Certas Energy is an official sponsor of the Aspinall Foundation , an internationally renowned animal conservation charity . Visitors to Port Lympne can take a safari experience across the Kent countryside
“ Introducing this fuel in the busy south east means that companies such as Brakes Food Distribution , an early adopter , are in a strong position to make a positive difference to the UK ’ s air quality problem ” added Brian .
The fuel is currently available from Certas Energy depots at Ashford , Eastham and Horsham and also at the recently opened Liverpool bunker site . The supply chain will be further developed in line with demand .
Marcel van den Berg , business development manager for Shell GTL , says this fuel can even stop the cruise liner Harmony of the Seas from smoking !
“ Shipping is very dirty and Rotterdam has a big issue with air quality ,” said Marcel who works in the Benelux . Shell GTL fuel was introduced to B2B customers in the Netherlands in 2012 in the same year that its GTL plant opened in Qatar
“ By 2050 the world will be using twice as much energy as it does today and we will need everything to fuel it – CNG , biofuels , LNG , etc .
Paraffinic fuels , which involve a very old process going back to WW2 , meet EN950 except in density and fully meet EN15940 . Particulate matter is 30-50 % less and an engine running on GTL is less noisy .
GTL , which is hydrophobic rather than hydroscopic like ethanol , does need a lubricity additive to compensate for the desulphurisation .
The fuel is used by bus and transport companies , waste collectors in cities , rail , inland shipping , offshore , leisure & tourist boats , power generation and river cruise operators .
Following significant testing for both heating and propulsion in 45 ships , sea-going vessels are a newer area for GTL Fuels .
“ This premium fuel has huge possibilities but we need customers to come on the journey ,” said Marcel .
At present GTL fuels are treated as conventional diesel but with a duty review due in 2018 , Shell , the world ’ s largest producer , is lobbying for a change .
“ We need economies of scale , freezing a gas has a higher cost than creating a crude . The more people buy , the more economies of scale . When we have demand that allows larger vessels to come into the country , this will help .
Asked if the fuel suffers from bug issues and does it work with a percentage of diesel , Marcel replied : “ Maybe – but the risk is less . Presently there has been no real testing with a percentage of diesel .”
www . shell . com / energy-and-innovation / natural-gas / gas-to-liquids . html
“ Without trucks people would be homeless , naked and very hungry ,” said Duncan Buchanan , policy director at the Road Haulage Association ( RHA ), who previously worked at the Department for Transport .
Lorries move 98 % of our food , agricultural and consumer goods with 42 % of the lorries on the road at any one time moving food .
“ Given the quantities of food and fuel needed across the country , there are no practical alternative to lorries .”
The RHA has 7,000 members , mostly SMEs who work in a low margin and highly regulated industry running lorries which have an average life span of 12 years .
With the introduction of Low Emission Zones ( LEZs ), it becomes incredibly complicated to manage vehicles in a local area . Duncan reported that in 2015 lorries were the source of 10 % of NOx emissions .
He also said that between 2014 and the end of 2016 , NOx emissions from HGVs across Great Britain reduced by about a third and , that by 2019 just over half of vehicles will be Euro VI . By the end of that year , lorry NOx will have more than halved .
“ We need to focus on the hot spots , reduce congestion and encourage out of hours movements . Euro III vehicles are being fined now – we need a gradual phasing-in to encourage operators to get rid of Euro IV vehicles or we will destroy the residual value of the fleet .”
The RHA ’ s Spring conference takes place Friday 16th – Sunday 18th March with Ultra-Low Emission Zone enforcement among the topics .
Bruce Woodall , Oil Tank Supplies ’ chairman and a member of the Fuel Experts Association , will also be discussing the benefits of fuel husbandry
Fuel Oil News | March 2018 11