News 38
ProGARM, the UK’s leading arc flash protection specialist, is celebrating a string of recent appointments made by the firm, following its recent business success.
Protecting contractors in the petrochemical industry, the specialist PPE provider has welcomed four new recruits over recent months; Maciej Stachaczynski as an internal account manager, Lynn Palmer in customer services, Jemima Pridham as internal sales assistant and finally Celina Suehring as internal sales executive for the company’s German operation.
The new recruits joined the company before and during the COVID-19 pandemic – a time of uncertainty for many businesses. However, having enjoyed significant growth, the company is investing in its business to ensure constant innovation, quality development and consistent availability of its products, which are already blazing a trail in the health and safety industry.
Tony Arnett, managing director at ProGARM, said;
“We’re thrilled to have been able to welcome new members to our team during the last few months, which have proven challenging for so many of us. Every one of the new team members has been a huge asset to the business throughout this time, and has helped us to maintain our growth.
“Like most businesses, we’ve had to adapt our ways of working and consider our existing supply chain processes throughout the recent months. I’m truly impressed by the whole team for how they have all adapted during this time and contributed to the growth of the company.”
Employees at Essar Stanlow have been able to make a valuable difference to a cause close to their hearts, thanks to the company’s Let’s Give programme.
The initiative links safety achievements and charitable giving, with donations made to local charities nominated by employees. A £3,000 donation to The Hospice of the Good Shepherd came after Essar recently recorded two million working hours without a Lost Time Injury.
For over thirty years, the Hospice in Backford has delivered end of life care to patients living with life limiting conditions. It provides a 10 bedded in-patient unit, a Living Well Centre that offers day support to help patients maintain their independence and stay at home longer, as well as bereavement support across its catchment area. In the last year, almost 1,000 families have benefited from the combined services of both the Hospice and the bereavement team.
Essar production specialist, Andy Taft, explained;
“When my mother was dying of cancer, the Hospice gave my father and I respite by taking my mum in for a break. Fortunately, this was short term and we cared for my mum at home until she sadly passed away. Whilst this was a difficult time, it was made easier by the support and care from the Hospice. Since then, I lost my father and I cared for him at home, but always knew the Hospice was there if needed.”
Paul Wilcox, inspection team leader, who also nominated the charity, added;
“Many colleagues at the refinery and their families have benefited from the care and support the Hospice offers and it is great that we are able to collectively thank them, especially during these difficult times, for the incredible work and services provided to so many local families.”
Justin Caroe, community & events manager for the Hospice, commented;
“We are delighted to receive this generous donation from Essar, which will make a huge difference in allowing the Hospice to continue providing vital services to the community. We continue to source and raise funds on a daily basis to allow our Hospice to remain open, and whether its company or individual funding every penny is a step closer to a more sustainable future for us.”
The Hospice is currently facing an unprecedented financial crisis due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and could run out of money in a matter of months. Not part of the NHS, the Hospice receives only 25% of its income from government funding, meaning it has to raise just over £3 million each year from donations, fundraising events and its charity shops, which have all been severely affected.
It is anticipated there will be at least a £1.1 million shortfall in fundraising for this year, so the Hospice continues to collect funds through its #SupportYourHospice appeal JustGiving page. You can donate to the Hospice via: www.justgiving.com/campaign/saveyourhospice or by calling 01244 851811.
The Future Fuels & Hydrogen Economy Virtual Conference is taking place 9 – 10 November 2020. Explore the fundamentals around future fuels on the market from the industry’s leading experts.
With plans to reduce shipping emissions by at least 50% by 2050, the use of e-fuels will play an important role in decarbonising the shipping and transportation industry. The conference will cover how to stay at the forefront of the IMO’s 2030 and 2050 GHG reduction targets as expert speakers dig deep into the regulations and technicalities of fuel innovations that will help you on your way to meet the imposed targets and kick start bringing these fuel options to market.
Key agenda themes:
• Macroeconomic view of trade and global economies in times of COVID-19
Assess national economies, the global supply chain and what the future holds for shipping and energy sectors moving forward.
