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News

‘Successful entrepreneur’ – new Topaz chief executive

 “We aim to build a world-class retail and fuel business and to expand our operations significantly over the coming years,” says Emmet O’Neill, new Topaz chief executive. Last month John Callaghan, chairman of Topaz Energy Ireland, announced that Emmet O’Neill had been appointed to take over as chief executive on 1st February 2015. Sean Corkery will continue as acting CEO until then. Thirty-five year old Emmet is one of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs with a number of interests across the economy. In 2005 he founded Smiles Dental as a radical and innovative patient-focused dentistry business. Over the following decade, he grew the business to become one of the largest providers of general and specialist dental services in Ireland and the UK with 78 branches between the two countries. Smiles Dental was sold earlier this year. He has previously worked in aircraft finance and in March was appointed to the Topaz board where has led a number of projects in recent months. “Visionary and passionate, Emmet is one of the outstanding young entrepreneurs in Ireland,” said John Callaghan. “We’re very much looking forward to his leadership and his exciting plans for the business.” “I am absolutely delighted to be taking up this role at Topaz – everybody connected with the Topaz business has been incredibly welcoming and I know they all share our ambition for the business,” said Emmet. www.topaz.ie

News

Clarehill Plastics acquires Balmoral Tanks rotational moulding business

On 31st October Balmoral Tanks divested the manufacturing of its range of rotationally moulded oil, water, wastewater and rainwater harvesting products to Clarehill Plastics. Trading as Harlequin, Clarehill has acquired a range of assets associated with the above products. These assets include the use of the Balmoral name associated with particular products for a period of 18 months and items of rotational moulding equipment. Harlequin has been producing an extensive range of oil, fuel and water tanks for over 30 years. The company is committed to both product and market development and sees this move as ‘an opportunity for its established customers to expand or develop into new areas of business’. Wastewater and rainwater harvesting are seen as growth opportunities both in the home and international markets with Harlequin now ‘very well positioned to service these sectors’. www.harlequinplastics.co.uk

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Vopak hosts fact-filled river trip

A group of young people from Teesside were given an exciting opportunity to visit Europe’s largest port with the help of the High Tide Foundation. High Tide members, Vopak hosted a fact-filled trip on the River Tees whilst Huntsman and Tata Steel took the 11 students from four local schools on a tour of their Teesside facilities with PD Ports also giving an exciting insight into the important role Teesport plays as a major hub for trade with key European and worldwide markets. Sailing with P&O Ferries, the students spent two days in Rotterdam where they saw at first-hand how one of the busiest ports in the world operates, as well as gaining an understanding of the many varied roles available in the maritime industry as a whole. “What better way to learn about the importance of Teesside’s industrial platform and how it connects with other ports and global markets than to experience it in person,” said Kevin Shakesheff, High Tide Foundation chairman. “We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity the companies involved have provided as without them this trip wouldn’t be possible.” www.hightidefoundation.co.uk

News

Wincanton renews Total contract

Wincanton has strengthened its position in the UK energy sector with the renewal of its contract with Total. The three year contract – the third in a row between the two companies – means that Wincanton will continue to manage Total’s maintenance warehouse facility at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire. Under the terms of the agreement Wincanton retains responsibility for the management and control of Total’s warehouse facilities containing around 31,000 stored units used in the refinery’s repair and maintenance. Wincanton will also continue to have responsibility for receiving deliveries, kit preparation, project control, stock audit, inspection functions and on-site chemical and gas deliveries. According to Chris Kingshott, Wincanton’s managing director for manufacturing, the company’s commitment to working in close partnership with its customers to help increase productivity and efficiency, coupled with its health and safety record, were key factors in securing the contract renewal “Like us, Total is a business synonymous with extremely high levels of health and safety,” he said. “What’s more, its success worldwide is built upon a culture of continuous improvement and astute cost management, goals very much aligned with our own and a major factor in our two businesses’ long and successful partnership.” As part of its commitment to encourage more young people to look at the logistics sector as viable career options, Wincanton will place two apprentices on the Total contract.

