News 45
FTA, the business organisation representing the logistics sector, has learned this month that the long-awaited LGD Driver Apprenticeship Standard for Cat C+E licences, is to be published this summer.
As Mags Simpson, policy manager at FTA, explains, the standard cannot come quickly enough for an industry which has been plagued with skills shortages in recent years; “The news that the C+E apprenticeship standard has finally been approved for roll out is great news for our sector,” she says.
“It is testament to the hard work of the Apprenticeships Trailblazer group, co-chaired by Jim French and Gary Austin, which we have been in constant contact with. This new standard will give operators from across logistics the opportunity to draw down from the Apprenticeship Levy fund and start to develop the logistics stars of tomorrow – an opportunity previously denied to the industry due to the lack of appropriate standards against which to train staff.
“To date, the logistics sector has paid over £410 million into the Apprenticeship Levy pot, but only 10% of these funds have so far been drawn down, due, to a large extent, to the fact that no appropriate standard was available for businesses to utilise. Now that the sector has an apprenticeship standard relevant to its recruitment needs, we will be able to train candidates towards achieving a full LGV licence, and this in turn will ensure that those individuals will not be prohibited in the type of work they go on to do across the industry.”
In further good news for the sector, Ms Simpson has reasserted FTA’s commitment to ensuring that further apprenticeship standards are developed and accepted for other employment opportunities.
“We continue to work with the Trailblazer group to ensure that the sector will have access to the skilled workforce it needs moving forwards. Our next priority is to gain accreditation for the Urban Delivery standard, as well as progressing the Transport and Warehouse Supervisor L3 apprenticeship, which is already under way. We all know how much variety and enjoyment can be gained from a role in logistics and we look forward as an industry to welcoming the skilled workforce of tomorrow once these standards are approved.”
With many companies reconfiguring production lines, or starting up new ones, to increase the supply of hand sanitiser in response to the current pandemic, companies are being urged to consider the incendiary risk.
Industry groups like the Solvents Industry Association are concerned with reports of inappropriate packaging of solvents and an incident of a static discharge igniting vapours present on an operator’s hand after the application of hand sanitiser.
Mike O’Brien, managing director of Newson Gale, considers the approaches that can be taken in terms of managing the risk of solvents (including alcohols) being ignited by uncontrolled discharges of electrostatic sparks in a recently released guidance note.
The importance of grounding people
Managers of facilities where operators have exposure to potentially flammable or combustible atmospheres need to ensure the operators are grounded. This is because people isolated from a ground source (e.g. flooring capable of dissipating static charge to earth) can accumulate large electrical potentials beyond 20,000 volts without even realising it until they discharge a spark.
In addition, if operators are regularly applying hand sanitisers, either inside or outside a designated hazardous area, it is important to ensure that they do not have the potential to accumulate electrostatic charge on their bodies.
Ignition of vapours emanating from the hand can occur if the person approaches or touches a grounded object such as a door handle or stair railing, resulting in a static spark discharge with enough energy to ignite the vapour.
The most effective means of grounding personnel is safety footwear that meets the required static dissipative criteria and testing all footwear prior to entry into the facility is recommended. Easy to use footwear testers can be installed at designated entry points to hazardous areas in the facility.
Such testers utilise a simple plate on which an individual stands, with their safety shoes on, and presses a button with their index finger. If the resistance threshold of the shoes is below the required level, the test will indicate a positive output with a green LED indicator which
provides the operator with a “GOOD-TO-GO” message to enter the hazardous area.
If the shoes fail the test the indicator will stay red and the tester’s buzzer alarm will activate. At this point the operator should not enter the hazardous area and should report the failed shoe test.
Containers used in production and transportation
In relation to the use of containers, they should, ideally, be of an all metal construction so that when they are grounded, electrostatic charge cannot accumulate on the surface of the container. If the supply or use of fully metal IBCs is not possible, then the metal cages that contain the plastic container should be grounded. Splash filling should be avoided as this increases the rate of charge generation.
If electrostatic charge is permitted to accumulate the voltage of the IBC will rise very rapidly and result in this energy being discharged in the form of an electrostatic spark onto a grounded object like an operator. If the spark energy is sufficiently high, it will ignite the surrounding vapours with little effort.
It is not possible to cover every potential process involving the use of solvents. A more comprehensive summary can be viewed on the European Solvents Industry Group website.
https://www.esig.org/solvents-and-static-electricity/
Organiser of UKIFDA EXPO 2020, the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) has taken the decision to cancel the 2020 exhibition due to take place on 18 & 19 August at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool.
Guy Pulham CEO of UKIFDA says; “Following the publication of the Government’s Plan To Rebuild Strategy, UKIFDA has been working with Exhibition Centre Liverpool (ECL) on ways in which the 2020 EXPO could be safely organised and hosted. As you know, we have worked hard to try and keep the 2020 event in the calendar as a positive marker of lives returning to some sort of normality.
“In the end, and with great reluctance, we have concluded that it is just not possible to safely run the event that our members, exhibitors and delegates would want – namely a large-scale, high quality event where business gets done. The lack of clarity in the government plan from July onwards (unavoidable given that future stages depends on how the early stages progress) means that we do not know if
Becoming the fourth oil major to commit to ‘net zero’, Total has announced its target of net zero emissions in Europe by 2050. The company has also committed to becoming carbon-neutral across its worldwide operations by 2050 or sooner and confirmed its target of a renewable generation gross capacity of 25GW in 2025.
