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IN THIS ISSUE​​​

PUBLISHED BY​

Exolum

MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

Mavi de Lamor
José Antonio Galán

Consultancy, editing and design

ATREVIA Publicaciones

In this issue we hear from

Diego Abajo
Karin Decker
Alberto Fernández
David Folgado
Rafael Grande
Guillermo Hilla
Erick Kuhn
Julio de Moreta
Javier del Nido
Shula Pickles
Luke Robbins
Eduardo Romero
Montserrat Sans
Bernardo Augusto Santos
Paul Scullard
Susan Williams

Editorial

Taking On 2023 with Optimism

“We’re working for the energy transition and to be able to handle the changes ahead”

We were all expecting 2022 to be a year of transition between overcoming COVID-19 and getting our daily lives back. But, once again, it was nothing further from the reality.

Throughout the year we’ve experienced rising inflation which began with the increase in energy prices and was exacerbated by the war in Ukraine which spread to food and fertilizers.

The consequences were devastating for the present and future economy. The continued increase in prices, which had already begun in 2021, turned what was thought to be transitory inflation into something that stuck around.

After these events, the Central Banks decided to suddenly raise interest rates. And that’s where we’re at today. In any case, Spain is now much better prepared than in 2008. Companies and individuals are in less debt and they also have more savings in general. 

In addition, there is no overpowering cyclic sector,

as was the case of construction back then.

The year 2022 ended with 5.7% inflation which is well below what was seen in summer. If things continue like this, there will clearly be pressure to moderate interest rates. They may possibly begin dropping towards the end of the year.

In any case, Spain is now much better prepared than in 2008. Companies and individuals are in less debt and they also have more savings in general. In addition, there is no overpowering cyclic sector, as was the case of construction back then.

On the contrary, unemployment figures remain stable and, for the time being, consumption has followed a good trend.

This has been seen in product deliveries from our facilities and in the recovery of the aviation sector. However, certain consumer decisions are worth highlighting.  

For example, car sales have dropped by 5.4% in comparison

to the prior year to slightly surpass 814,396.

It is very far from the more than 1.2 million new registrations in 2019. Only 31,000 pure electric cars were sold, accounting for 3.8% of the total. This is because of the price as, even with the subsidies offered, the characteristics do not make them very competitive yet when compared with internal combustion cars.

On the other hand, the sale of hybrid vehicles has significantly increased both for conventional ones and, to a lesser extent, plug-in ones.

I’m optimistic about 2023 because the Exolum team is working quite actively to be prepared for the energy transition in order to handle the changes ahead with the expectation of rolling out the most ambitious investment plan in nearly two decades.

What’s more, tourism should pick up once again now that all the restrictions are far behind and we’re recovering our mobility.

David Folgado

Chief Financial Officer

About us​

WE MOVE ON​

Moving Forward with Our Green Hidrogenares Project

We’ll be inaugurating our hydrogen refuelling station for mobility in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid very soon. Green Hidrogenares is one of our most ambitious, pioneering and sustainable projects and we’d like to share all the progress with everyone.  It’ll be up and running in no time!

Green Hidrogenares will be the first green hydrogen production and delivery plant for mobility in the Region of Madrid, and we’re going to invest nearly two million euros in it. It’s located on land adjacent to our San Fernando de Henares-Torrejón de Ardoz facilities, and will generate hydrogen from solar energy to fuel vehicles.

Eduardo Romero

Project Developer, Engineering and
Construction de Exolum

“The energy obtained and consumed throughout the process generates a minimal amount of carbon and that’s why it’s considered a green and sustainable energy model”

In the beginning, it is expected to produce some 40 tonnes of green hydrogen a year meaning any company or user interested in introducing this energy vector in their activities may do so.

Towards the Energy Transition

We’re proud of and committed to this sustainable project which has been developed by our innovation division Ventures, and falls within one of the cornerstones of our strategy: developing new lines of business which are aligned with the energy transition.

Eduardo Romero, Project Developer, Engineering and Construction at Exolum, is leading the Green Hidrogenares project. He says, “The civil engineering work is finishing up and the pipes and equipment are already being installed.” The inauguration of this project is just around the corner and we’ll keep you updated.

“The model involves generating hydrogen from solar energy to be supplied to vehicles that move using fuel cell technology,” explains Eduardo Romero.

“This way, the energy obtained and consumed throughout the process generates a minimal amount of carbon and that’s why it’s considered a green and sustainable energy model,” he concludes.

Benefits for Everyone

Green Hidrogenares will benefit everyone, people and companies. Since it’s the first hydrogen refuelling station for mobility in the Region of Madrid, the objective is for “companies offering public transport services as well as private ones looking to reduce their carbon footprint, and even citizens in general, to be able to benefit from a cleaner environment by using zero emissions vehicles,” emphasizes Eduardo.

Our hydrogen refuelling station will be pioneering for another reason: it will be the first milestone in making green hydrogen available to the market for mobility purposes.

Thus, we’ll be meeting the goal set by the recent Green Hidrogenares alliance signed by Exolum and Fusion Fuel to develop a network that would enable mobility across the Iberian Peninsula with green hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Tracking solar panels

are mounted on the ground. Each panel has 120 modules, and each module is comprised of:

  • 2 electrolysers

  • 6 high concentration solar cells (CPV)

  • 6 Fresnel concentrator lenses

Buffer tanks

  • Low pressure (2 bar): 80 m(2 units)

  • Medium pressure (40 bar): 30 m3
    (1 unit)

  • High pressure
    (485 bar): 9,12 m3 (bottle rack)

Fusion Fuel - A Pioneering Technological Partner

For this project we are by no means alone. Our technological partner is Fusion Fuel. We will use generation with solar concentration and mini PEM electrolysers owned by our partner as our green hydrogen production technology. This technology will lead to a significant decrease in production costs. 

WHO WE ARE

Creating a More Sustainable and Competitive Company Together

Our CEO, Jorge Lanza, has begun the year with two live meetings to share his thoughts on our 2022 results as well as our plans for the future.

In order to take a look back at 2022, we organized an Exolum Talks meeting with Jorge Lanza at our headquarters in Madrid, the first to be held face-to-face since the pandemic.  It was broadcast live to the entire Spain Region. In NWE, the meeting was part of the first All Colleague Call of the year along with NWE Lead, Nacho Casajús. What follow are all the details.

Safety and The Environment

Our main value is safety, a vector where, as Jorge pointed out, “we’ve met our personal safety goals”.

As concerns cybersecurity, he took advantage of the opportunity to call for individual responsibility as a way to avoid isolated errors by people that could lead to a cyberattack against the company. With regard to the environment, he emphasized our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and on the goal of becoming a zero emissions company by 2040.  “In this area, we have several solar plant construction projects underway aimed at energy self-generation such as the one inaugurated in Mora (Toledo),” he said.

