C2572 02 Apr-May 06 AW - LP Gas Magazine

APRIL/MAY 2006 

AUTOGAS CONVERSION EQUIPMENT 

It all began way back in the late 1930s… 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 

COMPANY MAN 

TAKES CONTROL 

IT’S GOODBYE FROM ME… 

ZINC – WHITE ELEPHANT 

OR WHITE KNIGHT?

ATTENTION ALL LP GAS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS 

Your own EXCLUSIVE policy for LPGA members. 

• Your annual renewal membership fee with LPGA paid for by your insurer. 

• Retrospective rebate of up to 15% payable upon future renewal. 

• Policy underwritten by Allianz Cornhill with a Standard and Poor A+ rating. 

• Full insurance review by one of our experienced account managers. 

• Health and Safety advice with access to preferential rates for asbestos surveys 

and health and safety reviews. 

• This facility is also open to fuel stations selling LPG fuel! 

For a quotation please contact: 

David Lamb, F M Green Insurance Brokers, 39 Market Square, Witney, Oxon OX28 6AD 

Telephone: 01993 701300 Fax: 01993 779817 E-mail: insurance@fmgreen.co.uk 

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority 

TANKBOUW ROOTSELAAR BV 

Nijverheidsstraat 33, 3861 RJ Nijkerk, The Netherlands 

Phone: +31 33 247 14 90 

Fax: +31 33 246 05 01 

E-mail: root@tankbouwrootselaar.com 

Website: www.tankbouwrootselaar.com 

PART OF THE ROOTSELAAR GROUP 

LP GAS MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD 

LPG FORECOURT LOGISTICS LTD 

The Headquarters, Nicks Lane, 

Brome, Eye, Suffolk IP23 8AN, UK 

Tel: 01379 871321 

Fax: 01379 871446 

E-mail: jtennens.lpgas@btconnect.com 

– Own development 

– Own facilities production 

– Supplying worldwide 

– Several projects for major UK supplier 

– ISO 9001 certified 

– Member of Dutch LP Gas Association VVG 

– CE-marking acc. PED 97/23/EC 

– ASME “U”/”U2”/”R”-Stamp holder 

TANKBOUW ROOTSELAAR for all your 

solutions in storage and transport of LP Gas. 

The company has almost half a century of 

experience in all aspects of LPG storage 

and transportation. 

Specialist in Refrigerant Gases and 

Cryogenic Tanks for LIN/LOX/LAR/LNG. 

Please contact our Distributor for your UK 

vessel requirements 

DIRECT DISTRIBUTION FROM THE UK 

MEET ALL YOUR VESSEL REQUIREMENTS 

Tankbouw Rootselaar/De Visser from The 

Netherlands has appointed LP Gas 

Maintenance Services Ltd and its subsidiary, 

LPG Forecourt Logistics Ltd, 

to become its UK distributor 

for LPG vessels as of 

March 2005. 

FULL SERVICE IN PRESSURE VESSELS AND CRYOGENICS

CONTENTS 

APRIL/MAY 2006 

LP GAS 

THE VOICE OF THE UK LPG INDUSTRY 

Reflecting the objectives of a thriving, diverse 

industry and its customers, LP Gas is distributed 

free to LPGA members and registered readers. 

Individual copies: £4 

Overseas subscription: £40 pa. 

04 NEWS 

06 COMPANY MAN TAKES CONTROL 

08 THE CARRERA SUDAMERICANA 

ISSN 1362-7813. APR/MAY 2006 

10 IT’S GOODBYE FROM ME… 

12 ZINC – WHITE ELEPHANT OR WHITE KNIGHT? 

14 KEEPING A GRIP ON YOUR LEAD 

15 PRODUCTS 

16 AUTOGAS CONVERSION EQUIPMENT 

24 AUTOGAS 

26 LPGA FOCUS 

28 WORLD VIEW 

29 SPECIALIST SERVICES 

30 TRAINING 

EDITORIAL 

Picture Publishing 

The Point, College Road, Eastbourne, 

East Sussex BN21 4JJ 

Tel: 01323 646076 

Fax: 01323 411050 

email: ppl@prgltd.co.uk 

Web: www.lpgasmagazine.co.uk 

Publisher: Raymond Groves 

Magazine Manager: Faye Spiers 

Production: PRG Design 

Printed by: Adland Paul Green, London 

ADVERTISEMENT ENQUIRIES 

Space Marketing 

10 Clayfield Mews, Newcomen Road 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9PA 

Tel: 01892 677740 

Fax: 01892 677743 

email: sales@spacemarketing.co.uk 

THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY 

NOTHING ENDURES BUT CHANGE 

Kevan Rock 

Chairman 

LP Gas Association 

Speaking as a Lancashire boy, the old joke used to be that the only good 

thing to come out of Yorkshire was the M62 motorway. Not true, of course 

(well, not entirely), and particularly not in the case of our LPGA director 

general, Tom Fidell, who is retiring at the end of May. 

If Tom does not have lpg in his blood, then it is certainly under his 

fingernails, after spending the last 13 years at the ‘coal face’ supporting the 

members, helping us to develop our industry and bringing the LPGA from 

the brink of existence to being the envy of many trade bodies. 

He has been a great help and support to me, personally, during my time as 

chairman, providing good, sound advice and helping to steer me through 

some difficult situations. I am sure everyone will join me in thanking Tom for 

the tremendous job he has done for us and wish him all the very best for the 

future wherever it may take him. 

This is just another illustration of the fact that the one thing we can 

certainly rely upon is the inevitability of change. It is the only constant. And 

the speed of change will continue to increase. 

We all see examples of this, daily, in our own businesses. Whether it is the 

Competition Commission enquiry, changes in employment law or the ever 

onerous legislation generated from and imposed on us by Brussels. 

We have to try to welcome change positively with open arms, because 

positive change can only mean growth. It is the responsibility of all of us to 

ensure that we harness all of the expertise and experience within our 

businesses, put our differences aside, and face the many challenges in front 

of us with a united and consistent position. 

The LPGA AGM & Conference in May will see the end of my tenure as 

chairman. I would like to thank my colleagues on the executive committee 

and the wider membership for their help and support over the past year and 

wish my good friend and very capable successor, John Tolchard, the very 

best of luck for the coming year! 

© Picture Publishing, 2006 

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this 

publication is prohibited without permission. Every effort is 

made to ensure accuracy, but the publishers accept no 

responsibility for editorial opinions or statements, and no 

liability for products or services described in this magazine. 

FRONT COVER PICTURE 


See page 23 

LP GAS MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2006 3

NEWS 

CC Consults on Market Remedies 

The Competition Commission (CC) is 

consulting on measures to remedy the 

adverse effect on competition it 

provisionally found in the markets for 

the supply of domestic bulk lpg in 

Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

Peter Freeman, chairman of the 

inquiry group, said: “We provisionally 

found that competition was not 

working as effectively as it should and 

that consumers were losing out as a 

result. We are now bringing this 

investigation to a close. 

“Customers face a number of 

hurdles in switching supplier and this 

has restricted competition between 

suppliers, discouraged entry and 

expansion, and led to higher prices. 

We are now consulting on a package 

of measures that should make 

switching easier for customers by 

removing the need to change tanks 

when changing supplier, improving the 

terms of customer contracts, and 

giving customers more information.” 

The CC considers that the facilitation 

of tank transfer, standardisation of the 

switching process, changing customer 

contracts and better provision of 

information would address those 

features of the domestic bulk lpg 

market it has provisionally found as 

having an adverse effect on 

competition. 

An incoming supplier would have the 

right to buy the existing tank, valves, 

regulator and pipework from the 

outgoing supplier, which would be 

obliged to provide documentation on 

the tank and respond to emergency 

callouts for up to 14 days after transfer. 

A methodology to determine a 

backstop price for transferred tanks 

would be established. 

There would be no charges to the 

customer on termination of their 

contract, which would have to 

include information on the switching 

Calor Gets into Fuel Cells 

Calor Gas Ltd has announced that 

it has signed a memorandum of 

understanding (MOU) with Voller 

Energy Group plc, a leading 

commercial developer and 

manufacturer of portable fuel cell 

systems, to work together to 

develop the market for fuel cell 

generators and battery chargers 

with hydrogen derived from lpg. 

The MOU is for an initial period of 

two years, and will then continue 

indefinitely unless terminated by 

either party. 

Paul Blacklock, marketing 

manager at Calor, said: “Fuel cell 

technology is rapidly developing 

and will clearly be of benefit in 

rural areas where mains gas is not 

available, and where the quality of 

electricity supplies is often poorer. 

As we move towards a vision of a 

distributed energy infrastructure, 

lpg fuel cells will increasingly play 

a vital role.” 

Fuel cells offer an alternative to 

conventional energy generation 

from petrol or diesel. There has 

been speculation that a ‘hydrogen 

economy’ will emerge, replacing 

the current ‘carbon economy’ as 

carbon based fossil fuels, such as 

coal, gas and oil, become scarce. 

However, in spite of repeated 

government initiatives, hydrogen is 

still only available from specialist 

suppliers and there are no 

immediate plans to make 

hydrogen broadly accessible to 

consumers. By contrast, lpg is 

widely available. 

Fuel cells work by converting 

the chemical energy in hydrogen 

to electrical energy by 

combining it with oxygen across 

a special membrane. The 

outputs from the reaction are 

electricity, heat and water. 

Voller Energy is initially targeting 

commercially attractive areas, 

including cordless power tools, 

temporary buildings, leisure 

Shell Retains Lpg Business 

Shell has announced that, after a 

review of its global lpg marketing 

and distribution, it has decided to 

retain its lpg businesses, including 

that in the UK, in its downstream 

portfolio. Shell had previously 

announced that it was reviewing its 

options following an unsolicited offer. 

Some parts of Shell’s lpg business 

have been sold, however, including 

those in Portugal, Italy, Brazil, 

Paraguay and parts of the 

Caribbean. 

Ron Blakely, executive vice 

president finance Shell downstream, 

said: “We made clear all along in this 

process that our lpg business is 

robust and meets our portfolio 

criteria. Having fully tested the 

market, we have concluded that 

there is better value for Shell 

shareholders in retaining these 

profitable businesses. 

“Lpg generates a competitive 

process. Exclusivity periods would be 

capped at two years, and notice 

periods at 42 days. Notice periods 

where a switch is ready to be 

completed would be waived. 

Suppliers’ invoices will have to 

include the amount of lpg delivered in 

litres and the price paid in pence per 

litre so that customers can more easily 

compare quotes over the phone or on 

suppliers’ websites. 

The CC intends to recommend to 

the General Consumer Council for 

Northern Ireland that it include 

information on switching domestic bulk 

lpg suppliers with that on the opening 

to competition of domestic mains gas 

and electricity liberalisation in 2007 that 

will be sent to consumers. 

The CC expects that its remedies 

will include a transition period of no 

more than six months, allowing 

domestic bulk lpg suppliers to adapt 

to the measures. 

boating, recreational vehicles and 

military markets. It has said it is on 

target to achieve production of its 

first commercial product by the 

end of 2007. 

Stephen Voller, CEO of Voller 

Energy, said: “We are very excited 

by the potential opportunities 

offered by the relationship with 

Calor Gas. They are an ideal partner 

as we seek to develop portable fuel 

cells charged by hydrocarbons. 

With over 10,000 outlets in the UK 

and a strong presence in our key 

chosen markets, this agreement 

offers both companies benefits 

from the development of this 

important environmentally friendly 

technology.” 

The initial scope of the joint 

development will also include the 

potential development of new style 

canisters, possibly disposable, for 

use in generators and battery 

chargers, and health and safety 

considerations. 

return on capital employed, and will 

continue to be run as part of our 

downstream portfolio in our markets 

of choice. It will be very much 

business as usual going forward.” 

John Tolchard, managing director 

of Shell Gas (LPG) UK, said: "I 

welcome this announcement and 

feel we can now continue with our 

strategy of growing our UK business 

and giving the shareholder the best 

return on investment." 

Director General 

Appointed 

Rob 

Shuttleworth, 

formerly an 

LPGA executive 

committee 

member for 

ConocoPhillips, Rob Shuttleworth 

has been 

appointed as director general of 

the LP Gas Association and will 

take up the role on May 1 2006. 

The position becomes available 

after the retirement of the former 

director general, Tom Fidell. 

"I'm really pleased to be 

appointed as the new DG of the 

LP Gas Association,” said Rob 

Shuttleworth. “Tom has done a 

superb job over the last 13 years 

and I'm honoured to be following 

him. With energy in the news 

virtually every day, it is an exciting 

time to be taking over and I'm 

looking forward to working with 

the members of the industry to 

define the shape and role of the 

LPGA to meet these challenges." 

Kevan Rock, LPGA chairman, 

said: "In Rob Shuttleworth, we 

have been lucky enough to 

secure the services of a well 

known and popular figure with 

the experience and skills to take 

the association forward and build 

upon a very solid foundation." 

New MD for 

Flogas Ireland 

Patrick Mercer 

has retired as 

chief executive of 

Flogas Ireland. He 

was the last 

remaining 

member of the 

founding 

executive team to 

retire from the 

Patrick Mercer 

(left) and 

Richard Martin. 

company, which was incorporated in 

1977. He played a significant role in 

the development of Flogas, both in 

Ireland and Britain, and contributed 

greatly to the company's success, 

says Flogas. 

Richard Martin, formerly sales & 

marketing director, was appointed as 

managing director of Flogas Ireland 

on April 1. Richard joined Flogas in 

1979 and has held a number of 

senior management roles, principally 

in the sales & marketing division of 

Flogas. As a key member of the 

management team, he has 

contributed significantly to the overall 

development of Flogas' operations in 

Ireland, said the company. 

4 

LP GAS MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2006

If It’s autOGas EquIPmEnt 

It has tO BE 

COmBInED Gas systEms 

• ComBINED gAS SYSTEmS is the lEADINg DISTRIBUToR for FISHER lPg CoNTRolS, FAS 

AUTogAS DISPENSERS & EqUIPmENT and gREINER SHUT-oFF vAlvES and FITTINgS. 

• We are pleased to offer our ClIENTS many NEW and INNovATIvE PRoDUCTS from the WIDE 

RANgE manufactured by these mARkET lEADERS. 

• We offer CoST EFFECTIvE SolUTIoNS backed by FIRST ClASS ENgINEERINg SUPPoRT for 

All PRoDUCTS in our range. 

• For FURTHER INFoRmATIoN phone 01925 767217 today. 

Key Lockable 

Ball Valves 

LPG Control 

Equipment 

Warrington Office: 13 Brookfield Road, Culcheth, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 4PB Tel: 01925 767217 Fax: 01925 762670 

Doncaster Office: Unit 3a, Plumtree Farm Industrial Estate, Harworth, Doncaster, South Yorks DN11 8EW Tel: 01302 711247

FEATURE 

Company Man Takes Control 

Following a structural review at 

ConocoPhillips, Pete George was 

appointed marketing manager for 

ConocoPhillips’ wholesale sales 

channel in November and replaces 

Rob Shuttleworth on the LPGA 

executive committee. 

