Speaking to IF&CR, CEO Brian Donaldson said the company has just marked the first year of its carbon offsetting programme, aiming to offset 100% of carbon emissions with its Premium fuel range, which has fewer pollutants and is now available at 40 Maxol sites.

The programme also supports green initiatives such as the planting of 10,000 trees in Ireland, local community projects and global projects designed to offset carbon emissions.

“The Maxol Group is very transparent and also very serious about its commitment to the environment and investing in ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” Mr Donaldson said.

“We do not pretend to be something that we are not.  We sell diesel and we sell petrol and will continue to do so as long as these fuels are needed.

“There’s no silver bullet that will suddenly transform the automotive market overnight, but we are looking at all of the ways that our business can change and make better, greener choices.

“Every investment and every decision begins with an examination of the impact it will have on the environment – we take a ‘sustainable first’ approach to every operational decision.”

Benchmark programme

Meanwhile, the fuel company has now teamed up with KPMG on a programme to benchmark and measure its carbon savings year-on-year.

“It’s about how we power and develop our service stations looking at renewable energy, LEDs and  battery storage,” Mr Donaldson said.

“How do we use all this to reduce our carbon footprint? How do we heat and run our stores? How do we work with our supply chain to reduce their carbon footprint?”

“Consumers are very savvy and they want to be seen to be supportive and loyal to companies that take the right approach.

“We need to bring our customers with us on the sustainability journey, constantly looking at ways to make the greener option the easier option for all. Sustainability has become a critical imperative for businesses and consumers and it is now firmly embedded in the company’s DNA.”

Part of that sustainability effort comes via the car wash. More than 600,000 vehicles will pass through a Maxol car wash this year, with 36% of all car washes taking place at the weekend, and the company invested €600,000 in rebranding and upgrading Maxol car wash facilities in 2021.

Transition

“As we transition to alternative fuelled vehicles, we can’t forget that they too will need to be washed. And, by making our car washes more environmentally friendly, using recycled rainwater wherever possible, we are future-proofing a key, sustainable service offering that is really important to our business,” Mr Donaldson says.

The forecourt is expected to undergo major changes in future, not just in terms of the range of energy and fuel products it supplies but how it is designed and laid out, Mr Donaldson said.

“Our view is that there is still a large business in selling petrol and diesel for the next 10 years and beyond. But by the midpoint of this decade you will see more charging points for electric vehicles as more are sold in the market,” he said.

“We also see green hydrogen as being the right fuel for HGVs and commercial vehicles, but that is still very much in development. You only have to look at what Wrightbus is doing with some of the councils on hydrogen buses to get an insight into what’s possible.

“In the future we see a wider range of energies and fuels being sold from our sites, but to accommodate all of that, you need a bigger footprint and bigger sites.”

The post Maxol setting out plans to green its forecourts: CEO Brian Donaldson appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

M1 is the new rollover designed by ISTOBAL. Simplicity, reliability and a competitive price are the highlights of this model that completes the line of rollovers offering solutions for all needs.

The M1 is designed to meet the needs of workshops, showrooms and rent-a-car companies that require a simple, efficient wash of a quality comparable with that of higher range models, but without the need for extras such as high-pressure, colour foam or special waxes.

This new model is designed for facilities with a throughput of up to 1.000 vehicles per month.

SUSTAINABILITY

On the M1, the traditional hydraulic circuits have been replaced by locating the different rinsing, shampoo and foam nozzles at specific points, which means that the product is applied with pinpoint accuracy and thus with minimum water consumption.

As with all other rollovers, electricity consumption is important. Accordingly, the dryer comprises 4 turbines with 3 kW motors, giving a total of 12 kW of power.

OPTIONS AVAILABLE:

• Super active foam
• Complete dry 12 kW
• Wheelwash
• Service hoses by loops or single loop
• On-board or on site controls
• Entry lights
• Centring guides

QUALITY PROCESSES

The wash quality is non-negotiable, which is why the whole process on the M1 is as tightly controlled as on the top range models. The transducers used to measure the consumption of the brush spin motors are the essential element of control.

To ensure the perfect wash of any type of vehicle, the M1 does an overlapping wash on the front and rear of the vehicles.

Unlike the pneumatic brush travel systems normally used on low cost wash ranges, the M1 includes as standard, a brush travel system powered by motors to ensure that the system works perfectly.

DIMENSIONS

• Wash height (mm) 2300
• Maximum wash width* (mm) 2500
• Maximum machine width* (mm) 3650
• Length of rails (m) 3085
• Minimum machine width* (mm) 9 or10

The post M1 takes future of the car wash into the fast lane appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.