logo

Share this issue of conneXion and promote the pleasure of reading

We want to hear you

comunicacion.interna@exolum.com

Which ‘safety foundation’ has the most impact on your day-to-day? #exolumEnRed

All content copyright © 2021 Exolum. All content is credited to their respective contributors. You may not use the material for commercial purposes or reuse the content in any form without permission.

IN THIS ISSUE​

PUBLISHED BY

Exolum

Management and coordination:

Mavi de Lamor
Carmen Arroyo

Consultancy, editing and design:

ATREVIA Publicaciones

In this issue we hear from:

Ana Benito
Félix Gómez
Jonathan Román
Luis Miguel Lara
María Soledad Gil
Tim Barrow
Tony Champness
Veronica Vinelli,
Víctor Montaño
Asociación FADAM
Campus Iberus
GREFA

Editorial

When We’re Together, Nothing is Impossible

“In order to fulfil our purpose we must be capable of thinking, acting and working as one united Exolum”

At Exolum, 2021 will go down in history as the year when we began building the company we want to be in the future. Changing our brand has meant much more than just a new image or logo; it’s been a real declaration of intentions as summarized in our purpose: To create innovative solutions to improve the world.

And in order to do this, we must be capable of thinking, acting and working as one united Exolum. This has led us to a significant cultural change and integration process aimed at doing things differently, becoming leaner, feeling as though we’re a fundamental part of the company and everyone, regardless of their country of operation, sharing the same spirit, goals and ambitions. All of us add value and this must be the spirit behind our cultural change. 

With my experience, I am well aware of the challenges involved with these changes. Yet I’ve algo got enormous trust in the benefits it’s already bringing us. The key is adaptation, flexibility and attitude, which must always be positive with confidence in the future. Also crucial are implication and motivation to take advantage of all the opportunities that arise in order to get as far as we wish. If we work as a team, everything will be easier.  When we’re united, nothing is impossible.

Although I haven’t been with the company long, I can see the strength in among Exolum and the resilience of its people. For me, it’s a source of pride to be in such a well-prepared team which is committed to the challenges ahead such as the energy transition, for example.

We’re aware of the size of the challenges, but we want and are betting on a sustainable future in which we’ll be able to offer society cleaner and more environmentally-friendly energies through innovation. Without leaving our traditional business behind, we’re already working on projects related to green hydrogen, the circular economy and biofuels, as you can read about in the pages of this magazine. It’s going to be a really exciting journey and no doubt completely worth it.

About us

we move on

A pioneer plant to promote green hydrogen

We’re going to build the first green hydrogen production plant in the Autonomous Region of Madrid.  It’s a project that will help improve the penetration of this segment in favour of sustainable mobility and the energy transition. 

At Exolum, we continue to create innovative solutions to improve the world. One of the latest projects aimed at turning our purpose into a reality is related to hydrogen, an area that is set to change the current energy paradigm. It’s entitled ‘Green Hydrogeneras’ and is a project that will lead us to creating the first green hydrogen production plant in the Autonomous Region of Madrid to boost sustainable mobility.

With this plant we will put the sun’s clean energy into its vehicles’ electric engines

The autonomously-managed plant will be located on grounds next to our San Fernando de Henares – Torrejón de Ardoz facility. The initial objective is to produce some 60 tonnes of green hydrogen a year which will be made available to the market so companies interested in this energy may use it for their activities.

The hydrogen produced will be completely green; in other words, generated by low-emissions renewable energies. This will be possible thanks to a breakthrough concept: HEVO technology from our partner Fusion Fuel. Moreover, it will be of the proper quality to be used by the fuel batteries installed on commercial vehicles that run on this energy. Thus, Exolum will be further electrifying its vehicle fleet all while reducing emissions by putting the sun’s clean energy into its vehicles’ electric engines. It’s another step towards a more sustainable future.

Looking Back at 2021

  • We launched Exolum, our new brand
  • Safety: our Personnel Safety index dropped slightly due to easily-avoidable missteps like slipping and tripping. However, backed by better integrity plans, 2021 was our best year ever in Process Safety.
  • Financial results: we were able to close the year above the budget with particularly noteworthy results in our new North West Europe (NWE) business.
  • Future: we approved our Growth Plan to diversify the company and guarantee its long-term sustainability.
  • Projects: we started up large-scale initiatives like Xpirit, ONE and the integration of NWE to be one united Exolum.
  • Environment: we reduced our carbon footprint which is already 49% lower than in 2018.

Innovation Boosts Our Aviation Business

The new into-plane fuelling and eFuelling project we’ve developed for aviation will allows us to be more competitive by increasing our efficiency and leanness.

Innovating is a challenge for us. We work to offer pioneering solutions that help improve the world and recently took one step further on this path. This step is our project related to into-plane fuelling and integration with the eFuelling platform developed by the Operations Aviation & Network team.

