The Bulletin – December 2021

Doreen Pooley APEA Chairman

Welcome to the December edition of The Bulletin and my first as incoming Chairman of the APEA National Council. Well, that’s the cat let out of the bag then! Due to The Bulletin production schedules, although this is the “December Edition” you will receive it before the AGM.

First, let me emphasise the importance of The Bulletin. Our Editor, Brian Humm, works incredibly hard to keep this interesting and relevant so please do take time to look through. Please also recognise those companies that take the trouble to advertise with us. They are true supporters of our organisation – investing in the belief that the APEA continues to be relevant and a focus for our industry. We can all SAY this, but they put their money where their mouth is.

This leads nicely to my second point (almost as if I had planned it!). One of the roles of National Council is to ensure that the organisation stays relevant and forward thinking. I would like to thank Tom Daly, not only for his stalwart efforts as Chairman during some challenging times, but also in his role as Chairman of the Training Committee. Long before the words “global pandemic” passed our lips National Council had discussed the need to move training online. It fell on Tom to garner the support of all of the trainers and to liaise with our training partner to actually see this through. So, while the online training was announced in a previous edition I think it’s important to extend our thanks to Tom for delivering this.

They are very big shoes to fill so I have set myself a two-fold challenge for my tenure as Chairman.

1.To work with National Council and Branches to see what, if any, other enhancements would keep us, as an organisation, at the forefront of our industry and for us to have a clear path to the future.

2.To give all possible support to Branches to help our membership out of the other side of this very difficult time.

To be part of this development, please do get involved at Branch level. Attend Branch meetings and talk to the Branch Representative to National Council and to your committee so that ideas can be fed through. Encourage more people in the industry to become members and participate.

For Branches to thrive and for you to see some benefit for your membership we need members to be actively involved on Branch Committees. We realise this can sound a little nebulous and you may not want to volunteer not knowing what you are letting yourself in for so we have drafted a document outlining the roles and activities at various levels within the Branch Committee and this will shortly be available through the APEA website – or you can ask your Branch Chairman for a copy.

At the time of reading this, we will be hurtling towards APEA Live. I have always been a huge fan – having paid for my own seat and/or hotel accommodation on occasions where I couldn’t get an invitation. This year promises to be an amazing event. Our events partners F2F have worked incredibly hard to give us all a night to remember (for all the right reasons!) whilst keeping an eye out and an ear to the ground regarding government guidance and event industry best practice to keep us all safe.

To close, it falls on me to wish all our Bulletin readers a very merry festive season and a healthy and prosperous 2022 from all of us on the National Council. This seems as good a time as any to be looking to the future and not to the past.

Publications Chairman

Jane Mardell

APEA, PO Box 106 Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3XT

Tel: +44 (0) 345 603 5507 Mobile: +44 (0) 7815 055514 email: admin@apea.org.uk

Andy Kennedy Mobile: 07469 212063 email: andykennedy@apea.org.uk

Brian Humm Mobile: +44 (0) 7507 478533 email: b.humm@outlook.com

Brian Humm

Editor

Welcome to this edition of the APEA Bulletin magazine, I do hope that you enjoy the mix of articles, news and reports contained within. As usual it has taken a considerable effort to produce this edition; we are always short of copy so please consider contributing in any way, shape or form. We are always interested in anything petrol related, be it a query for our experts, a funny story, a case study of a project that you or your company have undertaken and are proud of even a strange/unusual photograph - anything will be welcomed, this production is for you, the members, so it would be nice for you to contribute.

As I write this we have just emerged from the “fuel shortage” that was initiated by the UK press. I believe parts of London are still affected but where I reside (Eastbourne) there are no queues for fuel whatsoever. The shortage of trained/qualified tanker drivers was certainly the issue and hopefully this will be addressed in time, firstly by the involvement of the Armed forces personnel and secondly by the recruitment and training of drivers in this sector. Some people might not be aware but an HGV driver will still need training under the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (Known as the ADR and is a European agreement) which all costs time and money but members hopefully would agree that this is worth the investment in order to stop situations like this arising.

Given the above, it has been described to me as a “Nightmare” on some forecourts; staff are being verbally abused (as a minimum) when trying to prevent members of the public filling unsuitable containers with petrol. To this end I have included in this issue a brief resume of how to get information from the UKHSE in regard to cans etc. which is a must have document for enforcing authorities and indeed oil companies/filling station operators to be aware of the requirements.

Covid 19 is still with us, albeit with the majority of people within the UK being vaccinated and with the virus is still lurking out there, I would ask all members to keep safe as best they can, be aware of their surroundings and keep vigilant with hand

washing/sanitising and mask wearing in situations they deem suitable. Me, being extremely vulnerable, am going to get on a plane for the first time in a few years and will ensure I take the appropriate measures to ensure my safety. This can hit close to home - only yesterday I learned that my elder brother has tested positive and is feeling very unwell indeed, and he has received both doses of the vaccine, so if you are to attend the APEA live event please remember the covid precautions and protocols.

Having, over many years, been involved in the APEA training team, it has been great to be involved in the production of the new online training courses. These are now live and can be purchased individually or as a bundle to be used by filling station operators, enforcement authorities and anyone who may require refresher training in the subjects covered. A lot of senior personnel within this industry have seen the content and have commented on the professionalism and content of the courses, details of which are contained within this Bulletin and on the APEA website. Special thanks from me have to go to the training Chair, Tom Daly, and the other trainers that contributed to this project and lastly to Olive group for their patience and skill in the production.

Tom Daly, not only the training Chair and Current Chair of the APEA until the AGM at APEA Live, has bitten the bullet and retired from his position within Dublin Fire and Rescue Service as a petroleum officer. Congratulations Tom on your escape into the world of the “pensioner” and may you succeed in any endeavour that you undertake; I know you are staying within the petroleum industry and staying as a valued member of the APEA national council.

Speaking of council, this edition will reach members prior to APEA Live 2021, being held at the Stadium MK, details of which can be found online or in this issue. I look forward to seeing members at the event, and it would be especially nice to see members attending the AGM; this is an opportunity for members to see the council elections, speeches from the relevant committee chairs and to hear me give my annual review of the Bulletin production and my annual appeal (voiced) for copy and articles to be submitted. You will also, this year, see the new chair of the APEA accept the chain of office and the election of any fellows (if any have been proposed) so why not come along? It’s only about 2030 minutes out of the day and it will give you an insight into the operation of the APEA - who knows, it may encourage you to become more involved.

Lastly, I would like to thank a few people. First, the advertisers within this Bulletin, without them we wouldn’t have a worthy publication such as this one, also Jane for her production and Jamie Thompson for his contributions, until next time…

Business Manager

The website enables you to update your Yearbook profile at any time of the year so you can keep your contact information up to date live on the website. There will be a deadline date in April of each year when I will use this information for the printed version.

Membership

Jane Mardell Business Manager

I hope you all managed to have a break over the summer/autumn period, I had a week away in Palma, Mallorca in September (first proper holiday for nearly two years) sightseeing and relaxing. It’s a beautiful city, very much like Grenada and Cadiz on the Spanish mainland on a smaller scale. Bit of a faff with the tests and forms but it was lovely to have a break.

APEA Live 2021

Not long now until APEA Live Conference, Exhibition and Awards Dinner on 18th November at Stadium MK. Its been a long time since we have seen each other face to face. I hope those of you attending enjoy the day/eveining. For details go to page 80 of this issue.

The Bulletin

We are always looking for press releases and articles for The Bulletin. If you have anything you think would interest our readers please email it to me at admin@apea.org.uk and I will forward it to the editor, Brian Humm to approve. Bulletin advertisers are able to submit multiple press releases and article so if this interests you please look at how to advertise on page 12.

Bulletin - 2022 Advertising

I am currently taking bookings for advertising in the 2022 issues of The Bulletin. All current advertisers have been contacted and invited to renew their bookings. If you wish to secure the best position for your advertisement, please email me as soon as possible, as all bookings are on a first come first served basis. All artwork should be emailed to me by 6th December. More information about advertising can be found on page 12.

2022/2023 Yearbook

You will be receiving your 2022 Yearbooks in November this year. A bit later than normal, there have been staffing and delays to paper deliveries due to Covid. Please let me know if you have not received your delivery by December and I will follow this up.

I will be starting work on the 2023 Yearbook in February. Instructions will be sent to members on how to be included with the March Bulletin and sent by email so please make sure your email address is up to date by logging onto your membership record at www.apea.org.uk.

Memberships run for 12 months from the date of joining or payment for a renewal. Once the membership has been paid by debit or credit card it will auto renew by card one year later. You will still receive an email one month before expiry notifying you that the payment will be taken on the date of renewal. If you wish to change or cancel your membership before payment is taken you can do so by logging onto your membership record at www.apea.org.uk.

If you wish to upgrade your membership from Individual to Corporate membership you can also do this by logging onto your membership record and going to the membership section at ‘My Account’.

Electric Vehicle Charging Installations at Filling Stations

This publication is available to purchase from the website in hardcopy or pdf format. Please go to page 12 for more information and the publications page on the website at www.apea.org.uk.

New Online training courses

As detailed in an article in the September issue of The Bulletin we now offer online training courses, please go to the training page on the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk or go to: https://apea.org.uk/pages/training or https://apea.mykademy.com/

New APEA website

We are launching a new APEA website shortly and I will be emailing details about this to all members about when it is due to go live. It will be easier to navigate and be more simple to use.

Members email addresses

APEA communication to members is carried out by email. Please ensure you keep your email address and contact details up to date on your membership record by logging onto your account at www.apea.org.uk. This will ensure you do not miss out on information about APEA activity.

New Members

There have been 20 new members joining during July, August and September and details can be found on page 9.

General Assistance

If you need any assistance with general or technical matters, please do not hesitate to contact me at admin@apea.org.uk or on 0345 603 5507.

Best wishes

Jane

Members

Corporate Membership

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Nathan

Mary

James

Purdie

Membership

Ivan

Anthony

Noel

Graeme

Emily

Robert

Ryan

Patrick

Philip

Richard

Richard

Publications Information

ISBN 978 0 85293 888 1

Price for hard copy

APEA Member rate - £75

Non APEA Member rate - £150

Price for pdf version (please note the pdf version is licensed to the purchaser only and cannot be shared or printed)

APEA Member rate - £75

Non APEA Member rate - pdf £150

If you wish to purchase the guide please go to the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk and click on the “Publications” page. You can select to pay by credit/debit card.

The APEA also publishes the Code of Practice for Ground floor, multi storey and underground car parks. This can be downloaded directly from the APEA website and is available to members at £11.00 and £21.00 to non APEA members.

Electric Vehicle Charging Installations at Filling Stations

Price for hard copy

APEA Member rate - £32.50

Non APEA Member rate - £50

Price for pdf version (please note the pdf version is licensed to the purchaser only and cannot be shared or printed)

APEA Member rate - £32.50

Non APEA Member rate - pdf £50

This Code of Practice is an authoritative guide to all installations of electric vehicle charging equipment. It has been updated in line with recent changes in BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations) and reflects some major developments in this area including vehicle to grid, smart integration and inductive charging.

As part of the rapid growth and development of the whole electric vehicle charging infrastructure, filling stations are seen as an obvious place to provide charging facilities. However, it is recognised that difficult safety and logistical issues are linked to such installations.

When the 4th Edition of the Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation was published, significant technical discussions were still underway about this area to help finalise and clarify the safety issues that needed to be addressed. The work behind these meetings was led by APEA (the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration) who represent the major stakeholders in this sector. APEA and the IET are therefore now issuing this joint publication to help provide important guidance in this area.

ISBN-13: 978-1-83953-315-0

Publication Year: 2020 Pages: 30

4th Edition of the Guidance for Design, Construction, Modification, Maintenance and Decommissioning of Filling Stations“Blue Book” (Revised 2018)

About The Bulletin and how you can submit copy to be included

•The Bulletin is published four times a year with a print run of 2200.

•Free issue to APEA members (approx 1200 members worldwide)

•Has international distribution and readership

•Respected source of industry specific news and information

•Contains relevant articles, news items, press releases and reports from UK and overseas

•Individual, Fellow and Retired members receive one copy each and Corporate members receive 5 copies each per quarter.

The editor of The Bulletin, Brian Humm, is always on the look out for new material, so if you have something you want to be included, please email it to the APEA office at admin@apea.org.uk and it will be forwarded to Brian for approval.

Please email the text in Word format and any images as separate high resolution pdf or jpeg files to admin@apea.org.uk.

We are always pleased to receive contributions from our members and it ensures that The Bulletin remains an interesting and informative read.

Priority is given for press releases and articles submitted by Bulletin advertisers to be included.

Deadline dates for copy and advertising artwork 2022

Issue Copy deadline date

Posting date

March 2022 3rd January 18th February

June 2022 21st March 6th May

Sept 2022 27th June 12th August

Dec 2022 26th September 4th November

Please note the deadline date for the March 2022 issue is early due to Christmas and New Year holidays.

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If you would like to book advertising in The Bulletin, please email your requirements to admin@apea.org.uk or call the office on 0345 603 5507. Please ensure you send your artwork to admin@apea.org.uk.

Priority is given for press releases and articles submitted by Bulletin advertisers to be included.

Discounts are available for booking in more than one issue, please contact Jane Mardell at admin@apea.org.uk for more information.

Bulletin advertisers that book in 3 or more issues in one year also receive a 50% discount off rates for advertising in the annual Yearbook, see table below.