Strategic Plan

Part of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the main pillars in which we are immersed in an effort to guarantee our company’s sustainability and competitiveness:

  • Improving our existing business.
  • Diversification.
  • 100% responsible operations.
  • People.

Priorities for 2023

In short, our priority this year will be remaining on the same path, focusing on these pillars of growth, and achieving a positive year much like 2022, which Jorge ranked considerably high.  “We’ve made progress in all areas and it has been thanks to the work of many teams. I would like to thank you because we have done this all together,” he stated.

Good Results

The world recovery in the aviation sector and the increase in the demand for automotive fuel have worked in our favour. As Jorge mentioned, “We’re at levels that are very similar to the preCOVID-19 era and even above that in the area of oil pipelines in Spain, with the levels also recovering in NWE.” To this end, he underlined the excellent sales work done to renew and sign new contracts. All of this has allowed us to record 532 million euros in EBITDA in 2022, which is 13% more than in 2021.

The Seal Sands Terminal Reinforces Energy Security in the United Kingdom

We’ve signed a strategic agreement to store 120,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the Seal Sands terminal which will be distributed in the Teesside area starting in October 2023.

We are enhancing fuel security for companies and homes in northern England and Scotland thanks to a strategic agreement signed recently with Flogas Britain and North Sea Midstream Partners Limited (NSMP).

As a result of this agreement, our Seal Sands terminal will store up to 120,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which will be distributed within the Teesside area starting in October 2023. NSMP will be responsible for transporting the LPG to our plant and Flogas will then distribute it among its customers.

Once completed, the Seal Sands project will increase available supply for LPG as well as providing opportunities for future delivery of renewable fuels, thus enhancing energy security for customers not connected to the UK’s power grid.

Our NWE Commercial Director, Luke Robbins, highlighted the following: “We’re absolutely pleased to be collaborating with Flogas and NSMP to bring such an important project to life in the Teesside area. This investment in our Seal Sands terminal is further proof of Exolum’s commitment to our customers’ needs and new energies.”

We are delighted to be collaborating with Flogas and NSMP to develop such an important project for the Teeside area. This investment in our Seal Sands terminal is further proof of Exolum’s commitment to improving energy resilience and enabling the needs of our customers

Luke Robbins

NWE Commercial Director

We’ve Sold Our Share in the Omani Company OQL

We’ve reached an agreement to sell the 40% stake we had in OQL to OQ, the main energy company in Oman.

Exolum and OQ have maintained a joint venture OQL (OQ Logistics LLC) since 2014, which has already fulfilled its purpose. The goal was to design, build and operate the pipeline between the capital of Oman, Muscat, and the city of Sohar as well as the Al Jifnain storage terminal.

Now that the project which took us to the country has been successfully completed, this de-investment will allow us to make progress on projects associated with our energy transition.

Annual Meetings to Face the Future Together

 

 

The Spain Region and North West Europe managers met for annual meetings to have a look at the present and, above all, the future of Exolum.

 

Forum 2022: Planet Exolum

All Aboard for the NWE Managers Conference!

We’re a pluralistic, united and aligned company. Our cultural differences make us stronger. This became quite clear on 27th and 28th October upon holding our Forum 2022 under the slogan ‘Planet Exolum’ in Avila with our Spain Region managers.

It was a meeting filled with good times, featuring the participation of the Chairwoman of Exolum, Rosa García; our CEO, Jorge Lanza; and our Spain Region Lead, Jorge Guillén, along with colleagues from Spain and, for the first time ever, people from the other countries where we’re present who shared their views and experiences.

And since we love travelling, the staging was a replication of Spain’s famous television travel and interview programme Planeta Calleja. Imitator Javier Quero played the role of the programme’s host Jesús Calleja, taking us on a journey through the various countries where we operate. The power of diversity makes us stronger! 

More than 90 managers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Holland and Spain got onboard together for three days to discuss what we want to be at Exolum. Under the slogan ‘All Aboard: Shape our Tomorrow’, we held the sixth edition of the NWE Managers Conference last November in Sopwell, Hertfordshire County (United Kingdom).

Our CEO, Jorge Lanza, and NWE Lead, Nacho Casajus, inaugurated the Managers Conference which also featured the participation of Steve Land, NWE Operations, HSSE and Technology Lead.  They also reflected upon our successes in 2022 such as our People Action Plan and progress in the area of safety.

Well-known British journalist Victoria Derbyshire moderated the debate on topics of interest to us such as the energy transition and our approach to diversity and inclusion. 

Thanks to everyone who made our Forum 2022 and NWE Managers Conference possible!

PARTICIPATING

Boosting Sustainable Mobility

Patricia Prieto, Green Hydrogen Manager, participated in the webinar ‘Hydrogen Refuelling Stations or Hydrogen Charging Stations: Pioneering Projects to Promote Hydrogen as a Fuel and the Driver of Sustainable Mobility’. During her presentation, she spoke about the ‘Hydrogenares’ construction project, which is our first hydrogen refuelling station for mobility and the first that will dispense green hydrogen in the Region of Madrid.

Rosa García Defends Diversification for a Sustainable Future

Our Chairwoman, Rosa García, participated in the meeting ‘Diversification Strategies for a Sustainable and Decarbonized Future’, organized in Cartagena (Murcia) by the Spanish Directors Association (AED) and Círculo de Economía (a Spanish private business entity which meets to discuss the economy, publishes related work and organizes conferences). The Chairwoman of Exolum explained that “we’re adding and adapting our logistics at Exolum to sustainable fuels, and we’re sure that the development of new energy vectors, such as green hydrogen, will be essential to the decarbonization of the economy.” 

6th Trends Conference on Remuneration and Compensation in 2023

APD, Peoplematters and VidaCaixa organized the 6th Trends Conference on Remuneration and Compensation in 2023. Experts in people development –including Cristina Jaraba, Global People Lead– discussed the main aspects related to new trends in remuneration policies. 

Networks in the Energy Transition

‘The Role of Networks in the Energy Transition’ was the title of the conference organized by the Spanish Energy Club, sponsored by Naturgy.  Exolum played an active role through the participation of Jorge Guillén, Spain Region Lead, who explained that infrastructures “must continue guaranteeing supply security in the future in which eco-fuels will have a positive impact from a social and ecological perspective”.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence

We joined the 5th International Conference on AI in Alicante which gathered the people who are leading the changes in the world–the scientific community, companies and government administrations–to analyse, debate and share the main challenges and opportunities arising. The event featured Julio de Moreta, COE-Digital Strategy, who presented the growing importance of data and algorithms for our company.

OUR EXPERT​

The ‘Low Code’ Revolution

GETTING AROUND THE BARRIERS TO DIGITALIZATION IN THE OIL & GAS SECTOR

By Julio de Moreta, CDO and Global Digital Strategy Lead.

Would you like to know the secrets to the ‘Low Code’ revolution and how we’ve got here? This technology is a step forward to becoming more effective… and it’s available to everyone!  Our expert tells you about the long road that’s been taken to banish all those mountains of paper from our tables.  

