “We’re delighted to work with the FPS to help support those pensioners in need as the temperature drops.”
The fund’s current balance has around £12k available for grants, which includes £3k raised at last year’s FPS EXPO awards dinner. The FPS also gratefully acknowledge donations made by OFTEC in support of this initiative.
There are 2.28m households in the UK living in fuel poverty. The scheme is being trialled in the Midlands area which has fuel poverty rates of 15%. Midlands oil distributors who have supported the fund, and whose customers will benefit, include Midland Fuel Oils, AID Fuels and Nolan Fuel Oils.
Before undertaking a national roll out, the FPS felt it was vital to pilot the scheme across the West Midlands first. It is hoped that as more oil distributors decide to support the scheme it can be spread across the whole country.
FPS chief executive Mark Askew said: It’s impossible to help everyone, so initially funds will be made available to participating companies’ customers that are pensioners in receipt of pension credit, living in their own property and using fuel oil as their main source of heating.
“Once a payment has been agreed to a household, the distributor that supplies that customer will be informed and receive a subsidy towards the next oil consignment.
“It is expected that payments will be in the region of £100-150 per household and this will be deducted from the total bill for fuel and delivery. After that, the fuel is delivered in the normal manner and the remainder of the bill is paid by the householder.
“Those companies who are participating in the scheme will also provide the entire charitable delivery at below the cost price meaning that the fuel is even less expensive.”www.oilsave.org.uk
Last week Greenergy acquired Harvest Biofuels’ biodiesel manufacturing facility at Seal Sands on Teesside.
The acquisition of Harvest’s manufacturing assets gives Greenergy additional biodiesel production capacity with which to meet its own biofuel blending obligations under the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.
Greenergy already owns and operates a waste based biodiesel facility on the east coast at Immingham. Production from the Immingham facility is insufficient to meet the company’s growing biodiesel blending requirements in the UK and therefore these have been met partially through imported biodiesel.
The addition of the Seal Sands facility, which also produces biodiesel from waste oils, will reduce reliance on these imports and allow Greenergy to meet more of its biodiesel blending obligations through its own production.
As part of the agreement reached with Harvest:
• Greenergy has taken on Harvest Biofuels’ biodiesel storage contract at Dordrecht in the Netherlands.
• Harvest Energy will become an ex-rack customer of Greenergy for petrol and diesel for its customers in the south east of England, Teesside and in Scotland.
“The acquisition of the Harvest biodiesel plant will help bring our own production and blend requirements into balance,” said Andrew Owens, Greenergy chief executive.
“Most of the biodiesel that we blend into diesel in the UK will now be manufactured and quality assured in our own facilities.
“There are great opportunities to improve further the performance of both manufacturing sites by making best use of feedstock, through technology transfer and the sharing of best practice.”
www.greenergy.com
Adler and Allan has acquired MTB Environmental Limited at Hamble-le-Rice, Southampton.
The acquisition enables the environmental services provider to strengthen its regional presence on the south coast whilst allowing MTB – now known as Adler and Allan Hamble – to offer the full range of the Group’s services to its customer base.
MTB has built an excellent reputation for tank cleaning, tankering and industrial services which complements that of Adler and Allan.
In addition to this acquisition, Adler and Allan’s Glasgow department has moved to a new, larger facility in Uddington. The site’s location provides better access to local highways, helping Adler and Allan reduce its response time to incidents throughout the region.
www.adlerandallan.co.uk
Having been appointed as the new FPS regional representative for Yorkshire and the North East of England, Janet Kettlewell has joined the FPS Council.
Janet Kettlewell, who is operations manager at Ripon-based Kettlewell Fuels, a small independent family distributor formed in 1987, said:“ To be appointed as a regional representative is fantastic news.
“Success in this industry is based on strong relationships with customers and colleagues, and I am keen to build great relationships with every oil distributor in Yorkshire and the North East. I have a wealth of industry knowledge and experience as well as an understanding of this region.
“Kettlewell Fuels is proud that it is one of the last remaining independent oil distributors in the area – we attribute this to the fact that we always go the extra mile for customers.
“This commitment is something I will bring to my new role on the FPS Council. I will be helping and supporting all FPS members across the region, both on a personal and national level, ensuring they have an industry voice by representing their views and concerns at the quarterly Council meetings. I look forward to making a big difference to the working lives of FPS members in this region.”
To get in touch with Janet please email Janet.Kettlewell@kettlewellfuels.co.uk.