News

Phillips 66 – mobile pricing app

Phillips 66 has upgraded its extranet portal ready for the launch of a complementary mobile pricing app. ‘My Phillips 66’ has been developed by the company as a data delivery mechanism for customers across its entire retail, wholesale, aviation, LPG and marine network. ‘My Phillips 66’ replaces the previous CPNet. The new portal provides customers with personalised business content, such as invoices, daily prices and lifting allocation details. It also contains up-to-date industry news, HSE related content and information on supply locations. Final work is currently underway on the development and imminent launch of a complementary ‘My Phillips 66’ app for use on android and Apple devices. Initially, the app will give users instant access to pricing information but will have the facility for future add-ons and enhancements. Pete George, managing director of Phillips 66 UK & Ireland marketing, commented: “While CPNet still performed a useful role, it was running on outdated software architecture and was no longer supported on a number of web browsers.  We approached our customers to get their feedback on what functions they wanted to see in an upgraded extranet. “With ‘My Phillips 66’, users will be able to choose from both a desktop website and a mobile app experience for pricing.” He added: “It provides our customers on-the-spot access to personalised, business-critical information and puts them in control of how they gather data from us. We’re confident that we’ve developed a solid foundation on which to upgrade and add on extra features in the future as our and our customers’ needs change.” Customer training on ‘My Phillips 66’ is already underway using online videos and face to face guidance. www.phillips66.com

News

Greenergy’s Plymouth terminal shortlisted for safety award

Greenergy’s fuel storage terminal at Plymouth has been shortlisted for a prestigious global safety award by the Energy Institute (EI). The EI awards recognise companies which have set new standards of excellence and innovation in their day to day operations. Greenergy’s shortlisting reflects the company’s ability to maintain and improve safety standards during an extensive regeneration programme. Over the last five years Greenergy has undertaken major improvement work at its Plymouth terminal to bring it into line with the latest safety and environmental standards. 15 tanks have been restored or replaced, new truck loading facilities installed and there has been a complete overhaul of safety and maintenance procedures, making it one of the first terminals in the UK to adopt post Buncefield standards. Earlier this year Greenergy’s Plymouth facility was also awarded its first Gold RoSPA award, following four consecutive Silver awards, in recognition of its outstanding health and safety management. Nathan Leaver, Greenergy’s Plymouth terminal manager, said: “Being shortlisted for the Energy Institute safety award demonstrates the hard work and determination of the team in ensuring that the terminal is safe and efficient. It also shows us that our drive to innovate and instil new standards can be used as a benchmark throughout the industry.” The winning entry will be announced on 13 November.

News

Suttons appoints new MD for road tanker division

Michael Cundy, appointed managing director of Suttons’ tanker division Suttons Group has announced the appointment of Michael Cundy as the new managing director for its UK based road tanker division. Michael has worked for Suttons Group since 2005 and previously held the position of HR director which also included overseeing safety, health, environment, quality (SHEQ) and commercial workshop functions. He has been a main board director at Suttons for the past five years and, says Group CEO John Sutton, “an integral driving force behind the company’s recent string of acquisitions and year-on-year growth.” “I am particularly pleased to announce Michael’s appointment. He is a highly respected and experienced member of the Suttons’ leadership team and his contribution since joining the group board has been significant,” says John Sutton. “Michael will bring an extra dimension to our UK tankers business and his knowledge and skills will be essential as we look to considerably grow the road tanker logistics business, both in the U.K. and Europe.” Commenting on his appointment, Michael says: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead Suttons’ tanker division at such an exciting time. Suttons has a strong reputation in the marketplace, committed to innovation through its product offerings and developing customer focussed solutions. I will be looking at how we can take this to the next level by enhancing the services we provide and to our customers with a focus on service, innovation, flexibility and safety.”www.suttonsgroup.com