Patrick Pouyanné, chairman of Total’s board, declared; “Energy markets are changing, driven by climate change, technology and societal expectations. Total is committed to helping solve the dual challenge of providing more energy with fewer emissions. The Board believes that Total’s global roadmap, strategy and actions set out a path that is consistent with goals of the Paris agreement.
Emphasising the role the company has to play in the future energy transition, Patrick continued; “Only by remaining a world-class investment can we most effectively play our part in advancing a low carbon future. This is the reason why our people are already in action across Total, seeking opportunities to reduce our emissions, improve our products and develop new low-carbon businesses.”
This ambition is supported by the strategy to develop Total as a broad-energy company, with oil and gas, low-carbon electricity, and carbon-neutrality solutions as integrated parts of its business.
Total says the new climate strategy is already in action as the firm has already achieved a 6% reduction of its average indirect carbon intensity since 2015.
Active support of the energy transition
Regarding the commitment to become a net-zero energy business in Europe, Patrick commented; “As the EU has set the target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and thereby lead the way for other regions to become carbon neutral over time, Total takes that commitment to become neutral for all its businesses in Europe. Total wants to be an exemplary European corporate Citizen and offers its active support for the EU to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Total will work together with other businesses to enable decarbonization of energy use.”
Total confirms its target of a renewable generation gross capacity of 25 GW in 2025 and will continue to expand its business to become a leading international player in renewable energies. Total currently allocates more than 10% of its Capex to low carbon electricity, the highest level among the oil majors. To actively contribute to the energy transition, Total will further increase its allocation of Capex in favour of low carbon electricity to 20% by 2030 or sooner.
Certas Energy is supporting forecourt retailers with the launch of a new online resource that offers free access to personal wellbeing tools, learning courses and discounts from leading brands.
Certas Energy Dealer Rewards provides tailored wellbeing programmes that can help forecourt retailers and their employees to improve their personal wellbeing and navigate these challenging times.
The platform’s online learning resources offer hundreds of courses to support professional growth, with categories including Business & Management, Health & Psychology, Technology and many more.
Richard Billington, retail director at Certas Energy, commented; “Our team is working non-stop to find creative solutions to support our dealers and their workforce throughout and beyond this national emergency. What’s been difficult for many people is finding new ways to spend the additional hours we’re all at home – whether it’s business as usual or not.
“That’s why I’m delighted to launch Certas Energy Dealer Rewards to help our retail network and their teams get the best from this extra time at home. With its wide range of learning and wellbeing tools, we hope our colleagues will find the platform to be a useful resource for personal and professional development as we prepare for the time when we can all return to normality.”
Certas Energy Dealer Rewards is available to all Gulf and Pace dealer employees at no additional cost.
Joining forces with its retail dealers to show appreciation to our front-line NHS heroes, Essar is supporting them with 10p per litre discount off their fuel.
In a move that took effect from 7th May, NHS staff can claim their discount when filling up their personal cars at Essar branded retail forecourts by simply showing their NHS ID cards at the till point.
Ramsay MacDonald, Essar head of retail, said; “There aren’t many people who deserve to be rewarded more during the Coronavirus outbreak than NHS workers. We hope providing them with a discount is a small way for the energy industry to show its appreciation to them.”
“Essar recognises the extraordinary job that NHS workers are doing to care for others, and they deserve all our support through this crisis. We have been delighted with the great response from Essar dealers, who have enthusiastically helped deliver this recognition across our dealer network.”
Terms and conditions apply. To find out more visit the Essar website: www.essar.co.uk
In a move that could be viewed as a bellwether for the UK’s energy sector, leading training centres Survivex, in Aberdeen, and AIS Training, in Newcastle, reopened this week after enforced closure due to coronavirus. As part of 3T Energy Group which counts BP, Shell and Total among its clients and is the UK’s biggest training provider to the sector, the reopening of the two world-renowned training centres, indicates an industry gearing back up after the lockdown and the impacts of the global pandemic.
Kevin Franklin, CEO of 3T Energy Group says: “We have adapted to the ‘new normal’ by leaving no stone unturned in ensuring our sites are the safest on the market. We have worked day and night since March to adapt to the Coronavirus challenge, and we are now ready for the post lockdown training environment.”
Ahead of the reopening 3T carried out full, detailed risk assessments at both facilities, implementing even more stringent measures to ensure the safety of everyone on site including on-site medical questionnaires and checks, temperature checks, and operating at 20% capacity with reconfigured classrooms to allow for safe reopening as well as daily protocol reviews. The company has also been using the downtime caused to develop world-first technology-driven training techniques for launch to the market soon, parts of which will be rolled into its training centres immediately. State-of-the-art video technology and tablet use are now in place in every relevant location.
Helping to get the sector moving again
With 3T specialising in training delegates in critical skills for use across the whole energy sector, including onshore and offshore Oil & Gas, the reopening of the centres represents a turning point following Coronavirus-related disruption. Many delegates have not been able to complete essential training and refresher courses that allow them to safely carry out their duties on site.