The awards were presented to the Brogan Fuels team at the Carden Park Hotel, Chester; Andrew Salton (l) with contract manager David Smialowski
Brogan Fuels has once again taken the Shell Lubricants UK’ Distributor of the Year Award.
For the second year in a row, the Brogan Fuels, which is part of Certas Energy, scooped the top prize and two other major prizes – Raising the Bar in 2014 and Sales Support.
The awards recognise best in class within the lubricants distribution sector. The winners are required to demonstrate superior knowledge and expertise, combined with a great sales and operations approach, as well as exceptional customer service.
The competition is open to all contracted distributors which have partnerships with Shell Lubricants UK. The nominees are evaluated against a range of six critical criteria, specifically chosen to demonstrate KPIs which focus on different aspects of the business, in addition to sales volume. The reason for including cross-business KPIs is to emphasise that, to be successful, distributors need to work as a team and that sales volume is just a part of that success.
Andrew Salton, lubricants manager Scotland for Certas Energy, said: “We’re delighted to receive this recognition for the second year running. As a team we aspire to be the best in our sector; these awards indicate that we are just that. We have ambitious growth plans, and I believe that if we continue to work and deliver to the level currently demonstrated, we will achieve our goal. I’d like to thank all of my team who played a part in maintaining our position as the largest distributor of Shell Lubricants in Scotland.”http://www.brogans.co.uk
IAN WELCH HAS 25 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN THE DOWNSTREAM OIL INDUSTRY
Certas Energy has strengthened its retail team with the appointment of Ian Welch and Gary Conway, both former employees of Harvest Energy.
“As we continue to expand the Gulf branded network across the UK, we are delighted to bring Gary and Ian into the Certas Energy family,” said retail director Ramsay MacDonald.. “They share our team ethos and an enthusiasm for the business. It is important that our rapid growth is complemented by the recruitment of high calibre people who understand Certas Energy and the delivery of genuine customer service.”
Ian’s working life began in the Merchant Navy before he joined Texaco in 1990. He has now been associated with the downstream oil industry for nearly 25 years, gaining experience in commercial and retail sales, lubricants, fuel engineering and fuel cards. In his role as key accounts manager with Harvest, he helped grow dealer sites from less than 20 to over 100 in under four years. Alongside his career highlights, Ian has also achieved an MBA from City University London.
“I am delighted to have been offered this opportunity,” explained Ian. “It is exciting to join a team that shares my passion for the business, has a drive, vision and does it with a smile on its face.”
(l-r): Grant Lockie, Speedy regional director (power) with Jim Williams, northern regional director and Anthony Sharkey, national sales manager, Certas Energy
Speedy has chosen Certas Energy as its national fuel partner in delivering temporary power generation.
Speedy already owns the largest fleet of fuel tankers in the hire industry and, together with Certas Energy, it will have a combined capability of more than 1,000 tankers servicing every UK postcode and over 150 Certas Energy refueling depots nationwide.
Speedy achieved an industry first in 2006 by being the only hire company in the UK to offer fuel services and, by partnering with Certas Energy, which delivers over six billion litres of fuel annually, fuel can now be delivered anywhere in the UK – even in remote and inaccessible areas.
A dedicated Certas Energy account manager will be based at Speedy’s head office in Haydock.
“Speedy’s power division has seen major expansion over the years,” said Jim Williams, northern regional director at Certas Energy. “This strategic partnership is a fantastic opportunity for both companies and we look forward to developing a long-term relationship.”
Brian Cornett, managing director of Speedy’s Power Division, said: “By partnering with Certas Energy we’re now able to service the power generation demands of all sectors and industries and we can help our customers minimise fuel spend, streamline the administration process and benefit from quick and easy refueling at strategically located sites throughout the UK.”www.certasenergy.co.ukwww.speedyservices.com
Commercial director Darren Borras (r) receives the Business of the Year award from Ralph Montagu
The ninth annual New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards 2014/15 saw the WP Group win both the Sustainable Business Award and the Business of the Year Award.
“Sustainability isn’t just an initiative but a company-wide commitment to ensuring future generations are not compromised by the actions we take today,” said marketing manager, Harriet Phillips. “Through the launch of WP’s Sustainable Solutions Programme which has three key elements – people, planet and performance, we’ve delivered significant efficiency and emission savings both internally and to our customers, large and small.
