C2572 02 Apr-May 06 AW - LP Gas Magazine

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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 LP GAS MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2006
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 LPGA Approved Installer Martin Motors Woodhead Road, Muirhead, Glasgow G69 9BL Tel: 0141 779 3331 LPGA Approved Installer COPs UPDATE CoP 1 Part 3 – Examination and Inspection This code has been updated. CoP 1 Part 4 – Buried/ Mounded Lpg Storage Vessels This code has been updated. 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 This code has been updated. CoP 24 Part 2 – The Use of Butane in Cylinders at Residential Premises This code has been updated. CoP 25 – Lpg Central Storage and Distribution Systems for Multiple Consumers This code has been updated. 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 LP GAS MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2006 27
Page 1 and 2: APRIL/MAY 2006 AUTOGAS CONVERSION E
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS APRIL/MAY 2006 LP GAS THE
Page 5 and 6: If It’s autOGas EquIPmEnt It has
Page 7 and 8: What do you do for the LP gas indus
Page 9 and 10: Tankgas Equipment Ltd Specialist St
Page 11 and 12: DIRECTOR GENERAL launch of this at
Page 13 and 14: ZINC SPRAYING spray is perhaps not
Page 15 and 16: PRODUCTS Mitsubishi Launches Lpg Cu
Page 17 and 18: AUTOGAS CONVERSION EQUIPMENT NME Pa
Page 19 and 20: AUTOGAS CONVERSION EQUIPMENT Worldw
Page 22 and 23: AUTOGAS CONVERSION EQUIPMENT FROM H
Page 24 and 25: AUTOGAS Reaching Out to Europe Reco
Page 28 and 29: WORLD VIEW Nigeria Sets Regulatory
Page 30 and 31: TRAINING ABC OF ADR By Henry Laferl

C2572 02 Apr-May 06 AW - LP Gas Magazine

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