Paul Stonebanks, president of 3T Energy Group, says: “Health and safety training is an essential cog in many industries, but none more so than energy. Delegates need to be able to continue their development and access refresher training on their skills so that they are ready to go back on to site, whether that’s offshore or onshore.
“Over the past few months, we have been developing new technology that will truly revolutionise training in the energy industry. We’ll be rolling that out in due course, but for the time being we’ve included some of this into the training centres to ensure customers receive the very best service in the market.”
As Kevin adds; “We would categorically not be reopening if we could not provide a safe environment. We are the number one training provider for a reason and our dedication to safety on site is second to none – the measures we have put in place are testament to that. These precautions are the new normal.“Our facilities have been upgraded to combat Coronavirus and have changed completely as a result, without compromising quality of training. Customers and staff go through rigorous entrance procedures to maintain the new standard and protect all employees and delegates”.
Paul concludes; “We’re glad to be doing our bit to help the sector and the local and UK economy get moving again.”
UKIFDA says off grid homeowners across Great Britain are seeing prices of heating oil drop by up to 27% since the same time last year, according to the latest figures from Sutherland Tables, a provider of comparative home heating costs for the most common fuels in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
This drop has prompted UKIFDA to urge households who use oil to heat their home to reap the rewards of using liquid fuel as their heating source and to consider how they can benefit from these low prices and also consider their future energy options.
Guy Pulham, CEO of UKIFDA comments; “The Sutherland Tables data is fantastic news for everyone using heating oil as it confirms that this form of energy is the cheapest right now. The price of oil has continued to fall over the last quarter and the cost of home heating using oil is now cheaper than gas heating, regardless of the type of property you live in or whether you have a conventional or condensing boiler. The latest data shows that families in an average 3-bedroom house with an oil boiler in Great Britain are paying around £808 a year for heating and hot water, compared to £938 for those using a gas boiler, £1392 for those using air source heat pumps with underfloor heating, £1502 for wood pellets, £1551 for those using LPG, £1819 for those with air source heat pump with radiators and £2084 per annum for those on Electric.
“At the same time as enjoying low prices we do want to help domestic consumers of oil in the UK and Ireland understand how the decarbonisation of off-gas grid home heating could impact their home and impact the choices they need to make either now or in the future. As a result, we have over the last year been working with our Members and other trade associations on a pathway to decarbonising liquid fuel to help consumers find a personal pathway that fits the finances of the household but still contributes to lower carbon emissions in a timescale that meets net zero goals.”
The UK Government has outlined its intentions to replace the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) with a new Clean Heat Grant which aims to help households and businesses decarbonise through technology and push the nation towards its net-zero target for 2050 by phasing out high carbon fossil fuel heating.
In the Government’s publication of its consultation on future support for low carbon heat its proposal to make grants of £4,000 available for consumers wishing to replace fossil fuel boilers has drawn particular attention. The grant would provide support for heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass and would replace the Domestic RHI tariff scheme which is due to close on March 31, 2022.
In its introduction to the consultation BEIS highlights that currently, heating our homes, businesses and industry is responsible for a third of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions meaning that the decarbonisation of heat is one of the biggest challenges faced in meeting climate targets. The government Heat and Buildings Strategy which will be published later this year will set out actions to reduce emissions from buildings.
The government is considering a range of measures to improve energy efficiency and support the move to low carbon heating and has pledged significant financial support. The consultation sets out plans for a successor to the current RHI scheme – a Clean Heat Grant scheme – to help deliver the phase-out of high carbon fossil fuel heating. The stated aim is to build on the 2017 Clean Growth Strategy, with its announced intention to phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuels in the 2020s for properties off gas grid.
According to BEIS, the grant will support the deployment of air source, ground source and water source heat pumps and high and low temperature systems, but hybrid heat pumps will not be included.
The full consultation, including details on how to respond, is available online at: https://tinyurl.com/ydyhzvb5
In the context of the biggest replacement investment in the company’s history, the HOYER Group has taken delivery of more than 500 new trucks throughout Europe, for which it has invested around 42.7 million Euro, to transport mineral oil, chemical products and gases. The trucks have innovative technologies that more than fulfil the legal requirements relating to safety and offer added value with regard to economic efficiency and environmental protection.
The HOYER Group ordered the majority of the trucks to supply mineral oil in Great Britain whilst commissioning the latest generation of trucks from Volvo for supplies to service stations in Germany. The first units have already been delivered, and the entire fleet will be gradually replaced by the end of 2020.
According to Rudolf Schumacher, Fleet Manager of the HOYER Group in Dormagen, Germany: “The safety of our drivers and of other road users has top priority. We transport highly sensitive goods every day and consider it our duty to reduce risks and dangers to the absolute minimum.”
“Thanks to our fleet’s innovative safety equipment, we more than satisfy the legal requirements and set standards in the sector. Moreover, we emphasise the continuous instruction and further education of our personnel. We regularly and intensively train our drivers on the topic of safety in the framework of classroom training sessions and online training courses.”
The trucks are fitted with new-generation Euro-6 engines that offer added value regarding economic efficiency and sustainability, meaning that after the modernisation is complete, 98 per cent of the HOYER Group fleet of more than 2,200 trucks will be equipped with these low-pollution engines.