News

JET strengthens presence in north east

JET has increased its presence in north east England through new contracts with Penny Petroleum. Seven new sites have joined the network and a further three sites have signed retie deals. Owned by David Penny, Penny Petroleum has a portfolio of 25 retail sites, the majority of which are located in the north of England. David has operated three sites under the JET brand since 2009 and has now also moved seven recently acquired sites over to the brand. All ten JET-branded sites have a combined fuel volume of 30 million litres annually and are supplied by Phillips 66 from Teesside terminal. The sites are now in the new JET livery. David Penny commented: “I’ve worked with JET for five years now and have always found them really easy to deal with and very flexible in terms of meeting my needs as a business owner. The three sites that we already had with JET were performing very well, so when choosing a brand for the other sites, it was an easy decision to go with JET.” Carl Smaller, territory manager for JET, added: “North east England has been a core retail region for Phillips 66 for many decades so we are delighted to expand our network coverage in this region with these new site wins. David is clearly operating a very successful business model and we very much look forward to welcoming these sites into our dealer network and building this relationship further in the future.”

News

Euro Garages wins industry ‘Oscar’

Blackburn-based Euro Garages – featured in the October issue of Fuel Oil News  –  has secured the 2014 Forecourt Retailer of the Year award for multiple sites at The Retail Industry Awards. This year’s event – now firmly established as the ‘Oscars’ of the grocery industry –  took place at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, at the end of September. Commenting on his company’s success, Zuber Issa, chief executive officer of Euro Garages, said: “The Retail Industry Awards prove that the quality of retail provision in the United Kingdom remains incredibly high. Everybody at Euro Garages is thrilled to be recognised alongside household brands such as Waitrose, Asda, Sainsbury’s and SPAR. As well as showcasing a wide range of retail offers and new product launches , the evening was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the very best of British retail.” Euro Garages is one of the UK’s largest privately-owned forecourt operators with over 180 sites, employing around 2,500 people. This is the third such accolade for the company, having been named Forecourt Trader of the Year in 2011 and again in 2013.

News

The £50 Energy Savings challenge

David Blevings, Ireland manager of OFTEC As Northern Ireland’s energy companies joined together to celebrate Energy Aware Week last week, OFTEC issued an “energy savings challenge” to householders that could help them save up to £50 per month on their energy bills. Energy Aware Week, which ran from 13th – 19th October, is a joint initiative by Northern Ireland energy companies to increase awareness of energy efficiency and provide homeowners with practical help and advice to make their money go further. As part of the campaign, OFTEC issued the following money-saving tips, challenging local householders to be more energy efficient and to help cut their energy bills by £50 per month:·      Turn your thermostat down – try and keep the room at 19°C. Increasing room temperature by only 1°C, can increase heating costs by 10%, whilst reducing temperature by 1°C can save almost £6 per month.·      Service your boiler – by servicing your boiler, you could improve your overall efficiency by 10%, saving up to £100 per year.·      Turning off standby – by properly switching off those appliances that often sit on standby at the mains, householders can make a saving of £4 per month -almost £50 a year.·      Swap to energy saving light bulbs – switching from regular to energy saving light bulbs can save £55 per year, almost £5 per month.·      Be water efficient – by taking a shower instead of a bath and you’ll use a lot less hot water, and with a water-efficient head to your shower, you could save about £75 a year on your energy bill, around £6 per month. Additional measures suggested by OFTEC that homeowners can take to ensure even greater long-term cost savings include:·      Consider switching to a condensing boiler – this change could reduce the annual oil bill by 18% – a cost saving of £21 per month and £259 per annum for a typical 3 bedroom house.·      Fit heating controls – simple control measures, including a 7 day programmer with room and cylinder thermostats and a motorised control, allows separate hot water and space heating. The installation of these controls could mean a reduction in the fuel bill of up to 30%.·      Insulate your home – cavity wall insulation can lead to a monthly saving of almost £10.·      Fit draught stripping across doors – eliminating small draught gaps can lead to a saving of around £100 a year, or £8 per month. David Blevings, Ireland manager of OFTEC commented: “Energy Aware Week is all about highlighting the ways that homeowners can become more energy smart. The week is a chance to inform homeowners on the small changes they can make to cut their energy bills, often at no cost. There are additional measures homeowners can also take which do require initial investment, but these can provide even greater savings in the long term.” Energy Aware Week is supported by a range of partners, including OFTEC, Phoenix Gas, Bryson Energy, Firmus Energy, Glow Worm, Grant Boilers, Power NI, SSE Airtricity, Valliant and Worcester.