Size of advert (all rates exclude VAT)

Advert fee in 1 issue

Advert fee in 4 issues (includes 25% disc

Full page (210mmw x 280mmh with 10mm border or with 3mm bleed) £498.00 £1494.00

½ page (185mmw x 125mmh) £249.00 £747.00

¼ page (90mmw x 120mmh) £125.00 £375.00

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Ask The Experts

By Brian Humm, Editor of The Bulletin

I was hoping that the APEA may be able to offer me some advice/help please.

I own and run a 24/7 365 pay at the pump petrol filling station. I have CCTV cameras recording my site 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Myself and my family have been watching the cameras remotely for the last 2 years because we thought this site had to be monitored at all times. We have since been told that what this actually means is that the site must be monitored at all times (which is what happens anyway) but we must have cameras that record 24/7 (which we do). If we have this we would not need to watch the cameras whilst we are closed. Would you be able to just confirm this to me as we want to be right?

The criteria for unattended self service has been deliberated over time by the members of the Petroleum Enforcement Liaison Group (PELG), which is a committee that is sanctioned by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide advice and guidance in relation to the operation of petrol filling stations. The guide, that is free to download from the Energy Institute (EI) website is known as the Red Guide. This complements the guidance on Design,

Construction, Maintenance and Decommissioning of Petrol Filling Stations, known as the Blue Book (jointly published by the APEA and the EI).

Within the Red guide, section 8.5 outlines control measures in regard to dispensing. This chapter incorporates all types, from attendant service to unmanned filling stations, and shows the control measures that are required to be in place for each type of site, including emergency equipment, emergence response etc. Contained within section 8.5 is a table which illustrates the measures (P74-77 in the current version) showing differing criteria for different types of unmanned sites, from a rural site that dispenses very little and is deemed to be an asset to a rural community to a very busy commercial site that sells millions of litres a year.

The red guide can be followed using this link: https://publishing.energyinst.org/topics/petroleum-productstorage-and-distribution/filling-stations/petrol-filling-stations-guid ance-on-managing-the-risks-of-fire-and-explosion-the-red-guide

A Classic Petrol Station

By Jamie Thompson, APEA Technical Committee Chairman

This petrol station in Sweden is an example of how time has stood still as this station still has some of the same Ljungman’s equipment that was installed when it was originally constructed in 1954.

The petrol station and garage was opened in the 1950’s by Svenne Nilsson and a report published in the local paper in November 2004 said:

“Many petrol stations in the area have disappeared one by one. But Svenne's car workshop and petrol station in little Hjälmshult live on. This autumn has been the 50th anniversary and the owner Svenne Nilsson, who turns 70 on Sunday, has no plans to quit. “I like helping people with their cars. It almost feels like I am making a social contribution and the customers have always been so kind and grateful. I have never received any complaints”, says Svenne Nilsson. He drives a Saab himself but does not want to name a favourite car. “All cars are good if they are handled properly, he says diplomatically.”

The petrol station no longer appears to be operating but still remains as a reminder of times past.

A BP Branded tyre air compressor

This is the very early “automat” which enabled customers to pay for their fuel using coins and notes before the credit card was introduced. Once payment was made the customer chose the pump then filled up. Sweden was one of the first countries to use these systems.

The Star 97 made around 1960

early Blender 95 to 98 Octane

This is the VICI pump dated around 1927 - a hand operated dispenser with the fuel amounts in litres is measured

the visible glass

Ljungmans Pump Manufacturers were founded by Jacob Ljungman in Malmo, Sweden in 1924 and produced many dispensers for sale across Europe including the UK.

The company was taken over in 1970 by the American company Dresser Industries and is now part of the Dover Corporation. Photos by Stuart Thompson.

The Charge to EV!

By Ian Butherway, Electro-Technical & Testing Solutions Ltd (ETTS)

2.The smaller, particularly independent filling station, who will simply fit the cheapest they can get just to have something in place.

With politicians panicking about their chances of election next time round, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the Government has decided to ban petrol and diesel vehicles within 10 years. I don’t think many decision makers have much of a clue about what might happen from 2030 – 10 years isn’t long for a manufacturer to completely change

their propulsion system from scratch and how many, like Mitsubishi, might simply just pull out of the UK market.

But for me the real issue will be infrastructure. While average house supplies have risen steadily from 60 amp through 80 to now 100 amp being the norm, soon this won’t be enough.

With oil fired heating already outlawed in new build houses, and gas heating to soon follow suit, space and water heating will be all electric, albeit via air or ground source heat pumps.

To heat an average house in the UK would need a 11KW air source heat pump. Add in a 9.5KW shower and maybe 0.5KW of general stuff and you will be up to 21KW already. That equates to 91 amps. Then you have mum with her Renault Zoe, Dad with his Tesla and 2 young adults with their electric transport all needing charging to get to work tomorrow! Well, that will need 120 amps all night, minimum – so where does that leave the infrastructure – from the home all the way back through the grid to the power station.

I read a couple of weeks ago that by 2040 we will need double the output that we have today. Having spoken to our local DNO, they tell me that soon all new build houses will have 3 phase supplies.

And that brings me on to the filling station.

With the Government legislating for them to be fitted, I see two scenarios here:

1.The supermarket, particularly with a restaurant, will install large fast chargers stretching the grid and infrastructure further.

In both cases they will probably be installed by someone who has no idea what they should be doing on a forecourt so will no doubt not conform to the hazardous area requirements. And that’s if it conforms to current wiring regs, BS7671. We have seen some awful installs already albeit not on forecourts, one of which had to get the NICEIC involved!

We fit EV chargers but don’t publicise this much, as there appear to be so many “specialist” companies jumping on the bandwagon offering cheap installations via even cheaper sub-contractors! We are not interested in the race to the bottom. Imagine these people installing on a forecourt!

I spoke to someone a few weeks ago who needed to attend a meeting across the country. He worked out his route based on public charging points, On the way back from his meeting, the first one he stopped out was out of order. No problem – there was another just a few miles down the road. There were several here, but all were full. He eventually found one with about 2 miles range left.

OK, things should get better. But in 9 years? With many more electric vehicles? Maybe not.

So, some of you might say, the answer lies in the towns and cities surely? Let’s concentrate on electric here. Cars here do less miles and cause more pollution. But not many have off-road parking and a sizeable proportion don’t even live on ground level. HSE will have a field day with all the tripping hazards, and damaged leads as time goes by.

And who came up with the idea of putting EV chargers on lamp posts? As a HERS registered company (Highway Electrical Registration Scheme) I can tell you that the lighting infrastructure was designed to power the lights on top, not sockets to charge cars unless these were about 2 amp which would take a week to provide a 100 mile charge.

What about goods vehicles, large and small? They won’t have the range, not within 9 years anyway, to be of much use.

To upgrade the infrastructure in time would be pointless, as so much of the roads would be dug up no-one could go anywhere anyway. And the machines digging them up would be on charge more than they would be digging.

And while many say it’s an opportunity for businesses like ours, they are obviously not aware of the current skills shortage we face right now.

It’s all very well for politicians to make these knee jerk decisions, but then what? Well, that’s someone else’s problem! And in a few years it will be a problem.

What does EV and the Retail Boom mean for Health and Safety?

By Rebecca Watts, Health and Safety Manager at Suresite Group

The forecourt is no longer a place to simply stop and fill up with fuel. Instead forecourts are evolving into ‘destinations’, with services such as groceries and food and drink outlets contributing to the growth of non-fuel retail.

With the UK government’s drive towards net-zero, EV charging points are also contributing to longer dwell times. Yet as our forecourts continue to evolve, in turn this presents more onsite health and safety risks.

Health and safety manager at Suresite, Rebecca Watts, outlines some of the growing - but often overlooked - risks that forecourt operators need to be aware of.

The forecourt as retail hub

With people getting busier, and convenience culture driving growth in non-fuel retail, forecourts are now more often viewed as one-stop shops which also happen to sell fuel - rather than the other way around.

According to the HIM report 2020, only 19% of forecourt shoppers cite fuel as their main reason for visiting. Alliances with established high street retailers and supermarkets, and an increase in food and beverage outlets, has meant customers can do so much more whilst they fill up - such as shop for their weekly groceries or pick up a take-away.

With 90% of UK petrol stations having some kind of retail offer attached, according to the Association of Convenience Stores, the non-fuel retail sector generated £4.7 billion in non-fuel sales in 2019 alone. The shift in shopping habits as a result of the Covid19 pandemic has seen massive growth in convenience retail with customers preferring to shop in smaller local stores where they have felt safer. And whilst some customers will revert back to shopping in supermarkets, it’s predicted that convenience sales will remain higher than they were pre-pandemic.

The growing adoption of EV will have its own impact on how forecourts will be used in the future. The opening of the first

electric-only forecourt last year in Essex included a state of the art building with a large retail offering, and a waiting lounge with free and fast WiFi. With this in mind, non-fuel retailing is set to completely change the landscape of the forecourt.

Shop safety checks

But what does this growth in non-fuel retail (NFR) mean for onsite health and safety? Where the focus, in terms of compliance, was once predominantly around the storage and dispensation of fuel, forecourts with expanded retail offerings now must ensure that their risk assessments for the retail side of the business are also up to scratch.

Believe it or not, the biggest fire risk on a forecourt actually comes from large onsite fridges and freezers, not from fuel! Running for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, if these are not kept in good working order, they can become a significant hazard. At Suresite, we’ve seen first hand how stores have been damaged by serious fires caused by these kinds of appliances.

Therefore planned preventative maintenance is key for retailers. It’s important to regularly review and amend fire risk assessments for the site, ensuring there is a specific risk assessment in place for the shop - as well as the forecourt. As well as considering DSEAR (dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations), assessments should also take into account the hazards and risks associated with the forecourt as a workplace; such as loneworking, manual handling, the use of walk-in fridge / freezers and

food preparation. Operators must then ensure adequate controls are put in place to eliminate or reduce risk to an acceptable level. Staff training is key to ensuring staff are aware of the site protocols and procedures.

The forecourt goes electric Sales of electric vehicles are currently enjoying a high - and with a planned investment of £1.3 billion in the next five years into the necessary charging infrastructure, and the commitment from the UK government to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the coming years, this surge in interest from consumers comes as no surprise. In fact, in July this year, EVs took over diesel in terms of new car registrations.

With the electric vehicle landscape changing rapidly, forecourts should expect new health and safety challenges to their current on-site practices. In order to charge a vehicle in only 30 minutes, rapid vehicle chargers will require a massive power supply - one that must be located at a distance from other hazardous areas on the forecourt, such as jet washes or petrol pumps. For those sites with only limited space, the introduction of high voltage, rapid vehicle chargers will present a significant issue to health and safety - and not all sites will be able to safely secure a four metre hazard zone around an EV charging point.

These powerful DC chargers may also require more supply than a forecourt can currently provide, and some sites will find that they need to install a substation in order to support fast charging.

Substations are, of course, incredibly dangerous - they must be fenced off, and the forecourt must be able to ensure that the public cannot access the substation, or the area around it.

An EV charger lead and cable will ultimately be handled by a significant number of people every day - especially as EVs grow in popularity amongst the populace. As a result, they must be kept in good working order and fully intact, as damage to the cables or plug ends could result in life-threatening electric shocks.

Attempting to extinguish and cooling EV fires

It takes an impressive 1,125 litres of water per minute to put out an electric vehicle fire - which are thankfully incredibly rare occurrences. However, due to their intensity and duration, they can be hard to extinguish. Tesla cars have been shown to require up to 20,000 litres of water to put out a fire.

The major issue here for the forecourt - should a fire happen on one - is that this huge amount of water will need to go somewhere. Onsite drainage, and most forecourt interceptors, can only accommodate up to 10,000 litres of water - not nearly enough capacity. The water will also be contaminated with lithium and therefore become an environmental risk if it passes through the separator on a forecourt.

Installing EV chargers - can it be done safely?

The key question in relation to the installation of EV charging on

the forecourt is, not only is it worth doing, but can it be done safely? It is key that retailers familiarise themselves with the breadth of complexities that come with EV charging installation. The sector will also soon need more detailed guidance and regulation from the government, especially as the EV revolution takes hold. In the meantime, it is up to the forecourts themselves to ensure they do their own due diligence - conducting risk assessments, and researching potential suppliers carefully.

For those forecourts considering plugging into the EV network safely, it would be advisable to reach out to trusted experts in the forecourt health and safety arena, who can work closely with the business to ensure compliance in relation to EV. The APEA also provides an excellent guide in the form of their Blue Bookcertainly a must-read for those retailers ready to embark on their EV journey.

Now, in a period of forecourt evolution, knowing and adhering to health and safety regulation is more important than ever. Forecourt stations have always had a bad reputation, known as hazardous places, and as they move towards becoming true ‘service stations’ - with large retail offerings and high voltage charging systemshealth and safety requirements and procedures are set to become tighter and evolve rapidly. What retailers and forecourt operators should realise is the importance of expertise when dealing with health and safety regulations. In the spirit of safety, it’s better to call on third party experts and qualified assessors than to be sorry.

Joint Industry Project Hydrogen Refuelling Stations

By Leon Youngs, Green Energy and Sustainability Commercial Services Manager, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory

Testing and Standardising for Dispensed Quantity at Hydrogen Refuelling Stations.