In all reality, we’ve actually created two solutions. The first involves standardizing all the digital and analogue signals on our refuelling units by converting them to BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology. The second includes the development of into-plane fuelling apps (we use to collect supply information) capable of covering our operations and even IATA standards and other services.

The end users of this project are our official suppliers and the personnel who handle into-plane fuelling operations meaning it has already been implemented at the Alicante, Bilbao and Madrid airports, yet we’re continuing to work in order to expand it to all other airports in Spain with new features.

The end users of this project are our official suppliers and the personnel who handle into-plane fuelling operations



Ana Benito

Portfolio Manager

“The result of the project is a technological evolution that will improve communications and information exchange, strengthening our efficiency and agility.”

Our Mora Facility Already Operating on Solar Energy

We’re quite proud to be able to tell you that our Mora plant (Toledo) is already being supplied with solar energy. In fact, the self-consumption photovoltaic facility we built on nearby land is already up and running. With this plant, we now have 100% renewable energy to supply nearly 30% of the total electricity consumed by the pumping system in addition to preventing the emission of some 835 tonnes of CO2 a year into the atmosphere.

This project is a part of our Energy Efficiency Plan with which we aim to become a ‘zero emissions’ company by 2050. 

NEWS BRIEFS

We’ve Joined Gasnam as a Sponsoring Partner

We continue to develop new strategies and alliances to help us foster the use of renewable energies. Thus, we’ve joined Gasnam, the sustainable transport association that includes the gas and hydrogen value chain in Spain and Portugal, as a sponsoring partner to continue promoting the production and use of carbon-neutral gases for mobility.

Recognition from JetBlue

Thanks to the fantastic work done by our colleagues in Guayaquil (Ecuador), the airline JetBlue recognized us as their best fuel supplier in the region in 2021.  Congratulations to everyone!

Committed to the Future of Aviation

Through Avikor, we’ve joined the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation, a United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation initiative aimed at promoting sustainability within the sector. This forum works to bring in new ideas and accelerate the application of innovative solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions even further.

A Visit from the Mayor of San Fernando de Henares

At the end of January, our San Fernando-Torrejón facility welcomed the mayor of San Fernando de Henares, Javier Corpa, and the City Councillor for Employment and Training, Personnel and Internal Affairs, José García. Both of them were able to find out more about our work at these facilities as well as our future projects, particularly our commitment to sustainability and digitalization.

We Sponsored Two Aviation Sector Congresses

We always want to be on the forefront of what’s happening in our business which means we absolutely couldn’t miss two of the major events in the aviation sector. One was the World Annual General Assembly & Exhibition, organized in Cancun (Mexico) by the Airports Council International (ACI) and its regional office in Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC), where we were also the ‘prime sponsor’. We were also present as a ‘platinum sponsor’ at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 83rd Aviation Fuel Forum held in Geneva.

About us

WHO WE ARE

NWE Forum

The First NWE Region Forum

For three days, managers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands met in Cheshire (England) to move forward with the integration process and continue working on the company’s future.

We were finally able to get together face-to-face again. Many of those in attendance had never even personally met each other. What better occasion to do so than the first regional North West Europe Forum which gathered our directors from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands to continue working on our shared project, Exolum.

Focused on the Future

Our CEO, Jorge Lanza, spoke about the demanding work ahead as we face the company’s next challenges while being focused on continued growth and adapting to the difficulties and opportunities that come with the energy transition.

Standardizing Our Activities

Steve Land, NWE Operations, HSSEQ & Technical Lead, emphasized the milestone involved with acquiring Inter Terminals and how both organizations’ experience is allowing us to add talent to the company.

Upcoming Challenges

Nacho Casajús, NWE Region Lead, went over some our goals for 2022 such as monitoring Safe Business as Usual activities, adequate progress with the integration process, the search for new business opportunities and talent management.

Integration is Closer Than Ever

The integration process was of course the main focus. Tony Champness, NWE Transition Lead, talked about this and presented the team involved as well as the projects they’re carrying out.

Cultural Development

To encourage a new corporate culture, Simon Thorpe, a collaborator who helped us manage our cultural transformation, offered insights into the process to be followed by the NWE management as part of its development throughout 2022 aimed at achieving a shared vision and culture for the entire NWE region.

Spain Forum

More than 150 people from the Spain Region gathered at the end of 2021 in Aranjuez for a new edition of the Exolum Forum, a meeting organized under the slogan Welcome home! to take a look back at our activities and define our future lines of work.

Presentation

Jorge Lanza and Jorge Guillén inaugurated Forum 2021, where we were finally able to meet up in person again following the pandemic! They participated in order to go over the changes the company has gone through over the last two years (a new brand and organization model) in addition to presenting our roadmap for the future which includes diversification, sustainability and the energy transition as the main cornerstones.

Aviation: Projects and Investments

Almudena Alcaraz, David Ramos and Raúl Casado, from Aviation, talked about how business opportunities rise and how they are handled. Among other topics of interest, they explained the services we offer at airports (fuel storage and into-plane fuelling) as well as how tender processes work in the sector. They mentioned that trust with customers is essential for successful projects.