• Bringing hydrogen forward in energy market
Understand the benefits of using hydrogen within your business and the environment, bringing the fuel to market and its current stage of development.
• Overcoming barriers in the alternative fuels market: Policy and regulatory landscape
Discover the policies, legal guidelines, IMO targets, technologies and more behind the use of alternative fuels.
Save 10% by quoting FKT3723ER at the checkout. Book online today.
North West-based Crown Oil has strengthened its brand in the North West after acquiring an £18m-turnover oil supplier.
The Greater Manchester company, part of the £420m-turnover Crown Oil family of companies, has completed the purchase of Stockport-based Star Oil for an undisclosed sum. This deal for the 20-year-old business will increase Bury-headquartered Crown Oil’s reach in the region and take staff numbers to more than 1,250.
Star Oil, set up by Christian Hatherall and Michael Doyle, has seven tankers covering the North West and supplies fuel, oil and lubricants to industrial operations, farms and homes. Christian and Star’s 10 staff will remain with the business, while Michael will seek new opportunities elsewhere. The business will continue to trade as Star Oil for the time being.
The deal is Crown Oil’s first purchase since 2018, when it added Birlem Oil, in London, and West Midlands-based Beesley Fuels to its portfolio. The business, established by the Greensmith family more than 70 years ago, had worked with Star Oil for some time when the opportunity arose.
Matthew Greensmith, managing director of Crown Oil Group, said:
“We’re excited to have announced this deal, which will see the Crown Oil family expanding once again. Star has been around for 20 years and, in that time, has built up a fantastic reputation for great service, which will fit in with Crown’s ideology of putting the customer first.
“We’ve worked closely with Christian and Michael and we were keen to take up this opportunity to safeguard the future of Star and strengthen our North West footprint. We are looking forward to building on these successes together and we wish Michael all the best for the future.”
Christian Hatherall, who will be senior operations manager of the business, said:
“I am delighted to see the completion of this deal, which has come about from the solid relationship we have built with Crown over the years. I look forward to seeing the business flourish and grow. Being part of that growth journey and working for the Crown Oil Group brand is a very exciting prospect for me.”
The board of Essar Oil UK Ltd has announced the appointment of Stein Ivar Bye, former boss of Sweden’s largest fuel firm, as chief executive officer.
Leaving behind his job as chief operating officer at Scandinavian crude oil giant Preem, Stein Ivar Bye will be based at Essar’s Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. He brings with him over 28 years’ experience in the Oil and Energy sector, working internationally across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Stein, who graduated from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and has an MBA in Business Strategy and Management from BI Norwegian Business School, previously spent 25 years with ExxonMobil and was latterly chief operating officer at Preem.
An experienced executive leader in multicultural and international environments, Stein has an impressive track record in refinery operations, coupled with broad experience in supply and trading, strategy and planning and business development.
Mr Bye is the second new CEO to take charge at Essar since the start of the year. In January, it was announced that ex-BP boss Mark Wilson had replaced Srinivasalu Thangapandian. Essar said on Monday that Mr Wilson left in June under a “mutual agreement” with the firm after less than six months in the role.
Speaking about the latest appointment, Prashant Ruia, non-executive chairman, Essar Oil UK, said;
“As an organisation, our sights are firmly set on transforming our UK business, ensuring its growth and long term sustainability as we transition towards a low carbon energy economy and deliver the energy solutions of the future for Britain. Stein will be pivotal in meeting this challenge and fulfilling this ambition.”
Stein Ivar Bye added;
“I am honoured to be selected as CEO for Essar Oil UK and excited to be part of Essar’s transformational journey. Society’s demand for efficient and sustainable energy solutions is an inspiring challenge and will require creativity and perseverance. With the collective competency and commitment of the Essar organisation, and strong stakeholder engagement, I am confident Essar Oil UK will be a part of the solution for the future.”
Now operating on over 250 trucks in the UK and Ireland, the additional benefits that OptiMate brings fuel oil operatives, in terms of saving time, money and preventing fuel contaminations, are behind MechTronic’s recent success in both Northern Ireland and Ireland.