Four of the new truck models will even be operated using an alternative LNG engine. This means the HOYER Group has increased the number of trucks running on liquid natural gas to nine. The first LNG truck was acquired in 2018 and are intended to transport gases and mineral oil. The fact that the service station network for alternative energies has not yet been expanded to cover all areas is currently preventing further procurements.
UKIFDA has urged the Scottish Government to consider the 135,000 households in Scotland who use oil to heat their homes when setting the energy policy in its response to the recent ‘Energy Efficient Scotland: Improving energy efficiency in owner occupied homes’ consultation.
Proposals outlined in the government consultation which closed earlier this month include the introduction of a legally binding standard to ensure all homes in Scotland meet Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating C, at point of sale or major renovation, from 2024.
UKIFDA chief executive, Guy Pulham comments; “In submitting our views to this consultation by the Scottish Government, we expressed our support for the proposals to improve the fabric of homes and improve energy efficiency and we agree EPC Band C is a realistic target. It is important though that this must be rolled out in a way which does not adversely affect owner occupiers who are already struggling with household costs. Energy efficiency improvements must not be pursued at the cost of making housing unaffordable for people and put added burden on those currently in fuel poverty. The focus must be on providing tailored support, including financial, and advice on the most suitable technology available to households.
“We agree that new homes should be first to adapt new technologies given the fabric of the building allows for a range of solutions but off gas grid homes are not the easy low hanging fruit that many seem to suggest. The very specific nature of the housing stock that our UKIFDA members serve – generally larger, older homes, in rural locations with poorer than average insulation means they are difficult to adapt to new technologies such as heat pumps and are perfectly suited to new drop in liquid biofuels.
“The design of these houses (and this includes a very high proportion of farmhouses and buildings) is such that retrofitting heat pumps will require a huge capital expenditure to improve the insulation of the properties. If this work is not carried out, the running costs of any form of heat pump would be prohibitive.
“A further challenge here is that the demographics mean that many of the owners are cash poor and asset rich (pensioners, farmers etc) and they will find it very difficult to raise the required capital to undertake major refurbishment of these homes. With the introduction of biofuels as a replacement to heating oil it would mean off grid households would not need such a large capital investment to improve the energy performance of their homes”.
In the run up to this consultation being published, UKIFDA has been lobbying the Scottish Government to consider liquid biofuels as part of any energy strategy and is currently working with other industry trade associations OFTEC and the Tank Storage Association on the introduction of a low carbon liquid fuel to replace heating oil.
Guy Pulham adds: “To ensure that the whole industry can invest and implement engineering advancements such as biofuels, we believe government should outline the energy efficiency plans in 2020 for implementation.”
“We also believe it is also important that once an Energy Efficiency standard is in place it should be subject to periodic review, where it can change with improvements such as technology, innovation, fuel prices and carbon emissions. In the longer term where it can be assumed that energy efficiency will improve over time, improved EPC targets could be then introduced.
“Ultimately, we would like policy-makers to recognise the positive contribution that evolving liquid fuels can make to an economically and socially fair energy transition. It is crucial to maintain a varied energy mix and a free choice of technologies by consumers to alleviate fuel poverty. By focussing on the consumer and meeting their individual needs, we can meet both the net zero targets and do so in a realistic, supportive fashion.”
Commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 “or sooner” is part of the significant action on climate change outlined by global energy company Shell following engagement with investors as part of Climate Action 100+.
Building on commitments of previous years, Shell will be publishing a series of detailed steps to achieve the plans outlined in the oil giant’s Responsible Investment Annual Briefing in April. These will include an ambition to be net zero on emissions from the manufacture of all products (scope one and two) by 2050 at the latest, accelerating its Net Carbon Footprint ambition and, most crucially in terms of the wider impact, ”pivoting towards serving businesses and sectors that by 2050 are also net zero emissions.”
It comes during a period of immense challenge for the global oil industry, with demand forecast by the IEA to fall 29 percent in April and 9 percent this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. IEA executive director Fatih Birol, said 2020 was likely to be “the worst year in the history of global oil markets.”
But Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden suggested the company’s net zero commitments would not be derailed by the crisis.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic having a serious impact on people’s health and our economies, these are extraordinary times,” he said. “Yet even at this time of immediate challenge, we must also maintain the focus on the long term.
“Society’s expectations have shifted quickly in the debate around climate change. Shell now needs to go further with our own ambitions, which is why we aim to be a net zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner. Society, and our customers, expect nothing less.”
Wider impacts
As one of the world’s largest energy companies, Shell’s commitment to realising net zero emissions is of significance for the broader energy sector.
“It’s imperative we see companies across the entire oil and gas sector put strategies in place to achieve net zero emission if we are to tackle climate change. This applies to the fuels and products companies sell, as well as emissions from operations,” explains Stephanie Pfeifer, a member of the global Climate Action 100+ Steering Committee and CEO, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC). “Investors will now look to other energy companies to match, and build on, the welcome ambition Shell is showing.”