Pete has worked at 

ConocoPhillips for over 30 years, all 

his working life, in fact, and has had 

dealings with the lpg division in a 

variety of ways over the years. He 

began his career at the Humber 

Refinery in the 1970s and has 

worked in the transport, supply, 

operations and retail divisions. In 

2004, he returned to the UK from 

Brussels to head up the distributor 

and bulk sales division (D&BS). 

Towards the end of 2005, 

ConocoPhillips reviewed the 

structure of its organisation. The 

review was prompted by the need to 

adapt to the ever-increasing 

expectations of our marketplace, it 

said. As part of these changes, the 

company amalgamated D&BS with 

the lpg and marine groups to form 

the wholesale sales channel and 

Pete was appointed marketing 

manager. 

“I am really enjoying the new role,” 

he said. “One of the key drives of our 

organisational change was to 

achieve even more customer focus 

across our marketing organisation, 

which now includes Ireland as well 

as the UK, since we have the refinery 

in Ireland from which to source 

supplies to our customers, as well as 

the refinery in North Lincolnshire. 

“My role is to ensure that the 

direction of the group meets our 

strategic ambitions, as well as 

fulfilling our customer requirements. 

The industry has always been a 

great place to be part of because of 

the challenges and opportunities 

that always present themselves, but 

I guess the current environment is as 

'interesting' as anyone can recall in 

recent times. 

“In respect of the lpg channel, 

many of the customers in lpg are 

also part of our D&BS portfolio. We 

obviously intend to remain a key part 

of this sector and will be looking to 

see if we can identify the right 

leverage opportunities within the 

wholesale group to consolidate and 

Pete George 

improve our position further.” 

Pete visited the offices of the LP 

Gas Association in Ringwood soon 

after his appointment in January, and 

he believes its work is going in the 

right direction. 

“It was good to meet the team at 

the LPGA and the presentations 

given offered a good insight into the 

workings of the association and its 

importance to the industry,” he said. 

“It made me much more aware of 

the external pressures on the 

industry and how they can be 

managed. 

“My initial thoughts have been that 

lpg is like many others sectors of the 

industry, i.e. challenged with supply 

issues and margin and cost 

pressures, and I have not seen 

anything to date to change that view. 

The good news from my perspective 

is that I believe we have the right 

people, knowledge and resources to 

enable us to achieve the goals we 

have set ourselves. My early 

impressions are of a responsible and 

adaptable industry. 

And what does he think will be the 

talking points of the coming year? 

“During 2006, I guess autogas 

and what this will look like in the 

future is just one of the topics that 

come to mind, and I look forward to 

meeting colleagues within the 

industry during the year to discuss 

such issues.” 

6 


What do you do for the LP gas industry? 

If you 

Refine, Store, Transport, Fill, Dispense, 

Bottle, Equip, Install, Test, Maintain, 

Calibrate, Decommission or Destench 

We can help. 

We supply Valves, Regulators, Compressors, 

Pumps, Hoses, Meters, Wear gauges, 

Forecourt equipment, Level gauges, 

Pressure gauges, Tank kits, Installation 

kits, Swivels, Filler guns, Pullaways, 

Thermometers, Left hand fittings, 

& much, much more… 

And when you’ve worn it out, our comprehensive 

reconditioning service can make it as good as new 

Competitive prices & free advice 

So give us a call on 01792 224000 

Fax us on 01792 892224 

Email sales@rmsgaseng.com 

www.rmsgaseng.com 

Re-Manufacturing Services Limited 

Features: 

• Truly non-invasive sensing technique 

• Sensor bonded to outside of tank base 

• Display / output to telemetry system 

• ATEX approved for hazardous areas 

Benefits: 

• No tank break-in – easy retrofit 

• Simple retrofit to existing tanks 

• No down-time during installation 

• No moving parts – no maintenance 

• Reliable & accurate LPG tank gauging 

Canongate Technology Limited, Edinburgh, Scotland 

Tel: +44 (0)131 455 7211 • sales@canongatetechnology.co.uk 

www.canongatetechnology.co.uk

FEATURE 

Joy Rainey in the lpg Grand Cherokee she will drive in the Carrera Sudamericana Rally. 

THE CARRERA SUDAMERICANA 

by Joy Rainey 

After driving in my first long distance 

rally – the London to Sydney 

Marathon in 2004 – I’ve since 

developed a strong desire to 

compete again in a similar event. 

The 30 day event might have been 

tough, driving up to six hundred 

miles a day over rough roads, but at 

the finish every competitor who 

made it to the Sydney Opera House 

was overwhelmed with high 

emotions and a sense of 

achievement. 

It was inevitable that, when I heard 

about the Carrera Sudamericana 

Rally, I wanted to enter. 

The event is due to start in 

Buenos Aires on May 6 2006, travel 

through Argentina, Bolivia and Peru 

and finish in Quito, Ecuador three 

weeks and 5,000 miles later. 

Entrants are promised rally stages 

at 16,000 feet above sea level in the 

Andes and roads that follow the 

spectacular route where Fangio 

started his legendary motor sport 

career. The route passes Incan 

archaeological remains and Spanish 

colonial towns, and we are to 

experience contrasting scenery from 

canyons, waterfalls, deserts and 

forests to coastal roads overlooking 

the Pacific. 

Now what car would produce 

suitable power to endure the tough 

road conditions, many at extremely 

high altitudes? 

My choice of car for the London to 

Sydney Marathon was a very unlikely 

vehicle – a 1970 Morris Minor – but this 

time I wanted to compete with 

something more modern and powerful. 

The issue was resolved with the offer of 

a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

Although I have a tendency to 

drive ‘unconventional’ cars, at first I 

felt slightly uneasy about competing 

in a ‘conventional’ 4x4. When 

Nicholson McLaren Engines offered 

sponsorship by converting the Jeep 

to lpg power, I could hardly contain 

my excitement – we would be the 

first vehicle to compete in a longdistance 

rally using lpg. 

That is definitely not 

‘conventional’. 

As a newcomer to lpg, I was 

surprised at the number of negative 

remarks I heard from the 

unconverted (pardon the pun). 

Comments such as “loss of power”, 

“unreliable” and “very few filling 

stations” seemed to be the most 

common, which didn’t contribute to 

my confidence in finishing the event. 

Once Nicholson McLaren Engines 

had finished the lpg conversion 

using the Teleflex SGi lpg dual fuel 

system, it was time to put the Jeep 

through its paces to convince myself 

(or not) that I had made the correct 

decision. 

My co-driver, Trevor Hulks, and I 

headed off to Wales on a crisp, clear 

morning to try to emulate driving 

conditions and roads similar to what 

we expect to encounter in South 

America. Well…it was difficult to find 

mountains to equal the steep roads 

of the Andes at 16,000 feet above 

sea level to test the Jeep’s 

performance level at high altitude, 

but we experienced a variety of road 

conditions from motorways and 

traffic jams in towns to a narrow, 

rough mountain track. Using petrol 

for the 257 mile round trip, the Jeep 

averaged 18.87 mpg at a cost of 

£56.77. 

I must admit that I felt relieved at 

that stage that I did not own the 

Jeep, as I usually average over 

20,000 miles in a year and the cost 

of petrol would be horrendous. 

Three days later, we headed off to 

cover the same route, this time using 

lpg. The result was an average of 

15.39 mpg, and the cost a 

favourable £35.50. That would 

provide a considerable saving over a 

year and convinced me that, from the 

financial aspect, lpg is the way to go. 

And, the “loss of power”? In my 

view, a myth. I tried fast acceleration 

from a standing start, gradual 

acceleration, fast cornering, on the 

flat and up the mountain road and I 

could not detect any difference in 

power between petrol and lpg. 

Before the cars are shipped out to 

Argentina, the Jeep is being fitted 

with specialist rally equipment, such 

as a roll-cage, a mesh cover to 

protect the radiator from stones, fire 

extinguishers, rally computer, 

brackets for extra spare wheels and 

extra pockets to place maps, note 

books, pencils – there must be a 

place for every bit of equipment so 

they can be found quickly. During 

the competitive rally stages, it can be 

a very emotional experience, with 

tensions running high between the 

crew as they endeavour to achieve 

the best results. 

A co-driver’s task on the stages is 

somewhat demanding, as he has 

more than one job to do at a time. 

He has to keep one eye on the rally 

odometer and the other on the 

detailed road book, and inform the 

driver in good time of the relevant 

instructions. To stand a chance of 

featuring in the results, the car has to 

be driven close to the average speed 

set for that route. 

The co-driver has to determine, by 

means of speed tables, calculator, 

stopwatches, average speed 

indicator and mental arithmetic, 

whether that speed is maintained 

throughout the route. To add to the 

co-driver’s anxiety, the location of 

timing points is secret, and penalties 

are based on seconds late or early at 

checkpoints. 

With several additional test and 

practice runs under our belt, we are 

well prepared for the start of the 

Carrera Sudamericana 2006, and I 

can honestly admit that I am now an 

lpg enthusiast. 

8 


Tankgas Equipment Ltd 

Specialist Stockist & Distributors to the LP Gas Industry 

RegO: World’s most comprehensive range of Industrial 

Regulators, Valves and Equipment 

Smith Pumps: Positive Displacement LPG Pumps 

Liqua-Tech: Flowmeters 

Full Circle: Swivel Connectors and Flowmeter Vent Flanges 

LG Equipment: GasGuard Refuelling Nozzles 

Manchester: Self Fill FLT Cylinders 

Rochester: Float Gauges & Remote Systems 

Tel: 0121 506 2760 Fax 0121 506 2769 

Email: info@tankgas.co.uk 

Web site: www.tankgas.co.uk 

Sterling Fluid Systems (UK) Ltd 

Atlantic Street, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 5DH 

Email: uksales@sterlingfluid.com 

Tel: +44 (0)161 928 6371 

Fax: +44 (0)161 925 2129 

World Leader in Pumping LPG 

Submerged tank pumps 

Series: ZEB, CEB and CVGP 

Suction lift pumps 

Series: PC 

Flooded suction pumps 

Series: SC2000, CEH, 

ZEA and VEA 

Product benefits 

Low NPSH: 

Liquid & vapour 

handling: 

ATEX: 

Quiet: 

Mechanical seal & 

seal-less options: 

Service, repair & 

commissioning packages: 

Full operating capacity with 

cavitation-free operation 

Effective priming and 

continuous operation 

Plant safety 

Improved relationships with 

site neighbours 

Flexibility 

Contact us 

now for info 

on pump 

maintenance 

contracts 

Available to extend lifetime of pump 

Capacities up to 250m 3 /hr 

www.sterlingfluidsystems.com

DIRECTOR GENERAL 

IT’S 

GOODBYE 

FROM ME… 

by Tom Fidell, 

director general, LP Gas Association 

After 13 years running the LP Gas Association, 

Tom Fidell will be retiring in early June this year. 

Here, he says farewell to the industry. 

Tom Fidell 

My first day at the LPGA was a cold 

morning at the beginning of March 

1993 and, after seeing the generally 

run-down condition of the office, I 

thought I had better check through 

the accounts to see how things 

stood financially. 

This quickly showed that the 

association would run out of money 

in October of that year and, with 

subscription income not coming in 

until the following January, there 

would be no money to pay salaries 

in November and December! 

We had a big exhibition coming up 

in Telford that was supposed to 

bring in lots of money for the LPGA, 

but bookings had not gone as well 

as forecast and it was now going to 

make a loss. However, the exhibition 

organiser was clearly going to make 

a big profit and some tough 

negotiations with this organiser soon 

turned things around in our favour, 

such that we would at least make 

some profit from this event. 

It now became apparent why I 

had got the job at the Association 

as, at the interview, I knew I had 

been in competition with some 

executive committee members - it 

was because the association was 

looking for someone who could run 

a small business and make it 

profitable! 

We needed a sustainable solution, 

which meant cutting costs and 

getting in more income and, to save 

money, one of the things we did was 

to not pay rent for several months 

and then negotiate a 50% discount. 

To raise income, we clearly needed 

to increase subscription levels and 

increase the number of members 

(not an easy combination) but, at a 

special meeting that year, we 

managed to agree an increase in 

subscriptions and membership 

actually started to increase. 

How different things are today, 

with more than double the number 

of members compared to 1993 and 

more than £0.75 million in the bank! 

Today we have also got 

substantial credibility with the 

Government and are able to call on 

ministers and senior government 

officials when we have a problem 

and believe that they can help us. 

Compared to those early days in 

1993 when we never even came 

close to seeing a minister, we now 

have sometimes half a dozen 

meetings per year with ministers, 

and even get them to come along to 

speak at our Conference and 

undertake promotional launches! 

Some of the highlights over the 

years are as follows: 

PUBLICATION OF LPGA 

CODES OF PRACTICE 

Back in 1996, the HSE used to 

publish lpg Codes of Practice and so 

did the LPGA. This was a duplication 

of effort and confusing for the 

industry. I met with the director 

general of the HSE to agree a 

strategy whereby one set of Codes 

would be published by the LPGA but 

would bear the HSC logo and 

endorsement, where appropriate. 

At that time, we also moved from 

subcontracting the publication of the 

Codes of Practice (where we did not 

have an income stream) to in-house 

publication, where the income 

stream often covers 20% of the total 

cost of running the association. 

The Codes are highly regarded by 

both industry and government, and 

are sold on a worldwide basis, 

where other countries now adhere to 

LPGA standards. 

Reg Shipman recieves his 

MBE from The Queen. 

MBE FOR REG SHIPMAN 

Reg had been our technical 

manager for many years and, when 

he retired in 1999, we applied for 

and obtained an MBE for him. Reg 

had worked tirelessly for the 

association and the MBE was well 

deserved. 

CLIMATE CHANGE LEVY 

The biggest lobbying campaign we 

have ever done was on the Climate 

Change Levy in 2000, when Pat 

Kennedy was our chairman and also 

the chief executive of Calor Gas. The 

CCL could have been very harmful 

for our industry. Pat and I worked 

very closely together, having 

numerous meetings with 

government ministers and officials, 

putting forward a strong case for a 

reduction in the CCL on lpg. 

Our efforts were rewarded with a 

reduction in the initial CCL from 

1.5p/litre to 1p/litre, and then a 

further reduction to 0.5p/litre which 

was, in fact, half the CCL that is 

applied to natural gas. We also 

managed to get cylinder gas 

excluded from the CCL. 

This achievement put the LPGA 

on the map as being one of the most 

effective lobbying organisations in 

the UK. As a result, other 

associations asked us how such a 

small organisation could achieve 

such results time and time again. We 

were asked to give presentations to 

other associations on how to lobby 

government to achieve a required 

result. 

At this time in 2000, the method in 

which the association worked was 

changed in line with our chairman’s 

suggestion, and the association 

became more focussed on lobbying 

and getting results, rather than trying 

to be an association of all things for 

all people. The Association today still 

operates very much in the mould 

that was set by Pat Kennedy back in 

2000. 

AUTOGAS 

It soon became clear that we 

needed an extra stream of gas 

usage to compensate for the decline 

in the cylinder market, and autogas 

seemed to be the ideal candidate. 

We prepared a strong 

environmental case for autogas and 

started to lobby the Government to 

get the fuel duty rate down and, in 

1995, achieved a 15% reduction. 

This was followed by a 25% 

reduction in 1996, a 29% reduction 

in 1999 and, finally, a 40% reduction 

in 2001. At the same time, petrol 

and diesel prices were rising, and we 

ended up with one of the most 

favourable fiscal regimes in the world 

for autogas. 