OptiMate is a revolutionary and futureproof system that is developed to meet changing customer demands. Launched in 2016, Optimate has become the electronic metering system of choice as fuel oil operatives face increasing pressure to deliver multiple fuel grades to a wide range of customers within a timely manner. Its unique self-draining manifold ensures the manifold is clear of product before starting a line change and prevents a contamination.
Brad Wilkie, sales and marketing manager at MechTronic said;
“As a family business, MechTronic listens to our customers changing requirements and we are proud that our latest update supports fuel oil operatives to deliver fuel by hose/bulk or gravity – regardless of the delivery, OptiMate will ensure the delivery is metered and accounted for.”
Northern Ireland has the largest percentage of domestic homes using heating oil in Western Europe and, in Ireland, 40% of all homes rely on home-heating oil. In July 2019, heating oil prices reached their highest levels since 2014, following four consecutive years of growth. Naturally Covid-19 has impacted oil prices this year however, with more people staying at home, the demand for home heating oil is increasing and prices rising.
This growth over the last four years has helped fuel oil operatives to invest in their fleet and move towards metering systems that don’t just simply meter fuel but offer additional benefits to the fuel oil operative.
A range of automatic processes to prevent contamination include Optimate’s unique automatic line change procedure where it automatically empties the manifold before introducing the new product and delivers the optimum line change quantity every time. Automatically recognising different line change volumes removes the requirement for drivers to manually calculate volumes and, with busy schedules, drivers may potentially overcompensate in their calculation, resulting in lost revenue.
The flexibility to automatically perform a pre-determined line change or return product quickly without the threat of contamination saves both time and money
Fuel oil operatives invest in OptiMate
In 2018, Lissan Coal Company (LCC Oil) was the first fuel oil operative in Northern Ireland to purchase four OptiMate systems closely followed by Murphy Oils, McLean Fuels and Holden Fuels.
Michael Moran, operations director at LCC said;
“The automatic processes that OptiMate offers in terms of line change protocol was of particular interest to us. We were also impressed by the simplicity of OptiMate and that it can be controlled by just three buttons. It also offers our drivers the ability to amend their route to meet changing customer requirements without worrying about performing a line change.”
More recently, fuel oil operatives in Ireland are also making the decision to move to OptiMate with Dundalk Oil, Atlantic Oils and Stewart Oils all placing (and receiving) orders in 2020.
Barry Finlay at Dundalk Oil said;
“We are delighted to be the first fuel oil operative within Ireland to be out delivering with OptiMate. We chose OptiMate as we liked the automatic processes that it offers. Drivers have already commented on how easy the system is to use, and how they are able to make deliveries quicker due to the automatic line changes.”
A recent report released by UKPIA claims that the UK downstream oil sector is already playing a significant role in meeting societal targets for decarbonisation and is capable and willing to do more to reach net zero.
The ground-breaking report, titled “Transition, Transformation, and Innovation: Our role in the Net-Zero Challenge”, looks at credible scenarios and proposes an illustrative pathway for the UK downstream sector to achieve government mandated net zero targets, with practical policy solutions to help overcome this challenge.
Transition, Transformation, and Innovation makes three key findings:
New independent research, commissioned by GripHero, has revealed that 66% of drivers are aware that Covid-19 can be passed from driver-to-driver at the fuel pump, driving demand for hand protection. With 86% of drivers now actively looking for hand protection, forecourt owners are being advised that failing to provide suitable hand protection could impact business.
Conducted in October 2020, the survey of 2,000 drivers throughout the UK showed that concerns over health and the potential transmission of Covid-19 at the fuel pump have led to a change in motorists’ forecourt preferences. 74% of motorists are now more likely to wear hand protection than before the pandemic began, with 85% saying that they would now travel further to a forecourt where hand protection is readily available, over a closer alternative without.
That could have significant implications for forecourts that are unable to provide drivers with readily available hand protection and could lead to a loss of valuable income from retail outlets.
Since the survey was last carried out in 2017, the largest change was the increased number of drivers that said that they would now always wear hand protection – if it were readily available – rising from 19% to 83% of all drivers. That sends a clear message to forecourt owners that hand protection is now a major factor influencing where drivers fill up.