The Oil & Gas industrial sector has traditionally been quite bureaucratic in everything related to designing and building infrastructures. At the beginning of this century, the use of computers was already rather extensive throughout the field of engineering yet it was commonplace to continue to see procurement specifications, standards, drawings and calculations for all sorts of projects accumulating on paper on engineers’ desks awaiting reviews and approvals.

It wasn’t until just over a decade that this entire process became digitalized and people stopped using paper. Cloud-based project management platforms began popping up and the immense quantity of documentation generated for any project worth tens or hundreds of millions of euros in investment started being managed in the cloud.

But was progress truly made in terms of efficiency?

Digitalizing a process is a necessary condition to making it more efficient.  Yet that’s not enough. With the gradual use of these platforms, many people realized that the time it took to manage documentation wasn’t much different than when it was done by someone in the traditional way. This can be partly explained by the bureaucracy still remaining as well as all the email signatures and approval flows, but also because these systems were extremely rigid and did not allow any ‘shortcuts’: simply entering data in a platform could become a nightmare for any user when such task was recurrent.

So what could be done?

Not much really. In general, these types of cloud platform implementations have always been turnkey business projects which besides being extremely costly, offered very little room for improvement once finalized without additional heavy investment.

In spite of all this, users have always had options for innovation, channelling good ideas and trying to be pragmatic.

One free tool that came about in 2003 which could be considered in some way the precursor to today’s RPAs*, was AutoHotkey. It was a script language that could automate tasks in Windows and even develop robots to browse the Internet. Although it’s true that this tool was quite rudimentary and required programming knowledge, it opened up a magical world of opportunities once under control.

Not very much time had passed when business users found the way to use this technology to develop ‘winches’, as many IT geeks would commonly call all the ‘homemade’ task automation developments at the time. Among other things, they were used to exploit synergies with these new cloud platforms and in some way helped get around the limitations.

The time that could be freed up with this primitive robotics technology helped gain agility, empowering business to develop simple bits of code that would impact other processes, making them more efficient and saving hundreds of hours of review by specialists from other fields, especially in IT.

The ‘Low Code’ revolution helps optimize the time and resources needed to create functional solutions

Why weren’t they used more at the time?

The main barrier was a cultural one. It was a time when the Lean movement was becoming a norm in technological consulting, yet it was still quite foreign to industry, construction and engineering. Perhaps that’s why resistance to change, a fear of innovation and, above all, a fear of getting it wrong were all the order of the day.

On the other hand, it would seem unquestionable and logical that any person who felt a benefit from such automation either directly or indirectly would disseminate and spread such knowledge.  However, the reality was that did not occur because the perception of the use of these technologies was of extreme difficulty, at least it appeared that way.

Has that perception changed over the years?

Absolutely! We’ve witnessed a democratization of technology in the last decade which has not only brought evolutions at dizzying speeds but is also helping people overcome all types of obstacles in terms of accessibility, work methods and a lack of time to get training and experiment. This progress has limited the excuses not to use technology to a minimum.

And there’s one that’s specifically relevant to this story. I’m referring to the ‘Low Code’ revolution, which can help you significantly optimize the time and resources needed to create functional solutions. This is because there are extremely intuitive platforms and tools out there with which you can build user interfaces, develop robots, integrate artificial intelligence, connect databases and create business logic almost effortlessly.

It’s never been so easy to develop a “winch” as it is now! And the best thing about it is that it’s technology that’s available to any Exolum employee through the Power Platform. Have you not yet become familiar with it? 

* RPA: Robotic Process Automation. A term that refers to the use of software robots to reduce the need for human intervention when using computerized solutions.

If you’d like to find out more, check out the webinar on “Low Code” technology on the Exolum channel

What excites us

EXOLUM-LIVE

A Day at the Airport

Our company has been providing logistics services and into-plane fuelling services in the aviation sector for forty years now.  Would you like to know what the daily work is like at an airport? Three colleagues from Ecuador, Ireland and Spain tell us about their experience on the runway.

Bernardo Augusto Santos
Guayaquil

“One of the most demanding parts of this job is guaranteeing people’s
safety and health”

 

 

 

 

 

Diego Abajo
Dublín

“The biggest thing about airport work is the need for a whole lot of flexibility and agility”

“Monotony is aviation is prohibited. Everything poses a different challenge,” says Montserrat Sans, Head of the airport facility in Barcelona (Spain). This view is shared by Diego Abajo, Terminal Manager at the airport facility in Dublin (Ireland), and Bernardo Augusto Santos, Head of the airport facility in Guayaquil (Ecuador). For Diego, “the most attractive part of working at an airport is that no two days are alike,” while Bernardo emphasizes that these facilities “are whole worlds with different cultures, customs, needs and situations”.

These three colleagues tell us what their day-to-day work is like. From Dublin, Diego Abajo explains, “Managing an airport is based on receiving, storing and sending fuel to into-plane fuelling agents either through loading islands or a hydrant to the platform, all while complying with very high quality and safety standards.” Diego underlines that this operation requires a close relationship with stakeholders such as the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), oil companies and agents responsible for priority technology initiatives.  “This is vital to all operations at the airport being completed on time and so the fuel supplied to the aircraft is of the utmost quality, allowing flights to operate safely.”

For Montserrat Sans, a normal day at the airport begins with a mandatory visit to the control room to see what the fuel stock status is and how the daily fuel bleedings have gone. “In aviation, the fuel quality is essential,” she says. At the office, the work for the day must be organized: work permits need to be signed, the day before must be reviewed as well as any possible incidents… “There are also monitoring meetings with the airports in your area or those in other areas to share all the work and improvements, or meetings with work groups.” 

Among many other tasks, Montserrat tries to head out to the runway at least once a week to see how refuelling is going.  “In the end, it’s our main line of business. And we must ensure quality and safety,” she concludes.

Bernardo Santos mentions performing very different and varied activities. They include everything from inspecting fuelling equipment and controlling inventories to holding meetings with the airlines and conducting quality control audits. In addition, there are “payment approvals, meetings with his work team and direct and constant communication with the parent company in Spain”.

The Most Demanding Part of the Job

There’s always something that requires more attention. For Bernardo, one of the greatest demands is “guaranteeing people’s health and safety”.  “Our Safety Foundations talks have allowed us to prevent accidents,” he says.

Diego highlights the deadlines.  “Problems arise in our day-to-day, incidents that need to be solved in an agile manner in order to continue supplying the aircraft operating at the airport.” For Montserrat, the most demanding part are the people and “trying to find the way for all of them to be happy”.

For our three colleagues, working at an airport is really quite special. Bernardo defines the experience as “fascinating and entertaining as you learn new things every single day”.

Montserrat emphasizes that “you can’t let your guard down”.  “You always have to give your best. But what’s most gratifying is hearing how happy our customers are with our work,” she adds. And Diego underlines that beyond the routine tasks, what really characterizes work at an airport is “the need for a whole lot of flexibility and agility to solve problems”.

