Loading times - Service quality indicators

Report for January 2012

It typically takes about 15 minutes to fill a 36,000 litre fuel tanker with fuel. By setting a target loading time of 20 minutes, we are allowing just five minutes for queuing, driving in and out of the terminal and authorising the lifting. We consider 21 minutes to be an optimum achievable target, without creating time pressures which may jeopardise health and safety considerations.

Vopak Thames - Typical loading time: 21 mins

We are pleased to be able to keep average loading times at Vopak at 22.53 minutes this month. The latter part of the month was an extremely busy one at the terminal as we increased sales to meet extra demand resulting from the lack of supply from the Petroplus Coryton refinery. In order to minimise loading delays for our customers using the Vopak Thames terminal, we worked closely with our customers to ensure that lifting patterns were as even as possible throughout the day. We have also been supplying product from our second terminal on the Thames estuary in order to minimise bottlenecks and delays. We will continue our work to understand and address the causes of longer loading times.

Plymouth - Typical loading time: 25 mins

The Plymouth terminal is owned and operated by Greenergy. Our annualised target is a loading times of 25 minutes, taking account of seasonable demand peaks. Outside the busy tourist seasons, loading times are often shorter.

Teesside - Typical loading time: 25 mins

A Greenergy owned facility operated by Vopak. The terminal opened in July 2010, but valid loading times have only become available following the completion of permanent access roadways in May 2011. We are now monitoring loading times closely.

Eastham

Non-Greenergy owned facility. We are not in direct control of the loading procedures at this terminal, but we monitor loading times so that we can identify trends and address delays experienced by our customers.

Clydebank