Oli Yeo, inventor and managing director of GripHero Ltd, commented on the findings, saying;
“Throughout 2020, we’re pleased to have seen very significant growth in the numbers of networks around the world taking up our eco-friendly customer protection system. The feedback we have received from both operators and drivers correlates with the results of the survey – with many operators reporting an uptake in custom since providing convenient customer protection as well as an increase in the number of drivers protecting themselves.
“However, with the high dispensing efficiency GripHero brings, the plastic waste and consumption figures actually drop considerably. Operators report a dramatic reduction to their plastic and carbon footprints, whilst protecting more customers.”
“We must also remember that often with typical motorist behaviour, they fail to clean their hands before picking up the fuel-pump, which means that there’s a very real possibility that any illness could be passed on to the next users of that pump,” added Oli Yeo.
“That’s why GripHero was invented – to protect drivers from foul-smelling, fuel-impregnated hands, and to stop the avoidable contraction of illness, which has become particularly pertinent following the outbreak of Covid-19.”
A win-win situation
Through the development of ATEX certified anti-static materials, GripHero’s hand protection systems are permitted within the refuelling zone – creating the world’s only solution that allows drivers to enjoy the convenience of hand protection exactly where they need it – right in front of them, on the fuel pump handle that they are about to hold, directly at the point of use.
Moreover, as each dispenser releases just one item of hand protection at a time, it prevents clumps of hand protection being taken accidentally or deliberately. So, there should never be a shortage of hand protection at forecourts installing GripHero. That means drivers can refuel and grab a snack safe in the knowledge that their hands won’t have touched a surface handled by hundreds of other drivers, who could be carriers of Covid-19. That’s a win-win scenario for all concerned – forecourt owner and driver.
The first ship powered solely by liquified natural as (LNG) is to unload at the iconic Oikos jetties on the River Thames.
The ship, Ramanda, from the Gothia Tanker Alliance series of vessels based in Sweden, offers significant environmental benefits and lower costs, with LNG use significantly reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions, Sulpur Dioxide output by close to 100% and Nitrogen Oxide particulates by 85%.
Tony Woodward, general manager of Oikos Storage Ltd., said;
“It is imperative that the whole fuel supply chain plays its part in tackling climate change. By hosting multi-fuel greener vessels and developing the port and storage infrastructure for the next generation of fuels, we are proud to be playing our small part in the decarbonisation of the fuel sector and the country’s critical national infrastructure.”
Hoyer says ‘detailed contingency plans’ will be put in place to ‘ensure any action has a negligible impact on our operations’, adding that it remains committed to engaging with the union to find ways to ‘mitigate the redundancies’.
The Hoyer Petrolog UK employees based at the Stanlow oil refinery, in Ellesmere Port, will be taking action in response to plans to make six of the 20+ drivers redundant. The 24-hour strikes will take place on November 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 23rd, 25th and 27th.
Unite regional officer Steve Gerrard said;
“Unite’s members have delivered a stunning mandate in favour of industrial action.
“Despite Unite giving Hoyer every opportunity to resolve this dispute through negotiations, it has refused to do so and as a consequence and as a last resort Unite has announced strike dates.
“Our members regret that their action will cause considerable disruption to fuel deliveries but believe they have no other option in order to save their jobs.
“Fuel tanker drivers are frontline workers and throughout this pandemic their work has ensured that other frontline workers can continue to go to work. They deserve to be treated better than this.
“The ball is now firmly in Hoyer’s court. It can still avoid strike action occurring by withdrawing the threat of job cuts.”
A Hoyer spokesman said;
“We can confirm that we have received notification of industrial action at our parking location in Cheshire which will result in a small number of our fuel tankers not operating on the nominated days.
“However, we will be implementing detailed contingency plans to ensure any action has a negligible impact on our operations.
“We remain committed to engaging with the union representatives regarding any meaningful and realistic proposals that can be put forward in order to mitigate the redundancies.