The Value of a Team

All three coincide in emphasizing the quality of their teams. In Dublin, Diego mentions “the good general atmosphere and cooperation”. For Bernardo, “it’s a committed team as well as diverse and inclusive”. And Montserrat further observes, “I’m fortunate to work with a team that identifies wholeheartedly with the company and does everything possible to always provide the best service.”

For our three colleagues, working at an airport is really quite special. They all say no two days are alike and you can never let your guard down

Montserrat Sans
Barcelona

“What’s most gratifying is hearing how happy our customers are with our work”

MEETING...​

“In my team, we’re all intelligent, strong women”

When Karin joined Exolum, she wondered what the tank storage business really was. Ten years later, she’s taking on new responsibilities and focusing on creating teams and continuing with her work on integration. Alive and full of energy, what she likes the most about this company are the people.

KARIN DECKER

PA to Directors. Mannheim (Germany).

How did you begin at Exolum and what made you decide to join the company?

I came here in February 2013 the old way: I found an advert for a job in our local newspaper. I needed a job, so I applied. When I met some of the people, I knew I wanted to join them!

What has your journey been like?

Jokingly, I always say I began working for three different companies (Simon Storage, Inter Terminals and Exolum) without changing jobs. But all jokes aside, it’s been a rather unusual journey for me. I’d never worked for an industrial company before, and the tank storage business is quite special. The first two weeks I wondered what exactly we did and what all the technical meetings and discussions were about.

What has your experience been over the years?

The company has changed a lot: it’s gone from a mid-sized German company, which was rather traditional, to a global corporation. This transformation is important and has to be managed, but it’s not always easy. As with many companies, we’ve had to deal with a personnel shortage meaning our work sometimes essentially involved a day-to-day ‘struggle to survive’. To sum it all up, there have been some ups and downs yet I’ve enjoyed most of it and I hope to continue doing so.

What do you do and what do you like the most?

My work is basically everything you can imagine that has to do with office management, administration and organization in addition to supporting our Managing Director as the Executive Assistant. Right now, I’m very much focused on creating teams and continuing with my work on integration. What I like the most is easy: the people! Plus, no two days are alike and that’s really wonderful.

What is your greatest success at Exolum?

Attending the Exolum Manager’s Academy in 2022. It was an incredible experience and I had the privilege of sharing it with many talented, inspiring and motivating people.

What are some of the challenges you face in your daily work?

Without hesitation, I’d say hiring. That’s why I’m so thrilled that we recently welcomed a new colleague in our team as it was a position we’d been trying to fill since last June. And we found the right person.

What is most important to you in the immediate future and what would you like to achieve further into the future?

I’ve just been named Team Leader Office Management and I’m excited about my new role and collaborating with my team, all of whom are intelligent, strong and diligent women. I’m hoping that, together, we can offer our business excellent support to keep on growing.

What are your hobbies and what do you do at the weekend?

I like singing, dancing, hiking, skiing, doing exercise, reading, travelling, meeting up with friends and having fun. My weekends depend on my mood.  I’m either partying or at home taking a warm bath and reading for hours.

As a fun fact, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An airline stewardess. But they rejected me because I wasn’t tall enough.

Karin Decker was born in Romania. She moved to Germany when she was 7 years old. It was a major cultural shock, but she adapted well. She grew up in a small city near Frankfurt. She went to university, but eventually left to get training as a secretary specializing in foreign languages. She has worked in this profession for more than 25 years. She feels accomplished in that she speaks five languages: German, English, French, Spanish and Italian. And she’s also the “proud and thankful” mother of a 21-year-old daughter.

A FEW INTERESTING FACTS

A place:
It’s impossible to choose just one. There are too many incredible places in the world and I’ve still not seen them all.

A food:
Pasta, salad and vegetarian dishes. Zero seafood. Wine doesn’t really count as food, does it?

A song:
None in particular, I simply love music. It doesn’t really matter if it’s heavy metal or opera or whatever, it just has to speak to me.

A film:
French Kiss, with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. Romantic comedies are my weakness.

TransformACTION

GROW

Congratulations to Shula Pickles, ‘Best of the Best’!

Our colleague Shula Pickles, from the Immingham West terminal in Great Britain has been recognized with the ‘Best of the Best’ award. Shula is a true example of our One Exolum culture.

At Exolum, we’re an exceptional team full of amazing professionals ready to help and collaborate with anything that’s needed. And since we like acknowledging a job well done and the people who make an effort every single day to create a good work atmosphere, the Champions Award is handed out monthly in North West Europe.

Every month, our own people within the company nominate their candidates with a winner chosen from among the names received.  The winner receives economic compensation. To top it all off, one of the monthly winners receives the ‘Best of the Best’ prize at the end of the year.

This year, the winner was Shula Pickles

Accounts Payable Assistant at Immingham West, in Great Britain.

Shula represents our One Exolum culture and constantly reflects our values of trust, innovation and leadership in her daily work at the Immingham terminal. Not only has she demonstrated her dedication to Exolum, but also her leadership and commitment when training new members who periodically join the team.

We’d like to congratulate her and extend our recognition to all the winners in 2022! 

Keep up your commitment and motivation!

Our One Exolum Awards Now in the Spain Region

We recently started the One Exolum awards in the Spain Region with the same aims as the Champion Award: to recognize the colleagues who best represent our values (Safety, Leadership, Innovation and Trust) and go that extra mile with their day-to-day attitudes to promote them. The One Exolum awards will be given out every three months and, just like with the Champions Award, the winners will be chosen from among the candidates proposed by the people within the company. At the end of the year, we’ll also give out an annual prize to one of the four quarterly winners.

We Continue to Modernize with One +

No matter which country you’re in: at Exolum, we’re diverse yet one.  And we work in a common way thanks to the ONE programme. Now, we’re taking another step to keep on improving with ONE+.  Find out about all the details!

A few years ago we started ONE, an ambitious programme to modernize and unify our main processes and systems. This technological revolution is allowing all Exolum sites, irrespective of the country in which they are located, to work in a common way.

With the efforts and commitment of the entire Exolum team, we’ve implemented ONE in Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Holland. Among other actions, we’ve implemented SAP as a corporate program and have made it so that a large number of processes in different areas such as Economics-Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, Operations and Maintenance, are now leaner, simpler and more efficient. 

Following this first phase, we’ve taken one step further and are now immersed in the evolution of ONE, which we’re calling ONE+, 

because we want to keep on improving and get it so that some of our processes are even more efficient and have the best technical support to make everyone’s day-to-day at the company easier.

Who makes all this possible?