“Across a series of recent energy efficient trials conducted, WP has been able to demonstrate a reduction of CO2 emissions in excess of 2000 tonnes and a waste reduction of 2500 litres with an opportunity to save considerably more.
“Having also taken the New Forest Business Partnership Business of the Year Award, we will also receive a year’s membership to the NFBP, an association that the company is honoured to support.” www.thewp-group.co.uk
One of JET’s specially rebranded tankers in support of Road Safety Week
During last week’s Road Safety Week JET helped to raise road safety awareness by rebranding four of its tankers with special Road Safety Week messages.
The four JET promotional tankers took to the roads in the brand’s core delivery areas – South East, Midlands, Yorkshire/Humberside and Scotland with the tankers visiting approximately 100 JET forecourts.
Pete George, managing director of Phillips 66 UK & Ireland marketing, commented: “We know that our distinctive JET tanker fleet is a significant contributor to brand awareness so we felt that branding some of our tankers with special Safety Week messages was a great way to show our commitment to road safety and our support of Brake’s fantastic initiative.”
Pete added: “As a company we are committed to consistently looking at ways to minimise risks and ensure the safety and well-being of our customers, drivers and staff. Road Safety Week provides a great opportunity to do this in a way that is fun but also gets across a serious message.”
The move was part of Jet’s long-standing support for the national road safety charity, Brake.
Set up in 1997, Road Safety Week is coordinated annually by Brake each November. Now the UK’s biggest road safety event, it aims to encourage grassroots action on road safety and raise awareness about the part everyone can play to prevent tragedies and make roads safer. www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk
Roz Purcell launches the Topaz home heat campaign 2014
In January, Topaz will create 110 new jobs with the opening of two new service stations developed at a cost of €10 million.
An additional 200 people are currently employed on the development of the sites in North Dublin and Co. Laois which will include service stations, restaurants and shops.
“Topaz is in job creation and expansion mode,” said Paul Candon, marketing and corporate services director at Topaz. “We’re constantly looking at sites with good potential – particularly near motorways. Our award winning sites at Dublin Airport and Cashel have been extremely successful and we expect these new sites to be likewise. We’re actively looking for new sites and locations across the country.”
Topaz has 330 sites throughout the country, 120 company owned. One of Ireland’s largest privately owned companies, it has an annual turnover of €3 billion and currently employs 1,600 people.The Topaz Home Heat campaign
The launch of the campaign coincided with a warning from weather experts that Ireland could be set for an Arctic freeze within weeks.
“While we have experienced very mild weather up to this point, forecasters are warning that temperatures are set to fall rapidly in coming weeks,” said commercial director Liam Mulcahy. “Ordering oil on our revamped website can be done in four simple clicks and we guarantee delivery within 48 hours.”
To mark the launch of the new site and online ordering facility, Topaz is giving away 500 litres of fuel every week for the next 26 weeks and double Play or Park loyalty points to customers who order online.
Topaz also urged customers to consider using Topaz Thermal, a home heating fuel specially developed by the company to lower carbon and sludge build up. www.topaz.ie
Killian Tallon, APEA chairman; Nobby Clarke, chairman of E&S Environmental and director of Adler & Allan; and Warren Peters, managing director of KPS UK at the APEA presentation event
Adler and Allan’s ethanol coalescing filter won the Environment Protection and Improvement category at this year’s Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration (APEA) awards, announced earlier this month.
John Alton (right) receives his gold watch for 25 years’ service to Morris Lubricants from director David Goddard
One of the most highly respected figures in the UK lubricants industry has celebrated more than half a century of service by being presented with his second gold watch.
John Alton, commercial director of Shrewsbury-based Morris Lubricants, is credited with successfully driving the company forward during his time as chief executive. He joined the family-owned oil blenders in 1989 from Silkolene Oils in Belper, Derbyshire, where he was sales and marketing director and collected his first gold watch for 25 years’ service.
He handed over the reins at Morris Lubricants to managing director Andrew Goddard in 2008 but continues to be responsible for developing home and export markets.
Company director David Goddard, who made the presentation to Mr Alton, said: “John has driven the company forward over the past 25 years. He is without doubt one of the most prominent and highly respected figures in the UK lubricants industry with worldwide experience.”
In 2012, in recognition of his service as the longest serving board member, Mr Alton was elected president of the United Kingdom Lubricants Association (UKLA), which represents more than 100 manufacturers in the lubricants and metalworking fluids industry. He had previously served as vice president for eight years and received the President’s Award from the UKLA in 2008 for his contribution to the lubricants industry.