The market is continuing to grow 

at 7–8% per annum, and now 

represents about 10% of total gas 

sales, with autogas companies 

representing about one third of the 

total membership of the LPGA. 

In the early days, we needed to 

get some publicity to accelerate the 

growth of autogas. Our first 

achievement came in 1998, when 

the Queen converted her fleet of 

vehicles to lpg. We organised the 

10 


DIRECTOR GENERAL 

launch of this at the Royal Mews, 

with the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh 

and various ministers in attendance, 

and this event received substantial 

worldwide coverage. 

We followed this up with 

dedicated autogas conferences that 

attracted substantial delegate 

numbers of over 400 people. We 

were organising these conference 

for promotion, intending to break 

even but, with the huge numbers of 

people attending, we were actually 

making money as well. 

In 2002, we opened the 1,000th 

refuelling site, where we had, not just 

one, but two, ministers present 

during the launch and, once again, 

achieved substantial publicity for 

very little financial outlay. 

One of the ministers at the launch 

was Brian Wilson MP, the energy 

minister. I remember well an informal 

meeting I had with him shortly before 

the launch, when he advised that he 

wanted to carry out an initiative of his 

own and asked for my suggestions 

of what he could do. I advised that 

giving me some money would be 

nice, which could be used to 

promote autogas and also provide a 

subsidy for new companies joining 

the Approved Installer Scheme in 

order to improve standards in the 

conversion industry. 

To my surprise, the minister 

agreed to my request, and I came 

out of the meeting with the 

assurance of £1 million for the 

industry, which we actually only 

finished spending during the middle 

of 2005. 

Autogas has provided a major 

promotion platform for the 

association, and virtually every year 

we have undertaken various TV and 

radio interviews promoting its 

benefits, issue regular press releases 

and speak at conferences, which 

ensures that autogas receives a 

wide coverage in the media. 

Interestingly, much of this 

substantial promotion has been 

achieved without needing to spend 

huge amounts of money from the 

association’s funds. 

TECHNICAL STANDARDS 

It is not an easy task to get the whole 

industry and the HSE or, if 

appropriate, the DfT, to agree to the 

same technical standards, but this is 

what we have to achieve in order 

that all players in the industry can 

operate at the same level. 

The process is often difficult, and 

sometimes drawn-out, but we 

always manage to achieve our aim 

to keeping the standards up-to-date 

and at a high level of 

professionalism. 

For the future, I believe we have a 

thriving business with many 

opportunities, and I feel confident 

that the association will continue to 

play its role in ensuring that these are 

pursued in such a way as to keep 

the industry moving forward in a 

safe, profitable and effective way. 

The Queen’s fleet of Bentleys was converted to lpg in 1998. 

Used 52.5L w.c. LPG 

Cylinders for Sale 

We, National Gas & Industrialization Co. 

(GASCO) have decided to discontinue 

distribution of above type of cylinders. 

Therefore, around 500,000 of such cylinders 

in normal condition are available for immediate 

sale. If required, these cylinders can be 

refurbished and re-qualified in our modern 

state of the art Repair & Re-qualification Plant. 

Tom Fidell (left) with Brian Wilson MP. 

For further details please contact : 

GASCO, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia 

Tel:+9661 4664 999 ext 300 or 301 

Fax: +966 1 4661 077 

e-mail – techdep@gasco.com.sa 

LP GAS MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2006 

11

ZINC SPRAYING 

ZINC – WHITE ELEPHANT 

OR WHITE KNIGHT? 

by Scott Ingram, quality manager, South Staffs Industries Ltd 

Corrosion protection on lpg cylinders has been a bone of contention within the industry for a 

number of years now, with more emphasis than ever placed on the importance of proactive 

measures to highlight the signs and prevention of corrosion. No wonder, when you consider that 

steel cylinders now equate to over 95% of the estimated 17 million cylinders in circulation 

(source: LPGA technical data 2004). 

We have all seen cylinders that have 

been returned from customers, in test, 

with the only failure being the 

deterioration of the paintwork – the 

topcoat cracked in areas that are 

rusting rapidly. From a cylinder integrity 

perspective, the cylinder may still be fit 

for purpose, but the excessive 

chipping of paint, although only an 

aesthetic problem, left unabated can, 

over a period of time, cause the 

cylinder to fail from corrosion. 

If you take into account the 

changes to the latest update of EN 

1440 – Transportable Refillable 

Welded Steel Lpg Cylinders – 

Periodic Inspection, which states 

that, for a cylinder to receive a 15 

year periodic inspection, the cylinder 

shall have “a system of external 

protection against corrosion that is 

being maintained”, this requirement 

falls under the responsibility of the 

REF EN 1439 TABLE 2 

owner of the cylinder. 

WHAT IS CORROSION? 

How long do we have…? I could 

write a thesis on this (and many 

have!) and we would still be none the 

wiser. Fundamentally, corrosion is 

defined as “a state of deterioration in 

metals caused by oxidation or 

chemical action”. 

There are various types and 

causes of corrosion. One of the main 

types is electrochemical corrosion. 

This occurs when the metal comes 

into contact with an electrolyte – a 

fluid that conducts electricity, such 

as rainwater or salt spray – and the 

metal will gradually corrode away. 

This is the form of corrosion found 

on lpg cylinders. 

HOW DO WE CHECK FOR 

CORROSION? 

Defects Description Rejection limit 

Visual checks – cylinder corrosion is 

predominantly found on the base area 

of the cylinder or in the shroud area. 

These are areas that are prone to the 

trapping of water. This means that, at 

each fill, every cylinder has to be 

assessed against a set of criteria by 

the filling plant operators to establish if 

any corrosion is evident. Any cylinder 

showing signs of corrosion is 

segregated in accordance with the 

requirements of BS EN 1439 – 

Procedure for Checking Before, 

During and After Filling. This states 

that, prior to filling, the operator will 

segregate cylinders “which are faulty 

or defective, e.g. where there is 

damage to shrouds, carry handles, 

foot rings or dents, fire damage or 

corrosion”, and that “the foot ring shall 

be inspected for visible corrosion”. 

Types of corrosion, descriptions 

and rejection limits are listed below: 

Isolated corrosion pits A pitting of metal occurring in isolated areas When the depth of discrete pits exceed 

0.6mm 

Excessive base corrosion. 

These requirements are somewhat 

difficult to adhere to if the cylinder still 

contains previous coatings. The most 

efficient way of working is to 

segregate any cylinder that has lost 

excessive coating, usually on the foot 

ring or shroud. These cylinders should 

then be sent for periodic inspection. 

Further inspections are then 

conducted to ascertain the full 

extent of the corrosion. If the cylinder 

is deemed fit for an additional 15- 

year cycle, the corrosion protection 

system should be reapplied. Any 

cylinder found with excessive 

corrosion above the requirements of 

the table should be scrapped 

immediately to prevent reuse. 

Area corrosion 

General corrosion 

Chain pitting/ line corrosion 

Crevice corrosion 

Reduction in wall thickness over an area not 

exceeding 20% of the cylinder surface 

A reduction in the wall thickness over an area 

exceeding 20% of the cylinder surface 

A series of pits or corroded cavities of 

limited width along the length or around the 

circumference 

Corrosion in the area of the intersection of 

the foot ring or shroud with the cylinder 

When the depth of any pit exceeds 

0.4mm 

When the depth of any pit exceeds 0.2m 

When the total length of the corrosion 

exceed 50% of the cylinder 

circumference and the depth of any pit 

exceeds 0.4mm 

When the depth exceeds 0.4mm or if the 

depth cannot be measured 

HOW DO WE PROTECT 

AGAINST CORROSION? 

When cylinders are manufactured, 

AND at every periodic inspection 

interval, each cylinder SHOULD 

receive the application of a layer of 

corrosion protection. Corrosion 

protection is applied in an array of 

methods, including zinc phosphatebased 

primers; epoxy based 

coating; zinc powder; galvanising or 

metallic zinc spray. 

The pros and cons of each 

individual coating material and 

application method are fiercely 

debated, but the most common 

method used at present is metallic 

zinc spray. Although the metallic zinc 

12 


ZINC SPRAYING 

spray is perhaps not the cheapest 

option, it can demonstrate proven 

anti-corrosion properties over time. 

Each cylinder should be pretreated 

prior to any application. This 

basically means the cylinder body is 

cleaned so that its entire surface is 

free of any rust/ paint residue, etc, 

and that a suitable roughened 

surface is produced in order to 

accept the application. Shot blasting 

the entire external surface of the 

cylinder to the standard of SA 2 _ is 

most commonly used. 

After the previous coatings have 

been removed, we can get a clearer, 

more decisive view of the base 

metal. Particular attention should be 

given at this time to any cylinder 

crevices (the intersections of the foot 

ring or shroud with the cylinder). 

After shotblasting. 

Following the blast, the cylinders 

should have all surface areas coated 

with a layer of corrosion protection. It 

is of paramount importance to 

completely coat all corrosionsusceptible 

areas of the cylinder. 

Cylinders should be inspected to 

ensure consistency of coating. A 

minimum thickness of 40 microns is 

commonly used. However, some 

customers specify a thickness of 100 

microns in corrosion prone areas. 

A final/top coat can then be 

applied, either by painting or powder 

coating. This seals the zinc coat and 

is used for cosmetic purposes. 

WHAT DOES THE 

CORROSION 

PROTECTION DO? 

It is widely known that some 

cylinders are handled poorly and 

often damaged due to a lack of 

operator knowledge. For instance, 

when a cylinder is being used to tar 

a roof and the cylinder is empty, the 

roofer often throws the cylinder off 

the roof, thus causing damage to the 

cylinder’s integrity, frequently 

dropping onto the shroud area or 

base ring. Often, the only damage 

found on a cylinder is the chipping of 

the top coating. Any paint chipping 

off the cylinder will result in water 

penetrating behind the coating. This 

has the potential to cause corrosion. 

Without corrosion protection, the 

steel shell of the cylinder is now 

susceptible to all adverse operating 

and weather conditions and will 

deteriorate quite rapidly. This 

deterioration will undoubtedly mean 

the cylinder will be returned with 

excessive corrosion prior to its 15- 

year periodic inspection being due. 

With corrosion protection, the zinc 

will act in a sacrificial manner and 

prevent the steel shell of the cylinder 

being exposed. Thus, the zinc coating 

and not the base metal will corrode 

over time, reducing the potential for the 

cylinder failing due to corrosion. This 

should ensure all protected cylinders 

will remain in the marketplace until their 

next 15 year periodic inspection. 

Zinc spraying. 

THE COST OF ZINC 

As mentioned previously, the cost of 

metallic zinc is high. At the time of 

writing, the cost of zinc wire has 

increased by 80% over the last 

twelve months. However, it should 

be noted that this still represents a 

good investment for protecting the 

longevity of the cylinder. 

WHAT SHOULD WE DO? 

n Ensure that all cylinders have 

corrosion protection applied at 

point of manufacture and at time 

of every periodic inspection, and 

that the thickness of this coat is 

specified – the usual thickness is a 

minimum of 40 microns. 

n Ensure all filling plant personnel 

are aware of the requirements for 

checking for corrosion, removing 

cylinders that do not reach the 

stated criteria and returning these 

cylinders for periodic inspection. 

This will hopefully ensure that both 

new and existing cylinders will be far 

less susceptible to corrosion and the 

life span of cylinders can be 

prolonged. 

Contact South Staffs Industries 

on 0121 522 2373 

Integrated Gas 

Technologies 

Manufacturer of LPG low presusre regulators 

& LPG cylinder valve from Cemco 

South Staffs Industries Ltd 

LPG cylinder refurbishment and 

periodic inspection to EN1440:2005. 

All in accordance with our quality 

assurance system ISO 9001:2000. 

Compact Valves & Regulators – 20,21,22 mm 

Jumbo Valves & Regulators – 35 mm 

Snap-On Valves and Regulators – 27 mm 

POL Valves & Regulators 

Euro-outlet Valves and Regulators 

Tel: + 45 45 76 99 21 

Fax: + 45 45 76 98 21 

Email: sales@igt-lpg.com 

www.igt-lpg.com 

Zinc-sprayed cylinders for a longer life! 

For more details, please contact Chris or Steve on 

0121 522 2373 

sales@southstaffsindustries.com 

South Staffs Industries Ltd 

Bloomfield Rd, Tipton Dudley, West Midlands DY4 9EE 


13

FEATURE 

KEEPING A GRIP ON YOUR LEAD 

British businesses spend millions of pounds every year on various marketing tools, including 

advertising, direct mail, exhibitions and PR. However, according to Derek Vaughan, managing 

director of Quotatis, a recently launched pay-as-you-go system providing business leads to 

reputable tradesmen and suppliers, it’s just as important to follow up the enquiries and know 

where they came from, as it is to obtain them in the first place. 

Last year, in the UK, businesses 

spent over £19 million on advertising 

alone, which is a 5.4% increase on 

2004. The area of biggest growth 

was Internet advertising, with the 

first six months of 2005 seeing 

expenditure hit £490.8 million, up 

62% compared to the same time the 

previous year. Spending in all other 

marketing areas has increased, 

meaning that British companies are 

spending more than ever before on 

trying to increase revenue. 

However, with a lot of budget 

being allocated to generating 

interest and enquiries, is the majority 

of it wasted if the firm receiving the 

enquiry then does nothing about it 

and has no idea where it was 

generated from? 

There is little point in generating 

more leads and enquiries from 

advertising, etc, if the company’s 

existing conversion process results in 

most of the hard-won enquiries falling 

through the cracks. According to David 

Oliver from the consultancy company, 

Insight Marketing, sales enquiries are 

like warm milk – they go off. 

“Speed of response is everything 

when it comes to enquiries,” he said. 

“The Marketing Guild conducted a 

survey of 192 advertisers in eight trade 

journals and found that only 55% of 

enquiries were followed up, with the 

remaining 45% being ignored. There is 

an inverse relationship between 

enquiries and sales, meaning the 

longer the time between initial enquiry 

and follow up, the less likely the 

enquiry will lead to a sale.” 

Too many tradespeople are 

already generating a lot of leads and 

prospects but are unwittingly losing 

up to 95% of their sales 

opportunities and pouring money 

down the drain. In these 

circumstances, they need to 

conduct a complete audit of their 

promotional activities to find more 

cost effective ways to increase 

revenue that will bring them the most 

return on their often very limited 

available investment. 

However, ‘most return’ may not 

necessarily mean the most number 

of enquiries, as their aim should be 

to receive the level of enquiries that 

they are able to quickly respond to. 

Too many enquiries could actually be 

damaging to the tradesperson’s 

business if they take too long to 

respond, especially as the potential 

customer will have contacted 

competing businesses in the area. 

If these competitors are quicker to 

provide a satisfactory quote, they will 

not only get the job, but also be 

recommended to others. The ‘most 

return’ is therefore the most amount 

of revenue generation, not the 

number of enquiries. 

For example, a sole trader 

electrician might allocate £500 to the 

promotion of his business and needs 

to decide how best to spend this 

money. A direct mail drop in the 

surrounding neighbourhoods has the 

potential to help build up a good local 

reputation and generate qualified 

leads, which is important, as wasting 

time on unqualified leads is a primary 

factor that can affect sales success, 

as not everyone is a prime prospect 

for the electrician’s services. 