To manage ONE+, we’ve created a transversal work team led by Guillermo Hilla, Portfolio Manager of Global Finance, comprised of representatives from all areas involved as well as IT professionals with complementary profiles and broad knowledge of the flows of all processes. The team is made up by Dora Valdés and Raquel Moreno, Project Developers for Global Finance; Lourdes Abad, COE for Tax and Administration; Gonzalo Sánchez, Procurement Operations Analyst; Bárbara Pascual, Project Developer for Operations; Felipe Rodríguez and David Mateos, Project Developers for Global HSSE & Technology; in addition to Dee Saidu, Procurement Specialist.

With their different roles and points of view, not to mention exclusive dedication, all the members of the team will provide a global outlook for the project (organizational, processes, IT, data, reporting, training…) to prioritize the improvements identified and accelerate their implementation.

What has improved with ONE+?

Last year we started ONE+ and have already implemented 40 improvements including new functional features in the computing tools most often used, enhanced integration with all our systems and the automation of new tasks. Thus, we’ve streamlined a number of processes associated with supplier and order management, compliance with work orders as well as invoicing and payment procedures. With the help of a new work group, we have more than 30 new projects aimed at improvements either underway or in the planning stages. We’re extremely excited about this transversal work initiative and are convinced of the benefits it will bring all of us.

NETWORKING

Do You Know How to Fend Off Hackers?

How many calls, messages and emails do you get a day? Even if you stop to count them, it’ll likely be a mission impossible. The saturation this flood of interactions –professional and personal– causes can turn us into the perfect targets for cybercriminals.

Companies and ordinary citizens alike are all aware of the need for our digital devices to be protected with updated security systems to prevent and respond to possible cyberattacks (viruses, trojans, keyloggers, etc.). With devices that are better protected all the time, the target of all cybercrime is the weakest link—people, taking advantage of the fact we’re most vulnerable. The set of actions seeking to manipulate us and obtain confidential information is known as social engineering.

As pointed out by Javier del Nido, Lead COE for Cybersecurity, “computers and smartphones are now part of our daily lives and it’s essential to know the different types of cyberthreats that exist.

They include phishing, smishing and vishing, which are the three most common types of electronic fraud developed by social engineering.”

Following his advice, we give you the keys below to identifying them and keeping away from them.

Phishing - The Most Common Tactic

This method is used to send emails which redirect users –through a malicious link– to false bank websites, postal services or social networks. The hook is usually some type request for an immediate action such as updating account details or renewing a password, a payment or billing issue, a prize draw or information about package deliveries requesting confidential data.  “If you have any suspicions at all, the best thing is to report the emails and delete them without even opening them. Characteristic signs of these fraudulent emails can be spelling errors or the fact they’re sent from an erroneous domain, however they can also be from the addresses of known individuals or companies whose accounts have been compromised or their addresses forged” points out Paul Scullard, Head of IT.

Smishing - Careful with WhatsApp

This technique is an evolution of phishing adapted to instant messaging, mainly SMS and WhatsApp. Just like with phishing, the sender pretends to be a bank or other organization warning of a password theft or promotions needing urgent responses, for example. 

As Paul Scullard mentioned, it’s best to report and delete the messages requesting a call, asking for data or suggesting you download some type of file or application.

And here’s a bit of extra advice: Pay special attention to numbers that are suspicious due to their length or combinations.

Vishing - Suspicious Calls

After ‘catching’ data through phishing or smishing, sometimes there’s a second threat by phone which is done with the data obtained illegally beforehand. One very common vishing attack consists of receiving a call from a ‘Microsoft specialist’ indicating that he wants to help you fix a problem with your computer or even from your bank asking you to verify account or transaction details.

To avoid falling into one of these traps, never give out any information by phone and always hang up and check first through another channel who’s calling you before you do anything. There are lists in Google with spam numbers but bear in mind some callers can forge the number of another company, so be sure to check in another way such as calling the company back from a different phone via contact details on their website.

Javier del Nido

Lead COE Lead for Cybersecurity

“Phishing, smishing and vishing are the three most common types of electronic fraud”

Paul Scullard

Head of IT

“If you receive an email that is unexpected or looks suspicious the best thing is to report it and delete it. Don’t click on any links or open attachments and speak to IT immediately if you are unsure”

Careful! Pirates are Watching

To find out more about virtual scams, and coinciding with International Information Security Day, we launched an awareness campaign under the slogan ‘Careful! Your Mobile Phone Can Be A Gateway For Hackers’ through which we disseminated tips for detecting cyberattacks, encouraged everyone to participate in a fun question and answer game to test our knowledge of cybersecurity and organized a virtual informational chat led by Andrea Paredes, a consultant from Deloitte on cybersecurity awareness.

See the talk again on the Exolum Channel at the Contigo site.

TRENDS

“We spend more than 4 hours a day on activities of little value”

Do your workdays sometimes go up in smoke with all the interruptions, emails and non-stop meetings? Alberto Fernández’s specialty is helping people do more effective work. His consulting firm, Efectívitas, collaborates with Exolum. 

Alberto Fernández is one of those creative visionaries always seeking to grow professionally and personally.  This specialist in Internal Medicine reoriented his life and, towards the end of 2018, founded Efectívitas, a consulting firm that specializes in transforming the way we work and live so people, teams and organizations can use their talent, time and energy on becoming more effective, having a greater impact and enhancing their balance and wellbeing.

Efectívitas has studied the way thousands of employees work at leading companies. Is there a common problem?

Yes. We work in a ‘hyperconnected beehive’. Most people spend practically their entire workdays handling interruptions, emails and meetings. Collaborative work is essential, but it does reduce individual activity which we call ‘working in the zone’.

What is ‘working in the zone’?

It means working completely concentrated on a high-value activity, using our greatest and best capabilities to develop what can be transforming due to the impact. Interruptions, for example, make this kind of work impossible and it ends up being done sporadically or at extreme times.

How can effectiveness be improved?

It’s the result of multiplying each one’s talent by three dimensions: time, focus and energy. Learning to manage these three dimensions and focus on priorities is essential. We spend more than half of our workdays, a little over four hours a day, on activities of little value.

Can you give us an example of your techniques?

The most important things are related to using your calendar ‘intentionally’, getting control over your time, taking advantage of your ‘golden hour’, which is the first bit of the day when you have the best possible capacity for analysis, decision making and will, rediscovering work focused ‘on the zone’ and improving how you use your energy and break times. What matters most is converting these techniques into habits and that requires effort.

Does greater effectiveness help reduce stress?

Of course. Our methods help people regain control over their time and take charge of their schedules. This brings more peace of mind and equilibrium, and helps better balance timetables. 

Can you give us an example of how you apply your methods at Exolum?

We try to make people aware of the importance of working intentionally on their priorities, we teach them to organize their day-to-day activities, to focus meetings more on decision-making, and improve the use of email and Teams. This way people can work better individually and collectively, and contribute more value to their teams and to Exolum.

Reading and Meditation

An avid reader (he reads more than 50 books a year), Alberto Fernández has a morning routine that includes waking up early (5 a.m.), meditation-journaling, sports and a golden hour. He also holds yacht captain certification.

