Shell unveils new Mobile Quality Laboratory
Every drop quality assured
Vivo Energy Namibia, the marketer and distributor of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants, unveiled its modern mobile quality laboratory (MQL) at a special ceremony held last Friday afternoon in Windhoek.
The MQL, a first in the Namibian industry, contains a fully automated fuel quality testing station that allows for fast and highly precise analysis of petrol and diesel directly in the field.
This new initiative will augment the stringent quality control process that are already in place throughout the company’s supply chain.
Now it will be possible to check fuel quality at any Shell fueling station forecourt, in addition to the tests that are routinely done at the Vivo Energy laboratory. The mobile lab, fitted into a vehicle, will be collecting samples randomly from Shell stations and conducting basic quality tests on site, while also returning samples to the main laboratory at the depot for further analysis where issues are detected.
“We already have the superior quality Shell fuels, and we test our products at our laboratories located at all loading points along the supply chain, but we feel that’s not enough,” Edward Walugembe, Vivo Energy Namibia’s managing director, said.
“We are constantly working at giving our customers the very best products, therefore protecting quality is a priority for us. The mobile testing lab helps us to do that.
“Not only does it help guarantee the quality of the products that eventually go into customers’ tanks, it also reaffirms the message that we care about our customers deeply.”
Maggy Shiino, the acting petroleum commissioner in the ministry of mines and energy, praised Vivo Energy Namibia for its proactive approach to quality assurance.
“It greatly enhances the work that Vivo Energy is already doing and provides additional support to the work of the ministry. As a regulator, it gives us immense pleasure to note that our oil marketers and distributors take the issue of quality management seriously. On behalf of the ministry, I therefore commend you on this groundbreaking initiative”, she said.
The MQL is equipped to produce key test results within 30 minutes. It has a temperature-controlled box to store samples, and also has a sealed/lockable cabinet that is mounted to the floor of the vehicle. The mounting includes special suspension mechanisms so that the vibrations of the moving vehicle do not negatively affect the samples.
The lab will work in collaboration with the trained quality marshals already present at every Shell service station in Namibia. Quality marshals receive product, compare loading parameters against offloading parameters, regularly test the product to reconfirm quality, test and confirm the calibration of the pumps, and handle any quality related issues at the station.
In his keynote address, Vivo Energy CEO Hans Mittelman reconfirmed product quality as a cornerstone of the Shell brand.
“As a Shell licensee distributing Shell’s superior products, Vivo Energy must maintain the Shell brand standards,” he said.
“And that means being totally dedicated to improving our product offering and serving our customers in the best way we can. I truly believe that this new initiative will take us one step closer to our ambition of being Africa’s most respected energy business.”
• “With the MQL, the very important tests will be able to be covered. Specifically, we will have a digital density meter to check the density of our Shell V-Power Unleaded 95, Shell FuelSave Diesel, Shell Kerosene, Shell Fuel Oil and all our Shell lubricants.
• This allows our Shell scientists to ensure that we do not have the wrong product in a tank; for example, Shell V-Power Unleaded in the Shell FuelSave Diesel Tank or vice versa or a mixture of the two.
• This ensures that our customers receive the right product. We will also be able to test the flashpoint with our digital flashpoint tester to check how volatile or flammable our Shell fuels - excluding Shell V-Power Unleaded - and Shell lubricants are.
• For additional tests that cannot be conducted on site, the MQL is equipped with sampling equipment to extract and safely store samples, which can then be tested back in our fully-fledged laboratories in Windhoek or Tsumeb.
• These tests include conductivity of Shell FuelSave Diesel, which is conducted to determine how at-risk the product is of generating an electrical spark when it is pumped under high speed, which could lead to an explosion if not checked.