News

Hoyer supports driver training charity

Senior driver trainer, Chris Hill has been seconded to Tanzania Hoyer Petrolog UK is renewing its support for Transaid, the international development charity focused on transport management and driver training in developing countries. Hoyer Petrolog has previously seconded three trainers to deliver driver and hazardous goods training with Transaid and this month the company is seconding one of its most senior driver trainers, Chris Hill, to a project in Tanzania. Chris who is based at Hythe terminal is a full-time driver training instructor for Hoyer Petrolog UK. He was seconded to Transaid’s professional driver training project at the National Institute of Transport (NIT) in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, in February 2012 to deliver the first input of driver training there and before that was seconded to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Lusaka, Zambia. Hoyer says that despite the challenges of limited availability of equipment that might be considered standard in the UK, being able to make improvements in driver technique and to improve the handling of dangerous goods has proved to be personally and professionally fulfilling for its trainers. Operations director, Allan Davison, said: “Hoyer Petrolog is delighted to support the excellent work Transaid undertakes – we truly believe that the work undertaken by Transaid has made a real difference in improving road safety in Zambia and Tanzania.” Transaid’s acting chief executive, Caroline Barber, commented: “Every year 1.3 million people die in road accidents across the world – of which 90% take place in developing countries. In order for Transaid to keep improving road safety in Africa it is vital that we can work with companies such as Hoyer Petrolog. “We are extremely grateful to the company for their continued support and for offering their time and skills to develop the expertise of trainers at the NIT which ultimately helps to address dramatic statistics and save many lives.”

News

Durapipe launches PLX Blue

Durapipe UK is expanding PLX, its specialist fuel conveyance pipework system, with the launch of PLX Blue, a plastic pipework system specifically designed to transport AdBlue/DEF in refuelling applications.

News

Simon provides specialist storage and water separation services

Specialist water separation services from Simon Storage Simon Storage has successfully provided specialist storage and water separation services at its Immingham East Terminal on behalf of Hydrodec (UK) Ltd. The contract with Hydrodec, which trades as the OSS Group in the UK, involved around 11,000 tonnes of saline water containing oil residues from shipping operations. Having already undergone an initial oil skimming process, the product was re-sampled by Simon on arrival at the terminal to ensure it satisfied the adequate specification for water separation and disposal via Simon’s on-site water treatment facilities. Received by sea into the terminal, the “ship slops” were stored in a number of specially configured tanks totalling nearly 20,000m3. After a settling period to allow for natural in-tank separation of oil and water, the water was drawn off for disposal through Simon’s water treatment facilities. Oil residues left in the tank were collected by OSS, using vacuum tankers, for recycling at its Stourport-on-Severn processing plant. Simon’s Immingham East Terminal is permitted to carry out water separation activities and recovery of separated hazardous and non-hazardous waste products from industry and commerce. Simon’s investment in its own water treatment plant at the terminal provides the capability for disposal of separated waste water derived from a wide range of permitted EWC (European Waste Catalogue) codes. In the face of finite global oil supplies, the market for collecting and recycling waste oil from sources such as the maritime and automotive industries is growing, explains Rachel Lewin, marketing executive at Simon Storage. “This rapidly developing market is increasing requirements for suitable storage, treatment and disposal in the UK and mainland Europe,” she says.www.SimonStorage.com

