Storage Matters
Continued from page 21
Jill Turner, sales manager Bruce Woodall, chairman – OTS Group
Despite wider
market uncertainty,
Carbery has
continued to enjoy solid
sales across Ireland, the
UK, together with key
continental European
markets. Present sales
levels are as a result of
both geographic expansion
and an increase in existing
market share.
The market for new heating oil installations in particular has
declined. However, this is being somewhat offset by an increase
in demand in the replacement sector. We’re also beginning to
see first generation diesel tanks being upgraded too which has
created additional opportunities for us within the commercial
sector.
We are also benefitting from recent product-led investments,
including our range of Fuel Caddy and Mobi Point mobile
refueling tanks and have significant and ambitious product-led
investment plans moving forward. The tank market for OTS Group is very buoyant and we have a lot
of projects underway with major oil companies as well as some very
interesting and specialist pieces of work. For example, we’ve just started
a major project with Plymouth Fisheries to replace the fishing fleet’s bulk fuel
storage system.
Additionally, we have supplied two of our patented OTS MultiservTM
systems to the Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham. This is an exciting, high
profile project because it is the first commercial energy park in the country and
will have CNG, LNG, hydrogen and biofuels alongside fossil fuels.
Our primary work is large 100,000+ litre bulk storage tanks for fuel
distribution, and we’re increasingly working on Truck Stop projects, with
several currently in the pipeline. Our MultiservTM fuel system is becoming well-
recognised in the Truck Stop sector because it ticks all the boxes in terms of
compliance, with minimum management required as it’s effectively self-service
and can be managed remotely.
1
2
In a word – yes. At a time when sustainability has never
been higher on the agenda, we believe liquid fuels can play
a central role as we transition to a low and ultimately zero
carbon economy.
As a business we’ve seen how AdBlue in particular has
created green growth opportunities for forward thinking
manufacturers and distributors alike – as well of course, as
reducing GHG emissions and improving air quality. We believe
the transition to low and zero carbon liquid fuels can benefit the
environment and the industry. We’re supportive of efforts by both
OFTEC and FPS to lead in this area. We’re working with other
partners, to assist in the development of future fuels.
However, key to maximising industry’s contribution is the
adoption of a technologically agnostic approach by government,
to solving the climate challenge. Otherwise, there is a real danger
that industry and the wider environment, could be jeopardised
by unnecessarily prescriptive regulations, which focus upon
promoting specific, existing technologies at the expense of the
environment. Let’s face it, some of the technologies which will
define the future of the energy industry have almost certainly yet
to be invented!”
3
To minimise emissions, you first have to be able to manage
them. Looking forward we see remote monitoring in
particular, as critical in allowing businesses and consumers
to make informed decisions. We see significant opportunities as
these systems are integrated into wider process management
and control technologies.
With regard to storage tank construction and safety,
obviously significant progress has been made with regard to
bunding. However, bunding can only ever be a part of the
solution. We are therefore supportive of storage tank inspection
initiatives, which monitor the tank throughout its life and with a
focus of avoiding environmental incidents in the first instance.”
1
2
It is still early days for alternative liquid fuels. There are new fuels, such
as gas to liquid (GTL) and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), which are
still in the development stage and I’m sure there will be a number of
other liquid biofuels emerging. For example, Exxon Mobil is reportedly working
on one based on seaweed, and there will be others. These new alternative
fuels will probably require slightly different storage tanks from the point of
view of internal lining and
filtration systems, so it is
an opportunity for new
product development or
for enhancing existing
products.
Fuel quality has
become a much bigger
issue, mainly because the
government is focusing
on tailpipe emissions and
it’s well proven that the
cleaner the fuel, the lower the tailpipe emissions. At OTS Group we’ve been
employing sophisticated filtration systems to SAE J1488_2010 for several years
to considerably clean up derv and gas oils which delivers greater mpg and 10-
20% reduction in tailpipe emissions.
So, there are things the industry can do to clean up fossil fuel which
is still the cheapest primary energy source for industry and logistics; it is
therefore important that we focus on fuel quality. OTS Group is very much at
the forefront of that and we put our cutting-edge filtration systems on our
MultiservTM installations, if the client requests.
3
There’s a lot more ‘smart monitoring’ going on with modern storage
tank systems with the MultiservTM being the flagship due to the fact
that its designed to be very simple to deliver, install, refuel and use. The
whole system can be managed remotely from the HQ or from a smart phone
with any problems easily addressed.
Systems are becoming much smarter than they were 10 years ago and I’m
sure there will be more innovations coming along. One of the smartest things
we are now able to do is to have automatic fuel checking for quality – if the
fuel isn’t right up to the good fuel standards based on The World Fuel Charter
18=16=13, the polishing system within the tank will automatically switch
on and refilter the fuel to get it back down to the correct cleanliness. That is
certainly becoming a very attractive option for people who operate truck stops
and remote fueling sites.
Fuel Oil News | July 2019 23