After previous announcements in 2017 and 2018, Shell’s example has been followed by other oil and gas companies. With investors hoping that the latest announcement will again have a domino effect Simon Pilcher, chief executive of USS Investment Management, echoed the feelings of many; “As investors we need to be ambitious in our expectations of how the companies in which we invest can address the shift to a low carbon future and today’s announcement demonstrates that collaborative engagement can encourage corporate action on this crucial issue.”
The announcement has additional significance, given the short to medium-term implications of the Covid-19 pandemic faced by the sector as Fiona Reynolds, a member of the Climate Action 100+ Steering Committee and CEO, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) observes; “As we can see from this time of crisis, it is not possible to separate the health of people, the planet and the economy, as they all need to be aligned.
“Timely action to address the devastating social and economic effects of Covid-19 is essential and we welcome Shell’s significant commitment to become a net zero emissions energy business by 2050. It’s imperative that companies continue to focus on the long-term impacts of investments on the climate.”
Peter Ferket of investment giant Robeco, commented; “The new ambitions prove that the strong and committed engagement of institutional investors with Shell can help accelerate the pace of change to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement,” he added. “It raises the bar and sets out an approach for others in the oil and gas sector to follow.”
The plan is the latest in a series from Shell and other oil majors to bolster their emissions reductions strategies. Earlier this year BP similarly unveiled wide-ranging net zero ambitions, while several top oil firms have acquired leading clean tech firms in a bid to diversify their portfolios.
Total is also facing increasing pressure from shareholders to step up its climate targets, after a group of investors recently tabled a resolution calling on the French oil major to set absolute emissions reduction targets for its entire business and value chain aligned with the Paris Agreement goals.
Drivers employed as part of HOYER’s UK Petrolog fuel tanker delivery team have received training to deliver medical grade oxygen to NHS hospitals treating patients with COVID-19.
The potential deployment comes after the company approached the Government to see how it could both support the national effort to fight the virus and protect jobs, by providing support in delivering essential goods.
Jonathan Lawrence, Divisional Director, Field Operations for the Petrolog business of HOYER in the UK, said: “The MoD quickly got in touch with us, and we began speaking directly to Air Products about how we could assist them in the critical delivery of oxygen to hospitals, supporting the NHS.”
“We were asked if we could provide drivers with a Class 1 LGV licence and a Class 2 ADR licence, who were based near Air Products’ depots at Didcot in Oxfordshire and Carrington in Manchester. HOYER sought volunteers from our Hemel and Stanlow depots and received a resounding response with many colleagues answering the call and willing to do their bit to help in supporting the NHS.”
The first ten Petrolog drivers from the company’s depots at Stanlow Refinery in Cheshire and Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, have now completed medical grade oxygen product training with Air Products.
Jonathan Lawrence added: “Whilst both HOYER and Air Products hope that our support is not required, we now have a group of drivers who can be deployed quickly to ensure that these lifesaving deliveries can continue uninterrupted.”
Allan Davison, Operations Director for the Petrolog business of HOYER in the UK said: “With demand for medical essentials increasing daily, the need for high levels of logistical expertise is more prominent than ever. Alongside our highly trained workforce we are able to quickly support other companies and more importantly key workers during this unprecedented time and we are proud of our team for stepping forward for this.”
The trade association for the liquid fuels sector in Ireland, UKIFDA, has lobbied Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe in a bid to get the Irish government to consider a delay to the €6 increase of carbon tax on heating oil, used by over 686,000 households across Ireland, and gas oil, used by the farming and construction industry, due in May this year.
Callow Oils teams up with Pensons restaurant to deliver three-course meals to NHS key workers.
Helen Needham, director of Callow Oils, said: “I saw that Pensons were providing prepared meals to nominated key workers through social media and, as we are already connected with the restaurant as their fuel supplier, wondered if we could collaborate to deliver meals to nearby hospitals.”
“Delighted with the collaboration, and with us providing our LPG van as transport, we were able to deliver 100 prepared meals to the hard-working NHS staff at Worcester Hospital.”
With donations of cream and lamb from Mawley Milk and Hodgehill, the Michelin star three course meals were delivered to staff at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in April.
As well as providing meals, Callow Oils has also offered its thanks to all NHS staff and key workers in the form of rainbow signage on two of its tankers.
Helen commented, “we use a local company for our sign writing and asked if they could provide us with rainbow thank you messages for our tankers, which they did. We were happy to support a local business and are overjoyed with how they look!”
As the collaboration continues, Pensons restaurant carries on preparing meals for nominated key workers and NHS staff whilst Callow Oils continues to deliver fuel oil to grateful customers.
Following the publication of a report by the Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) UKIFDA is looking forward to “digesting the detail” and “working with SEA on lobbying government to engage on these plans”
Calling on the government to bring in a ‘carbon intensity standard’ for the UK to drive down emissions in heating, the SEA report ‘Off Grid, Off Carbon: Regulating the Decarbonisation of Heat in homes off the gas grid’ followed a consultation with industry stakeholders. It outlines the benefits of introducing a carbon intensity standard for heating within the Buildings Strategy allowing for carbon reduction to be achieved by a combination of means including insulation, installation of new technologies or replacement fuel solutions, depending on consumer choice and situation.