353 Emails a Week

One study by Efectívitas showed that people spend an average of 39 hours a week on answering emails, meetings and interruptions, and less than half (46%) of this time is considered to be of high value. This includes 93 interruptions, 12 meeting hours and 353 emails a week on average.

‘Xmart Work’: Less Effort, Higher Performance

To help us work more efficiently, we started Xmart Work, which is an initiative that falls under the Climate Survey action plan. The first step has to do with meetings and their effectiveness. From now on, they must be scheduled at least three days in advance with the agenda attached. Plus, no meetings may be held before 10 a.m. so people can dedicate the first part of their days on tasks requiring special concentration without being disturbed.

We need your commitment. So, don’t think twice… Begin Xmart Work!

Safety and health

Safety

Sharing Tips and Best Practices on Our Most Global Safety Day

‘Safety is no game’. This was the motto for our 2022 Safety Day, which was held for the first time online simultaneously and worldwide in all of the countries where we’re present.

Safety is our main company value and each year, we dedicate a whole day to talking about it and debating how it can be improved.

This year’s edition was led by Mavi de Lamor, Communication Manager. Following some opening words by Jesús Manso, HSSE Lead, and Alan Edwards, NWE HSSE Lead, our CEO, Jorge Lanza, asked us to pay attention in our day-to-day to avoid slipping and falling, which are the most common accidents at our facilities. Plus, he reminded us all that we handle sensitive products and urged us to reinforce all precautions and be very strict in complying with all rules and standards.

Afterwards, the signal was divided and there were two broadcasts.

In the Spain Region, we connected with the facilities in Gijón, San Roque, Panamá, Tarragona, Palma, León and Rota, where various colleagues shared lessons learnt and best practices.  Thanks so much all of you for your enthusiasm!

In NWE, Alan gave a presentation with tips and videos to keep on reinforcing safety at our company.

Jorge Guillén, in the Spain Region, and Nacho Casajús, in NWE, revealed the name of the facilities that won the Safety Challenge in their respective areas: Córdoba and Grays.  Congratulations to both for your knowledge of the Safety Foundations!

Meeting with the Dublin Firefighters Brigade

Our Dublin airport team participated in a safety event organized by the airport firefighters brigade in the Irish capital. They also did an emergency drill. The aim was to improve our actions and response times in situation of need and to be coordinated with the companies and services associated with our facilities.

Besides Exolum and the firefighters, in attendance were representatives of the DAA (Dublin Airport Authority), the airlines Aer Lingus and Ryanair, emergency crews such as those working for ambulance services and the airport police, Garda and other companies based at the airport.

New Drills to Reinforce Safety

In Andalusia, we participated in the macro drill ‘RespuestA22’, a major emergency exercise organized by the Regional Government of Andalusia. This activity was done simultaneously in eight Andalusian provinces. Our Seville and Algeciras facilities were two of the sites where safety and prevention exercises were done.  Find out about other drills!

Cavia: Working to Save the River

Personnel from the facilities in Santovenia, Ribabellosa and Burgos all collaborated in Cavia (Burgos) with contributions from Rafa Grande, territorial manager for the North. The hypothetical situation created was a break in the BIL-VA pipeline due to farming in the River Ausines area. Safety forces and units as well as other institutions participated.

Controlling a Leak on River Henares

Another river, Henares in Madrid, was the focus of this drill in which people from the Loeches, Poblete, Almodóvar, Alcázar and Mérida facilities participated. A leak was simulated in the LOBAS (Loeches-Torrejón Base) pipeline with a spill into the river. Three teams were organized to contain and collect the fuel.

A Pipeline Break in Navarre

The Outdoor Emergency Plan (PEE, as it is known in Spanish) was activated at the Navarre facility. This drill simulated a broken pipeline with the resulting fuel spill. Work was done assuming one or two injured people, a huge smoke column and a domino effect on deposits in the same basin.

Rota: Tank Repair

The exercise in Rota (Cádiz) featured the participation of Group 5 from Rota and 3 from Algeciras, as well as the H&S Coordinator for the repair work being done on tank 4, in addition to María Victoria Prieto, a 112 Emergency specialist who shared a guided tour of the facility with them prior to the drill.

WEllness

How to Achieve Your Goals for the Year... and Not Die Trying

Progress 2023: Have you already started taking action on your New Year’s resolutions? Here are a few tips to help turn those good intentions into specific plans to enhance your nutritional, physical and mental wellbeing.

A lack of realism is one of the causes of more than 80% of all New Year’s resolutions going down the drain before the first two months according to some studies. If you’ve let your guard down in winter, get up and going in spring.

Take a look at your resolutions and set goals for the short, medium and long-term. Note down little steps and make consistency your ally in three cornerstones of wellness: nutrition, physical activity and mental health. To check your progress, do self-assessments throughout the year.

Good Nutrition: The Foundation of Health

Plan your shopping and menus so your diet is balanced, varied and moderate. Nutritionist Francisco Grande Covián, who created a school of thought, firmly believed the secret to a good diet likes in eating a little of everything and not a lot of a little.

Andrea Calderón, a dietician-nutritionist with the Spanish Society of Dietary and Food Science (Sedca), reminds us in an informational video that we must be organized every day to eat a sufficient quantity of fruits and vegetables. Having two dishes of vegetables and two or three whole pieces of fruit a day is recommended. She also recommends prioritizing the consumption of virgin olive oil over lower quality or refined oils, and being careful of sugar intake levels. Some foods already have sugar in them.

“Don’t become obsessed with eating five meals even when you’re not hungry. What matters is distributing the nutrients and energy content so it’s adequate,” says Andrea Calderón

Physical Activity (Tips for the Sedentary)

Shakespeare once said, ‘Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners’. Cultivating will and consistency takes daily work. If you’re rather sedentary, doctor José María Neira, an expert in Physical Education Medicine, offers this advice in his book ‘The Dr Neira Method. Four Healthy Steps to Living More and Better’ (Grijalbo):

  • First tone your body, create a muscle structure: otherwise, you won’t be able to do any physical activity.
  • Take care of your joints. Manage the useful life of your cartilage well.
  • Do your favourite activity and supplement it with others so you don’t get bored.
  • Do sport outdoors in a fun and social way.

Complete a whole series of varied exercises throughout the week. Follow the principle of progression: step by step

Mental Health: The Path to a Happier Life

Emotional balance means knowing how to disconnect and finding moments of peace. Dedicate quality time to yourself and the people that matter to you. Psychiatrist and psychologist Fernando Sarráis, the author of ‘30 Tips for a Happy Life’ (Ediciones Palabra), warns that “we worry about having a perfect body yet forget about being mentally fit”. Observe these five bits of advice:

  1. We all need affection: learn to ask for it and accept it.
  2. Avoid comparing yourself with others.
  3. Problems are tasks to be solved, not dramatize.
  4. Develop a sense of humour.
  5. Work on mental flexibility. Adapt to change to avoid disappointment.