The electrician could be ‘busy’ all 

day talking to people and 

communicating in all the suitable 

places, but he will not convert sales 

unless he concentrates on qualified 

prospects, rather than offering his 

service to people who are 

unreceptive, not ready for, cannot pay 

for or are disinterested in what he is 

offering. However, the disadvantages 

are the time taken out of the working 

day to design and deliver the mailer 

when he could be working on 

revenue generating jobs, and also the 

limited number of people who will 

actually see and pick up the mailer or 

keep it for future reference if they 

need some work completing. 

Another option might be to 

advertise in regional press and 

magazines. The advantage of this is 

the high circulation, meaning the ad 

will be seen by many so, even if the 

return rate is low, some sales should 

be generated. However, what if 

many leads are generated? 

Can the electrician cope with 

trying to respond and then actually 

carry out the work within a 

reasonable time frame if the quote is 

successful? Will he remember to ask 

Derek Vaughan. 

each caller where they heard about 

the business and it’s offering so an 

idea of advertising costs per sale 

can be calculated? 

The cost of the ad also means that 

the electrician would only be able to 

afford to advertise once, meaning little 

opportunity to stand out from 

competitors and little chance to create 

a lasting impression with readers. 

The £500 budget could also be 

spent increasing the professionalism 

of the business through creating a 

website, business stationery and 

joining a trade association that 

properly vets its members and helps 

them generate new business. 

Through belonging to a trade 

association, the business will be 

vetted and then eligible to appear in 

various business directories, 

including www.quotatis.co.uk, a 

new system which texts, emails or 

faxes the requested amount of 

qualified leads to the registered 

tradesperson in the preferred 

regional area. This method means 

the electrician has a stored record of 

all leads and can deal with them in a 

systematic and timely way. He also 

knows that the lead has come from 

the website, so can calculate how 

cost effective this method is. 

Whichever methods tradespeople 

use to promote themselves, there are 

some important elements worth 

remembering to ensure they are 

making the most of their marketing 

mediums. Firstly, testing of a chosen 

method is very important before fully 

committing, especially as budgets will 

be tight or practically non-existent. 

Researching new and innovative 

ways to generate sales leads is 

important, rather than just using tried 

and tested methods that invariably 

competitors will also be 

implementing. Most important is the 

need to track where leads come 

from, so return on investment can be 

calculated for future allocation of 

promotion budget. 

Lastly, marketing and promotion 

does not end with receiving the 

enquiry - these should be dealt with 

properly and efficiently to ensure the 

reputation of the business is upheld 

and scarce resources are not wasted. 

Contact Quotatis at 

www.quotatis.co.uk 

14 


PRODUCTS 

Mitsubishi Launches Lpg 

Cushion Tyre Forklift 

The new FGC N series of 2.0 to 3.0 tonne 

counterbalance models from Mitsubishi Forklift 

Trucks gives clear, all-round vision through the highvisibility 

mast, fork carriage and head guard, says 

the company. Safety features include a seat switch 

that prevents all movement of the forks and the 

truck if the driver is not securely seated as standard, 

as well as warning indicators to encourage proper 

use of the seatbelt and parking brake. A long 

service interval – 500 hours – will bring reductions in 

maintenance costs and downtime. 

The cushion tyres give traction on smooth 

surfaces, low rolling resistance, reduced energy 

consumption, better stability and greater residual 

capacities at high lifts, says Mitsubishi. They also 

minimise truck dimensions for greater 

manoeuvrability in tight spaces. 

“And as you would expect from any Mitsubishi 

forklift truck, the high specifications and 

performance of the new models are matched with 

competitive prices, low running costs and utter 

dependability to deliver outstanding value for 

money,” said Terry Foreman, general manager of 

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks UK. 

Fasttflo, Andrews Water Heaters’ new range 

of wall hung, balanced flue continuous flow 

water heaters, are highly efficient and can 

be fitted almost anywhere – even outside – 

says the company. The range has been 

developed for commercial and larger 

residential applications where there is a 

constant requirement for hot water 

immediately on tap. 

The appliances measure incoming water 

flow and temperature via the primary circuit 

board and then modulate the burner up or 

down to meet demand within 1º C accuracy. 

There are no standby heat losses and an 

operating efficiency of 89% is achieved with 

auto ignition, so there are no running costs 

when the unit is idle. 

The lack of stored water inhibits scaling 

and reduces the risk of Legionella bacteria 

forming. The remote controller allows 

external adjustment of the required flow 

temperature and provides operation and 

fault diagnosis information. The range has 

two models for internal siting and two for 

external location that do not require 

additional weather protection. 

The Fasttflo WHX has been designed for 

external installation. The casing is 

impervious to the elements, says Andrews, 

and the appliance has an integral anti-freeze 

device. There is a choice of flue systems for 

internal models, including a twin pipe option 

that allows installation flexibility. External 

units require no flue. 

A quick connect multi system is available 

for the connection of two heaters that 

requires one remote controller and a quick 

connect cord. Up to six heaters can be 

connected using a system controller that 

The new Mitsubishi FGC20-30N series 

counterbalance forklift truck. 

The FGC20-30N is also offered with options, 

such as an integral side shifter, extra working 

lights, revolving lamps, a high-exit exhaust and 

dual front wheels. 

Contact Mitsubishi Foklift Trucks UK on 

0118 988 0221 

www.mitsubishi-forklift.co.uk 

New Fasttflo Range from Andrews 

can also regulate the circulation pump. In 

addition, it can change the priority for run 

and standby mode. 

Unvented system kits are available and 

Fasttflo models are available for use with 

lpg. Fasttflo water heaters can also be 

combined with the Andrews range of ST 

storage cylinders to provide large volumes 

of hot water for intermittent and large peak 

demand found in hospitals, hotels and 

sports facilities. 

Contact Andrews Water Heaters on 

0121 506 7400 

www.andrewswaterheaters.co.uk 

TECHNICAL MANUALS 

AQUATECH PUBLICATIONS LTD. 

For Industrial Operating & Maintenance 

Manuals and Training. 

• Technical Editing 

• Desk Top Publishing 

• CAD Illustration 

• Training 

• Document Vetting 

• Production of 

Technical 

Documentation 

Specialists in 

Providing High Quality 

User-friendly 

Documentation since 

1994. 

Tel: +44 (0) 1244 531658 

Email: enquiries@aquatechpublications.co.uk 

TANKS 

AUTOMOTIVE TANKS LTD 

West Midlands based Automotive Tanks Ltd, 

one of the UK's remaining manufacturers of 

low pressure welded cylinders, are expanding 

their existing involvement further into the 

refurbishing and requalification of propane and 

butane cylinders. 

Tel: 01902 604207 

www.automotivetanks.ltd.uk 

SECURITY STORAGE CAGES 

THE KUDOS FOLDING CAGE FOR THE 

STORAGE OF LP GAS, HAZARDOUS 

MATERIALS, HIGH VALUE DISPLAY 

AND SEASONAL STOCK 

• Unique patented design available in 4 sizes 

• Available in painted or galvanised finish 

• Flat packed for 

delivery and storage 

• Quick and easy to 

install, no specialist 

tooling needed 

• No specialist lifting 

equipment required 

• Conforms to HSE 

guidelines 

Pictured above is our FSK16 folding storage cage. This is the entry level 

cage which has a capacity for 4 x 13/15/19 Kg LPG bottles. Contact us 

now for details on our full range of Folding Cages and Compounds 

PLEASE QUOTE LPG001 WHEN CONTACTING US 

Tel: 01525 843883 

kudos@insys-ltd.co.uk 

www.kudos2000.co.uk 

BARBECUES 

IF YOU LOVE YOU GARDEN, 

YOU’LL LOVE LIFESTYLE. 

For 2006 our range encompasses an even 

wider choice of new and exciting alternatives to 

help you make the most of the great outdoors 

and year round alfresco entertaining. 

Lifestyle have gained an enviable reputation for 

distributing quality products backed up by an 

excellent after sales service. 

Contact our sale team for a full catalogue of 

products available. 

Tel: 01527 65126 



Vintage Fiat 508cc 935 with Tartarini cng conversion, circa 1939. 

LONG, LONG AGO… 

by Nikki Key, operations manager, Autogas 2000 Ltd 

I wasn't quite sure where to start 

when Faye Spiers rang and asked 

me to compile a little piece for this 

issue. "Some technical information 

on lpg autogas conversions and how 

they work?" she suggested. 

Well, all of you engineers out there 

will know that's about as easy as 

estimating the dimensions of that 

infamous piece of string! 

Not being technical but having at 

hand some of the UK's most 

experienced time-served conversion 

engineers, it was agreed that a 

simple synopsis of the past and 

present conversion systems would 

be my motif. 

It may come as a surprise to many 

but it all began way back in the late 

1930s when shortages of petrol led 

to some innovative experimentation. 

The earliest conversions utilised the 

captured gaseous emissions from 

burning coal in a large bag, invariably 

carried on the roof of the vehicle. 

Fond memories of a classic Dad's 

Army episode spring to mind! 

This was soon followed with early 

lpg and cng being introduced into the 

carburettor of a conventional petrol 

engine by means of a 

vaporiser/regulator and venturi 

system. Tartarini Auto, one of Europe's 

leading system manufacturers, has 

been producing conversion 

components for over 60 years and the 

earliest lpg and cng systems involved 

carrying the lpg pressure cylinders on 

the roof of the vehicle in order to 

provide some range. Provision for 

refuelling was sparse, to say the least. 

Over the following years, several 

Italian companies persevered with 

the technology in Europe, followed 

keenly by the Dutch, and the first 

commercially available lpg systems 

went onto the Italian market in 1966. 

As petrol engines have advanced in 

their complexity, so too have the 

conversion systems to provide 

satisfactory dual fuel options. 

The introduction of closed loop 

catalytic controlled engines posed 

some complex problems, particularly in 

convincing the petrol engine 

management systems that all was well 

when emission signatures would 

suggest otherwise (lpg emitting cleaner 

tailpipe emissions than petrol). Through 

intensive r&d, these problems were 

overcome with emulation and product 

development and, throughout the mid 

to late 1990s, this formed the basis of 

standard conversions. However, 

nothing stands still, and greater 

requirement for improved tailpipe 

emissions on Euro 3 and 4 engines 

demand ever more efficient conversion 

systems and fuel strategies. 

The recent introduction of full 

sequential gas injection systems that 

utilise sophisticated injector units 

with slave ECU technology has been 

greatly appreciated by installers and 

customers alike, providing more 

efficient lpg operation, further 

improving emissions and fuel 

efficiency. The average cost of 

converting a petrol vehicle has, in 

real terms, decreased dramatically 

over the years as greater numbers of 

vehicles are converted. 

System reliability is much 

improved and, with the introduction 

of the LPGA Approved Installers 

Scheme, customers can be assured 

of quality and safety from over 200 

retrofit conversion companies 

throughout the UK. These installers 

now provide over 95% of 

conversions since the withdrawal of 

most of the vehicle manufacturer 

options and, in many cases, a full 

vehicle warranty is provided. 

The UK government recognises 

the advantages of using lpg as an 

automotive fuel and has adjusted the 

duty levels accordingly over 

successive years in order to promote 

uptake. Grants have also been 

available and Transport for London, 

recognising the advantages to local 

air quality, include many lpg vehicles 

in the exemption listing for 

congestion charges. 

The pressure on system 

manufacturers increases in the quest 

to further improve emissions and to 

ensure that lpg maintains its place at 

the forefront of viable alternatives to 

petrol and diesel. Security of supply of 

traditional fuels is more frequently in our 

headlines and more and more 

customers are taking a closer look at 

the lpg/autogas options that can satisfy 

the market on grounds of supply in 

harmony with the environment. 

Contact Autogas 2000 Ltd on 

01845 523213 

www.autogas.co.uk 

16 



NME Partners with Nationwide 

Nicholson McLaren Engines (NME) 

specialises in developing vehicle 

specific lpg systems, called SGi, for 

new vehicles that are in use by major 

fleet operators or private owners 

across the UK. 

By using products from Teleflex 

Gfi in Holland, NME has built up a 

vehicle application list that ranges 

from the Citroen Berlingo, which 

qualifies for a 100% discount for 

London congestion charge, to the 

Toyota Prius or the new Range 

Rover Sport. 

The systems used are all SGi multi 

point injection and are compatible 

with the modern on board diagnostic 

systems (OBD) found in today’s 

vehicles. 

“NME has in excess of 70 

accredited installers across the UK 

who are all LPGA Approved,” said 

John Waghorn, alternative fuels 

manager at NME. “NME insist that all 

their accredited installers receive full 

training and that they are equipped 

with the special tooling required to 

install the systems. 

“In addition to the accredited 

installers, NME are unique because 

they have partnered with Nationwide 

Autocentres, who are currently 

receiving training for their 220 

workshops and will be able to carry 

out routine servicing for the SGi 

system,” he continued. “This has an 

added benefit to the customer 

because it means that they will be 

able to have the petrol and lpg 

systems serviced at the same venue 

- in effect, a one stop shop.” 

Contact Nicholson 

McLaren Engines Ltd on 

0118 973 8004 

www.nicholsonmclaren.com 

Lpg ECUs and vaporiser mounted on a Citroen Berlingo. 

Consultant is Prince of Vialle 

Nick Prince, an lpg consultant 

based in Dorset, has recently 

launched a new website, 

www.lpg-consultancy.co.uk. 

Nick is Vialle’s UK business 

partner and its sole UK parts 

supplier. 

He has recently returned from 

a training course at Vialle’s 

factory in Holland, where he was 

brought up to date on its new 

diagnostic software that assists 

with the analysis of problems 

with its liquid injection systems. 

“In the past eight years, I have 

attended the Vialle factory on six 

occasions to establish links with 

Vialle technical staff and to explain 

the UK lpg situation so that Vialle 

can better understand the UK 

marketplace,” said Nick. “I have 

also taken over members of staff 

to be trained and have always 

been keen to input my specific 

requirements for servicing and 

converting in the UK.” 

Nick worked for the Hendy 

Group for 26 years, the last 10 in 

the gas department until it’s 

closure last May. Nick first 

encountered Vialle when Ford 

Transits were tested with 

different conversion systems in 

1997. 

“The success and reliability of 

the Vialle system, and the fact 

that it stopped the backfire 

problem of the older systems, 

encouraged the Hendy Group,” 

said Nick. “Hendy started 

looking at the alternative fuel 

market in the UK as a growth 

area and I was asked to join the 

Hendy Power team. The idea 

was to make the process 

profitable by streamlining the 

conversion production process.” 

Hendy converted over 4,000 

vehicles with Vialle systems that 

were reengineered to meet UK 

Vehicle Operator requirements. 

However, Hendy made the 

decision to withdraw from lpg 

conversions when the 

Government removed funding, 

thinking that the market would 

collapse. Garages began to turn 

away vehicles with Vialle 

systems as they assumed that 

there was no technical backup or 

parts assistance in the UK. 

“That’s what I am in the 

process of changing,” said Nick. 