The proposed standard would be administered at industry level and encouraged through a range of enablers to facilitate its introduction including rebalancing fuel duties, customer incentives and a robust enforcement framework. SEA argues that, together, these would complement energy efficiency improvements and encourage greater uptake of insulation and low carbon heating systems in a way that guarantees lower carbon emissions while also maintaining consumer choice.
It is this focus on the customer that ties in with the approach of UKIFDA. Representing a distributor membership that delivers over 70% of the domestic heating oil in the UK and Ireland UKIFDA accepts the need to decarbonize but is also lobbying for a customer focused transition plan emphasizing the need to achieve significant carbon reduction without putting unseasonable measures and costs on off gas grid homeowners which could lead to fuel poverty for many.
Highlighting the SEA report, CEO of UKIDFA Guy Pulham stated; “We are currently digesting the detail but the idea of a customer focused transition plan for oil heating ties in with our own consumer focused blog and our commitment to ready our part of the supply chain for increasing percentages of biofuels in the 2020s.
Collaborations
A collaboration at the start of 2020 between trade associations OFTEC, the Tank Storage Association (TSA) and UKIFDA showcased a future vision for liquid fuels which detailed steps to be taken toward a transition to 100% biofuel to replace heating oil in 1.5m homes across the UK and 686,000 homes across Ireland, reflective of SEA’s vision for replacement fuel solutions as one contribution to carbon reduction.
In the light of the ongoing challenge of heat decarbonization Guy comments; “I look forward to working with Sustainable Energy Association on lobbying government to engage on these plans”
Jade Lewis, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Energy Association commented; “This report is a demonstration of how industry can collaborate to tackle some of the greatest challenges ahead of us, and there is no doubt that heat decarbonisation is one of those.
“At a time of great uncertainty is it paramount that regulation is introduced to provide confidence and stability so that investors and manufacturers of low carbon heating systems can scale up investment and production, encourage innovation, and upskill the workforce.”
She added: “The SEA is hopeful that the proposals put forward will influence Government plans to decarbonise the UK’s building stock and ensure that homes are fit for the generations to come.”
With its teams juggling the challenge of working from home while looking after children, Abbey Logistics asked them to send in their most creative rainbow pictures. As the UK’s largest road tanker logistics company for bulk food powders and liquids wanted to find a way to remind everyone to stay positive and to show their support for all drivers across the UK continuing to fulfil essential services.Abbey was also delighted to work with Holy Name Primary School in Fazakerley, Liverpool. The school, which is operating as a Liverpool City Council Hub for children of key workers, had created a lesson about logistics, and wanted to lend their support and send in their rainbow pictures too.
An Abbey Logistics spokesperson shared their surprise at the quality and scale of the response to the request; “The company was overwhelmed by the number, creativity and variety of pictures sent in, along with some wonderful messages of support.
“As a result we have decided to select six of the submitted images to install on the dome end of six new tanker trailers so more people can see some of these brilliant pictures and help show support for all frontline workers across the UK.”
The leading representative body for the UK’s offshore oil and gas sector has warned the latest oil price developments could fundamentally undermine the ability of the industry to recover and serve the energy transition.
It comes as US crude oil prices continued to drop reaching the historic low on Monday evening, while the international benchmark Brent crude fared better with OPEC+ cuts due to take effect and storage constraints less pronounced, trading at just over $25 a barrel. While WTI is a localised trading market in the US, OGUK warned that it remains concerned about the continued low prices of Brent crude.
OGUK Chief Executive Deirdre Michie said; “While we have anticipated continued pressures on oil markets, there’s no getting away from the fact that this situation is a body blow for an industry already creaking under the strains of the impact of COVID-19 and sustained low commodity prices.
“The dynamics of this US market are different from those directly driving UK produced Brent, but we will not escape the impact. Ours is not just a trading market; every penny lost spells more uncertainty over jobs, our contribution to public services and to the just transition we all want to see. OGUK will be pressing the case for a COVID-19 resilience package to governments in the coming days which will focus on protecting the supply chain, jobs and our ability to continue to reposition ourselves for the future.”
As Coronavirus lockdowns continue around the world, the oil industry faces serious challenges to demand and supply chains resulting in the collapse of many prices and margins. With restrictions to travel and broader economic activity across the world, demand for transport fuels has dropped resulting in a twofold challenge, a drop in oil’s value and a consequential price war.
A deal announced last week between Opec and its peers to cut production by about 10 million barrels per day from May appears not to have been enough to convince markets that supply lines weren’t being flooded. The agreement was viewed as “too little and too late to avoid breaching storage capacity and to stop spot prices from falling”
Professor David Elmes, who leads the Global Energy Research Network at Warwick Business School and has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy and management consulting industries, said:
“The fact that oil prices have sunk to a level not seen since 2002 will set alarm bells ringing. It’s not just the price per barrel, it’s the wider challenges facing the industry.
“The battle to supply, whatever the price, is happening in a climate of both short-term and long-term decline in the demand for oil.
“We are starting to see how the coronavirus is reducing oil demand, but some industry forecasts were acknowledging a flattening off in long-term demand last year, before the pandemic began.
“All companies in the sector will be looking at how they can cut costs, shift their activities to the lowest cost field they can, trim investment, and thinking hard about what dividend they can pay.
“There will also be more serious conversations taking place.