The widespread deployment of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) is a key part of the Government’s strategy for the UK to become a ‘net-zero’ nation by 2050. In order to provide HRS operators, regulators and consumers the confidence in the quantity of dispensed hydrogen, a means of accurate measurement is critical. TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory, as part of the UK National Measurement Systems (NMS) funded by BEIS, has developed a portable primary standard, the Hydrogen Field Test Standard (HFTS), for this exact purpose.

Due to the lack of standardisation within the HRS industry it is essential that an assessment is carried out on the currently available technology to help shape best practice and drive a route towards a standardised approach.

TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory’s HFTS is the first of its kind in the UK and will provide the capability for an HRS to demonstrate compliance with OIML R-139. All measurements are traceable back to a physical primary National Standard.

The JIP will have the following main objectives:

To determine and verify the metering performance of the UK’s HRS network in relation to OIML R139

•To develop a standardised means of testing an HRS meter with a gravimetric Field Test Standard

To specify a standardised approach to HRS measurement system design, that ensures compliance with OIML R-139

•To compile an Industry Best Practice Guide for HRS Test & Verification

The JIP will launch as soon as we have sufficient participant contribution to cover the budgeted scope of work, with a proposed launch date in early 2022.

If you are interested in participating or have any areas that you would like the JIP to consider, please contact Leon Youngs at leon.youngs@tuvsud.com for further details.

Major Parisian Data Centre Specifies KPS Piping To Fuel Backup Generators

By Serge Fauveau, OPW Sales Manager, France & Oscar Garcia, OPW European Sales Manager, KPS Commercial & Industrial

A renowned international data centre management company required a conductive, leak free zeropermeation plastic pipe system for their new data centre in Paris, France. This system supplies diesel to the backup generators that provide electricity to the facility in case of interruption of the regular power supply. KPS piping was specified for this project to connect the diesel tanks with the backup generators on the roof, and to connect the remote fill points to the diesel tanks, providing an easy-install electrostatically safe solution.

Problem

A power outage at a facility like this could be catastrophic to the service it provides, making a reliable emergency power system critical. To solve this problem, the facility has several backup generators in case of an interruption of the regular power supply.

This French data centre required a high-performance piping system for their generators which would allow a 933 litre/minute flow rate. Due to the data centre’s location in an urban centre, generators were installed on the roof of the building, while the fuel tanks were located below ground.

A new data centre facility in Paris, France specified KPS double wall piping to fuel backup generators

Data centre facilities require a number of backup generators to ensure an uninterrupted power supply

The diesel supply piping system connects below ground tanks to generators on the roof

KPS conductive 4” pipe (125/110mm) was installed to connect the remote filling point to the fuel tanks

KPS 2” (75/63mm) conductive double wall piping connects fuel tanks to backup generators

KPS’ double wall pipework includes an interstitial space between the inner and outer pipes, providing an extra layer of security

Conductive KPS piping is electrostatically safe, preventing potential static build-up

KPS offers an installer training and certification programme

KPS provided a liquid tight solution, including watertight entry boots

KPS’ 2” (75/63mm) double wall piping was installed to connect fuel tanks to metal piping running up the outside wall of the facility

KPS’ 4” (125/110mm) double wall piping was installed to connect remote fill points and below ground fuel tanks

Solution

KPS’ conductive double wall polyethylene piping proved a perfect solution for this data centre.

Installed following the installation of the fuel tanks and chambers, KPS’ 4” (125/110mm) double wall piping was installed to connect the remote fill points (the point where fuel tankers deliver fuel) to the below ground tanks, and KPS’ 2” (75/63mm) double wall piping was installed to connect fuel tanks to metal piping running up the outside wall of the facility, and from where the metal piping terminated on the roof, to the backup power generators.

Key features of KPS piping for this project

•KPS 4” piping allows a flow rate of 933 litre/minute enabling fast fuel delivery

•KPS double wall piping includes an interstitial space between the inner and outer pipes, providing an extra layer of security

•Electrostatically safe (conductive), avoiding potential static build-up

•Installed by a certified professional (KPS offers an installer training and certification programme)

•Fast, simple installation (compact electrofusion fittings)

•Zero permeation: liquid/watertight

•Corrosion-free

KPS piping is

Results

KPS’ plastic (polyethylene) pipe system provides data centres and cloud facilities like this one with reliable, safe fuel transfer solutions to supply facilities’ backup generators in case of an interruption of the regular power supply. As the use of data centres has increased, their requirements have evolved significantly. In recent years, this has led to an increasing need for efficiency, reliability, and reduced downtime risk, driving an increased focus on value over cost.

For more KPS case studies visit: www.kpspiping.com/apea

Petrol Storage Containers

By Brian Humm, Editor of The Bulletin

With the recent panic buying of fuel following press reports of shortages it reminded me of a similar situation a few years ago when the road tanker drivers were rumoured to be going on strike. This resulted in a very busy time for the petroleum group of the London Fire Brigade with numerous phone calls and email enquiries as to the types of containers that could be used for petrol storage. This even led to a video being made by the brigade to upload to youtube showing different cans, size and markings required etc. It certainly caused quite a stir.

The general public often gets confused with the type and size of cans that they may use. If you use the wrong type, however, it could lead to a major incident; there was a serous fire and explosion a few years ago that occurred in Lincolnshire which resulted in two fatalities. On this occasion the wrong type of container was filled with petrol, the petrol vapour expanded overnight affecting the non-petrol resistant rubber seal in the cap and then permeated through the lid. This resulted in the vapour flowing from the

container into a confined office area. When the employees came to work in the morning and opened the door they immediately turned on the light. The vapour by this time had settled within the lower and upper explosive limit for petrol (1.4% to 7.6% in air) which meant that there was a large explosion and subsequent fire and the two employees were sadly fatally injured.

Following the introduction of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations (PCR) in 2014, which give Petroleum Enforcement Authorities (PEA’s) powers over domestic storage (Part 3 and Schedule 2 and 3 of the PCR) the HSE has produced guidance on their website in regards to type, size, appropriate marking and testing criteria of portable petrol storage containers. This document is a must have for PEA’s and forecourt operators to at least be aware of it, if not own your own copy. It is available if you follow the link shown here.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/portabable-petrolstorage-containers.pdf

KPS’ conductive piping is electrostatically safe, avoiding potential static build-up

Mobile Filling Station - Driven by Electricity!

By Jamie Thompson, APEA Technical Committee Chairman

I am aware recently that there has been much interest in refuelling vehicles by taking the fuel to the car in customer’s’ homes or at places of work. We had a presentation on the possible operation of these systems at our APEA Live Conference a few years ago, and I am aware this process has been successfully operated in some countries although at present there appears to be a legal barrier in the UK.

The reason for this apparent legal restriction goes back quite a few years to a case which was part of my training programme as a young petroleum officer. In the UK in the 1960’s an entrepreneur called Mr Jackson from EP Petroleum converted a petrol tanker and placed a couple of petrol pumps on the back and then took the equipment to a motor racing event in Kent and started selling fuel.

This caused great consternation at the time and the Trading Standards Department who were the Petroleum Licensing Authority were called, took the necessary samples and then on legal advice took Mr Jackson to court. He was prosecuted under the Conveyance Regulations and I understand the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 and the practice was effectively banned and in subsequent regulations involving the conveyance of petrol the dispensing into vehicles was not permitted.

With electric vehicles now in the news and the recommendations of hazardous areas and the publication of the “Code of Practice of Electrical Vehicle Charging Installations at Filling Stations” I was somewhat surprised to come across an old Bulletin photograph that I published while editor. The photograph above shows a petrol tanker which appears to have been designed rather like the electric milk floats that were common some years ago and was submitted by Rob Green a petroleum inspector from London, on his holidays in Denmark. He thought it

was a rather novel way to dispense petrol at the time and like nothing we had experienced in the UK. For those who introduced mobile deliveries it seems that “nothing is new” in this industry. This tanker had two grades of fuel and looking at the hose closer to the cab it had a blender for different octane ratings of petrol The tanker which was Shell branded, plied its trade along the line of vehicles waiting for a ferry. Perhaps this was before “risk assessments” were thought of with the chloride battery immediately under the hoses and nozzle.

Overfill & Crossfill Prevention Technology for Safer Fuel Deliveries

By Dagmar Hoeckner-Schallmeiner, Managing Director, Security & Electronic Technologies GmbH

Tank overfilling, improper hose connection and cross contaminations of fuel during fuel delivery posses a great threat to the environment and can significantly impact business operations.

Designed to prevent environmental pollution and improve operational efficiencies, SECU-TECH´s O²PID, together with the SECU MultiTank, is a safety system created to eliminate these issues.

Security & Electronic Technologies GmbH (SECU-TECH) is a worldwide supplier of equipment with solutions for safe and efficient fuel distribution. The company specialised in overfillprevention, cross-fill-prevention systems for depots, tanker-trucks and petrol stations as well as theft control systems for fuel transport from depot to petrol-stations over the complete logistic chain.

To showcase how the system works, the company, headquartered in Austria, has released a new video showing it in action.

The O² PID is a single product with three important functions:

•product identification, •hose control and •overfill prevention.

The system consists of an optical limit switch with integrated product identification (PID). This means that in addition to overfill prevention, a mixture of different products is prevented if, for example, the discharge hose has been connected to the wrong coupling.

How it Works

A fuel tanker is comprised of several compartments, each containing different products.

The SECU MultiTank shows the content of the compartments in the main display unit, allowing consistent monitoring of the product.

The O² PID system is installed on the top of the underground storage container and is connected to the truck via electrically conductive hoses.

This connection ensures that the product is delivered safely and is free from contamination. If for example, a hose is not connected properly due to human error, the system will shut off the delivery preventing fuel leakage into the environment.

The same electric connection is used to prevent mixing of product. The universal electric product code for each fuel is programmed into the SECU MultiTank and the O²PID and can be easily changed by a service technician when needed. When the hose is connected, if these electrical codes do not match then the system shuts off stopping the delivery and preventing a costly mix of product.

The two systems also work together to prevent overfilling. Once the fuel reaches the correct level and touches the optical prism of the O²PID sensor, the status of the sensor changes. The SECMultiTank immediately closes the bottom valve and shows a “filled tank” symbol on the display system.

Excess fuel flows into the tank, rather than the surrounding environment and overfill is prevented.

Working together, the O²PID and the SECU MultiTank have a number of key benefits, including:

•No product mix due to product identification

•No overfill due to overfill prevention

•Reliable low power optical sensor

•100% maintenance free and self-monitoring sensor

•Prevents environmental pollution due to fuel leakage

•Health & Safety: Eliminates the risk of accidents

•Safe costs and resources, avert unwanted fines and reduce downtimes.

The new video clearly demonstrates the benefits of the system which is designed to simplify and safety-proof fuel deliveries.

This video has really helped us to explain our concepts to our customers and at the same time it simply demonstrates the safety aspects which need to be considered when setting up a retail site. “Recently, we have had multiple zoom calls with major retailers and oil companies, looking for the most effective prevention solution for cross-fill and over-spill and when adding up how much money and time a fuel station typically spends over a year in maintenance involving these types of problems, many have come to realise that our solutions are extremely cost effective”.

Dagmar Höckner-Schallmeiner, Managing Director of SECU-TECH, said:

Partner for UK & Ireland

Fuel tanker fire causes travel disruption

A21 near Lamberhurst reopens after fuel tanker fire causes travel disruption and leads to 15-hour road closure.

A road which was closed in both directions after a fuel tanker went up in flames reopened – more than 15 hours after the blaze started. Highways England said the lorry fire on the A21, near Lamberhurst, was "successfully resolved" at 3am on 12th August. The road required resurfacing before it could be opened again and remained shut for several hours, reopening before the morning's rush-hour.

It comes after the road had to be closed in both directions after the blaze took hold on the southbound carriageway, with huge plumes of black smoke visible from several miles away. Nobody is believed to have been injured.

At its height, six fire engines were at the scene. That was reduced to two fire engines and a bulk water carrier at around 4.30pm before the Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the blaze had been put out at 10pm.

Traffic had been queuing from the A262 Forstal Farm Roundabout, near Tunbridge Wells, to the B2169 Scotney Castle Roundabout. Diversions were set up through Lamberhurst via Spray Hill, High Street and School Hill.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said some of its recycling and waste vehicles got caught up in the traffic jams and warned residents their collections could be disrupted as a result. It urged people to leave their bins out saying refuse workers would return for them as soon as they could.

The fuel tanker blaze on the A21 near Lamberhurst.

BP, ADNOC and Masdar to provide clean energy solutions

The three companies intend to explore opportunities to provide sustainable energy and mobility solutions for cities in the UK, UAE and beyond. BP, ADNOC and Masdar have signed three agreements with the potential to lead to billions of dollars of investment into clean and low carbon energy, creating potentially thousands of energy jobs.

The first agreement would see the companies collaborate to initially develop 2GW of low carbon hydrogen across hubs in the UK and UAE, with the intention to expand as the project progresses. Access to clean hydrogen can reduce emissions, enable new, low carbon products, and unlock future fuels. The announcement could enable a significant contribution towards the UK Government’s target to develop 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030.

It could also lead to the first international investment in the low

carbon hydrogen facility in Teesside (H2Teesside), which aims to produce 1GW of blue hydrogen starting in 2027.

H2Teesside would capture and store up to two million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year through the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP). “The UK is our home and we have worked in the UAE for nearly a century.

By partnering with the visionary leaders of ADNOC and Masdar, we see massive business opportunity to generate the clean energy the world wants and needs – and at the same time revitalise local economies and create the jobs of the future,” said Bernard Looney, BP’s chief executive officer.