“I tend, at the moment, to be a 

point of reference for technical 

help, manuals, and data and 

parts supply for councils and 

fleets. My workshop also has 

special Vialle tools and jigs for 

overhauling the multivalve as 

fitted to the lpg tank. I carry most 

Vialle spares for next day 

dispatch too.” 

Contact Nick Prince Gas Consultants 

on 01202 891548/07749 879426 

www.lpg-consultancy.co.uk 


17


Toroidal lpg tanks in the computer controlled paintshop. 

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AT WVM 

Dutch company, Witte van Moort, has been making lpg tanks since 1974. It now manufactures 

54 different types of lpg tank and has capacity for an annual production of 100,000 units. 

HKL Gaspower Ltd has been 

purchasing and distributing WVM 

pressure vessels in the UK for over 

20 years. 

“The main reason we have opted 

to stock these tanks for so long is 

down to a number of reasons, 

quality being the main one,” said 

Stuart Bradley, general manager at 

HKL. “Generally, in the UK, WVM is 

still regarded as the premium tank 

brand, despite great competition 

from some other manufacturers with 

similar products. The tanks are also 

four-hole orientated, offering 

maximum reliability and safety, and 

giving peace of mind to us as a 

company to confidently sell the 

product. 

“There are two main marketplaces 

in which we sell WVM tanks – 

predominantly, the thriving UK lpg 

automotive conversion sector, but 

also to a number of forklift truck 

dealers and manufacturers. 

“We are happy to continue 

working with WVM for the 

foreseeable future and stock a full 

and comprehensive range of its 

product line here in Birmingham.” 

In the 1950s, Witte van Moort 

began manufacturing children’s 

bicycles, and has since progressed 

to mopeds, components for central 

heating systems and, in 1974, in 

cooperation with a Shell subsidiary; 

it began to design lpg tanks. 

Initially, it made six types of tanks, 

and this has now increased to 54 

varieties for different models of cars 

and forklift trucks, made in the lpg 

department of Witte van Moort’s 

20,000m2 factory in Vriezenveen, 

Holland. The tanks are each 

hydraulically tested to 30-bar. 

“The Dutch prefer tanks equipped 

with four separate accessories – a 

mechanical 80% filling valve, a 

solenoid takeoff valve, a gauge with 

an electronic sensor and a security 

spring valve set at 27 bar - primarily 

because of their reliability compared 

to multivales,” said Henk Borger, 

manager of the lpg department at 

Witte van Moort. 

“Multivalves often have a smaller 

capacity than security spring valves 

and that’s why, during a fire, the 

pressure in the tank rises too much. 

Also, filling the tank takes too much 

time and the filling capacity is too 

low. The electronic filling valve has a 

PTC that measure the level of the 

liquid and the solenoid valve shuts off 

when the liquid level reaches 80%.” 

Production of lpg tanks is a 

serious business, says Henk. To 

homologate the lpg tank, a cycle test 

is required to reach 12,000 times a 

pressure between 0 and 30-bar. 

Then a burst test much reach a 

minimum of 67-bar. Witte van Moort 

tanks can withstand 80 to 120-bar in 

a burst test, depending the shape of 

the tank, says the company. 

During production, the tanks are 

also subjected to mechanical and x- 

ray tests. After mounting the valves, 

the tanks are finally tested with 

compressed air to 11-bar, to be sure 

that all the tanks are safe. 

“Production quality is Witte van 

Moort’s number one priority,” said 

Henk. “That’s why a lot of OEMs are 

our customers, including Renault, 

Volvo, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, 

Subaru, and so on. 

“Volkswagen AG has performed 

quality audits in Poland and Italy to 

compare Witte van Moort to other 

companies. They were happy with the 

results. Witte van Moort was the only 

company with enough points to deliver 

all brands in the Volkswagen Group. 

“We make sure that our assurance 

of quality is also available to the 

aftermarket.” 

The production of lpg tanks needs 

a lot of investment, says Henk 

Borger. Equipment, such as deep 

draw presses, fully robotised 

welding machines and hydraulic test 

machines, are needed. 

“In my opinion, Europe needs one 

organisation that controls the national 

notified bodies so the customer is 

sure that lpg tanks produced in 

Europe and lpg tanks that are 

imported into Europe all exactly fulfil 

the demands of United Nations 

Regulation 67.01,” said Henk. 

“The Dutch lpg tank market, 

including forklift trucks, is about 

25,000 tanks per year. We find that 

UK customers tend to give less 

priority to quality than those from 

Holland and other countries.” 

Contact Witte van Moort on 

+31 546 562444 

www.wvm.nl 

Ford Transit lpg twin tanks. 

PED homologated forklift lpg tanks. 

18 



Worldwide Networking 

Edward Davies and Norman Phillips 

began Duel Fuel Vehicle Technology in 

1999. 

Things moved fast for them from 

then on. 

A year later, the company merged 

with Autogas Worldwide Ltd and 

began wholesaling autogas 

components from AEB and Stako. In 

2001, they were introduced to Antonio 

Romano, the head of Romano srl, by 

AEB and became the sole distributor 

of the Romano Injection System and, 

in 2002, they were asked to start up 

Stako UK and a limited company was 

formed as part of the group. 

In 2003, a nationwide network of 

installers was set up and trained under 

the name of agw-Romano. Installers 

on the scheme are given logos and 

signage to promote their status as 

agw-Romano approved installers, and 

preferential rates. 

The network provides vehicle 

installation with a two-year parts and 

labour warranty and full customer 

service back up throughout the UK. 

The company has taken on an 

additional customer service engineer, 

Steve Bullock, to cover the north of 

England and Scotland and to extend 

the coverage offered to customers by 

the installer network in the north. 

“Autogas Worldwide Ltd has 

become the country’s leading 

independent component supplier 

and is the main distributor for 

Romano, Stako and AEB,” said 

Edward Davies, technical director. “It 

is recognised as an LPGA accredited 

Code of Practice 11 trainer and is a 

full member of the LPGA, playing a 

major part in supporting the industry 

and driving it forward.” 

Norman Phillips, Autogas 

Worldwide’s senior engineer, serves 

on a number of LPGA committees, 

including the Approved Installers 

Committee. 

The company certainly has some 

characters behind the scenes. Colin 

Seeney apprenticed as a medical 

electronics engineer, and set up and 

ran a quality assurance and 

production engineering consultancy, 

including acting as a British Standard 

approved lead assessor for quality 

assurance systems. 

Edward Davies is a graduate of 

Imperial College, London, and 

converted his first Land Rover to run 

on lpg back in the 1970s. Norman 

Phillips was trained as a buyer with 

British Gas before building several 

successful companies in the paper 

and recycling industry. 

Allan Thomas, who has been with 

the company virtually since its 

beginning, is literally part and parcel of 

the company, and looks after all their 

customers’ needs. “Nothing is to 

much trouble for him,” said Norman. 

“Behind every good company you 

must have an Allan.” 

Leighton Davies (no relation to 

Edward), Autogas Worldwide’s 

commercial manager, who started 

with the company in the parts store, 

spent 22 years in the RAF as an 

aircraft technician, and Roddy Jones, 

who helps run the stores and 

customer order section, was a part 

time professional footballer with 

Newport County, and was capped for 

Wales at amateur level. 

“Autogas Worldwide realises, in this 

industry, it’s very important that you 

must give your customers total 

support,” said Norman. “We have 

recently employed Steve Bullock, who 

is an LPGA approved engineer, and 

has been running his own autogas 

conversion company for the last seven 

years. He is now fully employed by us 

and is covering the north of England 

and Scotland visiting garages. He will 

also be carry stock on his vehicle.” 

Norman says his summary of the 

industry is quite simple. “Keep the 

exhaust pipe emissions clean, keep 

the conversions to the COP 11 2001 

high standard and look after your 

customers. Finally, a message to all 

of you retailing lpg, and this is 

specifically directed to the big petrol 

stations, etc - don’t be greedy. If the 

price of lpg continues to rise and you 

keep putting hefty margins on, we 

won’t have an industry. It’s up to us 

people in the industry to keep the 

prices low. If we sell our lpg at a 

competitive price, the larger retailers 

will have to follow, and that will 

equate to a buoyant conversion 

industry. It’s all down to differential in 

price between lpg and petrol.” 

Contact Autogas Worldwide Ltd 

on 08707 461262 

www.autogasworldwide.co.uk 


19

ADVERTORIAL 

Contract Hire 

From Alternatech 

Alternatech, the Prins distributor based in Salisbury, have recently joined forces with Vehicle 

Options, the biggest independent contract hire company in the UK. This collaboration will allow 

Alternatech to offer contract hire LPG vehicles for private and company use on any type of car or 

commercial vehicle. 

Prins new 3500sq m building 

This is proving to be very popular 

with the larger fleet companies and 

councils who have, in the past, 

wanted LPG fleets but have been 

restricted by brokers and lenders not 

being able to supply LPG 

conversions. Alternatech and Vehicle 

Options are the first to offer this 

service through both our head 

offices and dealer networks and can 

supply you from a Fiat Panda to a 

Range Rover Sport brand new on 

LPG contract hire. 

We have also recently teamed up 

with a finance company to allow the 

“LPG conversion” to be paid interest 

free for a year or on a 2/3 year 

period. This is available to private 

individuals and is done in 

conjunction with our growing 

dealer network. 

Further to our normal marketing 

activities, we have planned a 

national advertising campaign to be 

launched soon to highlight, not only 

the benefits of LPG to the private 

and commercial sector, but also to 

promote our new contract hire side. 

This will also include the promotion 

of the Prins VSI system and our 

network of LPG installers who are 

the best in the industry and are all 

part of the LP Gas Association. 

CONGESTION FREE 

Alternatech have developed various 

vehicles over the past four years to 

become congestion free for London. 

A full list can be found on our 

website at 

www.prinslpgnetwork.com. The 

latest cars to be added to the list are 

the Smart Four Four 1.1 and the 

Renault Kangoo 1.2 16v panel van. 

Tests on the Renault Trafic 2.0 16v, 

the Vauxhall Vivaro and the Mini 

Cooper 1.6 are now complete and 

the vehicles are now congestion 

charge free. Should you require 

development of congestion free 

vehicles, please contact Alternatech. 

JOHN COOPER CHALLENGE 

Alternatech, in collaboration with 

EGC, our Midlands-based premier 

installer, are developing and 

supporting the Prins VSI system for 

a Mini Cooper S in the John Cooper 

Challenge. This will also be featured 

in a six-part documentary on Sky 

and terrestrial television following the 

LPG mini over the season. Calor Gas 

will be providing the fuel for the car 

for the season. 

PRINS NEW BUILDING 

Prins Autogassystemen BV has 

been serving the automotive industry 

in the field of alternative fuels for 

more than 20 years. Worldwide Prins 

have created an excellent brand 

name in quality, reliability, customer 

support, innovation and product 

development. Over the last year, 

Prins have built a new building to 

enable them to increase production 

of the Prins VSI (LPG & CNG) 

systems. Demand for the systems 

worldwide has dictated this. Within 

the new building, Prins will have two 

labs, which will enable them to do 

complete bag test in house. This will 

increase the development 

capabilities for congestion free 

vehicles for London alongside 

Alternatech. Prins have developed a 

strong relationship with Keihin 

(Honda) to provide the best quality 

for its system and they will now have 

offices in the Prins building enabling 

a closer partnership. 

“We are working together with our 

partner, Keihin, on making better 

quality products by making 

improvements every day. Only if we 

deliver quality products can we 

justify our marketplace. Due to the 

high quality and the driveability of the 

VSI (LPG & CNG) systems, Prins is 

rapidly increasing its worldwide 

market share,” said Bart Van Aerle, 

commercial director at Prins 

(www.prins-lpg.com). 

Should you wish to become a 

dealer or enquire about any 

products, please call Will Putter 

on 02380 231112 or email on 

wputter@alternatech.co.uk 

COMPETITION 

Alternatech will be giving two people from its top ten selling dealers in 

January-July a day out in the summer on a 50ft motor boat, with jet skis, 

free bar, free food and full waitress service, all inclusive. The date will be 

August 27 2006 from 9am to 6pm in the Solent. On this weekend, they 

will also be able to view the World Championship P1 Power Boat British 

Grand Prix in the action from the water. 

20 



FROM 

HUMBLE 

BEGINNINGS… 

Jaymic started from humble beginnings with 

the design of a clubman’s racecar in the 1960s. 

A name was needed for the car, and Mike 

Macartney used an amalgamation of his wife’s 

and his Christian names (Jane and Michael). 

Haynes of Maidstone have 18 ambulances converted with the Zavoli system. 

The company started business in 

Norfolk in 1973 in Jane’s mother’s 

shed and quickly expanded into a 

disused chicken egg unit at 

Overstrand station. The business 

then purchased a half-acre plot at 

Cromer and built, evenings and 

weekends, a purpose made 4,500 

sq ft, state of the art workshop for 

car and commercial body repairs. 

Various ventures were 

experimented with and developed 

during lulls in workflow - Transform 

Body Styling and The “Sidewinder” 

leaning motorcycle sidecar to name 

but two. The “Sidewinder” was 

patented and another company, 

Freewheel UK, started, which now 

carries out stainless steel fabrication 

and manufactures trailers for towing 

behind motorcycles. 

The Poppy Flyer, a human 

powered machine, was also 

designed, built and raced in Europe 

and America in the early 1980s and 

gained the European record for the 

fastest tricycle, a record that it still 

holds today. Restoration on classic 

BMWs began in the mid 1980s and 

developed into a business of its 

own, supplying parts and restoring 

BMWs from around the world. 

During 1996, Mike thought that 

the classic BMW parts and 

restoration business could not last 

Steve Chambers 

much longer, although sales were 

not dropping, and looked at other 

ideas for developing the business. 

Alternative fuels had always 

interested him. 

Lpg was looked at in the 1980s, 

but he thought it all looked a bit 

“Heath Robinson” at that time. 

During ’96 and ’97, Mike travelled all 

over Europe visiting conferences, 

exhibitions and companies looking 

at the various makes of autogas 

conversion equipment available and 

decided that, when autogas became 

half the price of petrol in the UK, 

Jaymic would be ready to take 

advantage of the new market. 

During this period, he was never 

to be found at home. He was either 

at work seven days a week or 

travelling Europe. Money was 

invested in equipment, stock and 

training garages to carry out autogas 

conversions. With the petrol crisis in 

’99, turnover leapt up and Jaymic 

was supplying most of the UK gas 

importers with tanks and other gas 

paraphernalia. The next few years 

were spent developing an lpg 

system to convert London taxis to 

dedicated lpg fuelling. 

In October 2004, Mike Macartney 

decided that running Jaymic for 

nearly 32 years was enough, and 

decided to retire. The obvious 

Martyn Soer 

choices of purchaser were the men 

and women who had been working 

in the business. The business split 

into four separate Jaymic 

companies, one of which was 

Jaymic Systems Ltd. 

Jaymic Systems has forged ahead 

over the last 18 months with the 

supply of autogas conversion kits, 

dealer training and lpg conversion kit 

development. The company is now 

owned and run by Steve Chambers 

and Martyn Soer at Norwich Road, 

Cromer in Norfolk. 

During this period, Zavoli Autogas 

had been working with Jaymic 

Systems to develop a bespoke 

conversion kit solely for Jaymic 

Systems to distribute. 