Reflecting on his 52 years in the lubricants industry, 77-year-old Mr Alton said: “I am constantly surprised by the way the passage of time seems to accelerate as you get older. I still feel that the company has some exciting opportunities ahead and wish I could turn back the clock and do another 25 years in the industry!”
Essar Oil UK received the gold award for 2014 and the order of distinction for 18 consecutive gold awards at its Stanlow manufacturing complex.
Delighted to be recognised for Essar Stanlow’s commitment to occupational health and safety, site manager Jon Mason commented: “We’re very proud of this achievement, which is our 18th consecutive award, as it recognises our absolute commitment to preventing injuries and ill health at Stanlow.
” The RoSPA awards date back 58 years and recognise commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention at work. Through the scheme, which is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas, judges consider entrants’ overarching occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.
David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “The RoSPA awards encourage the raising of occupational health and safety standards across the board. Organisations that gain recognition for their health and safety management systems, such as Essar Oil UK’s Stanlow manufacturing complex, contribute to a collective raising of the bar for other organisations to aspire to, and we offer them our congratulations.”
Stanlow produces approximately 15% of UK transport fuels, including three billion litres of petrol, 3.5 billion litres of diesel and two billion litres of jet fuel per year.
www.essarenergy.com
“We aim to build a world-class retail and fuel business and to expand our operations significantly over the coming years,” says Emmet O’Neill, new Topaz chief executive.
Last month John Callaghan, chairman of Topaz Energy Ireland, announced that Emmet O’Neill had been appointed to take over as chief executive on 1st February 2015. Sean Corkery will continue as acting CEO until then.
Thirty-five year old Emmet is one of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs with a number of interests across the economy. In 2005 he founded Smiles Dental as a radical and innovative patient-focused dentistry business. Over the following decade, he grew the business to become one of the largest providers of general and specialist dental services in Ireland and the UK with 78 branches between the two countries. Smiles Dental was sold earlier this year. He has previously worked in aircraft finance and in March was appointed to the Topaz board where has led a number of projects in recent months.
“Visionary and passionate, Emmet is one of the outstanding young entrepreneurs in Ireland,” said John Callaghan. “We’re very much looking forward to his leadership and his exciting plans for the business.”
“I am absolutely delighted to be taking up this role at Topaz – everybody connected with the Topaz business has been incredibly welcoming and I know they all share our ambition for the business,” said Emmet.
www.topaz.ie
On 31st October Balmoral Tanks divested the manufacturing of its range of rotationally moulded oil, water, wastewater and rainwater harvesting products to Clarehill Plastics.
Trading as Harlequin, Clarehill has acquired a range of assets associated with the above products. These assets include the use of the Balmoral name associated with particular products for a period of 18 months and items of rotational moulding equipment.
Harlequin has been producing an extensive range of oil, fuel and water tanks for over 30 years. The company is committed to both product and market development and sees this move as ‘an opportunity for its established customers to expand or develop into new areas of business’.
Wastewater and rainwater harvesting are seen as growth opportunities both in the home and international markets with Harlequin now ‘very well positioned to service these sectors’. www.harlequinplastics.co.uk
Greenergy’s fuel storage terminal at Plymouth has been shortlisted for a prestigious global safety award by the Energy Institute (EI).
The EI awards recognise companies which have set new standards of excellence and innovation in their day to day operations. Greenergy’s shortlisting reflects the company’s ability to maintain and improve safety standards during an extensive regeneration programme.
Over the last five years Greenergy has undertaken major improvement work at its Plymouth terminal to bring it into line with the latest safety and environmental standards. 15 tanks have been restored or replaced, new truck loading facilities installed and there has been a complete overhaul of safety and maintenance procedures, making it one of the first terminals in the UK to adopt post Buncefield standards.
Earlier this year Greenergy’s Plymouth facility was also awarded its first Gold RoSPA award, following four consecutive Silver awards, in recognition of its outstanding health and safety management.
Nathan Leaver, Greenergy’s Plymouth terminal manager, said: “Being shortlisted for the Energy Institute safety award demonstrates the hard work and determination of the team in ensuring that the terminal is safe and efficient. It also shows us that our drive to innovate and instil new standards can be used as a benchmark throughout the industry.”
The winning entry will be announced on 13 November.