The two companies will initially focus on the application of energy efficiency and storage, cleaner fuels and distributed renewables generation.

The tattered remains of the fuel tanker

Lack of drivers produces shortage of fuel, closure of forecourts

BP, Esso and Shell all reported disruptions at retail sites due to lack of fuel supply. Hoyer points at lack of HDV drivers for supply issues. A number of British forecourts have faced closure due to the lack of heavy-duty vehicle drivers nationwide.

BP stated recently that up to 100 of its stations had suffered disruptions with several closing down completely. ExxonMobil also said a “small number” of its Esso petrol forecourts have been affected.

The supply issues come as Hoyer, one of the UK’s largest fuel logistics companies, said it is struggling to meet deliveries for a number of clients including BP, Esso and Shell due to the lack of drivers, reports The Independent.

“These have been caused by some delays in the supply chain which has been impacted by the industry-wide driver shortages across the UK and there are many actions being taken to address the issue. We continue to work with our haulier supplier to minimise any future disruption and to ensure efficient and effective deliveries to serve our customers,” said BP in a statement.

BP said it was prioritising deliveries to motorway service areas, major trunk roads and sites with the largest demand and seeking to minimise the duration of "stock outs".

Fuel pricing expert, Tom Hatton, Head of Product at Kalibrate, explores the impact this will have on pricing and how fuel retailers can maintain appropriate pricing levels: “Typically, we see a rush to fill up vehicles in response to news like this, but people also tend to be a little more conservative and drive less. Therefore, it’s common to see volumes go up temporarily. I expect there will be a small rush of demand off the back of this news, followed by a gradual return to normal, supply permitting,” says Tom.

“Fuel retail and pricing experts need to be aware of where increased logistics costs have occurred, and they will need to account for it. Most significant is the methodology which a retailer determines which stations to temporarily close.”

Tom also believes it’s possible to identify the likely economic and consumer reactions by looking to France. Throughout 2018-2020 a series of ‘Mouvement des gilets jaunes’ (strikes) took place during which the fuel supply chain was interrupted at several points. Media outlets responded quickly to any strike action and consumers rushed to the pumps to fill up.

Prices typically rose regardless of the commodity market, reflecting the additional cost of obtaining and distributing product. Demand tended to drop during the subsequent days as fuel sat unused in consumer’s tanks amid no real increase in driving-time.

EG Group acquires 53 KFC from Amsric Group

EG Group announced the acquisition of 52 Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants in the United Kingdom (UK) from Amsric Group for an undisclosed amount. The acquired network, across the south and south-west regions, comprises more than 1,600 team members and a mix of drive thru and traditional restaurant formats. This acquisition establishes EG’s position as the largest franchisee in Western Europe for the KFC brand. Post-completion EG will operate over 220 KFC restaurants in Europe and the UK, according to a company’s press release.

This transaction follows EG Group’s acquisition of the largest KFC franchise in the UK and Ireland from The Herbert Group in March 2020. At the time, the acquisition comprised 146 KFC restaurants

and one Pizza Hut Store, as well as a development pipeline and a small number of non-trading sites.

“Acquiring the Amsric portfolio further strengthens our customer proposition and is highly complementary to our existing operations, and our long-term growth plans for our foodservice business,” said Mohsin Issa CBE and Zuber Issa CBE, co-founders and co-CEOs of EG Group.

“We have seen a marked upward trend in the performance of our existing KFC network, and this has given us confidence to consider and invest in more assets,” they added. EG Group now operates more than 1,700 foodservice concessions.

EG Group sells 27 petrol stations to Park Garage Group

EG Group has entered into a binding agreement to divest 27 petrol filling stations, located throughout the UK, to Park Garage Group.

The moves follows competition concerns regarding EG Group’s separate acquisition of Asda Group Limited.

In June 2021, UK Competition and Markets Authority’s announced that it had agreed formal undertakings offered by Mohsin Issa, Zuber Issa and TDR Capital LLP to divest some of EG Group’s sites to address concerns on 36 local areas where it believed the road fuels market competition could be damaged if EG Group’s owners bought Asda.

UK Competition and Markets Authority wanted each of the sites to be sold to a player that would continue to operate them in the fuel retail business in order to maintain competition in local areas.

All existing EG colleagues employed at the sites will transfer to Park Garage Group. “We received significant interest in the sites we marketed, reflecting how these high-quality assets have been acquired, developed and invested in by EG Group over the last few years. We are pleased that the sites will be going to an established industry operator in Park Garage Group, a family-run business that is growth orientated,” said co-founders and co-CEOs of EG Group, Zuber Issa CBE and Mohsin Issa CBE.

“We are delighted to have reached an agreement to acquire these sites, particularly due to their quality, which has been cultivated by EG Group. The acquisition underlines our commitment to growth and innovation, and will enable our sons, Manoj Tandon and Hemant Tandon, to further build our industry footprint,” commented Balraj Tandon MBE and Sunil Tandon, Chairman and Managing Director of Park Garage Group, in a joint statement.

Osprey Charging to open 150 rapid EV charging hubs across UK

£75 million programme includes ground-breaking new charger optimisation technology to enable locations to host multiple highpower chargers on a single site.

Osprey Charging wants to reduce charging anxiety by installing over 150 high-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs across the UK by 2025.

A total of 1,500 150-175KW rapid chargers will be installed across the sites, which will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways.

“The EV market is booming, with sales up over 117% year-on-year and EV adoption continuing to grow exponentially. In less than nine years’ time, buying a new petrol or diesel car will be impossible, so it’s crucial that public charging infrastructure stays ahead of the curve,” said Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging.

Construction is already underway at four sites and Osprey’s first

hub will open next month in Wolverhampton, adjacent to the A463 near the M6. Construction will commence on all of the first 10 hubs before the end of the year.

The new technology will allow power to be distributed based on demand, which varies significantly between individual vehicles due to the maximum charging rate of each model and its battery percentage at the point of charge.

“The widespread transition to EVs means we need to rethink how we make, move and use energy. The power demand for charging will be significant, so it’s crucial that we use the cleanest and cheapest power in our cars and to make the most of each grid connection,” said Graeme Cooper, Head of Future Markets at National Grid.

Osprey Charging Network is a UK-wide, rapid electric vehicle charging network. Osprey fund, install and manage their network on behalf of landlord partners.

Oel-Pool AG takes over BP’s network in Switzerland

This will make the Aargau-based company the largest petrol station operator in Switzerland.

Oel-Pool AG and its gas station subsidiary, Moveri AG, have signed an agreement to take over BP's retail network and supply chain in Switzerland.

Moveri, which already operates over 330 gas stations under the brands Ruedi Rüssel and Miniprix, will now control BP’s 200 sites in the Alpine country. The BP brand will also be retained, according to a press release.

"On the one hand, BP is an established brand in the market with many filling stations in good locations. On the other hand, the new situation allows us synergies in the purchase of products and in

the better utilisation of the tank farms," explains Ramon Werner, CEO.

With the brands Ruedi Rüssel and Miniprix, Oel-Pool AG and Moveri normally compete on the lower spectrum of fuel prices. "The fuel market in Switzerland is in decline. Therefore, mergers with resulting synergies are the logical consequence. With this merger, a solid financial position and a dynamic corporate culture, our company is very well positioned and also has sufficient resources to shape the future of the Swiss energy market and to invest in new, CO2-free energies,”.

Oel-Pool AG plans to develop synthetic fuels in a joint venture with technology developer Swiss Liquid Future. The first products are to be presented in 2024, reports Bernerzeitung.

Pertamina to install solar power at 5,000 stations

Indonesian oil giant Pertamina is planning to install solar energy at 5,000 gas stations to reduce carbon emissions. There are currently 76 of these Green Energy Stations (GES) spread across various islands.

GES is a new concept by Pertamina that utilizes Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) or Solar Power Plants (PLTS) as a cleaner energy source.

“This project is part of the energy transition in Pertamina ecosystem. We are targeting the installation of PLTS internally in Pertamina, both in core processes, offices, and other facilities. In addition, we strive to make gas stations one of Pertamina’s frontlines to install PLTS to support decarbonization,” explained PNRE’s Chief Executive Officer, Dannif Danusaputro.

This effort is a continuation of 2020 program, where the installation of PLTS has been carried out at 63 Pertamina gas

stations located across Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara, with a total capacity of 385 KWp. With a target of 5000 PLTS installed at gas stations, the total installed capacity will be 31 MW, and the potential for reducing carbon emissions reaches 34 thousand tons per year.

The use of solar energy at gas stations is part of a global trend among many industry players. At least 700 gas stations in 29 African countries have used rooftop solar power plants. In India, the government is targeting 50% of all sites to install PLTS in the next 4 years.

“PNRE will continue to step on the gas for the energy transition. We see that the development of clean energy, including PLTS, is an investment in the future so that the rate of climate change impacts can be restrained, and together all parties contribute to create a better life for future generations,”

Q8 unveils new, modern flagship site

Innovative architectural and technological solutions that combine tradition and environmental sustainability are the characteristic of Q8’s new flagship station. The new jewel of Q8 in Italy opened in Paderno Dugnano (MI) along the "Milano-Meda" highway expressing its vision for the future. The flagship site wants to be a hub of services that satisfies the various needs linked to mobility.

Developed on an 8,000m2 site, the station offers numerous fuelling points both for vehicles with traditional engines (petrol, diesel, LPG and methane), and for electric vehicles with 6 charging stations, 2 of which are ultrafast 300 kW.

Part of the methane and electric investment was financed with the contribution of "Connecting Europe Facility" European funds in support of the Q8 project "Cre8 - Creating the Station of the Future" aimed at creating infrastructures equipped with methane and charging stations.

“Paderno Dugnano is our flagship. A project designed to offer not

only fuels but also multiple and innovative services, combining sustainability and attention to the customer as strategic success factors of Q8,” said Giuseppe Zappalà, Managing Director of Kuwait Petroleum Italia.

The design of the site is inspired by the sails of the "Dhow", the typical boat of Kuwait. The same sails are the distinctive icons of the Q8 brand, present on the Italian market for 35 years. A 25metre high central mast connects two triangular sail-shaped canopies to create a roof covering a total of 2,000 square metres. The station has 60 parking spaces, a Svolta c-store, Chef Express catering, Panella Bakery café, and the Roadhouse restaurant.

In terms of sustainability, it includes LED lighting with movement sensors, recyclable materials, renewable energy, recovery of rainwater, zero-emission methane compressor, building with light filtering and zone temperature control, canopies with highly solar reflective materials in favour of the 70-kW photovoltaic system on their surface.

Mitsui backs green hydrogen refuelling network for heavy vehicles

Mitsui & Co. has become a strategic investor in Hiringa Refuelling, which plans to build four fuel stations within 2022 located in logistic hubs in major cities. Mitsui & Co. has become a strategic investor in Hiringa Refuelling New Zealand Limited (HRNZ) to develop a network of green hydrogen refuelling stations for fuel cell powered heavy vehicles in New Zealand.

HRNZ plans to build four fuel stations within 2022, located in logistics hubs in major cities targeting the country's commercial and heavy transport market, according to a company’s press release.

Companies aim to create a sustainable 'local production for local consumption' green hydrogen business, says Koji Nagatomi, Chief Operating Officer of Mitsui's Asia Pacific Business Unit & CEO of Mitsui & Co. (Asia Pacific).

This latest investment builds on Mitsui's existing investment in HRNZ's parent company, Hiringa Energy Limited, and a wider Strategic Alliance Agreement to jointly develop multiple green hydrogen-related commercial projects in New Zealand. Mitsui has also agreed to invest additional capital into HRNZ upon the achievement of key project milestones.

Over 300 OKKO sites offer LNG filling services

Ukraine’s filling station network OKKO will have up to 312 sites with liquified natural gas (LNG) filling points available by the end of 2021. The company has already put into operation 18 LNG filling modules this year and plans to install another 4 by December 2021.

Approximately 75% of OKKO’s filling station network will offer LNG filling services by the end of 2021, in addition to gasoline or diesel fuels, according to a company’s press release.

In 2021, OKKO installed new LNG filling points in the following locations: 4 in Kiev, 3 in Vinnytsia region, 2 in Ternopil and Zaporizhia regions, and one each in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky, Rivne and Luhansk regions.

Over the last 5 years, OKKO has increased by one and a half times its number of fuel stations serving natural gas vehicle refuelling. In addition, the company built a location for liquefied gas storage in Zolochiv, Lviv region.

A subsidiary of the OKKO Group (Galnaftogaz Concern), OKKO is today one of the largest filling networks in Ukraine with over 410 facilities. OKKO also operates the largest network of on-road catering establishments under the brands Hot café, A la minute, Pasta Mia and Meiwei.

Corrib Oil acquires H2 Group adding 13 retail sites to its portfolio

Corrib Oil, one of Ireland’s leading service station and oil distribution providers, has entered an agreement to acquire H2 Group. This deal will see Corrib Oil acquire 13 retail sites based across the south and east of Ireland, expanding the Corrib Retail footprint to 33 stores in total.

The new sites are located in Listowel, Co. Kerry; Kildare; Limerick; Tipperary; Dublin; Laois; Offaly and Cork.

On conclusion of the acquisition deal, subject to approval by the competition regulator, Corrib will operate across 54 sites in 16 counties in total – 20 Corrib service stations, 21 oil distribution depots and 13 H2 Group retail sites. Currently employing 700

people, the addition of H2 Group to Corrib Oil will bring total employee numbers to over 1,000 people.

