News
‘Security of supply will be
the key concern’
SPEAKING LAST MONTH WITH GUY PULHAM, UKIFDA’S CEO, FUEL OIL
NEWS ASKED:
S
hould a no-deal Brexit take place; do you feel the industry is well-
prepared to cope with the challenges this may bring?
Guy Pulham – in respect of a no-deal Brexit, UKIFDA has ‘asked each member
to talk to their suppliers and ask about their contingency plans’
OFTEC – building
new relationships
with government
L
etters regarding the importance of bioliquids to be
included as an option in the home energy mix have been
dispatched by OFTEC.
Replies have been received from both the new minister of
state for business, energy and clean growth, Kwasi Kwarteng,
and Andrea Leadsom, under-secretary of state for energy and
climate change.
OFTEC was disappointed to learn that Aaron Gould has
now left the BEIS Heat Team to take up a new role in the
ministry of housing, communities
and local government.
OFTEC reports that ‘Aaron was one of the few remaining
people within BEIS originally involved in DECC, and who could
bring a degree of consistency and history to discussions.’ With
his successor yet to be appointed, OFTEC remarks that this
‘creates a degree of uncertainty’.
OFTEC will seek to build a relationship with Aaron’s
successor as quickly as possible.
This industry has the skills, knowledge and expertise to cope with most
situations. I do have confidence in the supply chain – a supply chain which
consistently performs even during the largest peaks of demand.
Writing this in mid-September, the Operation Yellowhammer report has just
been released. These papers talk about the worst-case scenarios of a no-deal Brexit
leading to fuel shortages, and how smuggling across the Irish border could increase,
(we have lobbied on the current smuggling issue).
As a result, we are currently reviewing government plans and continue to work
hard to ensure lines of communication are open between all parts of the supply
chain – UKPIA and TSA for primary distribution issues – to ensure members are
kept fully informed of the situation enabling them to update their customers.
Having attended several Brexit meetings in London, we have continually been told
that no disruption to imports is expected. The reality may be somewhere between
the two.
Our members mainly operate in secondary distribution moving product from
primary locations to their own depots and/or onwards to end consumers. Security
of supply will be the key concern. That is why we’ve asked each member to talk to
their suppliers and ask about their contingency plans. We would also encourage
members with depots to have a little more stock than usual in tank at the end of
the October.
The second stage of our ‘Get Winter Ready’ campaign will also be sent out in
October – it will use Brexit as an extra reason to buy early this year. The balance
is trying to get consumers to have a little more stock in tank through the end of
October without causing unnecessary panic buying and thereby causing supply
issues.
TURN TO PAGE 13 FOR A FURTHER Q&A WITH GUY PULHAM
4 Fuel Oil News | October 2019
TANKER OF THE YEAR 2019
– ENTER BY 31ST OCTOBER!