“State-owned oil companies around the world will be having tense discussions with their governments about how long they can expect government sympathy for low prices. That will be made more difficult by governments needing to pump money into their economies to address the slowdown caused by coronavirus.
“The European-based large, international companies have started to say they will become less focused on oil and gas over time. There will be intense discussions on what can they do to move faster.”
Adler and Allan says it is proud to be supporting the national effort by helping organisations to keep Britain moving safely and compliantly during the current COVID-19 crisis.
Adler and Allan’s core purpose is to help public and private sector businesses understand and manage their environmental risks, reducing the impact to the environment, their operation and their reputation.
In this time of national crisis, it has modified its procedures to safeguard its employees and customers health, and strictly follows the guidelines for essential services published by the government.
Teams from Adler and Allan are supporting the effort to feed the nation by providing fuel deliveries, fleet fuel infrastructure maintenance and temporary expansion for supermarkets and other logistics organisations as well as emergency services.
Providing critical services
Ensuring continuity of power is of critical importance at this challenging time. Modern biodiesels risk that continuity as they attract water, causing microbial contamination in tanks and exposing hospitals and other critical services to considerable operational risk. Adler and Allan is providing regular tank testing and maintenance as well as fuel polishing to ensure the nations generators will provide power when required.
Bob Contreras, Executive Chairman, said: “The safety of our colleagues and customers is of paramount importance and we rigorously follow all HSE and Government advice on any work we carry out.
“Adler and Allan is proud to support many infrastructure projects that are critical to the nation’s efforts to deal with the current coronavirus crisis. We are supporting our clients by providing maintenance of critical assets and response services to organisations across emergency services, military, supermarket, utilities, data centres, local authorities, forecourts, highways and rail operations.
“Our 24/7 UK-wide response services for incidents involving a range of oil, chemicals and other contaminants together with treatment of hazardous waste are also critical for keeping people safe and protecting the environment. As such, many of our colleagues are defined as key workers under the latest government announcement.”
Valero is donating additional funding to support frontline charities during the current Covid-19 outbreak as part of its commitment to support the communities in which it works. The company will provide an amount of free Texaco fuel and financial assistance to FareShare, Age UK, The Trussell Trust and the East End Emergency Fund.
In addition to this direct support, Valero is also providing a financial incentive to encourage members of its Texaco Star Rewards loyalty programme to donate their Points in support of these charities.
A spokesperson for Valero explained; “Star Rewards members will be able to donate their loyalty Points to any of the four charities, with Valero pledging to match their donation. A member donating 250 Points will see Valero will doubling this to 500 Points which is worth £5. Similarly, a 500 Point donation will be doubled to 1,000 Points worth £10 and a 1,000 Point donation will be increased to 2,000 Points equivalent to £20. “
The four frontline charities benefiting from this support are:
FareShare is a UK-wide network of charitable food re-distributors, made up of 17 independent organisations. Together they take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to almost 11,000 frontline charities and community groups.
Age UK is the country’s leading charity for older people, providing vital services for those who have no one to turn to. They are in urgent need of funding to keep their vital national and local services open during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Trussell Trust has over 1,200 food bank centres in the UK and Northern Ireland that provide emergency support to those in crisis.
The East End Emergency Fund has been set up by The East End Community Foundation (EECF) in order to support the most needy and vulnerable in London’s poorest borough.
As well as the broader Valero response, the company’s refinery at Pembroke, Wales, is also giving funding to support activities in their local community, including PPE to local clinics.
Liquid fuels trade association UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) has submitted its views on behalf of members on the Northern Irish Government’s Energy Strategy.
Designed to replace the existing Strategic Energy Framework in Northern Ireland, the Department for the Economy (DfE) is developing a new Energy Strategy and has called on industry, businesses and the public to submit their views and have their say on how the Government should best tackle climate change.
“UKIFDA is always supportive of climate change strategies and welcomes the development of the new Energy Strategy by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland,” says Guy Pulham, UKIFDA Chief Executive.
Inter Pipeline Fund has halted the divestment of its European bulk liquids storage division, Inter Terminals.
“Despite being at an advanced stage of this process, we have made the decision to suspend sale activities,” says Christian Bayle, Inter Pipeline’s president/CEO.
“Europe, like the rest of the world, is urgently addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. All European countries we operate in have recently implemented sensible measures to greatly restrict travel and human contact. Potential purchasers of this business have been significantly affected which has had a material impact on the execution of our process. This is clearly not the right environment to pursue and complete a major pan-European transaction, though we may revisit this process at a later date.”
The decision to explore the idea of a potential sale was announced back in August last year with the intention that, should a sale be completed, proceeds could be used to reduce outstanding debt and finance Inter Pipeline’s capital expenditure program.
At that time Christian Bayle stressed “Inter Terminals is a high-quality business with outstanding management and staff. It has made an important contribution to the success and growth of Inter Pipeline over the past 14-years. Our decision to explore alternatives is consistent with Inter Pipeline’s practice of making prudent long-term portfolio management decisions particularly in light of our organic growth initiatives.”
There was never a definitive timeline to complete the process nor any assurance that a transaction would result from it
Inter Terminals is one of the largest independent bulk liquid storage businesses in Europe with operations in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands and Ireland and approximately 37 million barrels of storage capacity across 23 terminals. Inter reports that demand for storage capacity is currently at very high levels, with tank utilisation standing at some 95%.