Blackburn-based Euro Garages – featured in the October issue of Fuel Oil News – has secured the 2014 Forecourt Retailer of the Year award for multiple sites at The Retail Industry Awards.
This year’s event – now firmly established as the ‘Oscars’ of the grocery industry – took place at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, at the end of September.
Commenting on his company’s success, Zuber Issa, chief executive officer of Euro Garages, said: “The Retail Industry Awards prove that the quality of retail provision in the United Kingdom remains incredibly high. Everybody at Euro Garages is thrilled to be recognised alongside household brands such as Waitrose, Asda, Sainsbury’s and SPAR. As well as showcasing a wide range of retail offers and new product launches , the evening was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the very best of British retail.”
Euro Garages is one of the UK’s largest privately-owned forecourt operators with over 180 sites, employing around 2,500 people. This is the third such accolade for the company, having been named Forecourt Trader of the Year in 2011 and again in 2013.
Senior driver trainer, Chris Hill has been seconded to Tanzania
Hoyer Petrolog UK is renewing its support for Transaid, the international development charity focused on transport management and driver training in developing countries.
Hoyer Petrolog has previously seconded three trainers to deliver driver and hazardous goods training with Transaid and this month the company is seconding one of its most senior driver trainers, Chris Hill, to a project in Tanzania.
Chris who is based at Hythe terminal is a full-time driver training instructor for Hoyer Petrolog UK. He was seconded to Transaid’s professional driver training project at the National Institute of Transport (NIT) in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, in February 2012 to deliver the first input of driver training there and before that was seconded to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Lusaka, Zambia.
Hoyer says that despite the challenges of limited availability of equipment that might be considered standard in the UK, being able to make improvements in driver technique and to improve the handling of dangerous goods has proved to be personally and professionally fulfilling for its trainers.
Operations director, Allan Davison, said: “Hoyer Petrolog is delighted to support the excellent work Transaid undertakes – we truly believe that the work undertaken by Transaid has made a real difference in improving road safety in Zambia and Tanzania.”
Transaid’s acting chief executive, Caroline Barber, commented: “Every year 1.3 million people die in road accidents across the world – of which 90% take place in developing countries. In order for Transaid to keep improving road safety in Africa it is vital that we can work with companies such as Hoyer Petrolog.
“We are extremely grateful to the company for their continued support and for offering their time and skills to develop the expertise of trainers at the NIT which ultimately helps to address dramatic statistics and save many lives.”
As the 10th September deadline looms, the race is on for operators to ensure drivers have completed the required 35 hours of Driver CPC training
According to figures issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency earlier this year of the 750,000 HGV and PCV drivers on its training database just under 707,000 had engaged with the Driver CPC.
Although the scheme was introduced nearly five years ago, there are fears that there will be a shortfall of drivers in September once the deadline has passed.
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is offering training courses throughout August.
“The clear message from FTA to anyone who hasn’t completed their Driver CPC training yet is – it’s not too late,” says June Powell, director of compliance management. “We’re ready and able to support and work with operators to ensure that they beat the September Driver CPC deadline.”
Ensuring compliance
“Since the conception of Driver CPC and the Petroleum Driver Passport (PDP), Certas Energy’s dedicated training team has approached the programme requirements effectively to ensure full compliance and integration, whilst minimising disruption to our business,” says national training manager, Paul Starns.
“We have six dedicated training managers and 82 practical driver trainers who follow a planned training structure throughout the year. Despite our careful planning, we do not believe in a tick box approach to Driver CPC and PDP. We currently have five Driver CPC/PDP courses so our drivers do not sit the same course each year. We do, of course, complete other training for our drivers outside of compliance related training. The training is being very well received by our drivers, with the combined theoretical/practical training providing a thorough and comprehensive training plan.
“Certas Energy has a very effective safety first programme backed by the board, the main aim of this is to minimise the risk of any potential incidents through the professional and proactive delivery of our training programmes. The Driver CPC and PDP complement our bespoke safety first programme, ensuring the safety of our drivers and our wider community.”
“We bit the Driver CPC bullet right away as we’re fortunate enough to have an excellent local training organisation,” said Kevin Bennetts, managing director of Consols Oils. “We were fully up to speed in late 2013.
“However, Driver CPC is yet another costly imposition that impacts on the bottom line of every truck operator forced to embrace and adapt to it.