Involved​

de&i

‘Silver’ Talent, Golden Talent

At Exolum, we know one of the advantages of generational diversity within companies is the value of the experience offered by our seniors. Today, we listen to two of our colleagues.  Let’s bet on ‘silver’ talent!

Rafa Grande has been working at Exolum for 38 years.  “My goodness!  Time has just flown by!” he exclaims. This veteran highlights the benefits of different generations working together: “It arouses creativity and fosters innovation. And it’s more satisfying and productive.”

Erick Kuhn, who has been working in the aviation industry for 37 years, eleven of them at the Panama facilities and four at Exolum, also took some time to reflect upon the value of generational diversity. “Working with young people is a challenge, rather stimulating yet strenuous,” he says. And he’s decisive when he says, “I don’t think my 37 years of experience would mean anything if I didn’t pass it on to the next generation.”

 

This ‘silver’ generation talent has had to adapt to change. Besides resilience, our seniors offer incredible experience in their areas of specialization, are very much committed to the company and are good team managers. Added to this is the stability they provide given the lower turnover rates among that age group, their emotional wellbeing and human knowledge.

Rafa Grande thinks veterans transmit know-how “in a simple and natural way”. Erick Kuhn, on the other hand, emphasizes that “seniors contribute the capacity to prevent based on experience and knowledge of our industry”. He also adds the value of “thinking with a cool head in view of critical situations and those requiring tolerance”.

The road to diversity is a two-way one: they also learn from young people, who offer their teams a fresh look at things. Rafa Grande believes “they are quite anxious to learn, are flexible, up-to-date on the latest technologies and are thankful when people trust in them”. “Motivating and supporting our young people is our greatest reward,” says Erick.

This generational balance makes it possible to take advantage of “the push, agility and generosity of our young people all while benefitting from the moderation, experience and capacity to think demonstrated by seniors,” points out Rafa.

For both, the greatest rewards is fostering work as a diverse, multidisciplinary team. And if there’s one senior secret to achieving that balance, Erick says it’s: “Knowing how to verify things, but especially knowing how to delegate. And never seeing yourself as infallible or a know-it-all”.

Seniors vs. Juniors?

“Young people can benefit from the moderation, experience and capacity to think demonstrated by seniors”

Rafa Grande

“I don’t think my 37 years of experience would mean anything if I didn’t pass it on to the next generation

Erick Kuhn

‘CEO for Diversity’: Communicating Progress Better

Our CEO, Jorge Lanza, participated in the 2nd ‘CEO for Diversity’ luncheon, an initiative organized by the Adecco Foundation and the CEOE Foundation during which those attending discussed the keys to effective communication on diversity and inclusion.

‘CEO for Diversity’ is an alliance aimed at uniting the CEOs of the leading companies in Spain around a common and innovative vision for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

At our company, which is present in nine countries, we are already One Exolum and work each and every day to include different corporate experiences and cultures.

We know diversity makes us stronger.  The challenge now lies in fostering inclusion and listening to all points of view.

At Exolum, we know diversity makes us stronger; the challenge now lies in fostering inclusion

For Young Talent

As part of our commitment to future talent, we’ve joined the 2022-2023 Talent Development programme. Sandra Santamaría, from the Global Finance team, and Antonio Rodríguez Moraleda, from the Operations team, are a part of this initiative aimed at promoting the individual development of people with great potential. Moreover, our colleague Violeta Crisóstomo, from Global People, is participating as a programme coordinator.

FEEL GREEN

Our Future Hydrocarbon Recovery Plant at the Port of Algeciras

At Exolum we believe in a circular economy. That’s why we’re building a hydrocarbon recovery plant in the Bay of Algeciras (Andalusia) for the purpose of processing and treating MARPOL waste, which is a mix of seawater with hydrocarbons from ship bilge. Our goal is to minimize the environmental impact of these products in marine environments, and recover and recycle

these hydrocarbons so they may be re-introduced into the market as commercial products. Thus, we’d be closing a sustainable circle.

To carry out this project, which will involve an investment of 30 million euros and will be operative by 2025, we’ve constituted a company known as Garbium, which has reached a partnership agreement with the company Naviera Murueta.

Get to Know the Plant

These new facilities will spread across an area of 21,500 m2, and will have the capacity to treat 550,000 tonnes/year of products. The plant will create more than 50 jobs in the operations phase and 150

 indirect jobs during the construction phase.

The entry tanks that will receive the waste, containing 90% water and 10% hydrocarbon residue, will be built right on site.

There will also be settling tanks to separate the water and the end product tanks from which the recovered fuel will be delivered.

Furthermore, there will be a purification plant for the recovered water.

Purchasing Renewable Energy to Prevent the Emission of More Than 2,000 Tonnes of CO2

We’ve signed a new renewable energy purchase agreement that will prevent the emission of 2,079 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Through this agreement, which is set to last five years, we’ll be buying energy equivalent to 6% of our annual electricity consumption, which is the main source of our emissions.

Why This Is Important

The agreement includes all the guarantees for renewable sources, and is a step forward in our decarbonization strategy and achieving less uncertainty with respect to our energy bill at a time when the world is suffering great market stress.

Our goal is to gradually reduce our CO2 emissions to reach a 63% decrease by 2030 over our 2018 emissions and make Exolum a carbon-neutral company by 2040.

Alliance for Aerial Decarbonization

The Seville airport was the scene of a new step towards our commitment to sustainability. We joined an alliance for aerial decarbonization along with CEPSA, AENA, the Airlines Association and companies of the likes of Iberia Express, Air Europa and Vueling.

At Exolum we’ve highly committed to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), an area in which we are pioneers. We recently joined a new alliance for aerial decarbonization.  The presentation event was held at the Seville airport with the Regional Minister for Industrial and Energy Policy of Andalusia, Jorge Paradela, as well as the mayor of Seville, Antonio Muñoz, in attendance.

Our representative was Iván Saco, Commercial Aviation Lead at Exolum. “Betting on sustainable aviation fuel has an incredible impact on reducing emissions, and helps encourage innovation and development as it allows us to take advantage of existing infrastructure, including the fleet of planes,” he says.

Supplying 200 Flights with SAF

As proof of the repercussions of this alliance, 220 flights departed Seville with CEPSA SAF supplied by Exolum the week after the event, allowing them to cover 400,000 kilometres of the route taken by a medium-sized aircraft, which is the equivalent of ten trips around the world.

“Betting on sustainable aviation fuel has an incredible impact on reducing emissions”
Iván Saco, Commercial Aviation Lead

We Now Have Our First Hydrogen Vehicle

As part of our commitment to sustainability and clean energies, we’ve added a second-generation Toyota Mirai to our vehicle fleet, the first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) in history. Our CEO, Jorge Lanza, and Miguel Carsi, Chairman of Toyota Spain, participated in the delivery ceremony.