Founded in Claremorris in 1987, Corrib Oil operates two distinct divisions, Corrib Retail and Corrib Distribution. Corrib Retail currently operates 20 convenience stores with forecourts; while Corrib Distribution, a leading distributor of heating oils and fuel, operates through 21 depots across 14 counties.

Having maintained a 22-year relationship with BWG Foods, all Corrib Retail convenience stores are branded as Spar, while all forecourts are branded Circle K or Texaco, with instore partners including Insomnia and Chopped.

SEVEN launches multi-energy station in Perpignan

SEVEN and its partners GRDF and VECTALIA, all major players in green mobility in France, have inaugurated a bio compressed natural gas (CNG) and bio hydrogen (H2) filling station in Perpignan, France. This is the city's first bio-CNG refuelling station open to the general public, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, says SEVEN.

Located in the Torremila business park and accessible to all types of vehicles, the station is supplied locally. Refuelling takes about

10 minutes for a heavy vehicle and a few minutes for a light vehicle, according to SEVEN. The 4,000-square-metre station is equipped with four bio-NGV fast-refuelling stations and will add two more bioH2 filling points within 18 months. SEVEN plans to invest a total of 4.5 million euros in this project. SEVEN was born in March 2017 in Montpellier with the idea of promoting bio-NGV produced in the region. Nowadays, it specialises in the development and distribution of sustainable alternative fuels.

Circle K acquires 10 street c-stores in Ireland

The acquisition marks the brand’s first investment outside of the Irish fuel forecourts market. Circle K has announced the acquisition of 10 high profile Dublin stores from the Griffin Group.

The stores currently operate under the Londis banner. The 10 stores will be rebranded to Circle K outlets this year, making it the brand’s first investment outside of the Irish fuel forecourts market, reports the Irish Times.

Circle K said the deal is part of its strategic ambition to deliver its convenience and food retail offering to customers on the high street as well as its established and extensive forecourt network. A total of 200 staff are currently employed at the locations in question all of whom will now become employees of Circle K and will continue working at the 10 stores. This brings Circle K’s total number of employees in Ireland to just under 2,400 while its overall store footprint has increased to 430 nationwide.

Fast Fuel to debut its first petrol station in the Canary Islands in 2022

Fast Fuel, a low-cost petrol station network in Spain, continues its expansion in Spain with the signing of a contract to open its first petrol station in the Canary Islands, namely in Las Palmas, according to a press release.

With this opening, Fast Fuel will have a total of 16 petrol stations in Spain and Portugal. Fifteen stations are franchised and are located in Madrid, Extremadura, Castilla La Mancha, Castilla y León, Andalusia, Asturias, and now the Canary Islands. In Portugal, the low-cost network operates one site.

Fast Fuel has an expansion plan through the franchise system that plans to double its size in the next two years and open new locations in both Spain and Portugal. To this end, the company already has offices in Lisbon, in addition to its headquarters in Castuera, Badajoz, Spain.

As part of this plan, Fast Fuel is finalising the start-up of three more petrol stations located in Madrid and Andalusia and plans to begin work shortly on four new stations in Madrid, Valencia and Andalusia.

Biomethane as a sustainable solution for Irish farmers and energy security

Ireland has the highest potential for biomethane production per capita in the EU according to the European Commission.

More than 270 interested parties, including farmers, developers and industry bodies, heard how agriculturally produced biomethane can be delivered sustainably and at scale to decarbonise Ireland’s energy system, during Gas Networks Ireland’s biomethane industry webinar.

Attendees received an update on the national and European biomethane policy landscape and learned of the importance of the ongoing consultation on the proposed Renewable Heat Obligation, which, if enacted, will support biomethane production at scale and help Ireland achieve its climate ambitions.

Speakers also discussed the process for producing and injecting biomethane into the national network, the proposed Mitchelstown Central Grid Injection (CGI) facility and how certification is attained and recorded in the national registry.

The line-up of experts included Gas Networks Ireland Innovation

Engineer, Niamh Gillen, who last year represented Ireland at the international finals of Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers’ (IGEM) Young Professionals Competition.

“Ireland has the highest potential for biomethane production per capita in the EU according to the European Commission, providing a strong opportunity to develop a thriving indigenous biomethane industry, support energy security and, importantly for Irish farmers, reduce agricultural emissions,” Renewable Gas Project Manager, Yvette Jones, who is leading on the Mitchelstown CGI project, said. A carbon-neutral renewable gas made from farm and food waste through a process known as anaerobic digestion (AD), biomethane has already begun to seamlessly replace natural gas in the national network.

By replacing natural gas with renewable gases such as biomethane and hydrogen, Ireland can sustainably deliver a net-zero carbon gas network to complement intermittent renewable electricity generation, meet its climate action targets and support a cleaner energy future while ensuring a secure energy supply, according to Gas Network Ireland.

Truck drivers get vaccinated at Engen station

Engen is helping to bring health to the front seat for our country’s truck drivers, this time by providing them with easy access to the Covid-19 vaccine at its Highveld site.

In partnership with the Road Freight Association (RFA), Trucking Wellness, and the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI), Engen enabled truck drivers between 6-10 September 2021 to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations. With Covid-19 hygiene protocols strictly adhered to, a pop-up vaccination station was set up at the Engen Highveld 1Stop West on the R21.

Over the course of the week 348 truck drivers were vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. “Engen Driver Wellness provides free voluntary health checks to truck drivers, advice on healthy lifestyle choices and consultations where necessary, which not only improves their health through increased awareness, but is also another way of keeping our roads safe,” said Adnaan Emeran, Marketing and Business Development Manager.

The five-day pilot project is a clear indicator that there is an appetite from truck drivers for mobile vaccination stations, according to Engen.

Gasum opens its northernmost gas filling station in Norway

The Trondheim station integrates Gasum’s gas filling station network in the Oslo region together with northern parts of Sweden such as Östersund and Umeå.

The Nordic gas filling station network expands as Gasum opens another filling station in Norway. Located in Trondheim municipality, the site is Gasum’s northernmost gas filling station in Norway, according to a company’s press release.

The Trondheim station is located in the middle of Heggstadmoen logistic hub, a busy place for heavy-duty traffic that integrates Gasum’s gas filling station network in the Oslo region together with northern parts of Sweden such as Östersund and Umeå.

The new station offers liquified and compressed gas, serving both

logistic companies operating in the region and long-haul traffic from Oslo through Trondheim all the way to Sweden.

The new gas filling station is part of a cooperation between Gasum and Norwegian cooperative retail chain Coop. It will be used to supply also Coop with renewable biogas for its transport partners. The station is public and open for all logistic players.

“I am extremely happy to see considerable interest towards gas in Norway indicated by major logistic players. By expanding the Nordic filling station network, we can also provide new opportunities for local companies to substantially lower their emissions. This is Gasum’s northernmost filling station in Norway and, as such, will open new routes for companies driving on Gas,” says John Melby, Director Traffic Norway at Gasum.

Costco opens its 12th petrol station in Mexico

Since May 2017, Costco Mexico has invested a total of one billion pesos ($49m) in the opening of its 12 locations. Costco Mexico, a subsidiary of the American Costco Wholesale Corporation, has opened its twelfth gas station in Mexico, the company announced. The new site is located on the premises of a Costco store in the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California.

The start-up of this service station has involved an investment of

approximately 100 million pesos (USD 4.9 million), according to Costco Mexico.

The Ensenada locations join those Costco operates in the municipalities of Atizapán, Celaya, Culiacán, León, Los Cabos, Mexicali, Puebla, Saltillo, San Luis Potosí, Toluca and Villahermosa.

Since May 2017, Costco Mexico has invested a total of one billion pesos (US$49 million) in the opening of these 12 petrol stations.

Mercury Fuel Service sold to EG Group

Mercury Fuel Service has sold 20 gas stations and convenience stores as well as its fuels wholesale business.

The sale was divided in two. Eight sites were acquired by c-store giant EG Group, while 12 sites and the company’s fuels wholesale business were sold to affiliates of CCO, LLC (Sam’s Food Stores).

The Stores are all located in Connecticut and sell the Mercury’s proprietary branded fuel, Price Cutter, as well as Sunoco, Mobil, Gulf and Citgo branded fuel. The wholesale business serves dealer

accounts in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.

Mercury was founded in 1947 by two brothers, Michael Devino and Thomas “Babe” Devino. Originally established as a small retail home heating oil business, the Company initially operated out of a modest three-bay garage and owned a vehicle fleet consisting of just one 500-gallon delivery truck.

Matrix provided merger and acquisition advisory services to Mercury.

Gazprom Neft and Aeroflot join forces to develop low carbon aviation fuel

Companies entered an agreement to produce Russia’s first ever minimum-carbon-footprint sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), to be adapted for use on various aircrafts.

Gazprom Neft has entered into an agreement with Aeroflot on cooperating in producing Russia’s first ever minimum-carbonfootprint sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), under a document signed by Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov and Aeroflot CEO Mikhail Poluboyarinov at this year’s Eastern Economic Forum.

The new aviation fuel will be adapted for use on various types of aircraft and will be certified under Russian and international

aviation safety standards. The key research facility for this will be Gazprom Neft’s Industrial Innovation Technology Centre in St Petersburg.

A working group on developing Russian SAF is also expected to include Russian and international aircraft manufacturers, says Gazprom Neft.

Many international air carriers are starting to use SAF on a test basis, and plan to increase their proportional usage of this fuel over the next 10 to 20 years, according to Aeroflot CEO Mikhail Poluboyarinov.

Love's Travel Stops opens new location in Florida

Love's Travel Stops, USA's leading travel stop network, launched a new location in Florida, United States. Located in Mims, the new centre adds to the Brevard County over 180 parking spaces combined for all types of vehicles.

"We're excited to open our 19th location in Florida and serve professional drivers and four-wheel customers in this corridor on the East Coast," said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love's.

Spreading over 11,000 square feet, the 24/7 new location offers 93 truck parking spaces, 87 car parking spaces, four RV parking

spaces, and eight diesel bays.

Other amenities include a Hardee’s and a Speedco opening at a later date, Fresh Kitchen concept, multiple beverage and snack options including been-to-cup coffee, and mobile to Go Zone with the latest electronics.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores operate a network with more than 560 locations in 41 states. Love's has over 410 truck service centres, which include Speedco and Love's Truck Care locations.

Costco opens its 12th petrol station in Mexico

Since May 2017, Costco Mexico has invested a total of one billion pesos ($49m) in the opening of its 12 locations. Costco Mexico, a subsidiary of the American Costco Wholesale Corporation, has opened its twelfth gas station in Mexico, the company announced. The new site is located on the premises of a Costco store in the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California.

The start-up of this service station has involved an investment of

approximately 100 million pesos (USD 4.9 million), according to Costco Mexico.

The Ensenada locations join those Costco operates in the municipalities of Atizapán, Celaya, Culiacán, León, Los Cabos, Mexicali, Puebla, Saltillo, San Luis Potosí, Toluca and Villahermosa. Since May 2017, Costco Mexico has invested a total of one billion pesos (US$49 million) in the opening of these 12 petrol stations.

MI Elements receives patent-pending for hydrogen, EV refuelling station

The MI Elements team aims to develop a product that will take solar and wind energy and store it in the form of hydrogen in tanks.

MI Elements Inc., a products company dedicated to implementing H2 energy technology in the state of Washington, has received patent-pending status on its hydrogen refuelling and electric vehicle recharging station design. Benefits of the projected model, which is currently in the prototype stage, include fuel-from-water technology, off-grid capability, and sustainable renewable energy

storage and distribution. The MI Elements team aims to develop a product that will take solar and wind energy and store it in the form of hydrogen in tanks, says MI Elements. "The MI Elements Energy System will allow for the mass deployment of hydrogen vehicle refuelling infrastructure by incorporating a design with a smaller footprint and a more cost-effective alternative to the large refuelling stations currently being constructed," said James Dow, CEO of MI Elements.

In September, Puma Energy celebrated five years since the inauguration of its first fuel station in Argentina.

Since its first opening in the province of Entre Ríos, the brand has managed to expand its presence to 400 locations in the country, reports surtidores.com.ar.

In the retail sector, in addition to the 400 fuel stations, Puma Energy has 100 wholesale facilities, totalling 500 points of sale between its fuel and lubricants business.

In the agricultural sector, according to surtidores.com.ar, Puma Energy offers fuel distribution to 34 associated cooperatives through its 55 agricultural stations in the main production areas of the country. In 2019, the group consolidated its alliance with the Association of Argentine Cooperatives (ACA).

Puma Energy is a leading global energy business, providing energy solutions in 44 countries and across six continents. Puma Energy has around 2,500 retail sites, a presence at over 80 airports and a network of storage terminals.

BCF Energy plans 40 hydrogen stations at Benzinol sites

Slovakian energy company BCF Energy is planning to develop a 40-station hydrogen refuelling network at Benzinol sites across Slovakia. The first two locations will be rolled out shorty between Handlová and Prievidza, according to a press release.

These refuelling points will supply green hydrogen produced by electrolysis using energy from renewable sources. To produce the clean hydrogen, BCF Energy plans to build several factories with a

daily production estimated at 4,000 kilograms of hydrogen.

The overall investment in the new network of factories and service stations is estimated at 110 million euros. A map of upcoming hydrogen refuelling stations can be checked out at Benzinol website. The distribution of hydrogen to these stations will be carried out exclusively by hydrogen-powered vehicles. BCF Energy plans to start producing and selling green hydrogen in 2023/2024.