INEOS who announced its aim in March to produce 1 million bottles of sanitiser per month at its new hand sanitiser plant at Newton Aycliffe, near Middlesbrough has now teamed up with Sir Dave Brailsford, general manager of Team INEOS, to commence delivery of the million bottles to 28 hospitals around the country.
Sir Dave Brailsford and his Tour de France winning cycle team are supporting the project which was initiated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and chairman of INEOS, to combine racing team logistics with the manufacturing and enterprise of INEOS.
INEOS originally announced that it would bring its Newton Ayciffe plant online in just 10 days with deliveries starting immediately afterwards. Production began well within the time frame with the plant now running three shifts around the clock. The company has repeated this in Herne Germany, Lavera in France and has announced a fourth facility in North East France in Étain.
Sir Dave Brailsford says, “Governments have asked industry to help and INEOS was proud to answer the call. Team INEOS is used to moving at speed but ten days from start to finish for four plants already was incredibly tight. We are all in this together and I am grateful to everyone in the entire INEOS family for their hands-on approach to getting the job done.”
Commencing 31 March, the bottles produced from the INEOS plant were issued to the NHS for free. After meeting the needs of front line medical and care services, INEOS will also make ‘pocket bottle’ hand sanitisers available for people’s personal use. These will all be produced to World Health Organisation specifications.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe says, “Getting the hand sanitiser into production in just ten days was a huge team effort and Team INEOS led by Sir Dave Brailsford, has made a great contribution alongside the rest of the INEOS family. We knew there was a massive shortage of hand sanitisers across the UK and that speed was crucial. We believe these INEOS sanitisers will play a key part in the fight against the virus, helping protect our NHS front line staff and vulnerable people across the country.”
All of INEOS nine polymer and chemical divisions are currently supplying products for the medical and pharmaceutical industries with many of them now being used in the fight for CV19 vaccines and treatments as well as in the production of essential products in the medical field, including rubber gloves, PVC saline infusions, syringes, ventilators and medical tubes as well as to purify public drinking water.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and chairman of INEOS adds, “INEOS is a company with enormous resources and manufacturing skills. We are not only planning to produce a million bottles of hand sanitiser a month in the UK but the same again at similar facilities in Germany and France. If we can find other ways to help in the Coronavirus battle, we remain absolutely committed to playing our part”.
In the last week alone, over a thousand forecourts globally have taken Devon-based GripHero up on its offer of providing hand-protection dispensers free to protect customers from the transmission of Covid-19 at the fuel pump.
The brainchild of inventor Oli Yeo, GripHero is an award-winning patented hand-protection dispenser, which sits on top of every hand-pump on the forecourt, so that the very first thing the customer interacts with is the hand-protection itself. This prevents customers from coming into contact with the fuel pump handle where Covid-19 could easily be passed from one driver to another.
The right thing to do
At a potential cost of up to £3 million to the business in up-front costs for the UK market alone, Oli Yeo decided that the only right thing to do was to provide the dispensers free of charge, as they are the only ones in the world permitted within the refuelling zone due to their use of ATEX-Certified anti-static materials. All other hand-protection must be stored away from fuel pumps as they are susceptible to static charges.
Commenting on the incredible response and demand for GripHero’s hand-protection dispensers, Oli Yeo said: ‘In the last week alone, we’ve received enquiries and orders from operators with over 1,000 forecourts internationally.
“They know full-well that when drivers cough or sneeze, small droplets of mucus are spread onto the steering wheel and their hands. If the driver were to have Covid-19, that could be easily passed on to other users via fuel pump handles. These are hard plastic and metal surfaces where Covid-19 can survive for upwards of 24 hours. In that time hundreds of hands could pick up and pass on the virus, which is why it’s essential for all drivers to use hand-protection at the fuel pump, every single time.”
Independent research commissioned by GripHero, shows that over 80% of drivers regularly fill up without using hand-protection because they can’t find gloves, or because standard dispensers are empty. Fitting GripHero hand-protection at every refuelling bay, and in particular, on each fuel pump nozzle, helps put a stop to this problem.
Adoption of GripHero
Westmorland Ltd, an operator of multi-award-winning motorway service stations across the country, including Gloucester Services, is one of the groups that has adopted GripHero, providing protection against the transmission of Covid-19 across their network.
Andy Smith, Group Fuels Manager for Westmorland Ltd explains: “It is more important than ever before to protect our customers in the best way we possibly can. By offering GripHero, Westmorland Ltd is playing its part in the battle against coronavirus and is dramatically reducing wastage that other glove dispensers produce. We’re also eliminating the static-risks for our customers in the fueling zone.”
Oli Yeo added: “The global fuel industry has changed overnight. Demand for hand-protection at the fuel pump has hit an all-time high, as drivers look to protect themselves. That means it is vitally important to dispense protection efficiently to avoid running out of protection at the pump, and to prevent wastage of plastic, adding to a forecourt’s already high carbon-footprint.
We hope to help all forecourts in the UK. Working at current production capacity, we could equip every petrol station in the UK within 6 months.”