Collaborating with GREFA and Caring For Endangered Fauna

For many years now, Exolum has been collaborating with GREFA (a native fauna and habitat rehabilitation group) on initiatives related to caring for and the active conservation of endangered fauna. We help protect species such as eaglets and lesser kestrels.

Eaglets are protected throughout Spain; however mechanized harvesting ends the life of many of these birds as they net in dry croplands. Last year, Grefa took a census of the number of pairs in the municipalities of Sagra Madrileña-Toledana. Using GPS, their nests were located and GREFA was able to warn the landowners to prevent the death of their young by posting signs around their nests during harvest season.

Of the conservation measures used to recover lesser kestrel populations, there are two main strategies: installing artificial nests and fostering captivity breeding programmes to re-introduce or reinforce the populations in structures known as kestrel centres. Exolum funded the construction of the Arganda del Rey kestrel centre(Madrid), which has gone from housing two lesser kestrel pairs in 2016 to 10 pairs in 2022.

To spread awareness for the importance of conserving this species, we need to educate people.

Through our collaboration with GREFA, we organize educational visits each year to their live nature centre (Majadahonda) or to Villalar de los Comuneros (Valladolid) where, along with the local town council, they manage an interpretation centre which offers a walk through the nature, landscapes, culture and history of the region.

Photograph:
Saturnino Casasola and Ignacio Yúfera

Committed to Being Carbon-Neutral in 2040

Lowering our emissions is one of our main goals as established in our ESG Plan. And that’s why Exolum has set the target of becoming a carbon-neutral ‘Net Zero’ company by 2040.

In order to achieve this, we’re creating reduction plans that will evolve over time in so we can meet this target which has been approved by our Board.

We are currently engaged in all sorts of actions. They include replacing the traditional light fixtures at our facilities with other much more efficient ones with LED technology. We’re also replacing the diesel engines with electric engines in our pipeline pump units, thereby enhancing their performance while reducing our energy consumption and, therefore, reducing our CO2 emissions.

Other actions range from purchasing green energy through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), replacing diesel vehicles with alternative vehicles such as those which are green hydrogen or electric-powered, and using more sustainable fuels. We have also taken measures to reduce consumption in our fleet of ships and build photovoltaic plants for energy self-consumption at our facilities around the world.  We’ve making real progress in becoming more sustainable!

A Sustainability Prize at the Capital Radio Awards

We’re pleased to share the news that we received one of the Prizes for Excellence from Capital Radio (Business), along with AENA and the Airlines Association. Andrés Suárez, Global Strategy & Innovation Lead at Exolum, received this award on the company’s behalf which recognizes our joint efforts to drive sustainability in the aviation sector. Andrés thanked the panel for “the sensitivity shown towards sustainability in the aviation sector, one of the main drivers of economic and social progress”. Thanks to Capital Radio for this award!

FEEL Better

Committed to Action Against Hunger

More than 180 million people are at risk of extreme vulnerability throughout the world. Since we would like to be part of the solution, we’ve joined the ‘A No Hunger Christmas’ challenge, a charity initiative promoted by the NGO Action Against Hunger whose aid helps reach more than 25 million people in more than 50 countries, and which works on all areas of the hunger issue from access to water and food to access to healthcare and jobs.

Thanks to everyone’s commitment at Exolum, the donations received have allowed Action Against Hunger to provide nearly 1,000 dishes of hot food to people in vulnerable situations. This figure was doubled by our company to strengthen and spread awareness for our social commitment.

Immingham Supports the Feed the Community Food Bank

The team at our Immingham terminal in the United Kingdom donated 850 pounds in food to the local charity Feed the Community, a food bank in the town of Grimsby which serves the people most in need and which was set up at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Susan Williams, from Feed the Community, said, “There are no words that can truly express how thankful we are. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous donation, which has allowed us to feed children and adults without resources at Christmas, in addition to offering them some Christmas sweets.”

In all, the non-perishable foods received helped Feed the Community serve the local population through the end of February 2023.

Thanks for your solidarity!

A Committed Ecuador

Our colleagues at Exolum Aviación Ecuador actively participated in the Guayaquil blood donation campaign promoted by the Ministry of Public Health and the Red Cross. This initiative made it possible to increase the number of volunteer donors and spread awareness for the importance of donating blood to save lives.

And that’s not all. The people at the Guayaquil airport also organized a day for volunteers at the Engabo beach where they engaged in clean-up activities to mitigate environmental pollution and the impact on our ecosystems.

Plus, taking advantage of the Christmas holidays, our family in Ecuador visited La Palma de Samborondón to give out gifts to underprivileged children and adults.

Committed to Inclusion with the 2nd Charity Market

At Exolum, we are committed to inclusion as part of our company strategy. That’s why we work to fully integrate the disabled through collaboration agreements with various institutions that help young people with a disability feel included in education, society and the job market.

On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we wanted to do our own little part by organizing a charity market at our Madrid headquarters for the second year in a row. Also participating were the Prodis Foundation, Talismán Association and the APASCOVI Foundation, all of which are dedicated to reducing inequalities, building a more inclusive world and promoting the rights and wellbeing of people with disabilities.  By buying their products, mostly handmade by their own members, we once again showed our support for the essential work these foundations do.

Discover

DID YOU KNOW...?

As is already tradition, Oxford University takes advantage of the holiday season to announce the word of the year.

The term chosen for 2022 –the use of which will likely continue into 2023– is ‘Goblin mode’, a popular expression that alludes to “a lazy, slothful and egotistical behaviour for which the person engaging in it is not sorry”. For the first time ever, the choice was made by users from among three selected by the organization, the other two suggestions were metaverse and the tag ‘#IStandWith’.

IF YOU WERE AN ANIMAL, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BE?

Either because of their attitudes or the values they transmit or even our perception of them, there are some animals with which we can really identify. The idea of thinking about the vertebrate or invertebrate we are most similar to is no new thing, but the phenomenon of using it to strengthen one’s personal brand sure is.  In fact, such similes help others understand who we are and what we can offer.  We wouldn’t even be surprised to see someone putting it on their CV!

If you still have no idea which animal best represents you, here are a few suggestions:

EAGLE

You’re observant, thoughtful and pay attention to details.  You’re always looking for just the right time to decide and act.  Congratulations!  Your animal is the eagle!

CAT

Independent, organized, methodical, a real magnet with a marked personality and… always with sharp nails.  Is that you? Your animal is the cat.

DOLPHIN

If you’re an intelligent, curious, expressive person with the capacity to work in a team and adapt to change, your animal is the dolphin.

DOG

Are your loyal to those around you and your principles? Social, fun, protective, communicative… If you feel that’s you, then your animal is obviously a dog.

LION

You never fear leadership. You’re analytical and show great determination and courage. You’re bold and patient. All of that, along with your sense of justice, makes you a real lion.

IF YOU NEED MORE CONNEXION…​