“However, the challenge remains that these jobs rely directly on people returning to driving their cars and flying in planes at ‘normal’ levels – things which are simply beyond our control.”
The brothers behind the international fuel and convenience empire, Euro Garages Group (EG Group), Mohsin and Zuber Issa, have been selected by Walmart as the prime candidates to acquire Asda.
The possibility of expanding the supermarket business in their petrol station network is a key part of the operation that has put the Issa brothers and TDR, the London-based private equity backer of EG Group, in pole position.
Previously, it was private equity firm Apollo Global Management that was reported to be the leading option, but Asda announced in September that it would be trialling a new convenience store concept at EG Group stations.
Since its formation in 2016, EG Group has built an empire with acquisition after acquisition, now employing 50,000 people across almost 6,000 sites in the UK, Australia, Europe and the U.S. With the support of TDR Capital, the Issa brothers are known for their innovative ideas, smart strategic approach and ambition.
In the last three years, EG Group has acquired thousands of stations and convenience stores from Esso in Italy and Germany, Kroger, Certified Oil, Travel Centers of America, Woolworths in Australia and Cumberland Farms in the U.S, a far cry from the single garage in Bury that the brothers bought for £150,000 in 2001.
The £6.5 billion acquisition of Asda would mean a huge challenge for the brothers from Blackburn, as they enter the supermarket industry. Acquiring the British supermarket business will mean the 600 stores in the UK will return to British hands for the first time in over 20 years.
Barton Petroleum has deployed the Microlise Fleet Performance solution to improve safety and driver performance and deliver increased efficiencies across its fleet.
The Microlise fleet tracking and utilisation solution will improve the fleet’s real-time visibility and routeing efficiency, enhance driver and customer communication and support better driving performance and safer, more compliant practices.
According to Howard Marriott, group transport manager at Barton Petroleum Ltd;
“By partnering with Microlise, and utilising this integrated solution, we are ensuring that we equip our fleet with a best-in-class safety, compliance and fleet management solution that will deliver a quantifiable ROI.
“We are confident that our investment will introduce an enhanced level of operating performance and efficiency while protecting and supporting our drivers.”
Nadeem Raza, Microlise chief executive officer, added;
“We are pleased to be providing Barton Petroleum with additional tools to manage, monitor and positively impact on its operation and drive improved fleet efficiencies.
“Every customer we work with requires a fit-for-purpose solution, and we are delighted to support Barton Petroleum to increase its organisational capability and sustainability.”
Microlise is one of Europe’s largest technology, telematics and transport management solution providers, working with 14 of the UK’s 15 largest retailers and managing more than 500,000 active vehicle connections worldwide.
Having partnered to deliver the Accreditation of MCA Marine Oil Spill Response Organisations in 2018, UK Spill Association and International Spill Accreditation Association have since been working closely together in the marine, shoreline and inland environment, sharing resources to deliver accreditation services to members.
Consequently, the opportunity to merge was agreed by members of both associations and a merger agreement was signed by both boards at the end of September, enabling the merger to be completed on 30 September 2020.
The merger enables:
A small but significant aspect of the awe-inspiring £103m project, Tuffa has been tasked with manufacturing a petrol tank for Leicester City Football Clubs’ new state-of-the-art training ground. The tank will have the all-important task of fuelling the fleet of maintenance vehicles required to look after the LCFC grounds.
The site is set to be amongst the worlds’ leading training facilities. Construction and development giants McLaren Group is responsible for designing and building the grounds which will feature a full-size indoor artificial pitch, 11 full-size outdoor pitches, eight smaller pitches, five training grids and two goalkeeping areas, as well as a hydrotherapy pool, media centre and offices.
Tasked with the job of fighting back the weeds, strategising over grass care, and conserving every inch of the 185-acre plot, a former golf course, to the highest standards is a small army of groundskeepers. LCFC has provided the groundskeepers with the best equipment money can buy. This includes a fleet of around 30 John Deere maintenance vehicles consisting of gators and ride-on mowers. With so many maintenance vehicles requiring between 40 and 50 litres of fuel to fill, McLaren knew that the grounds required a petrol tank onsite.