Puma Energy celebrates fifth anniversary with 400 sites active

Shell to build one of Europe’s biggest biofuels facilities

Royal Dutch Shell plc Shell will build an 820,000-tonnes-a-year biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Once built, the facility will be among the biggest in Europe to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel made from waste. A facility of this size could produce enough renewable diesel to avoid 2,800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions a year.

The new facility will help the Netherlands and the rest of Europe to meet internationally binding emissions reduction targets. Advanced production methods will be used to make the fuels.

The facility is expected to use technology to capture carbon emissions from the manufacturing process and store them in an empty gas field beneath the North Sea through the Porthos project. A final investment decision for Porthos is expected next year.

“Today’s announcement is a key part of the transformation of one of our major refineries into an energy and chemicals park, which

will supply customers with the low-carbon products they want and need,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Shell’s Downstream Director.

As part of its Powering Progress strategy, Shell is transforming its refineries (which numbered 14 in October 2020) into five energy and chemicals parks.

Shell aims to reduce the production of traditional fuels by 55% by 2030 and provide more low-carbon fuels such as biofuels for road transport and aviation, and hydrogen.

The Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam is the second park to be announced, following the launch in July of the Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, in Germany. It will produce low-carbon fuels such as renewable diesel from waste in the form of used cooking oil, waste animal fat and other industrial and agricultural residual products. A range of certified sustainable vegetable oils, such as rapeseed, will supplement the waste feedstocks until even more sustainable advanced feedstocks are widely available. The facility will not use virgin palm oil as feedstock.

TotalEnergies forms JV to install over 11,000 high power chargers

TotalEnergies and China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG, through its two affiliates CTG Capital and CTG Electric Energy) have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture in electric mobility in China. This equally owned company will develop electric vehicle (EV) high power charging infrastructure and services within the Hubei Province, through the installation and operation of more than 11,000 high power charge points by 2025.

The two companies intend to develop co-branded high power charging hubs and standalone stations, open to the general public, equipped with 60 kW to 120 kW power charge points and with an average hosting capacity ranging between 20 to 50 vehicles each. The partners will also build dedicated charging stations on the premises of B2B customers, according to a company’s press release.

With this announcement, TotalEnergies pursues its development in electric mobility in major cities throughout the world, with a large portfolio of EV charge points currently in operation or in the process of being installed: Amsterdam and its region (22,000), Antwerp (3,000), Paris (2,300), London (1,700). This is also the second development in Asia in recent months, following the acquisition of Singapore’s largest EV charge network (1,500) in July 2021.

CTG Corporation, operator of the Three Gorges Dam, is China’s largest clean energy corporation and the world largest hydropower producer. TotalEnergies has been present in Wuhan and in Hubei province since 1995, notably through its network of branded fuel service-stations, its lubricant business and its affiliate Hutchinson.

Airbus, Air Liquide, VINCI Airports to promote hydrogen for aviation sector

Various Partners will work together to promote the use of hydrogen at airports and build the European airport network to accommodate future hydrogen aircrafts.

Airbus, Air Liquide and VINCI Airports, three major players in the aviation, hydrogen and airport industries, are working together to promote the use of hydrogen at airports and build the European airport network to accommodate future hydrogen aircrafts.

The airport of Lyon-Saint Exupéry, France, will host the first installations as early as 2023.

The implementation of this project includes several phases. From

2023, companies will deploy a hydrogen gas distribution station at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport. This station will supply both the airport's ground vehicles and those of its partners, as well as the heavy goods vehicles that drive around the airport.

Between 2023 and 2030, partners will deploy liquid hydrogen infrastructures that will allow hydrogen to be provisioned into the tanks of future aircraft. Beyond 2030, they are planning to deploy the hydrogen infrastructure from production to mass distribution of liquid hydrogen at the airport.

Air Liquide Group has installed more than 120 hydrogen stations around the world.

Aemetis signs agreement with Delta Air Lines for sustainable fuel

250 million gallons of blended fuel containing sustainable aviation fuel is to be delivered over a 10-year term, starting in 2024.

Aemetis, Inc., a renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, signed an offtake agreement with Delta Air Lines for 250 million gallons of blended fuel containing sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) to be delivered over the 10-year term of the agreement. The aggregate value of the agreement is estimated to be more than $1 billion, according to Aemetis.

The sustainable aviation fuel is expected to be produced by the

Aemetis renewable jet/diesel plant under development on a 125acre former U.S. Army Ammunition production plant site in Riverbank, California. The blended sustainable aviation fuel is expected to be available for use by Delta starting in 2024, according to a company’s press release. “The 90 million gallon per year Aemetis Carbon Zero sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel plant under development in two phases in Riverbank, California is designed to produce below zero carbon intensity renewable fuels by utilizing cellulosic hydrogen from waste forest and orchard wood along with onsite CO2 carbon sequestration capacity,” said Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis.

10 ENOC service stations to receive a “sustainability-friendly” revamp

ENOC Group, the Emirates National Oil Company, will equip 10 of its old service stations with improved conditioning, automated lighting, and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, as part of the company’s sustainability roadmap. The revamp is the result of an extended partnership with Etihad ESCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), to enhance energy saving across its operations in the UAE.

Expected to be delivered by the end of 2022, this project comes

as an extension of a 2017 pilot agreement between ENOC and Etihad ESCO, where the latter refurbished an old generation ENOC service station within energy conservation measures.

“Etihad ESCO is a leader in energy efficiency and the extension of this partnership is a statement to our mutual commitment towards supporting the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to help generate 75% Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050,” said Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at ENOC.

BP in EV charging start-up BluSmart

The move represents BP venture’s first direct investment in India and tenth in the mobility space.

BP ventures has made its first direct investment in India with a $13 million stake in integrated EV ride-hailing and charging company BluSmart. It led a $25 million Series A round that also saw support from Mayfield India Fund, 9Unicorns and Survam Partners, alongside other existing investors.

BluSmart will use the capital to expand its fleet of electric vehicles and charging stations from its home city of Delhi to five additional Indian cities in the next two years.

The mobility company is India’s first and largest integrated EV ridehailing and charging company. It is the first service of its kind with no surge pricing or rides rejected by drivers. The company also

removes the financial burden of vehicle ownership by leasing vehicles to drivers and oversees all vehicle maintenance, to help reduce driver stress.

“The electric mobility revolution will have a huge impact in reducing vehicle emissions in cities, which in India are growing quickly. BluSmart’s business model solves a number of key barriers to urban EV ride-hailing take-up, from the cost for drivers to the quality of customer experience,” said Richard Bartlett, SVP future mobility & solutions.

The industry is forecast to grow significantly, with mobility as a service projected to make up 15% of the 1.1 trillion kilometres to be travelled by passenger vehicles in India by 2030, compared to 5% of the 477 billion kilometres travelled today.

Tata Power, TVS to develop electric two-wheeler charging infrastructure

TVS Motor Company, one of the leading manufacturers of twowheelers and three-wheelers globally, entered into a strategic partnership with Tata Power, one of India's largest integrated power companies, to drive implementation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for two-wheelers across India.

The partnership aims to create a regular AC charging network and a DC fast-charging network for electric two-wheelers. This will also give the customers of TVS electric scooters access to the charging network by Tata Power through the TVS Motor customer connect app and Tata Power EZ Charge app across India.

As part of the MoU, the two companies will also explore

opportunities to use solar energy to power select TVS Motor locations in their journey towards sustainability. TVS electric scooter will be available in over 25 cities within the next few months. Currently, it is present in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kochi, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Surat, Vizag, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad.

Tata Power has an expansive network of over 5,000 home chargers and over 700 public chargers in more than 120 cities in India. The company is present across all segments of the EV eco-system–public charging, captive charging, home and workplace charging stations, and has deployed all types of chargers, including DC chargers and AC Chargers.

Repsol increases its targets for renewable generation and emission reductions

The company allocates an additional €1 billion over 2021-2025 to step up its renewable electricity generation capacity and production of renewable hydrogen.

Repsol has announced more ambitious targets in its energy transition to become a net zero emissions company by 2050. The company will increase investments in the 2021-2025 period to €19.3 billion, allocating an additional €1 billion over the period of its strategic plan to step up its renewable electricity generation capacity and production of renewable hydrogen, as well as other low-carbon initiatives.

Repsol’s ambition for renewable electricity generation increases by

60% to reach an installed capacity of 20 GW by 2030, with a target of 6 GW by 2025.

At a session dedicated to the energy transition and aimed at analysts and investors, Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz announced an increase in the company’s intermediate decarbonization targets. The reduction in the Carbon Intensity Indicator will now be 15 % in 2025, 28% in 2030, and 55% in 2040.

“The upgrade of our targets demonstrates the solid progress the company is making towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Ambition, technology, and project execution are enabling us to increase the speed at which we will achieve this target”.

With the 43.3 million euros transaction, expected to close in Q4 2021, Hexagon hopes to strengthen its foothold in systems manufacturing and assembly.

Hexagon Purus ASA, a global leader in zero emission mobility solutions, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Wystrach GmbH, a leading European systems and solutions provider for storage and transport of compressed gases, for up to 43.3 million euros, according to a company’s press release.

Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to fulfilment of certain closing conditions and customary regulatory approvals, says Hexagon Purus.

Hexagon Purus and Wystrach have been partners since 2008, delivering hydrogen storage solutions to the market for use in applications ranging from transportation to stationary storage and refuelling solutions.

Strengthening its foothold in systems manufacturing and assembly has been a key pillar in Hexagon Purus’ strategic roadmap, according to the company. “Combining two industry frontrunners

will increase scale, organizational bandwidth and execution capabilities and put Hexagon Purus in pole position to capitalize on the strong market growth expected for hydrogen storage solutions”.

The purchase price is based on an enterprise value of 50.0 million euros. 35% of the purchase price to be paid in cash at closing, another 35% in the form of consideration shares in Hexagon Purus, and the remaining 30% represents a deferred payment and a contingent earn-out, both payable in cash.

Hexagon Purus, a Hexagon Composites company, is a world leading provider of hydrogen type 4 high-pressure cylinders, battery packs and vehicle systems integration for fuel cell electric and battery electric vehicles.

Founded in 1988 in Weeze, Germany, Wystrach is a full-service provider of high-pressure storage and transportation solutions for hydrogen and other gases. Its portfolio includes stationary bundles, containers, tank systems, storage solutions, and a mobile hydrogen refuelling station.

Hydrogen mobility player Hexagon Purus acquires storage, transport provider Wystrach

Repsol produces renewable hydrogen with biomethane for the first time

This renewable hydrogen was used to manufacture fuels with a low carbon footprint, such as gasoline, diesel, or kerosene for aviation.

Repsol has produced renewable hydrogen using biomethane as raw material for the first time. This renewable hydrogen was used to manufacture fuels with a low carbon footprint, such as gasoline, diesel, or kerosene for aviation.

The production took place at Repsol’s Cartagena Industrial Complex, Spain, where 10 tons of renewable hydrogen were produced from 500 MWh of biomethane, according to a company’s

press release. The biomethane used as raw material was obtained from urban solid waste.

“Repsol replaces conventional natural gas with biomethane of sustainable origin to produce renewable hydrogen in its industrial complexes and thus decarbonize its processes and products”, says the company.

With these first industrial tests, Repsol hopes to serve as an example for developing the system of guarantees of origin for renewable gases to be implemented in Spain.

Uruguay's Axion Energy petrol station network finds new owner

Argentina's Pan American Energy sells 98 sites to investor group Nexzur, which already has petrol station networks in Paraguay and Argentina under the Copetrol, Petrobas and Gulf brands.

Axion Energy has confirmed the sale of its petrol station network in Uruguay to investor group Nexzur SA after several months of negotiations. The transfer includes 98 sites that will continue to operate under the Axion brand, the company said.

To date, the Axion Energy network in Uruguay was owned by Argentina's Pan American Energy, which in 2011 acquired the Exxon Mobil (Esso) petrol station, later rebranded to Axion Energy. This operation also included assets in Paraguay and Argentina, Uruguayan media report.

Nexzur S.A. is formed by Copetrol, Acodike Supergas and Elindur Investment. The new investment group brings together "companies with a long and successful track record in the business of marketing, transportation and distribution of fuels, lubricants and LPG."

Nexzur currently operates petrol station networks in Paraguay and Argentina under the Copetrol, Petrobas and Gulf brands.

The new company takes over the operation of Axion Energy's petrol stations in Uruguay, betting heavily on the growth of the network, focusing on the principle of agility and proximity to its reference groups: employees, station owners and end consumers.

New natural gas filling station in Campania region

Launched by Snam4Mobility and Eni, the Aversa location will offer CNG and bioCNG. Partners have opened over 5 similar filling stations across Italy so far.

Snam4Mobility, the Snam company active in sustainable mobility in Italy, and Eni have opened a new natural gas and biomethane filling station for cars in Aversa, Caserta, Italy. The station will offer CNG (compressed natural gas) and biomethane (Bio-CNG) in the Campania region.

Through the partnership between Snam4Mobility and Eni, natural gas and biomethane refuelling stations have already been opened in Trentino-Alto Adige (Levico Terme), Piedmont (Busano), Veneto (Schio), Emilia Romagna (Modena and Bologna) and Puglia (Noicattaro), says Snam4Mobility.