News

New filter technology offers “unrivalled performance”

Filtertechnik has launched Filtasorb 2 which, says the company, can hold twice the volume of water than the previous version and three times as much as its nearest competitor. Nottingham-based Filtertechnik, specialists in filtration technology and clean-up systems for fuel, biodiesel, oil, and process fluids, claims that Filtasorb 2 gives “unrivalled performance” even at low flow rates of 200 litres per minute. The filter media has been developed by the company in the UK where it is also manufactured. “In recent trials Filtasorb 2 set a new benchmark in the removal of water through absorption,” says Filtertechnik. “It’s highly effective, even in a single pass through the media, at low and high flow rates. Using diesel at a flow rate of 150 l/min Filtasorb 2 removed 6kg of free and absorbed water per minute bringing the water content to under 100ppm in a single pass from an initial level of over 44,000ppm.” www.filtertechnik.co.uk

News

Cheaper heating bills for oil households

Latest figures show that oil continues to be the only primary heating fuel to have fallen in price over the past three years, making it the cheapest option for off gas grid homes. According to the Sutherland Tables, a recognised source of data on comparative UK domestic heating prices, the current annual cost of using oil to heat a three bedroom home in Great Britain is now 10.1% lower than the average cost reported over the last three years. The same average figures for homes using electricity and LPG – the other main heating fuels used by off gas grid homes – show an increase in heating costs of 23.9% and 2.2% respectively with LPG, used by some 170,000 off mains gas properties, remaining substantially more expensive than oil. The cost of heating a three bedroom home with a condensing boiler on LPG is £1,924 per annum – £734 more expensive than oil at £1,190 per annum. According to a new report from DECC published last month, the downward trend in oil prices is set to continue over the next two years with wholesale prices forecast to fall 11.9% by 2016. In contrast, gas prices are predicted to rise by 14.5% over the same period. Jeremy Hawksley, director general of OFTEC, said: “This is further positive news for oil households which have continued to benefit from relatively consistent heating costs over the past three years.”

News

Market intelligence – FREE trial offer

The Oil Market Journal (OMJ) has expanded rapidly from its origins in 1999 when its aim was to provide large volume oil buyers with reliable Rotterdam spot market trading assessments. Today it offers a broad range of oil and foreign exchange prices, news and analysis via a plethora of innovative systems. Fuel Oil News readers are now invited to experience OMJ for themselves with a special FREE trial offer. OMJ is managed by a team of experienced oil and technology professionals and has a proven track record in combining accurate market analysis with reliable intraday price assessments and cutting edge technologies. It is a Platts licensed distributor for UKI, a Dow Jones partner, and a licensed vendor of Financial Times forex prices and ICE Futures Europe oil prices. Key services include real time intraday prices for Rotterdam cargoes of refined products, live and delayed London and New York futures prices, closing Platts prices in a range of currency/units, along with live and settlement foreign exchange prices. OMJ also provides focused news, comment and analysis on what is driving prices and moving markets along with 24 hour Dow Jones energy news. For a free trial of OMJ, go to: www.the-omj.com/fueloilnews  For details of other companies offering market intelligence and pricing information, please see the market intelligence feature on pages 23-24 in the October issue of Fuel Oil News.

News

Total – committed to better energy

Total launched its new international multimedia advertising campaign simultaneously in 21 countries at the beginning of October. The campaign highlights Total’s operations in oil production, refining and marketing, as well as its role as a major player in natural gas – 50% of its output – and as the global number two in solar power, through its subsidiary SunPower. “This large-scale campaign is the first of its kind in Total’s history. It reflects both our size and our ambitions,” explains Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier, Total’s senior vice president, corporate communications. Philippe Guys, managing director, Total Exploration and Production UK, commented: “Total is a leading global energy company. It needs a powerful brand over the long term to support the growth of its businesses. Our commitment is to continuously improve, working with and for our stakeholders. This isn’t just a promise, it is an everyday reality for Total’s 100,000 employees.” The “Committed to Better Energy” campaign includes a television commercial filmed at Total sites around the world that will appear on nearly 80 different channels. In addition, more than 230 publications will carry advertisements featuring Total employees. Displays will be visible in 15 international airports, on the web and on social networks. In all, the campaign is targeted to reach a potential audience of more than 450 million people.