“The kit is unlike any other Zavoli 

kit offered by our competitors,” said 

Martyn Soer. “The Jaymic version of 

the Zavoli injection kit can cope with 

engines of 350 bhp on a single 

reducer and using 6mm diameter 

pipe with no problems, and includes 

a purpose made loom to help make 

the whole installation look like an 

OEM fitment.” 

Training to install the Jaymic 

Systems autogas conversion 

equipment is tailor made to suit the 

capabilities of the installer. Both 

Steve and Martyn have been 

installing and instructing installers for 

many years and have a wealth of 

experience between them. Both 

serve on the LPGA Installers 

Committee and Importers 

Committee, as well as being LPGA 

Approved Installers. 

“A new, non-AEB system is being 

developed at present and will be 

launched at four open days around 

the country this year. A phone call 

could reserve you a place,” said 

Martyn. “This proves Jaymic 

Systems’ ongoing commitment to 

supplying the latest and most 

advanced autogas equipment for 

the UK market. 

“We also cater for fleet vehicles, 

and many fleet operators, including 

Haynes of Maidstone, which has 18 

ambulances converted on the Zavoli 

system, are pleased with the savings 

they have made with either complete 

conversions carried out by Jaymic 

Systems or systems supplied to their 

trained installers.” 

Steve Chambers, Martyn Soer 

and other members of staff will be at 

the LPGA Approved Installer Trade 

Show at the Conference Centre, 

Coventry on stand number 5 on 

Wednesday June 14 2006. 

Contact Jaymic Systems on 

01263 517070 

www.jaymicsystems.com 

22 



A QUALITY 

VEHICLE 

SOLUTION 

by Andrew Eastlake, head of laboratories, 

Millbrook Proving Ground Ltd 

The worldwide market for alternative fuel 

vehicles is growing steadily, but there can be a 

big difference between OE-quality installations 

and ‘the rest’. 

Delivering OE standards of driveability requires rigorous calibration. 

If you are a supplier of specialist 

vehicles, an OE product planner or 

the manager of a large fleet, the 

attraction of lpg cannot have passed 

you by. The promise is tantalising - 

significant reductions in fuel costs 

and a contribution to reducing 

emissions of toxic pollutants and 

greenhouse gases. 

Most of the early issues 

associated with alternative fuels also 

appear to have been resolved. The 

outstanding results achieved by 

Vauxhall’s lpg racing programme 

show that performance is no longer 

an issue, and road testers generally 

agree that driveability of the best OE 

vehicles is excellent. As for the 

quality issues, companies like 

Millbrook have shown that OE 

quality can be achieved in every 

aspect of performance, refinement, 

safety and reliability. 

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 

Lift the bonnet on any alternative fuel 

vehicle and the hardware will look 

very much the same. Indeed, there 

are only a handful of hardware 

suppliers and most systems are 

capable of giving reasonable results 

– if used appropriately. But there are 

still major differences between a 

typical aftermarket conversion and 

an ‘OE quality’ installation that a 

vehicle manufacturer will be 

comfortable to retail alongside 

mainstream. 

Quality, however, is much more 

than the durability of the system and 

the care with which it is installed. To 

satisfy increasingly demanding 

customers, systems must also 

deliver driveability and safety that is 

at least equivalent to conventional 

fuels, as well as greatly reduced 

running costs and emissions. To 

achieve this, considerable attention 

must be applied to the quality of the 

engine calibration, the thoroughness 

of design and testing, and the 

production engineering. 

In the aftermarket, alternative fuel 

kits have to be universal. Inevitably, 

this creates compromises. By far the 

biggest is that calibrations cover a 

family of vehicles that may have 

been built over a number of years of 

production. 

Calibration is the process in which 

the engine control unit is 

programmed to provide exactly the 

right amount of fuel at exactly the 

right time for every driving operation, 

engine temperature and climatic 

condition. Millbrook will typically 

spend two to three months 

developing the calibrations for each 

vehicle type, making sure that the 

best possible driveability, economy 

and emissions are achieved on the 

alternative fuel without 

compromising performance on 

petrol (assuming, as is almost 

universally the case, that the 

installation is to be bi-fuel). 

To achieve emissions that are 

significantly cleaner than an already 

very clean Euro IV engine, precision 

control of injection events is 

essential, which means calibrations 

needs to be specific to the model 

and the base petrol calibration. It also 

means tighter tolerances throughout 

the system, particularly for the 

injectors, which have to work reliably 

and consistently. Millbrook has set its 

own quality standards for hardware, 

giving us a high-precision base from 

which to develop each system. 

At Millbrook, we are fortunate in 

having our alternative fuels 

engineering business based at one of 

the world’s most comprehensive 

commercial proving grounds, giving 

us access to an ideal mix of test 

facilities, including high-speed and 

low-speed running using the banked 

circular track, a simulated city course 

and a range of calibrated hills that are 

ideal for powertrain development. 

We also have laboratories that can 

cost-effectively simulate any drive 

cycle for almost any size of vehicle. 

These all play an important role in 

Every aspect of the installation has to be 

carefully designed and tested. 

developing the calibration and 

confirming the system’s durability. 

The calibration task is not just about 

driveability, though. There are many 

other aspects of system performance 

that have to be measured and 

controlled. For example, EGR 

(exhaust gas recirculation) can be 

optimised and, one that is often 

overlooked on bi-fuelled vehicles, 

effective control of the petrol 

evaporative canister purge can be 

achieved when running on lpg. 

Another often overlooked factor is 

the durability of the emissions 

control hardware, in particular, the 

life of the catalytic converter. If we 

look at typical exhaust temperatures 

immediately behind the catalyst 

‘brick’ in a petrol vehicle driven at 

high loads/high engine speeds, we 

see that the maximum temperature 

reached is around 860°C. If we look 

at the same vehicle running on lpg 

with no protection strategy, the 

temperature reached is around 

1,100°C. If the control strategy does 

not recognise this so that the 

temperature is held within safe limits, 

the catalyst could fail within just a 

few miles. 

The biggest opportunity, however, 

comes once the need to run on two 

fuels is removed. The compression 

ratio can then be increased to take 

advantage of lpg’s higher octane 

rating (typically 100), the valve and 

spark timing can be optimised and 

the catalyst chemistry can be 

specified to maximise efficiency on 

lpg. These engines can also benefit 

from many of the developments in 

the petrol engines on which they are 

based, allowing lpg to maintain its 

environmental credentials. 

Contact Millbrook Proving 

Ground Ltd on 01525 408408 

www.millbrook.co.uk 


23

AUTOGAS 

Reaching Out to Europe 

Recognising the dominance of one 

tank manufacturer in the UK market, 

Walker Autogas, after a management 

restructure, decided to break the 

mould and look for a new supplier. 

The company selected Atrama from 

Lithuania and Step from Turkey as 

the most likely to succeed. 

Both companies manufacture a 

comprehensive range of single hole 

tanks, with four hole tanks to follow 

later this year, and Step’s tanks are 

coated with rust resistant Teflon. 

Since both Lithuania and Turkey 

have recently become members of 

the EU, the companies were looking 

to expand their markets. 

Walker Autogas also employed a 

team of management consultants, 

who proved that the company’s 

previous autogas conversion 

equipment supplier was holding the 

company back through poor quality 

and reliability. 

“We approached several 

companies that did not already 

export to the UK and very quickly 

chose e-gas from Italy as the best in 

all respects,” said Simon Hardy, 

Budget Result 

The Chancellor announced in his 

Budget in March that, from 

September 1 2006, duty rates on 

lpg will increase by 2.25 pence per 

litre to reduce the differential 

between lpg and petrol/diesel by 1 

pence per litre, and that the 

differential will be reduced by 1 

pence per litre per year until 

2008/9. 

“Three years ago, the 

Government announced that they 

were going to reduce the duty 

differential between lpg and 

petrol/diesel by 1 pence per litre 

per annum, and this September 

will be the first time that this has 

director at Walker Autogas. “They 

now give us a product that has an 

industry leading 24 month unlimited 

mileage warranty, which we further 

back up with a labour inclusive 

warranty for the first 12 

months/12,000 miles. 

“The beauty of the SLY gas 

system is the ease with which it is 

calibrated, with a quick set up in the 

workshop followed by a minimal 

road test to check the calibration 

and driveability. Customers report 

actually happened,” said Tom 

Fidell, director general of the 

LPGA. “The Government were 

looking at trying to catch up on 

these three years by imposing 

more than 1 pence per litre, but we 

put forward a strong case why this 

should not be implemented, and 

they have listened to what we said. 

“We now have certainty on lpg 

fuel duty rates until 2008/9 and, 

with the fiscal policy we have in 

place now, we should continue to 

see lpg forecourt prices at close to 

half that of petrol and diesel until 

at least 2009. 

“This is a clear message of 

back to us that they are amazed at 

how simple it is to set up and they 

wish they’d had a product like this 

years ago.” 

Walker Autogas is also distributing 

Broquet’s fuel treatment catalyst into 

the lpg industry, which decreases fuel 

consumption by promoting more 

efficient combustion, and removing 

and inhibiting the build up of carbon 

deposits, waxes and gums that 

normally form in the combustion 

chamber. The product is backed by a 

250,000 mile guarantee. 

“Broquet is a wonderful product 

that gives many advantages over the 

current valve saving products that, 

unfortunately, increase exhaust 

emissions,” said Simon. “That is 

exactly the opposite of what the 

industry needs, since it is the 

emission reduction that actually 

keeps the duty on lpg down, fuelling 

the number of conversions that we 

all benefit from.” 

Contact Walker Autogas, trading 

as e-G@S UK, on 01758 701144 

www.walkerautogas.co.uk 

www.e-gasweb.co.uk 

support for lpg for the long term 

that gives motorists and fleet 

managers the confidence to 

purchase lpg vehicles and 

contribute to a cleaner motoring 

environment.” 

"The Chancellor actively 

encouraged drivers to switch to 

cleaner lpg in past budgets, but 

now their popularity has grown, he 

is clawing his money back," said 

Mark McArthur-Christie, the 

Association of British Driver's 

director of policy. "Yet another 

increase in tax is a severe 

deterrent to switching to a 

greener, lpg-powered car." 

Classic Becomes Oz’s Fastest 

A classic Holden Monaro has set a 

record as Australia’s fastest lpg 

powered vehicle. The 1971 Holden 

HQ Monaro reached speeds of up to 

259km per hour at the Australian Dry 

Lakes Racers Speedweek at Lake 

Gairdner in South Australia. 

The vehicle is owned and built by 

Dr Don Hudson, who was co-driver 

with Justin Clarke. The pair were 

aiming to better 320km per hour but 

were prevented by bad weather. 

They set the previous record, 250km 

per hour, last year. 

The speed recorded is based on 

an average speed over a mile. 

Drivers need to be at a constant 

speed for about 5km, which can 

have a dramatic impact on the car 

and the engine. 

“The engine was perfect,” said 

Don. “We changed the heads and 

the intake manifold, upgraded to a 

larger size carb and placed an 

additional gas tank in the car to 

increase flow. This year we changed 

the diff gearing so it didn’t have to rev 

as high for the same speed but, as 

luck would have it, we were limited 

by the soft and slippery track and the 

distance we had to run with.” 

New Style 

for Forums 

Installer Forums will now be held 

annually and include a trade show 

after installers’ responses to a 

questionnaire sent out by the LP 

Gas Association. 

The first of the new style events 

will be held on June 14. The forum, 

including presentations and open 

discussion periods, will take place 

in the morning, with the trade 

show in the afternoon. 

Major equipment suppliers with 

stands at the trade show include 

Alternatech (Prins), Autogas 2000 

(Tartarini), Autogas Worldwide 

(Romano), CLS (BRC), FES 

Autogas (OMVL), Jaymic (Zavoli), 

Millbrook (GM Vauxhall), Nicholson 

McLaren Engines (AG and Necam) 

and Walker Autogas (e-gas). 

Lpg Endurance 

Record Set 

Ford New Zealand says it has set the 

world’s first endurance record for a 

car running on lpg. The team from 

Ford Racing Experience travelled 

2,449.15km in 24 hours in an lpg XT 

Falcon, averaging 102.5km per hour 

around Christchurch’s 2.35km 

Ruapuna Park raceway. 

The team – Keith Sharp, Graham 

Sharp, Anthony Myhre and Mark 

Babb – says it set records at the sixhour 

mark of 620.88km; the 12-hour 

mark of 1,238.16km, and the 18- 

hour mark of 1,858.23km during 

1,043 laps of the circuit. 

The team used 850 litres of fuel, 

stopping 11 times during 24 hours 

to fill up. The brake pads were 

changed three times. 

“This is a fantastic achievement 

for the Ford-Rockgas endurance 

challenge team and highlights lpg as 

a cheap, clean and user friendly 

alternative fuel source,” said Keith 

Sharp, director of Ford Racing 

Experience and a member of the 

team. “We were extremely 

impressed with this standard Falcon 

road car – it was tight and as strong 

at the end of the 24 hours as it was 

at the beginning. It didn’t skip a beat 

and we didn’t even have to pop the 

bonnet to change the oil.” 

The record run will stand when it is 

ratified by Motorsport New Zealand. 

24 


AUTOGAS 

European Autogas Visits Poland 

Lpg quadbike from FES Autogas. 

Quadbikes Go Green 

The 10th International LPG Gas 

Forum 2006 was held on March 9- 

10 in Warsaw, Poland. It is the 

most important industry exhibition 

and conference in Poland and 

central Europe, says the Forum 

organiser, BROG Media Biznesu. 

The conference is designed to 

keep delegates up to date with 

decisions on the market's future 

and those who make them, and 

learn about developments in 

Poland and Europe. 

Over 5,000 delegates visited 

the exhibition this year. 

Invitations to visit the exhibition 

are sent to owners of car 

garages assembling gas 

systems, equipment dealers, and 

representatives of firms and 

institutions interested in 

converting their fleets to lpg. 

Edward and Leighton Davies 

of Autogas Worldwide attended 

the exhibition as guests of Stako, 

an autogas conversion 

equipment manufacturer based 

in Poland. Arek Kubasik of Stako 

said of the exhibition: “Stako 

was visited by customers from 

20 different countries, including 

the most important, the UK.” 

FES Autogas has developed a gas 

system for the Kymco road legal and 

agricultural quadbike range. Kymco 

UK chose FES to develop a dedicated 

autogas system for its quadbikes due 

to the relationship that FES has with 

OMVL Italy. 

The Kymco quadbike range of 

agricultural and road legal quadbikes 

can be supplied already converted by 

FES Autogas or can be retrofitted by 

one of its approved autogas installers 

using a model specific kit that comes 

with full brackets, pipes and 

comprehensive installation manual for 

each model. 

The autogas conversion is 

recognised by Kymco UK and, if fitted 

by a trained FES installer, does not 

affect the quadbikes’ two-year 

warranty. 

“Kymco, a leading quadbikes 

supplier in Europe, is becoming very 

popular here in the UK, not only with 

farmers and agricultural users, but 

also with car drivers wanting a mode 

of transport that is slightly different,” 

said Nick Farrow, managing director 

at FES Autogas. “Road legal quads 

are taxed as PLG (private light goods) 

vehicles, the same as cars, so anyone 

with a car licence can drive one on the 

road. The gas system uses the latest 

OMVL lpg products, enabling a 

fantastic reduction in emissions but, 

also provides reliability in all driving 

and weather conditions.” 