Eni has already started distributing a portion of biomethane in its own network of CNG stations in Italy - currently 104, with a plan to increase this to 120 by the end of 2022 - and plans to distribute only biomethane from next year.

Following the acquisition of FRI-EL Biogas Holding, Eni will become the leading producer of biomethane in Italy with the potential to feed more than 50 million cubic metres of biomethane produced from renewable sources into the network when fully operational, according to the company.

About 1,000 Eni plants supply LPG and/or methane. For the refuelling of heavy vehicles, Eni already has 14 service stations dispensing LNG and has an ongoing development plan to increase this to 20 stations by next year. In addition, Eni will inaugurate the first hydrogen refuelling station in Italy in the urban area in Mestre (Venice) at the beginning of 2022, followed by a second one in San Donato Milanese.

Snam4Mobility, a wholly owned subsidiary of Snam, develops compressed natural gas (CNG and Bio-CNG) distribution infrastructure for cars and liquefied natural gas (LNG and Bio-LNG) for heavy transport throughout Italy. Snam’s 2020-2024 strategic plan envisages the construction of 150 new natural gas and biomethane refuelling stations and the launch of the first hydrogen refuelling stations.

Press Releases

PCL’s new muiti-function digital tower offers smaller footprint and bigger revenues for forecourt owners

PCL continues to help customers boost business with the launch of the Multi-Function Digital Forecourt Tower.

Made in Sheffield, with the tried and tested PCL brand DNA running through it, this is a genius new addition to the pneumatic expert’s comprehensive range of market-leading inflators for petrol stations.

The versatile “Multi” provides tyre inflation, water/screen wash, vacuum and fragrance all in one space-saving cabinet, enabling forecourt owners to provide a wide range of revenue-generating services in a smaller footprint.

Designed specifically for forecourts and commercial sites, the Multi unit can be branded and tailored to meet individual requirements, creating a unique and cost-effective package which is built to last.

PCL has utilised, as standard, a robust stainless steel cabinet that can be bolted to the ground, resulting in a robust but good-looking unit which will attract customers and drive repeat business.

The Multi is user-friendly and offers a range of payment methods - cashless, coin and token – making this a quick and convenient one-stop option for forecourt visitors.

Features of the Multi-Function Digital Forecourt Tower include:

•Digital inflation technology - with touch buttons and integrated reels - providing fast, accurate and safe tyre inflation with electronic pre-set pressure setting, and audible and visual endof-cycle signals

•Water and screen wash unit with integrated reel

•Power vacuum with crevice tool for trouble-free use and fast cleaning, using bagless technology - simple to install, use and maintain

•Fragrance module with fragrance gun, 3m armoured hose, and removeable bucket suitable for 15 litres/3.3 UK gallons of fragrance

PCL’s Multi-function “4-in-1” Unit

•Model options including: Full Multi-Inflator; Vacuum, Screenwash (or Water); Fragrance; Semi-Inflator; Vacuum and either Screenwash (or Water) or Fragrance; Dual-Inflator and Vacuum.

The Multi is priced for affordability and simple to install, offering huge benefits for customers wanting to carry out swift and simple maintenance on the go.

Export Business Development Manager, Jonathan Robinson, said: “As a company that dedicates itself to developing products which are tailor-made to help our customers’ businesses flourish, we are proud to add yet another innovative design to PCL’s range.

“Our Multi-Function Digital Forecourt Tower is a simple, spacesaving and reliable way to drive forecourt revenues, both in terms of services it can provide, and cost-savings made from investing in a single, bespoke product compared to buying individual units. In addition, the Multi features an aesthetic design that looks stylish on the forecourt and can be branded with company graphics.

“Customers in the UK and Ireland can also be assured of a prompt and expert local aftersales service should they need ongoing support. For forecourt managers, PCL’s new all-in-one digital tower represents revenue-generating multi-tasking at its very best.”

For more information, please visit www.pclairtechnology.com/forecourt-equipment or contact PCL's Export Business Development Manager Jonathan Robinson.

PCL’s Multi-function “4-in-1” Unit

PEI names Jason Blake Executive Vice President

TULSA, Oklahoma, Aug. 10, 2021 –- The Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), the leading authority for fuel and fuel handling equipment, appointed Jason Blake executive vice president, effective Oct. 18.

“Jason’s drive, vision and expertise in distributor-based association management make him the perfect choice to lead PEI into the future,” said Steve Dixon, 2021 president of PEI. “We’re thrilled to welcome him aboard.”

Blake brings 12 years of association management experience, most recently as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation and chief financial officer for Associated Equipment Distributors. He previously served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Technology and Manufacturing Association.

Before entering association management, Blake held positions of increasing responsibility at JP Morgan Chase, AT&T and Citigroup.

“I look forward to meeting and collaborating with the members as PEI continues to flourish, adjust and succeed to serve the industry,” Blake said.

“PEI is a great organization, and I am honored and excited to lead this association.”

PEI introduced Blake formally Oct. 5-8 during the 2021 PEI Convention at the NACS Show in Chicago.

Rick Long, current executive vice president at PEI, will continue as PEI general counsel and assist with the transition through his previously announced Dec. 31 retirement date.

“I’ve known and respected Jason for years through our mutual involvement in the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors,” Long said. “His passion for training, certifications and workforce development fits perfectly with PEI’s strategic long-range plan.”

Association and non-profit search firm Vetted Solutions assisted the PEI board of directors in the search.

15 September 2021, Environmental risk reduction specialist, Adler and Allan has launched several new services and strategies to reflect its mission to help clients reduce environmental risk and impact.

Alongside these initiatives it has appointed a new Sustainability Manager to the business to embed sustainability at the heart of its growth strategy.

Dan Ellis joins the business from Delta-Simons where he was Principal Sustainability Consultant. He brings with him a wealth of experience in the sustainability, carbon reduction and ESG sphere, having supported some of the world’s largest manufacturers, retailers, technology companies and investment funds to reduce risk and improve positive impact.

Alongside the appointment, Adler and Allan is launching a series of services to help its clients to understand their environmental

impact,

Adler and Allan has also recently launched a new

of any project

to the client’s industry, offering its customers a ‘greener

when providing proposals.

with all activities required in a project to allow clients to select from at least two remedial options; one being a reduced carbon alternative. The Environmental Consultancy team has built the tool using DEFRA conversion factors and is the first one of its kind in the industry.

As businesses look to achieve decarbonisation through greener fuels and new energy sources while managing their existing legacy infrastructure to reduce their environmental impact, supply partners need to evaluate their offering.

Adler and Allan understands the importance of its own sustainability strategy as part of the supply chain. Ellis said: “Since 2012, we have measured, managed and reported on our carbon footprint via the Carbon Reduce Scheme in accordance with ISO 14064-1:2006, achieving gold certification status.

“Over the past five years, we have cut our carbon intensity by over 14% per full-time equivalent (FTE) and realised a 4% reduction in our absolute emissions, despite significant business growth. We are committed to leading the way on achieving NetZero; and using our expertise in energy, fuel, waste, water and ecology help others to make the world a little better than it was yesterday.”

Find out more about Adler and Allan’s sustainability solutions on its website:

https://www.adlerandallan.co.uk/environmentalconsultancy/net-zero-solutions/

Dan Ellis

Stefan Kunter elected new CECOD President

The European manufacturers' association CECOD has a new leader. A longtime CECOD Executive Board member and CEO of ELAFLEX HIBY GmbH & Co. KG, Stefan Kunter was elected president for a period of two years during the General Assembly held in September 2021. He succeeds Lise-Lotte Nordholm, Vice President, Dispenser Engineering & NPD with Dover Fueling Solutions.

"In 2022 and 2023 the European manufacturers will face challenges in the transition to sustainable mobility. Creating further framework conditions, standards and regulations for the infrastructure is our eminent task", is what Stefan Kunter describes as one of the main goals of his presidency. "This is the only way to manage the move towards alternative fuels. It is our goal to help make everyday use of alternative fuel dispensing as userfriendly, safe and sustainable as is the case today with petrol and diesel for customers throughout all member countries."

About CECOD

CECOD is actively engaged in the fields of safety, legal metrology and environmental regulations. CECOD has world-leading experts for the measurement of fuels and

vapour recovery, with technical committee members having key roles in the European bodies writing the European standards and guides. Members from many European countries enable CECOD to gain information and influence at both European and national levels. A technical committee under CECOD leadership, along with its various subgroups, makes sure that members can select which disciplines they want to be involved with.

The following companies are CECOD members Alfons Haar, Alma, Bica, Cetil, CODAB, DOMS, Dover Fueling Solutions, DÜRR TECHNIK, ELAFLEX HIBY, FAFNIR, FAURE HERMAN, Flammer, Hytek, TechnipFMC, Franklin Fueling Systems, Gilbarco-Veeder Root, Hectronic HUTH, ISOIL, LAFON, OPW, PERNIN, Petrotec Group, PWM, Scheidt & Bachmann, Tokheim, TSG, Lantzerath- Gruppe, VR Refiner.

Introducing Parker Wellbore: Global wellbore construction expert brings new focus and more jobs

New technology, expanded markets and new energy sectors supported by an experienced and diverse workforce and long history of Energy, well engineered.

HOUSTON, SEPTEMBER 28: - the re-energized integration of Parker Drilling, with subsidiaries Quail Tools, and iTS Energy Services—launched with plans for expansion into new markets, geographies, and sectors to provide advanced subsurface wellbore construction solutions for modern transitioning energy markets.

The alignment of the three companies under Parker Wellbore’s new fully-integrated global structure empowers the delivery of a comprehensive range of Parker Wellbore’s global technology-enabled products and services, optimizing performance and minimizing risk to both traditional hydrocarbon and energy transition applications, including geothermal, well abandonment and CCUS sectors.

Global wellbore construction expert brings new focus and more jobs to drive returns and respond to demand from evolving energy market.

“Parker Drilling internationally, Quail Tools in the U.S., and iTS in Europe and the Middle East have been recognized for many years as leading brands in their respective fields among their customers – from drilling rigs and intervention services to downhole tool and equipment rental,” said Parker Wellbore CEO Sandy Esslemont. “But the time is right to consolidate our combined offering so that new and existing customers across the subsurface energy landscape fully benefit from the broad scale of our integrated capabilities in wellbore construction.”

As a growing employer, Parker Wellbore anticipates creating 500-700 new jobs. Parker

Wellbore currently operates in more than 20 countries with an established global platform well-suited for clients requiring global collaboration and local expertise.

In line with its growth, Parker Wellbore will deliver its superior drilling operations and management services – already established in the Arctic, Sakhalin Island, and Atlantic Canada – to new offshore locations including the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and internationally, with well abandonment across mature basins, a key new focus. Parker Wellbore will leverage its rich history in geothermal, to target opportunities in Indonesia and East Africa.

The company, with a multi-million dollar technology development budget, has a core technology and engineering services group focused on automation and the advancement of digital real-time operational data surveillance and analysis to reduce HSE risks and optimize operational and environmental performance.

Sandy Esslemont added: “The energy transition is here, now and Parker Wellbore through integrated proactive participation sees this as an opportunity for growth. Parker Wellbore is ready to help solve the subsurface energy challenges of today and tomorrow, wherever and whatever they may be.”

Campaign launched to protect EV drivers at the charging point

hand-protection dispenser, which releases individual items of protection at the point of charging, forming a barrier between hand and external surfaces. With the world’s lowest CO2 footprint for hand-protection, by a huge margin, GripHero’s 100% recycled plastic hand-protection is a no-brainer for environmentally conscious EV drivers. This gives users absolute certainty that they are protecting themselves and their families from picking up super bugs and contaminants from recharging point handles, at minimal cost to the environment.

Worryingly, the research undertaken by Busbud, showed that EV recharging handles carry 7,890 colony forming units per square inch, and are particularly prone to yeast, which can cause skin infections. The study revealed that of the colony forming units encountered, over 5% were gram-negative rods which tend to be resistant to antibiotics and can cause deadly infections such as meningitis and pneumonia. 76.29% were gram-positive rods, 1.36% were gram-positive cocci and 22.89% were yeast-based.

Commenting on the campaign, Oli Yeo, inventor and managing director of GripHero, said: “Forecourts are attuned to the idea of protecting motorists from coming into contact with fuel pump handles, as that can result in foul smelling, fuel impregnated hands.

GripHero, the maker of the world’s only single-item release staticsafe hand-protection dispenser, is drawing attention to the importance of protecting the health and wellbeing of EV customers who are prone to picking up contaminants and illness from recharging point handles.

The campaign follows research which reveals that charging points are teaming with germs that have been shown to be transferable to others seven times before leaving the skin.

While the world’s attention has focussed sharply on preventing the spread of Covid-19, other illnesses, contaminants, biohazards, viruses, and chemicals are commonly passed on from the hand of one EV driver to the next user via the recharging point.

It is for this reason that GripHero has created its surface-mounted

“With EV recharging points, there’s no fuel residue transfer, but that’s far from the full story. Once you realise that hands regularly transfer illness, germs, and contaminants, it becomes clear that it is the general health and wellbeing of all customers that is at stake.

“Covid-19 has highlighted the issue, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. By providing customers with easily accessible handprotection, the issue of sickness or contaminant transfer is dealt with. That’s because hand-protection creates an immediate barrier between skin and external surface that prevents illness and germs as well as undesirable or dangerous substances from being transferred between drivers who touch the same surface for significant periods of time. Installing hand-protection dispensers is a simple and easy step to protecting motorists in the new postcovid world where the emphasis has to be building back better.”