News

Acquisition makes Motor Fuel Group the 2nd largest operator

The UK retail business of Murco Petroleum Ltd – a subsidiary of Murphy Petroleum Ltd – has been acquired by institutional investors, Patron Capital Partners. The business was acquired via Motor Fuel Group, the UK forecourt business owned by Patron in partnership with Alasdair Locke, for an undisclosed sum. It consists of a portfolio of 228 owned and operated forecourt sites, together with contracts to supply fuel to a further 226 sites owned and operated by third parties. The acquisition represents Patron’s most significant investment to date in the UK forecourt retailing sector, following the acquisition of Motor Fuel Group in 2011, a portfolio of Shell stations in 2012 and a group of 53 freehold forecourts let on long leases to Murco in 2013. As a result of the Murco acquisition, Motor Fuel Group is now the second-largest independent petrol filling station operator in the UK. Stephen Green, senior partner at Patron Capital, commented: “This transaction is a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial and strongly performing business as part of our strategy to build Motor Fuel Group into one of the UK forecourt sector’s most significant operators. We would like to thank Murco, the Motor Fuel Group team and our respective professional teams for their support in executing this transaction so quickly.”

News

INEOS – plant acquisition and joint safety initiative

The combined heat and power plant at Grangemouth INEOS Industries Holdings has agreed to acquire the combined heat and power plant (CHP) that serves the Grangemouth site for £54 million. The natural gas-fired plant is currently owned and operated by Fortum. The acquisition complements the current £300 million infrastructure project at the site to import and store ethane, an essential raw material for the petrochemical plant. Following a butane gas leak at the INEOS plant at Grangemouth at the end of September, the Unite union has called for the company to work with the union’s safety representatives to help prevent future incidents. INEOS confirmed that a leak of butane gas had been detected but stressed that the incident had been quickly and safely contained. As a precaution, police closed a local road and schools were told to keep children indoors with windows closed. “Grangemouth is Scotland’s premier industrial site so it is vital that the workforce, the local community and the contractors can have every confidence that it is being run with maximum emphasis on safety,” said Pat Rafferty, Scottish secretary of Unite.

News

Geneva hosts first Oil Trading Risks summit

Conference organiser, International Research Networks (IRN) is holding its inaugural Oil Trading Risks Summit in Geneva on October 22/23. “With oil being such a volatile, political and essential commodity, managing the risks related to its trading has become a very important part of the oil trading companies’ strategy to maintain their profits,” says IRN. “This high level meeting will gather heads of trading, risk managers, and financial managers from oil trading companies, refineries as well as transportation companies, including aviation.” Topics to be discussed by high-profile speakers from such companies as Repsol, Cargill, Turkish Airlines, Irving Oil and Oryx Energies, will include market risk, credit risk, regulatory risk, political risk and financial risk. More information is available about the summit at: www.oiltradingrisks.com

News

Gulf Aviation – a breath of Fresh Air

Gulf Aviation has added private jet and helicopter provider, Fresh Air, to its portfolio of aviation contracts. Gulf – the aviation brand of national fuel and lubricant supplier Certas Energy – will offer refuelling support to Fresh Air which specialises in providing helicopter and jet charter services at a variety of high profile festivals, sports tournaments and corporate events. Gulf Aviation, which has been supplying the UK aviation market for more than five years, is headed up by Alex Murphy. Commenting on the contract win, he said: “Since Gulf Aviation’s inception in 2009, the company has been servicing smaller private and business airfields and flying clubs, as well as regional airports and supplying fuel direct to airlines. “This latest contract with Fresh Air is a significant win for us, extending our work with specialist aviation services and enabling us to showcase the benefits of working with a supplier with extensive experience of the aviation industry.” www.gulfaviation.co.uk 