Tank locations and sizes depend on 

the Kymco model. For future models 

of two cylinder 450cc to 700cc EFI 

Quadbikes, FES will be using the 

recently launched OMVL Piro gas 

injection system. 

FES technical manager, Dai Brace, 

said: “It was great to work on such an 

interesting project. Our first aim was to 

achieve a good reduction in exhaust 

emissions, which we have done. 

Developing a commercial kit wasn’t as 

easy as you’d think. 

“We had to project manage it from 

start to finish and, very importantly, the 

gas system had to be reliable and 

simple to use. Many quads were fitted 

out and given to farmers and road 

users and put through hell and back 

for longevity testing before we were all 

happy to sign the kits off.“ 

If you want to try a Kymco quadbike 

on autogas, FES has a number of 

demonstration models available. 

Contact FES Autogas 

on 08452 301819 

www.fesautogas.co.uk 

Edward Davies, Autogas Worldwide (left), 

chats to Antonio Romano, Romano Group 

(right), through an interpreter (centre). 

LPG Injection Kits 

for sequential, semi-sequential, full group 

and mono point engines 

UK supplier of ATRAMA and Step Tanks 

also suppliers of: 

• hoses and fittings • multivalves 

Email: sales@e-gasweb.co.uk 

Phone: 01758 701144 

www.e-gasweb.co.uk 


LPGA FOCUS 

SPRING MEETING REPORT 

Over 70 people attended the spring meeting in Kegworth, Derbyshire. Tom Fidell began the 

meeting by announcing that regional meetings will no longer be held and combined spring and 

autumn meetings will replace them. The association has appointed new auditors, Tenon, and is 

financially secure, with reserves of £843,000. Subscriptions to the LPGA will be discounted by 

50% due to the high level of reserves. 

The Competition Commission is 

reviewing a package of measures to 

make switching supplier of domestic 

bulk lpg easier for consumers. The 

proposed remedies include tank 

transfer in situ, standardisation of the 

switching process, changes to 

customer contracts and better 

provision of information. 

The LPGA has declined an 

invitation to become an arbitrator of 

disputes between companies. The 

final report will be published no later 

than July 2006, and the remedies 

must be implemented within six 

months from that date. 

The LPGA will include consumer 

information on its website and set up 

a telephone helpline. For consumers 

that do not have access to the 

website, the LPGA will send out an 

information pack on request, giving 

details of the switching process and 

contact details for member 

companies that supply gas. 

Comments on the Energy Review 

are due by April 14. The review aims 

to address a reduction in carbon 

emissions, security of supply, nuclear 

new build, carbon abatement and 

adequate heating for homes. 

Tom Fidell explained that he is 

making a robust case to the 

Government for greater use of lpg as 

part of the overall energy demand for 

the UK. The UK is a net importer of 

natural gas, and will soon be a net 

importer of oil, but we export 3 

million tonnes of lpg per annum. Oil 

emits 13.2% more CO2 and 

electricity 80% more CO2 than lpg. 

Nuclear power is unpopular and only 

two nuclear power stations will still 

be operational by 2020. Lp gas 

could help eliminate fuel poverty. 

The autogas market has shown 

slow and steady growth, and sales 

of automotive lpg increased by 7.5% 

in 2005. The OEMs have left the 

market, and all new lpg vehicles 

coming onto the road are 

aftermarket conversions. LPGA 

Approved Installers are now 

converting 75% of lpg vehicles. 

The Environment Agency has 

decided that the hazardous waste 

regulations will not normally be 

enforced for lpg cylinders and that a 

waste management licence is not 

required for the storage of lpg cylinders 

Jeff Watson, LPGA 

Andrew Ford, Calor Gas 

prior to recovery. However, if the 

industry does not collect its cylinders, 

the Environment Agency may enforce 

the regulations at its discretion. 

The LPGA AGM & Conference will 

take place at the Bournemouth 

Highcliff Marriott Hotel on May 10- 

12. Places are dwindling fast, so 

members are urged to book early. 

Technical Update 

Jeff Watson gave the technical 

update. He said that the relationship 

with the Health & Safety Executive 

(HSE)_was stretched at present, as 

new staff at HSE did not seem to have 

the technical background required 

and the organisation was low on 

funds, meaning guidance is being 

issued anything up to six months after 

regulations are published. 

Amended COMAH regulations are 

now in force. The Government has 

been reviewing its attitude to societal 

risk following the incident at 

Buncefield, which will lead to 

changes at high hazard risk sites. 

There have been two other similar 

incidents recently, and the potential 

for fatalities has been high, although 

no one was killed in the incidents. 

The Department for Transport has 

formally accepted the 15-year 

requalification of cylinders, and the use 

of tare discs is now permitted by ADR. 

Drivers of vehicles carrying less 

than 3.5 tonnes of lpg cylinders will 

now need ADR driver training from 

January 1 2007. 

The Dutch have proposed that 

passive fire protection should be 

made mandatory in ADR, which is 

the next fight for the LPGA, said Jeff. 

It could potentially cost 22.5 million 

euros to retrofit vehicles. 

External consultants are 

conducting a Gas Safety Review, 

although the HSE seems disinterested 

and the carbon monoxide lobby 

hijacked the initial meeting. 

A leaflet to raise awareness that the 

duty for pipework is on the site owner 

was delivered to the LPGA before 

Christmas, but contained errors and 

has been reprinted by the HSE. It is 

currently being redistributed. 

The Office of the Deputy Prime 

Minister has issued a draft of the 

Caravan Sites Model Regulations for 

comment. 

A consultation document on 

Home Information Packs has been 

issued, but it is still cost based. 

Recommended improvement 

26 


LPGA FOCUS 

measures need to ensure that they 

do not favour fuels that may be less 

costly today but that may become 

relatively more costly in the future. 

A significant review of Land Use 

Planning is expected following the 

incident at Buncefield. 

Business as Usual 

Dave Sellors of Millbrook said that 

the company was still enthusiastic 

about autogas. The OEMs may have 

pulled out of the market, but not a lot 

has changed. 

Millbrook is a sister company to 

Vauxhall and the only approved 

converter for Vauxhall lpg products in 

the UK. It imports parts from Europe 

and distributes them to Vauxhall 

dealers. The dealers are happy to 

service vehicles, said Dave, but not to 

fit conversion kits on used vehicles. 

Dave said that 50% of Millbrook’s 

market is in retail, and 25% in local 

authority fleets. Millbrook offers a 

three-year, 100,000-mile aftermarket 

warranty, which leasing companies 

are now confident in. 

Millbrook also offers product, 

installation and service/support 

training, and does vehicle 

development and testing. Dave said 

that Millbrook still retains OEM 

values but is now closer to the 

customer and has flexibility on 

product sourcing. 

Case for the Defence 

Andrew Ford of Calor presented the 

case for the defence of patio 

heaters. Press criticism of the impact 

patio heaters have on the 

environment began in 2004 and it 

was originally decided to ignore it, 

but the coverage continued. 

Calor developed a brochure 

describing the safest and most 

responsible way to use the heaters, 

Tim Clark, Sensor Systems 

which is now included with every lpg 

alfresco appliance. In 2005, Norman 

Baker stated in the House of 

Commons that 750,000 patio 

heaters produce 380,000 tonnes of 

greenhouse gases every year. The 

Guardian reported this figure and 

criticised the leaflet. 

In the patio heater’s defence, it 

was calculated that, nationally, they 

produce approximately 20,000 

tonnes of CO2 annually, a mere 

0.002% of the total UK carbon 

emissions, and the Government now 

accepts this figure. 

n A large television left on standby 

will produce more CO2 each year 

than the average annual use of a 

patio heater. 

n It would take 12 years of average 

single patio heater use to create 

the same level of CO2 emissions 

caused by a single passenger 

flying from Birmingham to Majorca 

and back. 

n Assuming 58% of the UK 

population owns a tumble dryer, 

their use would contribute 1.8 

million tonnes of CO2 – 100 times 

more than patio heaters. 

n Driving to your local restaurant 

would release more than twice the 

CO2 of staying at home with the 

patio heater on. 

n A gas boiler emits over twice as 

much CO2 as a patio heater. 

There is a place in the market for an 

eco-patio heater, said Andrew. 

Manufacturers need to come up with 

a way to make patio heaters more 

environmentally friendly, perhaps by 

employing a timer switch or 

developing the canopy design. Patio 

heaters will always be targeted, he 

said, and Calor may consider 

planting trees to offset the CO2 

emissions. 

Members’ Association 

Tim Clarke of Sensor Systems gave 

a summary of the results of the 

regional meetings questionnaire. 

Generally, members seem to attend 

the meetings to network and 

support the industry, and for the 

technical information. They wanted 

two meetings per year plus the AGM 

& Conference, and wanted meetings 

to be central and easy to get to. 

However, only 18 responses to the 

questionnaire were received, which 

was disappointing. 

NEW 

MEMBERS 

Gas N Go 

Unit 13 Brook Ind Est, 

Bullsbrook Road, Hayes, 

Middlesex UB4 0JZ 

Tel: 01689 819602 

LPGA Approved Installer 

GSPK Multifuel Technology 

GSPK Technology Park, Manse 

Lane, Knaresborough HG5 8LF 

Tel: 01423 865641 

Design and manufacture of lpg 

dual fuel systems for diesel 

engine vehicles 

Hants Auto Fuels Ltd 

Unit 6 Hammond Industrial Park, 

Stubbington Lane, Fareham, 

Hampshire PO14 2PT 

Tel: 01329 667788 


Martin Motors 

Woodhead Road, Muirhead, 

Glasgow G69 9BL 

Tel: 0141 779 3331 


COPs UPDATE 

CoP 1 Part 3 – Examination 

and Inspection 

This code has been updated. 

CoP 1 Part 4 – Buried/ 

Mounded Lpg Storage Vessels 


CoP 9 – Lpg-Air Plants 

There is a new edition of this 

code to incorporate DSEAR. 

CoP 17 – Purging Lpg 

Vessels and Systems 

There is an amendment to this 

code to incorporate DSEAR. 

Cop 24 Part 1 – The Use of 

Propane in Cylinders at 

Residential Premises 


CoP 24 Part 2 – The Use of 

Butane in Cylinders at 

Residential Premises 


CoP 25 – Lpg Central Storage 

and Distribution Systems for 

Multiple Consumers 


DIARY DATES 

May 10–12 2006 

AGM & Conference 

Bournemouth 

May 31–June 2 2006 

AEGPL 2006 

Istanbul, Turkey 

NEW AFFILIATE 

MEMBERS 

Harringtons Hardware 

30 Coronation Square, Reading, 

Berkshire RG30 3QN 

Tel: 0118 957 4235 

Distributor 

June 14 2006 

LPGA Approved 

Installer Trade Show 

Conference Centre, Coventry 

CONTACT US 

LPG Inspection Services 

16 Lund Drive, Heckmondwike, 

W Yorkshire WF16 0BT 

Tel: 01924 406646 

Autogas inspector 

Shaw Consulting 

20 Treebank Crescent, 

Ayr KA7 3NF 

Tel: 01292 261911 

Autogas service consultant 

LP GAS ASSOCIATION 

Pavilion 16, 

Headlands Business Park, 

Salisbury Road, Ringwood, 

Hampshire BH24 3PB 

Tel: 01425 461612 

Fax: 01425 471131 

Email: mail@lpga.co.uk 

www.lpga.co.uk 


WORLD VIEW 

Nigeria Sets Regulatory Framework 

Nigeria’s Federal Government is 

making efforts to get a regulatory 

policy framework ready by August 

that will guide investment and 

operations in lpg in the country. 

Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr 

Edmund Daukoru, said the task 

would involve a review of the World 

Bank study on the Nigerian lpg 

sector conducted in 2003. 

The minister said that the Federal 

Government had recently taken 

steps to revitalise the poor state of 

the lpg sector based on numerous 

problems identified in the World 

Bank sponsored study and its 

proffered solutions. 

Among some of the solutions 

offered were the setting up of a 

Presidential LP Gas Steering 

Committee charged with the 

coordination of activities in the 

sector, the formation of a Nigerian 

LP Gas Association and the granting 

of an import duty and VAT waiver on 

imported lpg products. 

The project is being supported by 

the US Government through the US 

Joint Venture For East 

Flaga, a subsidiary of the UGI 

Corporation, has entered into a 

joint venture with a subsidiary of 

Progas that creates an 

international company for the 

retail distribution of lpg in central 

and eastern Europe. 

The joint venture company will 

initially distribute retail lpg in the 

Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, 

Slovakia and Romania under the 

existing names of Flaga and 

Progas. 

Lon Greenberg, chairman and 

CEO of UGI, said: “We are excited 

to join with such an experienced 

and well-known participant in the 

lpg distribution business. The joint 

Oven Will Save on Lpg 

Scientists at Jadavpur University in 

Calcutta, India, are devising 

technology that will scale down an 

lpg stove’s fuel consumption. The 

scientists engaged in the project are 

all experts in flame research. 

The burners will be designed to 

consume much less fuel than an lpg 

oven does while cooking. Preliminary 

findings have revealed that a user of 

the new burner will save at least 

15% on fuel. 

“Users will not only save on fuel, 

but will also spend much less time in 

the kitchen,” said Parthapratim 

Biswas, a senior teacher and 

SMS Service Welcomed 

The India Oil Corporation (IOC) 

has recently launched a new 

service for residential 

consumers in Chandigarh, India, 

to book their lpg cylinders by 

SMS. 

Manmohan Singh, a customer, 

commented: “Earlier, it was 

difficult to book the gas through 

the phone because the lines 

usually remained busy and it 

The Largo Vista Group has 

announced that it has completed 

construction of ‘Project 5’, a pipeline 

project supplying lpg to residential 

homes in a planned community in 

Zunyi, China. Largo Vista’s 

agreement with the project’s 

developer assures the company is 

consumed a lot of time. Now you 

only have to end an SMS and we 

get our booking number 

immediately.” 

The Indane Gas Co, a division 

of IOC, has plans to have more 

distributors with the SMS 

booking facility. “At present, we 

have only seven distributors in 

Chandigarh, but we are planning 

to extend this facility to 50% of 

‘Project 5’ Complete 

the exclusive lpg supplier to those 

households for 40 years. 

‘Project 5’ is the fourth such 

project to have been completed by 

the company. 

“With the completion of Project 5, 

the company has taken a significant 

step towards its goal of becoming one 

Trade & Development Agency 

Technical Assistance with a grant of 

$500,000. Dr Daukoru said that 

Nextant, a US based group, would 

be expected to carry out the 

assignment in close consultation 

with the World Bank and other 

stakeholders. 

Some of the terms of reference 

include the development of a legal 

and regulatory framework to place all 

lpg market transactions on a level 

playing field and a review of existing 

safety standards in the sector. 

venture will provide a platform for 

growth in several expanding 

economies in central and eastern 

Europe.” 

The joint venture company will 

be controlled equally by Flaga and 

Progas. In a related transaction, 

Progas has sold its lpg distribution 

business in Austria to Flaga. 

member of the university’s executive 

council. 