To order GripHero’s surface-mounted hand-protection dispensers, call 01837 811 035, email info@griphero.com or visit www.griphero.com.

New software platform promises to deliver transparent wholesale fuel pricing throughout the UK

For those of you not already familiar with our organisation, Commercial Fuel Solutions Limited is a UK based engineering firm that specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of commercial refuelling solutions, including associated storage and handling equipment.

We are also recognised as the UK’s leading Independent AdBlue supplier. Our product is used by approximately 1 in 50 of all HGV’s on the UK’s roads.

With over 20,000 active customers and traffic exceeding 6500 visitors to our website every month, our reach into the market is significant, if not unrivalled. Subsequently, Commercial Fuel Solutions Limited has developed a unique software platform that will connect fuel suppliers to our ever-increasing customer base and high frequency of website visitors. Our customers remain both loyal and value our brand, making us a perfect platform to introduce additional products to our followers, visitors and customers alike.

Launched earlier this month, our new software platform is unlike any other of its kind.

Typically, fuel and oil price site look to obtain customers when they are ready to buy fuel and often target domestic users. Our platform not only targets commercial users, who require significantly larger volumes of fuel, but our system also introduces your products to prospective customers continually during their visit to our website. This ensures that both your brand and your price is kept at the top of their minds.

For example, when a potential customer visits our website, they could be looking for anything ranging from a replacement fuel filter or perhaps a consignment of AdBlue. In either instance, they may not even be looking to order fuel. But during their visit, they would be able to access all fuel prices available in their area, with the most competitive rates predominantly displayed at the top of every page on our website.

It is possible that the visitor is introduced to the fuel price before they need to order. Fortunately, our system doesn’t just enable customers to place an order for a particular vendor’s fuel supply. There will be instances where the customer may not need the fuel yet but finds the price attractive; in this instance, they are able to request a quotation where our platform captures not only their

contact details but also obtains the expected requirement date and storage tank capacity.

Ultimately this means that the customer can either place an order for fuel at the price indicated, or if they prefer they can request a quote to refer to when they are ready to receive a delivery. In both instances, our platform connects fuel suppliers with potential new customers at a rate far more competitive than pay-per-click and in some instances for free*. In addition to the lead capture function, once we have established reliable relationships with fuel vendors that are able to uphold the service levels our customers have come to expect from us, we will make personal introductions to some of our larger, legacy customers. These customers often have annual fuel requirements far exceeding millions of litres. And they could be introduced to your products in person for a pre-agreed commission fee which is only payable upon completion of a

successful deal. At present we are looking to attract fuel distributors to join our network before opening up the solution to our 20000+ customers.

Over 92% of our web traffic is from either natural search or returning visitors. We are so confident in our system’s ability to vend fuel at minimal cost that we are offering free trials until October 7th to APEA members who include renewable fuels within their product offering.

There is no other system like this available anywhere. Sign up today, before your competitors do.

To find out more, please visit www.commercialfuels.co.uk or contact us:

Robin Futcher, Commercial Fuel Solutions Limited Tel: 02380 118 670, rfutcher@commercialfuelsolutions.co.uk

Warren Day named OPW’s new Vice President and General Manager

Hamilton, OH, October 4, 2021 — OPW, a Dover company and a global leader in fluidhandling solutions, announced that it has named Warren Day as the new Vice President and General Manager for its Vehicle Wash Solutions (VWS) business. OPW VWS is an industry leader offering a full suite of best-in-class solutions, including in-bay automatic, tunnel wash systems, payment systems and software management.

Prior to accepting this role, Day was the General Manager for ICS, a recent OPW acquisition. While in that role, he was responsible for running the day-to-day activities of ICS, as well as overseeing the integration of the company into the OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions business. In addition to his industry knowledge, Day brings extensive management experience from his roles at both Honda and Danaher.

“With Warren leading the OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions business, we will look at new ways to align and promote our entire vehicle wash solutions portfolio and help further define what’s next for the vehicle wash industry,” said Kevin Long, President of OPW.

“I’m excited to lead the OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions business,” Day said. “The portfolio has expanded over the years with the addition of both Belanger and ICS, and I look forward to working with our team to continue delivering new solutions for our customers.”

To learn more about OPW, please visit opwglobal.com.

Temporary surcharge applied to Industrial products

Oslo, September 24, 2021: The President of Yara Industrial Solutions, Jorge Noval, has stated that further to the announcement on September 17th regarding the curtailment of ammonia production due to increased natural gas prices, Yara reiterates its commitment to continuing supplies wherever possible.

However, to secure the continued supply of key products for our Industrial Customers in Europe, we need to implement a temporary surcharge on the sales prices of the following products:

•NH3 +200 EUR/ton

•Urea +180 EUR/ton

•Nitric Acid +60 EUR/ton

For our Air1 – AdBlue® by Yara end-product, the surcharge equates to 58 EUR/ton, equivalent to EUR 6,3c per liter.

“We are committed to maintaining reliable supplies to our customers wherever possible. These temporary price surcharges are necessary to cover costs,” says Noval.

There will also be a temporary suspension of all minimum take-orpay and exclusive supply obligations.

The above measures will take effect as per October 1st, 2021 and remain in place until further notice. Yara will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the above measures on a monthly basis.

London, 17/08/2021 – In response to the release of the Hydrogen Strategy by BEIS, the downstream sector is committed to working with the UK Government to help build the hydrogen economy.

The downstream sector is the largest producer and user of hydrogen in the UK, safely handling hydrogen since the first UK refinery methane reformer was commissioned in Billingham in 1936.

According to the Climate Change Committee, “A significant lowcarbon hydrogen economy will be needed to help tackle the challenges” in the UK’s transition to Net-Zero. Since refineries are central parts of low-carbon industrial clusters in the UK, UKPIA sees a crucial role for them in both blue and green hydrogen producers and users.

Indeed, UKPIA members are already leading the way with projects such as HyNet North West (blue hydrogen) and Gigastack (green hydrogen). UKPIA strongly supports the industrial cluster concept, which can deliver deployment of hydrogen at scale, as an important way to decarbonise the manufacturing sector while attracting

investment and maintaining jobs across the regions of the UK.

Hydrogen will also have a role in the decarbonisation of transport alongside electrification and low carbon fuels. UKPIA’s report “The Future of Mobility in the UK”, explores potential roles for hydrogen in transport such as HGVs, shipping, and some forms of aviation.

Quotes attributed to UKPIA Director-General Stephen Marcos Jones.

“We welcome the publication of the Hydrogen Strategy and we will continue to engage with the UK Government on the policies announced today – especially the important work on business models and overcoming existing cost barriers - to ensure they support attainment of the UK’s Net-Zero goal in an efficient and economically sustainable way.

There are multiple opportunities for hydrogen to decarbonise parts of the economy, from transport to home heating and especially in decarbonising heavy manufacturing processes and we will look to support clean hydrogen technology in that important role.”

UKPIA response to the release of the UK Government’s Hydrogen Strategy

Double site branding in the Highlands

Doncaster based Petrol Sign was recently challenged to fully image two new-to-industry sites in the same week in the Scottish Highlands. The two Shell sites (Elgin and Peterhead) were completing construction at the same time and the operator Euro Garages did not want any delays in the new sites opening.

Petrol Sign was selected to image the sites as they were able to supply all the branding materials at short notice for the two sites and added extra crews onto the projects to ensure the customer’s requirements were fully met.

Both sites were completed in one week with full Shell branding to

the canopy, pole sign installed, all directional signage supplied and fitted. Given the usual highland weather things luckily stayed bright and sunny for the duration, to the relief of the engineers.

Paul Firth (Petrol Sign General Manager) said “The remote location of the sites and the level of work in the time allowed was definitely a challenge. However, our crews put the extra effort in to make sure the sites were completed on time and to the customer’s requirements. Having our own factory and printing facilities in Doncaster also helps to ensure we are able to get all the small items processed quickly. It is often the small things that can cause an issue and delay the project.”

Branches

The Life and Soul of the Party Branch

By Doreen Pooley, APEA Vice Chairman

In order for Branches to function they need to have a Branch Committee. This is defined in our Constitution and enshrined within our Branch Rules but the committee is so much more than that.

The Branch Rules explain the exact formation and roles within the Branch Committee.

“The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Branch, 3 duly elected members of the Branch and any member of the Branch who is for the time being an Officer or member of the Council of the Association…the expression, Officers of the Branch, shall mean the Chairman, any Vice Chairman, and Immediate Past Chairman, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer.”

One Committee Member may be elected to National Council as Branch Representative.

All posts within Branch Committee can be held by either a personal member or a duly nominated representative of a Corporate Member apart from the Branch Representative who must be a personal member in their own right.

It is also worth noting that “Members of the Executive Committee or any other Branch Member shall be entitled to be paid their properly incurred expenditure for attendance at any meeting they are authorised by or on behalf of the Branch to attend.”

Any Branch member (as defined above) can join the committee and

most Branch committees will be delighted to receive the support of additional members. In the very rare case of having more volunteers than seats this will usually be settled amicably by coopting the additional members – many hands make light work.

The most important function of committee members is to come up with ideas for presentations and venues for branch meetings. You don’t necessarily have to know the person best suited to deliver the presentation. Someone around the table may know them and the Branch Secretary can invite them.

Similarly with venues. A suggestion for a venue can be followed up by someone else – even by the admin team at APEA Head Office. Ideas are the key to a successful committee.

Once you are on your Branch Committee don’t be shy about taking on the role of an officer or Branch Rep. We have been working on producing a document which outlines the various roles of Branch Officers which will be available very soon. Please take a look and get involved if you possibly can.

We mustn’t let our committees become stale. The same goes for National Council. While it is good to start with the Branch Committee to get an understanding of how the Association works any personal member of the APEA can be nominated by any other members to join the National Council Committee. Don’t worry about whether there is a “space” or not – If there are too many nominations then the membership gets to elect who they want to see run this amazing Association.

Southern

The Southern Branch held a successful meeting on 14th September at the Steam Railway Museum in Swindon.

It was a novelty to be able to meet up with friends and associates for the first time in 18 months and enjoy great presentations and good company.

A limited number of people ensured that distancing was possible for members to enjoy the presentations.

Chris Ramshaw gave us an APEA update a with details of

forthcoming training courses. Jack Aplin from Eurotank continued the morning with a very interesting insight into the differences between using manual entry or machinery to enter and work on underground tanks.

Ray Blake finished the morning with a PELG update and an overview of the PRA Lumina Intelligence statistical view of forecourts.

After an excellent lunch and Q&A session, delegates had the opportunity to view and enjoy the museum.

Training course dates 2022

contact the APEA office for a quotation for a bespoke course for any of the courses listed below at admin@apea.org.uk, with an approximate number of delegates and

dates.

Petrol Filling Stations –

Audit and Inspection Course

-

-

-

Airport

Airport

Installations - An Awareness

Manchester Airport

SeptemberSwindon

Fireworks

Airport

Wetstock Management

4 April Manchester Airport

12 September Stansted Airport

DSEAR

6 April Manchester Airport

Sept Stansted Airport

Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014

March Manchester Airport 8 September Stansted Airport

Petrol Filling Station courses on request Vapour Recovery Installations Leak Investigation Enforcement Procedures Safe Installation and Use of LPG

courses

Training Course Fees

APEA Member Non member

3 day course with accommodation£1020.00 £1120.00

3 day, day delegate rate £810.00 £910.00

1 day course £260.00 £310.00

More information and booking details on the “Training” page at www.apea.org.uk Anyone booking a training course that is not an APEA member will automatically receive complimentary “Individual” membership to the APEA for one year.

Courses will be designed around the (4th edition) Blue Book Guidance for the Design, Construction, Modification, Maintenance and Decommissioning of Filling Stations (May 2018).

A hard copy and a pdf version of the 4th Edition is available from the Publications page of the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk

The hardcopy is £75.00 to APEA Members and £150.00 to non APEA members. There is no VAT charged on the hardcopy or pdf formats. The pdf version can be purchased with a licence for individual use and cannot be shared or printed. It is strongly recommended that attendees have access to this document during courses.

Recent bespoke courses

The APEA was recently asked to provide two bespoke training courses. Firstly, a 3-day combined Construction and Audit and Inspection course for Merseyside Fire and Rescue service. This was delivered at a local fire station in Liverpool to a group of 9 delegates and culminated in an audit of a local Morrisons petrol filling station. The course was well received by all attendees who said that it was a great insight into the enforcement side of petroleum storage.

Secondly, the APEA was asked to deliver the same course to

For details of this and any other training enquiry, please contact: Jane Mardell - APEA Business Manager email: admin@apea.org.uk Tel: + 44 (0) 345 603 5507

or

Thomas Daly (Training Committee Chairman) Tel: +353 876899281 email: thomasdaly@apea.org.uk

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue service. This was given to 10 delegates and ended in an audit of a filling station in Skegness operated under the Euro Garages banner, Once again the training was well received and the comments by the group on the feedback forms was very gratefully received by the trainers.

Please be mindful that the Association offers bespoke training so if you have any queries re training then please contact Thomas Daly (Training Committee Chairman) for a quote on Tel: +353 876899281 or email: thomasdaly@apea.org.uk

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue test session

Delegates from the Lincolnshire 3 day combined Construction, Audit and Inspection course

Delegates from the 3 day combined Construction, Audit and Inspection course at Stansted Airport in September

Delegates from the Merseyside 3 day combined Construction, Audit and Inspection course