• Unwashed gum tests on Shell V-Power Unleaded 95 are conducted to ensure that the right amount of our magic drop or premium additive is in our fuel when it reaches our retail service stations.” Product quality excellence lead at Vivo Energy Namibia, Demetrio Möwes, who will be be using the MQL to visit each of the 72 Shell service stations across the country, explained some of the tests and sampling they will be conducting:
The MQL, a first in the Namibian industry, contains a fully automated fuel quality testing station that allows for fast and highly precise analysis of petrol and diesel directly in the field.
This new initiative will augment the stringent quality control process that are already in place throughout the company’s supply chain.
Now it will be possible to check fuel quality at any Shell fueling station forecourt, in addition to the tests that are routinely done at the Vivo Energy laboratory. The mobile lab, fitted into a vehicle, will be collecting samples randomly from Shell stations and conducting basic quality tests on site, while also returning samples to the main laboratory at the depot for further analysis where issues are detected.
“We already have the superior quality Shell fuels, and we test our products at our laboratories located at all loading points along the supply chain, but we feel that’s not enough,” Edward Walugembe, Vivo Energy Namibia’s managing director, said.
“We are constantly working at giving our customers the very best products, therefore protecting quality is a priority for us. The mobile testing lab helps us to do that.
“Not only does it help guarantee the quality of the products that eventually go into customers’ tanks, it also reaffirms the message that we care about our customers deeply.”
Maggy Shiino, the acting petroleum commissioner in the ministry of mines and energy, praised Vivo Energy Namibia for its proactive approach to quality assurance.
“It greatly enhances the work that Vivo Energy is already doing and provides additional support to the work of the ministry. As a regulator, it gives us immense pleasure to note that our oil marketers and distributors take the issue of quality management seriously. On behalf of the ministry, I therefore commend you on this groundbreaking initiative”, she said.
The MQL is equipped to produce key test results within 30 minutes. It has a temperature-controlled box to store samples, and also has a sealed/lockable cabinet that is mounted to the floor of the vehicle. The mounting includes special suspension mechanisms so that the vibrations of the moving vehicle do not negatively affect the samples.
The lab will work in collaboration with the trained quality marshals already present at every Shell service station in Namibia. Quality marshals receive product, compare loading parameters against offloading parameters, regularly test the product to reconfirm quality, test and confirm the calibration of the pumps, and handle any quality related issues at the station.
In his keynote address, Vivo Energy CEO Hans Mittelman reconfirmed product quality as a cornerstone of the Shell brand.
“As a Shell licensee distributing Shell’s superior products, Vivo Energy must maintain the Shell brand standards,” he said.
“And that means being totally dedicated to improving our product offering and serving our customers in the best way we can. I truly believe that this new initiative will take us one step closer to our ambition of being Africa’s most respected energy business.”
• “With the MQL, the very important tests will be able to be covered. Specifically, we will have a digital density meter to check the density of our Shell V-Power Unleaded 95, Shell FuelSave Diesel, Shell Kerosene, Shell Fuel Oil and all our Shell lubricants.
• This allows our Shell scientists to ensure that we do not have the wrong product in a tank; for example, Shell V-Power Unleaded in the Shell FuelSave Diesel Tank or vice versa or a mixture of the two.
• This ensures that our customers receive the right product. We will also be able to test the flashpoint with our digital flashpoint tester to check how volatile or flammable our Shell fuels - excluding Shell V-Power Unleaded - and Shell lubricants are.
• For additional tests that cannot be conducted on site, the MQL is equipped with sampling equipment to extract and safely store samples, which can then be tested back in our fully-fledged laboratories in Windhoek or Tsumeb.
• These tests include conductivity of Shell FuelSave Diesel, which is conducted to determine how at-risk the product is of generating an electrical spark when it is pumped under high speed, which could lead to an explosion if not checked.
• Unwashed gum tests on Shell V-Power Unleaded 95 are conducted to ensure that the right amount of our magic drop or premium additive is in our fuel when it reaches our retail service stations.” Product quality excellence lead at Vivo Energy Namibia, Demetrio Möwes, who will be be using the MQL to visit each of the 72 Shell service stations across the country, explained some of the tests and sampling they will be conducting:
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article