News

Big names at Essar’s literature festival

Adventurer Ranulph Fiennes, former Sex Pistol John Lydon, politician Paddy Ashdown and actress and writer Sheila Hancock are some of the big names appearing in the Essar Chester Literature Festival 2014 line up. Running from Friday, October 10th to Sunday, October 26th, this will be the third consecutive year that Essar Oil (UK) has sponsored the festival. Chester Performs has a programme of more than 40 events for this year’s festival. Paul Lavin, festival manager, said: “This is another programme that we believe offers something to suit all tastes. The festival has a really good audience and we look forward to welcoming them back for another year.” Ian Cotton, head of communications and community for Essar Oil (UK) Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the festival once again. It’s a highlight not only in the Chester arts calendar but across our entire region. This year’s line-up offers something for everyone and we’re looking forward to seeing our local communities getting involved.” The festival programme and ticket booking information is available online at: www.chesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

News

Simon provides specialist storage and water separation services

Specialist water separation services from Simon Storage Simon Storage has successfully provided specialist storage and water separation services at its Immingham East Terminal on behalf of Hydrodec (UK) Ltd. The contract with Hydrodec, which trades as the OSS Group in the UK, involved around 11,000 tonnes of saline water containing oil residues from shipping operations. Having already undergone an initial oil skimming process, the product was re-sampled by Simon on arrival at the terminal to ensure it satisfied the adequate specification for water separation and disposal via Simon’s on-site water treatment facilities. Received by sea into the terminal, the “ship slops” were stored in a number of specially configured tanks totalling nearly 20,000m3. After a settling period to allow for natural in-tank separation of oil and water, the water was drawn off for disposal through Simon’s water treatment facilities. Oil residues left in the tank were collected by OSS, using vacuum tankers, for recycling at its Stourport-on-Severn processing plant. Simon’s Immingham East Terminal is permitted to carry out water separation activities and recovery of separated hazardous and non-hazardous waste products from industry and commerce. Simon’s investment in its own water treatment plant at the terminal provides the capability for disposal of separated waste water derived from a wide range of permitted EWC (European Waste Catalogue) codes. In the face of finite global oil supplies, the market for collecting and recycling waste oil from sources such as the maritime and automotive industries is growing, explains Rachel Lewin, marketing executive at Simon Storage. “This rapidly developing market is increasing requirements for suitable storage, treatment and disposal in the UK and mainland Europe,” she says. “With a long history of handling bulk liquid wastes under permit and its own water separation facilities at Immingham, Simon has achieved significant business success in this demanding sector and is ideally placed to maximise emerging opportunities.” www.SimonStorage.com

News

Durapipe launches PLX Blue

PLX Blue from Durapipe UK Durapipe UK is expanding PLX, its specialist fuel conveyance pipework system, with the launch of PLX Blue, a plastic pipework system specifically designed to transport AdBlue/DEF in refuelling applications. As AdBlue is becoming more widely used within diesel fuelled vehicles, PLX Blue enhances Durapipe’s existing range, providing a solution to convey AdBlue/DEF from tank to pump. Suitable for a variety of applications and manufactured from a high grade robust polyethylene, PLX Blue can carry AdBlue/DEF without fear of the additive leaking into the environment. The product’s durable properties also provide a design life of more than 30 years, with little maintenance required during its lifetime. PLX Blue is available in sizes from 32mm to 63mm, in both single wall and dual contained options. The pipework is lightweight in nature and allows for a simple installation process using an electro-fusion jointing system. David Naylor, brand manager for PLX, comments:  “The addition of PLX Blue to the range means that Durapipe UK can now fulfil all pipework requirements of a refuelling system, providing a one-stop solution for contractors and suppliers looking for a complete portfolio of pipework products.”www.plxpipe.com