“When compared with general haulage, the fuel distribution industry undoubtedly has a unique set of training requirements. This creates a need for very high calibre staff capable of thinking for themselves when loading, transporting fuel and dealing with customers in a safe responsible manner.”
Petroleum Driver Passport – a step too far?
“What really gets my back up is the recently introduced Petroleum Driver Passport scheme,” Kevin added. “On the face of it, it’s a worthwhile series of practical assessments but still an imposition too far which we’re forced to embrace because we load out of third party terminals.
“To ensure ongoing safety and productivity, I’ve no problem with structured training that produces highly skilled staff and ensures periodic skills updates. I do however have a problem when it involves obtaining three different pieces of paper at different times in order to get into the cab of a tanker.
“In my view the whole lot could be accomplished in one well-structured industry specific course that engages and motivates the trainees rather than making them demoralised and reluctant attendees. This could be structured around four days of theory and one day of practical assessments to obtain the initial combined certificate with an annual two-day refresher. This would demonstrate a welcome bit of joined up thinking for a change.
“One is actually left wondering whether the interests of training organisations have actually become paramount to the financial wellbeing of their clients…
“Even if an integrated industry specific training course took longer to accomplish initially, it could still involve less time and expense, produce more rounded trainees and be easier to plan around while hopefully giving the trainees a little more status in the process.
“Why oh why is there such a fascination with making our lives harder and more complicated by constantly adding to the increasingly worrying burden of costs that are effectively beyond our control?”
PDP to fill ADR gap
Downstream Oil Distribution Forum (DODF) chair Brian Worrall, responded to: “The point about one consolidated training requirement is a good one but would require legislative change as ADR and its scope are defined in law and we cannot change the scope of ADR without going through a long process involving European as well as national consultation. The advice from the UK regulator, given the UK Government Better Regulation policy (which aims to reduce legislation) was that a voluntary scheme was the only way to introduce further petroleum tanker driver training.
“We’ve designed the scheme to fit as best we can with existing ADR and CPC requirements. One of our aims is to minimise duplication, saving time and expense. Therefore employers have the flexibility to run ADR and PDP training as one training package if that’s more convenient, or separately.
“However the fact remains that neither from a classroom and especially from a practical standpoint, as demonstrated by the DODF-developed Petroleum Tanker Training Standard, which has wide industry, trade body and union representation, the current ADR scope does not cover all that a petroleum tanker driver should both know and be able to demonstrate and this is the gap filled by PDP.”
The UK retail business of Murco Petroleum Ltd – a subsidiary of Murphy Petroleum Ltd – has been acquired by institutional investors, Patron Capital Partners.
The business was acquired via Motor Fuel Group, the UK forecourt business owned by Patron in partnership with Alasdair Locke, for an undisclosed sum. It consists of a portfolio of 228 owned and operated forecourt sites, together with contracts to supply fuel to a further 226 sites owned and operated by third parties.
The acquisition represents Patron’s most significant investment to date in the UK forecourt retailing sector, following the acquisition of Motor Fuel Group in 2011, a portfolio of Shell stations in 2012 and a group of 53 freehold forecourts let on long leases to Murco in 2013.
As a result of the Murco acquisition, Motor Fuel Group is now the second-largest independent petrol filling station operator in the UK.
Stephen Green, senior partner at Patron Capital, commented: “This transaction is a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial and strongly performing business as part of our strategy to build Motor Fuel Group into one of the UK forecourt sector’s most significant operators. We would like to thank Murco, the Motor Fuel Group team and our respective professional teams for their support in executing this transaction so quickly.”
The combined heat and power plant at Grangemouth
INEOS Industries Holdings has agreed to acquire the combined heat and power plant (CHP) that serves the Grangemouth site for £54 million. The natural gas-fired plant is currently owned and operated by Fortum.
The acquisition complements the current £300 million infrastructure project at the site to import and store ethane, an essential raw material for the petrochemical plant.
Following a butane gas leak at the INEOS plant at Grangemouth at the end of September, the Unite union has called for the company to work with the union’s safety representatives to help prevent future incidents.
INEOS confirmed that a leak of butane gas had been detected but stressed that the incident had been quickly and safely contained. As a precaution, police closed a local road and schools were told to keep children indoors with windows closed.
“Grangemouth is Scotland’s premier industrial site so it is vital that the workforce, the local community and the contractors can have every confidence that it is being run with maximum emphasis on safety,” said Pat Rafferty, Scottish secretary of Unite.