Fortunately, LCFC was already well acquainted with the reputable tank manufacturer, as the company manufactured a tank and water bowser for LCFC’s new Broadcast Media Centre in 2018.
This time, Tuffa was tasked with manufacturing a tank for LCFC with McLaren choosing Tuffa’s 975 litre petrol tank, manufactured in accordance with the Blue book guidelines and DSEAR (Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations) as standard. Because the tanks are fire-proofed and bunded they also offer protection to the site and environment. Additionally, McLaren chose to upgrade the tank with a Hytek Alpha FC10 forecourt-style dispenser and fuel management system with passcodes to activate the pump and a purpose-built plinth for the tower.
McLaren construction’s design manager Spish Buja commented;
“The communication and service levels from Tuffa have been excellent throughout the entire process. The 975 litre petrol tank fits our requirements exactly, the delivery was tiptop and the installation was straightforward.”
Williams Tanker Services (WTS) is delighted to announce a brand new partnership with Italian waste tanker manufacturer Cappellotto, one of the world’s largest and most reputable manufacturers of waste tankers and associated equipment.
As the new UK distributor for Cappellotto, WTS has ‘stock’ Cappellotto tankers on order for delivery in the UK throughout the year, and customer-specific orders can now be taken.
With a dedicated nationwide sales, engineering and parts team, together with specialist trained workshops and mobile service units, WTS has a solid background and infrastructure to support the new arrangement and assist in all matters.
Already long-standing UK distributors for LAG, and with years of rental and repairs of this niche specialist equipment under its belt, WTS are professionals in the sale and aftersales support of new tankers and experts in dealing with waste tankers. The new partnership with Cappellotto adds a market leader to the company’s sales portfolio.
Gleaner announces the 13 winning photographs and photographers for this year’s contest. The winning entries will feature in the company’s 2021 calendar.
Receiving over 200 entries, Gleaner showcased all 13 winning photographs on Facebook. A spokesperson for the company said;
“A big thank you once again to everyone who took the time to enter our calendar photograph contest.”
Congratulations to Owen Cochrane, Tanya Ritchie, Adrian Beard, Iain MacDiarmid, William Holmes, Gordon Doherty, Simon Wilderspin, Ali Hay, Lydia Newlands, Lynda Simpson, David England, Isobel Wood and Gibby Marr.
“The standard of photographs entered was really high, making it a really tough decision to choose the final 13 images.”
The 2021 calendars will be available to pick up from local delivery depots later this year.
In a new partnership, Nolan oils will utilise a recognition platform, developed by Arteel UK Ltd, to enhance employee engagement and improve business performance.
“I am thrilled that Mark Nolan and his team have put their faith in ARTEEL to provide them with our recognition platform,” says Ian Feaver, managing director at Arteel UK Ltd. “We have a clear objective for Nolan Oils to help them recognise the amazing day to day efforts and work that happens. This will ensure people feel appreciated and valued, which in turn will create higher employee engagement and when this happens, it has a positive knock on effect for the entire business.”
“We had been looking for something creative when it came to recognising our people for their day to day efforts and when we saw what Arteel had to offer we knew we had found something very special. Our ‘Nolan Oils’ recognition platform enables our people to give peer to peer recognition and will enhance our team spirit and togetherness,” says Mark Nolan, managing director at Nolan Oils. “I really want our team to know how valued they are and never take for granted all the good work they do.”
The recognition platform provided by Arteel will be branded for Nolan Oils and will enable peer to peer recognition to take place. The main focus for the platform will be Nolan Oils company core values, so that employees can give and receive recognition for the behaviours that align with these values. Frequent recognition will not only help the team feel more valued and engaged, but it will encourage the right behaviours that lead to better business outcomes.
Essar Oil UK, which owns and operates the Stanlow Refinery, has today announced a new agreement with ASDA for the supply of petrol and diesel in the Midlands.
ASDA has an existing contract to lift road transport fuels direct from the Road Terminal at Stanlow. The new agreement, however, is the first time that the retail giant will source products from Essar’s Kingsbury Terminal, close to Birmingham.
