StocExpo 2014 Spans the Supply Spectrum

StocExpo, taking place on 18-20 March 2014 at Ahoy Rotterdam, is set to be the biggest event of the year for Europe’s terminal operators, oil companies, traders and regulators. StocExpo offers a major conference, plus a wide array of industry leading exhibitors, spanning the supply spectrum.

The Conference Programme

The paid-for three day conference, designed to help operators adapt to the changing market and prepare for the year ahead, will feature over 20 world class speakers covering everything from emerging transport fuels to finance and from shale to cyber security.

For instance Dr Frits Eulderink, Executive Board Member & Chief Operating Officer of Royal Vopak, will explore the emergence of LNG as a transport fuel and provide an update on Thames Oilport storage conversion.

Cyber security is a growing threat to the terminal sector. Sinclair Koelemij, Process IT Security Professional at Honeywell is an expert in this space. He will discuss what needs to be done in order to make an organisation’s employees aware and what methods can be put in place to combat this ever present threat.

Koelemij said: “Defense for critical infrastructure needs to be more protected than it was 10 years ago…I have seen companies that are really protected, but they are rare.”

In December 2012, the members of the VOTOB (The Association of Independent Tank Storage Companies) unanimously adopted a new approach called the ‘VOTOB Safety Plan’ which includes the Safety Maturity Tool. Sandra De Bont, Director at VOTOB, will talk about ensuring terminal safety and explain how the tool works.

“The starting point of this plan is that companies themselves bear the primary responsibility for their security,” she says. “Companies need to measure their safety performance and thus get a detailed picture of where their strengths and their weaknesses lie.”

Another speaker John Reynolds, Managing Director at Reynolds Training Services, agrees that health and safety is front of mind within the industry, but thinks individuals need to take ownership of the issue too. Reynolds says: “Process safety is firmly locked in the collective conscience of the industry right now and, whilst this is fantastic, we must not lose sight of the need for good personal safety.

“After all, improving the safety of individual workers and reducing personal hazards will have a positive impact on the wider process safety culture of that organisation. Like a knife and fork, process and personal safety go hand in hand.” John Reynolds has 30 years experience delivering training, vocational competency assessment and consultancy to the petroleum sector. He will discuss process safety and operational principles modules training to meet competency requirements.

The rapid emergence of shale gas has sent gas prices plummeting in North America. For European players, trying to see how it could affect their strategy, Mike Henson, Manger of Infrastructure Development at Chevron will discuss the recent shale developments in the US and their ramifications.

Product Launches & Innovation

With over 190 exhibitors, StocExpo will also feature the latest developments in tank design, construction, maintenance, metering, measuring, pumps and valves all under one roof. These include Elmac which will feature its newly modified end of line flame arresters. As well as being used in standard applications, the units are used on low pressure storage tanks, allowing the tanks to breath during emptying and filling.

Baillie Tank Equipment, provider of quality storage tank equipment solutions, will be exhibiting its latest in geodesic dome roof and full contact IFR design, together with floating roof seals, drains and advanced floating suction technologies.

Newson Gale will be presenting its innovative truck mounted static ground verification system, the Earth-Rite® MGV. This enhances the protection of personnel and equipment during vacuum tanker and road tanker transfers of flammable or combustible materials, by preventing uncontrolled electrostatic discharges.

Chubb Ajax will unveil the FlexSonic Acoustic Gas Leak Detector, a revolutionary step forward over traditional gas leak detectors.  The FlexSonic is designed to withstand the harshest environments, whilst the detector analyses 24 discrete ultrasonic bands, ignoring nuisance ultrasonic sources.

Saval will use the show to demonstrate the Knowsley Turbinator foam proportioner. This new developed product is a “plug-and-play” solution for all foam mixing applications. FOAMGLAS Industry will show how the payback period when insulating a storage tank bottom with FOAMGLAS insulation can be as low as just a few months.

First time exhibitor, MPT, the dosing and mixing specialist will show how their Pulsair equipment is up to 95% more energy efficient than mechanical mixers. Action-Sealite will be exhibiting their range of hoses, camlock fittings and camlock couplings designed for safe and effective transport of fluid and air.

StocExpo will also be the show debut for TTK’s Hydrocarbon Sense Cables, an embedded microchip in each FG-OD cable means these cables can be used for multiple leak detection and localisation thanks to independent digital addressing.

To find out more about attending StocExpo or to register visit www.stocexpo.com. If you are interested in booking your place for the conference please call Tim Ryan or Matthew Rawlins on +44 (0)20 8843 8803 /8807 or email tim@stocexpo.com or mrawlins@stocexpo.com.

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