The efficiency of an lpg burner is 

judged by the heat it generates. The 

new burners will generate the same 

intensity of heat required for cooking 

in much less time compared to 

existing ovens. 

consumers,” said Rajeev 

Sharma, deputy manager, lpg 

sales branch. “Chandigarh is the 

second place after Kolkata 

where we have launched this 

facility. We selected this city 

because here most of the 

households use mobile phones.” 

The Indane Gas Co is also 

planning to extend this facility to 

rural customers. 

of the major suppliers of residential lpg 

pipeline services to the residents of the 

Guizhou Province,” said Denise Deng, 

general manager of Jiahong Gas Co, a 

division of Largo Vista Group China. 

“We will continue to work with 

residential developers to provide lpg 

pipeline services to new homes.” 

Lpg Boats at 

Beach Resort 

A tourism company is set to equip 

its boats with lpg dual fuel 

engines. Professor Bui Van Ga, the 

inventor of a new carburettor that 

enables the use of lpg, said that it 

was to be installed for Dai Long Co 

in the Khanh Hoa Province. The 

company’s boats are based in the 

central Vietnamese beach resort 

of Nha Trang. 

Professor Ga originally 

invented the carburettor for use 

in motorbikes and cars and 

adapted it for boats after its 

successful use. 

Investing in 

Autogas 

The volatility of international fuel prices 

has prompted Eastern Petroleum Corp 

to earmark the bulk of its two-year 

capital expenditure budget, amounting 

to P500 million, for the establishment of 

autogas stations in the Philippines. 

Eastern Petroleum’s president, 

Fernando Martinez, said the oil firm 

wanted to start offering autogas as 

soon as possible, as world fuel 

prices remained very unstable. 

“We’re more bent on autogas 

because we see flat growth on liquid 

fuels due to uncertain international 

prices,” he said. “They appeared to 

have stabilised in December, but 

they’re now very unstable again. 

Autogas is where we see growth.” 

He said that Eastern Petroleum has 

already had firm orders for autogas 

related equipment and has started 

forging links with conversion kit 

providers. The company is awaiting 

the issue of guidelines governing the 

establishment of autogas stations. 

Generating 

at Sub Zero 

Euro Alternative Power System 

India (Pvt) Ltd (EAPSIL) has 

launched lpg generators in 

Kashmir, India. Rahul Singh, 

EAPSIL’s marketing manager, said 

that the generators are designed 

specifically for lpg, rather than 

using a conversion kit. 

The generators are also 

designed to suit the drastic 

climatic conditions in Kashmir’s 

valley and will even start in sub 

zero temperatures, said Rahul, 

adding that they have been 

approved by the US 

Environmental Protection Agency. 

The generators also have OHV 

and decompression technology, 

and the range covers 1 to 5 Kva. 

28 


SPECIALIST SERVICES 

PIPEWORK 

CENTRAL PIPEWORK 

SERVICES LIMITED 

PROCESS ENGINEERING & 

PIPEWORK INSTALLATIONS 

FOR SALE 

Tankers for Sale or Long/Short Term Lease 

Email: sales@central-pipework.fsnet.co.uk 

Call: 01895 613605 or 

Fax: 01895 613607 

Keith: 07850 965776 or 

Mark 07712 647777 

All sizes available. Contract cylinder filling also available. Please contact A Cooper on 0161 789 0000 or 0780 121 9867 

LPG PLANT 

Job too big? 

Do you need help to 

fulfil a larger contract? 

We will install above or below ground 

Agricultural, Industrial, Commercial 

LPG pipework on your behalf. 

Qualified engineers. 

Phone HAT LTD 01507 522280 

Est 1976 

JOHN WIGFULL & Co Ltd 

First Hangings, Blaby Road, 

Enderby, Leicester LE19 4AQ 

Tel: 0116 286 2287 

Fax: 0116 275 1232 

email: wigfullr@btinternet.com 

FIRE PROTECTION 

S. J. Fire Protection 

(Services) Ltd 

8 Linnet Close, Herons Reach, 

Blackpool FY3 8FL 

Installers of passive fire protection 

to the outside of LPG tanks & 

spheres throughout the UK 

For a free quotation or advice, 

contact Steve Jones on: 

01253 300799 or 

07802 443395 

Fax: 01253 302440 

KNEE & ELBOW PROTECTION 

KNEE & ELBOW 

Protection 

• 

Comprehensive range to suit 

every application 

Ergonomic design 

Comfortable and secure fit 

Reliable protection 

Tough and hard wearing 

• 

Manufactured to the highest 

standards from selected quality 

materials 

marking throughout 

• 

NATO Stock No: 

22c 8415-99-8873869 

Gotec Trading Limited 

Boulton Road 

Pin Green 

Stevenage 

Herts SG1 4QL 

Telephone 01438 740 400 

Fax 01438 740 005 

Design, Assessment and Maintenance 

of all types of LPG Installations 

LPG Dispenser Calibration Service 

LPG Pump Testing 

Member LPGA, ALGED and APEA 

VALVES 

LPG SHEAR VALVES 

• 1” nominal size for 80 l/min 

• 25 bar pressure rating 

• Seals in both directions 

• Shuts fully irrespective of impact direction 

• Non-spark brass construction 

RISBRIDGER LTD, 25 Trowers Way, 

Holmethorpe Ind Est, Redhill, Surrey RH1 2LH 

Tel: 08456 442323 Fax: 08456 442453 

ADVERTISEMENT 

ENQUIRIES 

Tel: 01892 677740 

Fax: 01892 677743 

Email: sales@spacemarketing.co.uk 

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 

Samuel Maritime Limited 

Exporting LPG cylinders, 

equipment etc. 

Open storage available. 

Tel/Fax: 01246 555938 

Mobile: 07951 693798 

Email: samuelo@btconnect.com 

L.P.G. DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION & INSTALLATION 

METCALFE AND EVANS LIMITED 

THERMAL WORKS, QUEEN STREET,GOLBORNE, WARRINGTON. WA3 3AF 

Tel: 01942 723652 Fax: 01942 271224 

Email: sales@metcalfe-evans.com Web: http://www.metcalfe-evans.com 

DESIGN 

AND BUILD 

BULK L.P.G. 

CONTRACTOR 

CONTRACT FILLING 

SUPPLIERS OF CAR’GAS (AUTOGAS) 

& SKID UNITS 

BULK LPG DELIVERIES UP TO 

18 TONNES 

CONTRACT AND CYLINDER FILLING 

CARDIFF GAS 

Sully Moors Rd, Sully, Vale of Glamorgan CF64 5RP 

Tel: 029 2034 3222 / 01446 420444 

Fax: 01446 721999 

visit us @ 

www.lpgasdirectory.com 

• Turnkey Contracts 

• All Mechanical and Electrical Work Undertaken 

• All Parts of the UK Covered 

• 5 Year and 10 Year Tests 

• Full Electrical Surveys 

• Plans and Drawings Prepared on AutoCAD 

• No job Too Big or Too Small 

• Competitive Prices 

• Free Survey and Quotation Anywhere in UK 

• Electrical Vaporisers 3Kw -- 45Kw 

CONTACT OUR SALES STAFF ON: 01942 723652 

SECURITY CAGES 

UK LEADER IN CYLINDER SECURITY 

& HANDLING EQUIPMENT 

• CAGES NEED NO ASSEMBLY 

• ROBUST WELDED CONSTRUCTION 

• H.S.E. COMPLIANT 

• L.P.G.A. COP7 COMPLIANT 

Contact RITCHIE : Tel 01307 462271 

Fax 01307 464081 Email sdownie@ritchie-uk.com 

SEE PRODUCT DETAILS www.ritchie-uk.com 

STORAGE DESIGN & INSTALLATION 

OLD PARK ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD, 

WOODS LANE, CRADLEY HEATH, WEST MIDLANDS B64 7AN 

Tel: 00 44 (0) 1384 412550 Fax: 00 44 (0) 1384 410784 

Design, fabrication, installation and maintenance of Bulk storage L.P.G. 

installations for industrial users, Aerosol manufacturers and Resellers. 

Design & fabrication of Destenching columns to PD.5500 Cat 2. 

For more information please contact: 

Graham J. Cornforth - Mobile: 07799 118887 

Email: oldpark@blueyonder.co.uk 

David Birkhead - Mobile: 07799 118883 

Email: davebirkhead@tiscali.co.uk 

MEMBER OF THE L.P.G.A. 


29

TRAINING 

ABC OF ADR 

By Henry Laferla, managing director, K Training 

If you’re going to carry more than 

333kg of lpg in cylinders in any vehicle, 

you will need an ADR Certificate from 

January 1 2007. Below are some 

frequently asked questions and 

answers concerning the new ADR 

driver training requirements. 

Do all cylinders count? 

Yes. (ADR 2005 – 3.2 and 3.4.6) 

Why 333kg? 

Because this is the maximum total 

quantity of lpg in cylinders you can 

carry per transport unit before full 

ADR applies. (ADR 2005 – 1.1.3.6) 

Why 3.5 tonnes? 

Because drivers of vehicles with a 

permissible maximum mass not 

exceeding 3.5 tonnes did not require 

ADR Certification, but they will from 

January 1 2007. 

(ADR 2005 – 1.6.1.9 and 8.2.1.1) 

Why January 1 2007? 

Because there is a transitional period 

for these drivers. 

(ADR 2005 – 1.6.1.9) 

Who can carry out this training? 

Attendance of a course carried out 

by approved training providers is a 

legal requirement and counts as part 

of drivers’ hours. 

How long is the course? 

Approximately three days. 

(ADR 2005 – 8.2.2.4) 

How long will it take for the 

examination board and DVLA to 

issue the ADR Certificate? 

It can take up to four weeks. 

Do my drivers have to attend 

a course? 

Yes, and the course counts towards 

drivers’ hours. (ADR 2005 8.2.1.2) 

Do my drivers have to have the 

original ADR when driving? 

Yes. (ADR 2005 – 8.2.1.1) 

How long does the ADR 

Certificate last? 

Five years. (ADR 2005 – 8.2.1.5) 

If I carry the lpg cylinders 

privately, do I need an ADR 

Certificate? 

No. (ADR 2005 1.1.3.1) 

What does ADR stand for? 

L'Accord Européen Relatif au 

Transport International des 

Marchandises Dangereuses par 

Route - European Agreement 

concerning the international carriage 

of dangerous goods by road. 

(ADR 2005 – iii) 

Do any of my other staff 

need training? 

Yes (see below). 

(ADR 2005 – 1.3 and 1.4) 

Are there any other implications? 

You should already have 

implemented changes regarding 

transport documentation, instructions 

in writing, equipment, etc. 

References – for domestic 

movements, The Carriage of 

Dangerous Goods and Use of 

Transportable Pressure Equipment 

Regulations 2004 as amended in 

2005. There may be more than one 

reference point. 

The Domestic Regulations (The 

Carriage of Dangerous Goods and 

Use of Transportable Pressure 

Equipment Regulations 2004) are now 

mostly in line with ADR, apart from a 

few exceptions. These Regulations 

came into effect May 10 2004, with 

extra time to implement some rules. 

You can always ask the DGSA, HSE 

or Department for Transport for more 

clarification. K Training is more than 

happy to answer any questions relating 

to your specific operation and how this 

training can be carried out with 

minimum disruption to your operation. 

Some of the courses you may 

require are as follows: 

n ADR Certification for the drivers 

n One day Management Dangerous 

Goods Awareness 

n One day Handling and Storing 

Dangerous Goods Safely 

n Chemical Spillage Awareness 

n Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor 

(DGSA) 

n Certificate of Professional 

Competence 

n Forklift 

n Health and Safety, e.g. First Aid, 

Manual Handling, Risk Assessment 

Your nominated Dangerous Goods 

Safety Adviser will help you with 

these issues. 

K Training is a specialist company 

with ten successful years, covering 

the above training courses nationally. 

Relevant courses must be approved 

by the appropriate governing bodies 

and are carried out by fully qualified 

and experienced trainers. K Training’s 

approval allows us to carry out 

courses on any suitable premises. 

Henry Laferla has been in the 

dangerous goods by road industry 

for more than 36 years, and with K 

Training for 11 years. 

Contact K Training on 

0208 900 9038 

www.ktraining.com 

We can fast track your 

LPG Drivers to get 

their ADR Certificate! 

Tel: 020 8900 9038 

Web: www.KTraining.com 

Email: ADR@KTraining.com 

Appr oved A.C.S. Assessment 

l Domestic Core & Appliances 

l Non-Domestic Core & Appliances 

l Commercial Core Catering & Appliances 

l Swimming Pool Boilers 

l LPG 

l Static & Touring Caravans 

l Boats 

l Oftec Oil Assessment & Training 

l Un-vented Domestic Hot Water 

l Legionella 

l Courses Designed For Specific Needs 

l Water Regulations (BPEC/WRAS) 

l Gas Safety Training 

l Part P Electrical 

For details Contact Carmen or Liz, South West Peninsular Training 

Westover Trading Estate, Langport, Somerset. TA10 9RB 

Tel: 01458 253493 Fax: 01458 253445 

sales@swptraining.co.uk 

30 


REGISTER 

AS AN LP GAS READER 

LP Gas contains everything you need to keep up-to-date with the latest issues 

facing the lp gas industry and the LPGA – everything from autogas to training, 

product features to the catalogue for the LP Gas Exhibition. 

If you have not registered as an LP Gas reader in the last two years, complete and 

return the form below to receive your six issues a year, and your free copy of the 

annual LP Gas Directory. 

PLEASE PHOTOCOPY AND RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM TO 

Picture Publishing, The Point, College Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4JJ. Or by fax on: 01323 411050 

International subscribers will be charged an annual £40 fee for postage and packaging 

Full name: 

Job title: 

Company: 

Address: 

Post Code: 

Telephone: 

Email: 

Fax: 

Website: 

PLEASE TICK THOSE BOXES WHICH APPLY TO YOUR COMPANY AND SIGN AND DATE BELOW 

n 

Wholesale supplier of lpg 

n 

Distributor of lpg-fired equipment 

n 

Installer 

n 

Dealer of lpg 

What type of equipment (e.g. fires, lighting)? 

Other: 

For which supplier? 

n 

n 

Distributor of lpg 

For which supplier? 

Please tick which market sectors: 

n Residential 

n Manufacturing 

n Camping 

n Caravanning 

n Agricultural 

n Commercial 

n Industrial 

n Other 

Manufacturer of lpg-fired equipment 

What type of equipment (e.g. fires, lighting)? 

n 

n 

n 

n 

n 

n 

n 

n 

Manufacturer of lpg equipment 

What type of equipment 

(e.g. meters, storage)? 

Distributor of lpg equipment 

What type of equipment 

(e.g. meters, storage)? 

Builders merchant/retailer 

Maintenance contractor 

End user 

Transporter 

Training 

Supplier of autogas products/services 

Please tick the organisations of which 

your company is a member: 

n LPGA 

n AEGPL 

n WLPGA 

n ALGED 

n HVCA 

n CORGI 

n BHHPA 

Other: 

Please tick how many employees: 

n 1–10 

n 11–50 

n 51–100 

n Over 100 

n 

Engineering services 

SIGNATURE: 

DATE:

C2572 02 Apr-May 06 AW - LP Gas Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?