Mark Amor, head of marketing and logistics at Essar commented;
“We are delighted to strengthen further our relationship with a company as large as ASDA. Over the past few years, we have worked closely with them to service their customer needs by supplying high quality products from our Stanlow Refinery. We have now signed an agreement to provide part of their retail mix from our facilities at Kingsbury to support their business in the region.”
He added;
“The strategic 2019 acquisition of Midlands’ based distribution assets from multi-national BP, which included the Kingsbury and Northampton Terminals, expanded our logistics infrastructure network. This has enabled us to capture additional opportunities, such as this new deal with ASDA, and will underpin our further commercial and marketing growth in the UK.”
Harvest Energy Marine, a member of the Prax Group of companies, has announced its acquisition of the Total Zeebrugge Depot in Belgium.
The Prax Group has worked closely with Total Belgium over the last few months to ensure the smooth acquisition of the terminal. The facility will be re-branded as Prax Terminals Belgium, with Harvest Energy Marine managing all bunkering and commercial operations performed at the terminal.
With a 20,000 cubic metre capacity, the Prax Group will use the terminal for the storage of marine bunker fuels. Its strategic location in the outer port of Zeebrugge means the company can cater to many customers throughout North West Europe, including car carriers, cruise ships, container lines and RORO vessels, offering ship owners and operators a minimum turnaround time in one of the world’s busiest ports.
The terminal is ideally situated to enable the Prax Group to focus on its strategic plans to expand its presence in northwestern European coastal waters.
Sanjeev Kumar, CEO of the Prax Group, said; “I am delighted to announce the acquisition of the terminal in the port of Zeebrugge, which reflects our strategic objective to move into a new stage of accelerated investment, growth and development. This acquisition demonstrates our proactive approach to the ever-changing needs of our customers in the marine fuels environment and our commitment to build a robust and reliable supply chain to meet those needs. It is the natural evolution in our progression towards making Harvest Energy Marine a leading player in the global marine market.”
Geert Boden, general manager of Harvest Energy Marine, said; “As we continue to serve customers from right across the north west of the continent, it is imperative for us to maintain the strong brand reputation and high standards of safety, supply and service for which we are known. The acquisition of the terminal in Zeebrugge means that Harvest Energy Marine is readily able to adapt to the changes in the current bunkering market. We are in a great place to respond to the requirements of our customers, both new and existing, in order to continue to deliver innovative solutions to reduce refueling times, whilst providing customers with their most important resource.”
Partners from shipping, R&D and oil and gas are constructing a pilot system for ships, to allow them to use different types of fuel. New and flexible fuel cell technology makes way for different types of fuel including green ammonia and LNG and can reduce emissions from shipping by 40 to 100%. With this flexibility, vessels can choose fuel according to availability.
This year’s influential annual energy outlook from BP, published at the start of BP Energy Week, suggests peak oil demand may have already been reached last year. This marks a dramatic shift from last year when the base case expected consumption to grow over the next decade reaching a peak in the 2030s.
The new report sees oil being replaced by clean electricity from windfarms, solar panels and hydropower plants as renewable energy emerges as the fastest-growing energy source on record.
Bernard Looney, who became chief executive in February, said the report was “instrumental” in developing BP’s strategy for the energy transition, although the company stressed that the scenarios are not predictions.
He commented that ‘it was very difficult to know’ how the oil market trajectory will bear out, but it was possible that demand had hit its maximum level. “Could it have happened? It could have,” he said.
The central theme of this influential report is that the combination of the pandemic and increasing climate action may have hastened ‘peak oil’ which could, potentially, see absolute demand falling for the first time in an industry that has enjoyed sustained growth for more than 100 years.
Looking at likely energy demand over the next 30 years, two of the three scenarios considered by BP suggest that demand reached a peak in 2019 and is already into the start of a decades-long decline. The third scenario, based on no acceleration in climate action, suggests that demand will plateau at the 2019 level for several years before declining from around 2035.
While oil demand is not expected to collapse, a plateau or decline in consumption would fundamentally alter the outlook for investment in the industry and the willingness of shareholders to keep funding new projects.
Looney, said he was “more convinced than ever” that BP must embrace a low-carbon future and that the findings would help the company to “better understand the changing energy landscape” and be instrumental in helping it develop its plans to become a net zero energy company by 2050.
Whilst this appears to offer a gloomy outlook for the fossil fuel industry, it can also be viewed as a further opportunity for those involved to embrace transformation. Following the publication of the outlook, Looney has shared a blog, ‘10 reasons to be positive about the energy transition’, and commented;
“Anyone who knows me will probably accept I am not one for outrage. I’d rather find solutions than take positions. But I certainly find hope in optimism. And the belief that we can do good in this world.”
Airport Energy Services, a division of Moove Fuels, announces its reappointment as a ground fuel supplier to Heathrow Airport Ltd.
Geoff Hall, general manager, Airport Energy Services, commented;
“We are delighted to have renewed our long-standing relationship with Heathrow Airport and look forward to continuing to service Heathrow and the wider airport business community.”
“This contract renewal demonstrates our commitment to continued investment in the UK’s airports and our intention to play our part in supporting the recovery of this vital sector from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.” added Darren Borras, business unit director, Moove Fuels.
Providing a specialised ground fuel management service for over 20 years, Airport Energy Service’s 24/7 refuelling service is designed to meet the specific demands of the unique airport environment and the companies operating within.
OGUK has hailed the grit and resilience of the thousands of people working for the critical sector as it opened nominations for its annual awards today.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, key workers both on and offshore continued to safely operate installations around the UK Continental Shelf, supporting the UK’s security of energy supply. While seeking to deal with the economic fall-out of the low oil and gas prices brought about by the pandemic, the industry continued with its work on Roadmap 2035, making major commitments to halve emissions from the production of oil and gas in the next decade as well as progressing its plans to support carbon cutting solutions including carbon capture usage and storage and hydrogen.
The awards, sponsored by Shell, will be held on 10 December this year, with hopes that its virtual format will make it more accessible not only to the industry workforce, but to family, friends and anyone with an interest in how the sector is shaping up as part of a low carbon future.
Commenting as nominations open, OGUK chief executive Deirdre Michie said;
“This has been extraordinary year in which our industry, only just beginning to recover from the last downturn, finds itself facing more dark days ahead. Yet, in spite of the personal and professional challenges the coronavirus pandemic brought on all industries, companies and people, our key workers ensured our critical industry never stopped operating.
“This is the North Sea spirit and grit we are known for, working in tough circumstances to provide affordable energy to millions across the UK. It is this same resilience which should give confidence that our changing industry is and will continue to step forward by cutting its emissions and in using its skills and expertise to develop the solutions needed to meet our country’s climate ambitions. We remain on track to deliver our ambitious plan to realise the full potential of our sector through the energy transition, Roadmap 2035.
“With a new virtual format, OGUK’s annual awards are an opportunity to tell our positive story to more people than ever before. Whether it’s family, friends, or you want to know more about how our industry is changing and about the people who make this sector the amazing industry that it is, we hope everyone will enjoy taking part in acknowledging and celebrating inspirational and impressive contributions.”
Nominations close on 2 October and companies are being encouraged to champion talent and innovation, with nine awards up for grabs this year.
Shell UK upstream vice president Steve Phimister said;
“2020 has thrown down challenge after challenge for the sector. But our people have stepped up and met it, maintaining the critical energy supplies that the UK relies on, as well as starting to address the all-important subject of Energy Transition. We can all be proud of our huge efforts right across the industry, and I look forward to seeing our most important asset – our people – celebrated at these awards.”
GripHero has appointed former BP and ADNOC senior executive John Carey as chairman. The move comes as GripHero looks to meet increased demand for safe, convenient and environmentally friendly hand-protection at forecourts and fuel stations globally. GripHero’s internationally patented hand-protection system is ATEX-certified and anti-static, allowing it to be fitted on fuel pump handles, which improves convenience and – combined with its single item release system – removes waste. With a plastic and carbon footprint over 70% lower than standard gloves, GripHero has been independently verified as the greenest product of its type on the market.