Hydrogen and Renewable Gases

Félix Gómez introduced the lines and initiatives to be followed on our path towards decarbonization, the circular economy and industry 4.0. Afterwards, Patricia Prieto, Alejandra Martínez and Javier Galindo covered one of the major challenges related to the energy transition, sustainable mobility and green hydrogen and showcased some of the projects we’re involved with in this area such as WIN4H2.

Traditional Business: Doing The Same Differently

Gorka Penalva, Alejandro Buendía, Cristina Pérez, Natalia Fernández, Rubén Poncelas and David Ramos, from the Sales and Marketing Squad, spoke about projects, how to find business opportunities and how to shape them. They introduced the members of the team and new ways to work as reflected in projects like the joint venture with CEPSA or the photovoltaic energy project that is being developed in Huelva.

Embracing Change

Coach Marta Romo shared some tips on embracing change and managing emotions better. She also explained how they can cause negative feelings and why it’s important to regulate and boost such emotions. Becoming aware of one’s body, social side, movements and breathing are all aspects that can help consciously manage changes.

Circular Economy: Exolum Recycles Itself

Maria José Bartolomé and Javier Bonet focused their presentation on another of our new business lines: the circular economy. Both highlighted the importance of resources, materials and products being in the economy as long as possible so they have the least possible impact on the environment. Our projects Garbium and Cichlo are being carried out for this purpose.

Cybersecurity to Minimize Risks

Javier del Nido and Loida García discussed how cybersecurity is managed, the importance of user awareness and how to react to a cyberattack. Both of them shared tips and recommendations on protecting oneself against this risk such as contacting User Services with any suspicions, avoiding the use of removable memory devices and connections to external Wi-Fi networks as well as creating more secure passwords.

Digitalization: What Changes by Being Digital?

Gloria Zuil and Julio de Moreta talked about technology and the different digital strategies used at Exolum. They explained the differences between digitalization and the digital transformation, providing the keys for success with the latter.  They also covered the use of lean methods for work with live examples.

People: Working Differently

Ricardo Ribó, Rubén Pérez de la Red, Marta Casamayor and Pedro Moreno spoke about the benefits of leanness, prioritizing activities and the importance of resolving problems jointly and collaboratively in search of a common goal and exploring new alternatives and ways of working.

We’re Diverse

Claudia Bello, Zaloa Alonso and José Luis Cano went over how they understand diversity and how enriching heterogeneity is in teamwork and in society. As Claudia concluded, ‘No matter what kind, diversity makes us emotionally great’.

Up Close: Interview with Rosa García

The new Chairwoman of Exolum shared some of her most significant professional experiences as well as the importance of adapting and continuously learning. Rosa also explained her view of change management (business, cultural and personal) and the upcoming challenges we’ll be facing as a company.

Conclusions and Farewell

Jorge Lanza and Jorge Guillén brought the event to a close. After reviewing the most outstanding ideas, they congratulated all those in attendance, the presenters and, in general, everyone at the company for their commitment all while underlining the importance that each of us embrace the change and individually foster it in order to achieve great things together.

OUR EXPERT

The Hydrogen Dilemma

Inexhaustible and sustainable, hydrogen is expected to change the current energy paradigm. However, its scarce penetration as an energy sector is conditioning its development.  Are we ready to change this trend?

Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe. It is essentially found on our planet in water molecules and as part of hydrocarbons such as gas or oil. 

This means that, for any use requiring hydrogen as such, it needs to be “manufactured” from other molecules containing it.

At present, this element is already being considerably consumed and mostly in chemical processes. However, this hydrogen is obtained from hydrocarbonated raw materials (from oil) meaning it cannot be considered ‘green’ since there is no renewable source. Thus, the first opportunity for improving the environmental behaviour of these ‘chemical uses’ would be replacing what is known as grey hydrogen linked to emissions with something else that does not produce them at any time during its lifecycle (green).

A Vehicle for Energy

On the other hand, there is consensus as to the need for a change in the energy model by evolving towards a future model based on renewable energies as the primary energy resources. Unfortunately, the same thing happens with energy as with other resources in that it is usually available in different places and times than needed: so, all the energy must be stored and transported. Electricity is a good option for transporting energy as well as storing it. But nature has given us another way of doing so; in this case, in the form of chemical energy or hydrogen, to be precise.

Energy can be stored by synthesizing (‘manufacturing’) hydrogen molecules (H2). These are then stored and transported to the place and time needed. This means the energy they contain can be used by converting it to the most appropriate form for its intended use. The most common are thermal, through combustion processes (internal combustion engines) and electric, through electrochemical processes (fuel batteries). Thus, just like electricity, hydrogen is not an energy resource but rather a means for storing and transporting energy so society can use it where and whenever it is needed.

A Sustainable Segment of Scarce Penetration

As an energy sector, the hydrogen value chain meets the current demands for circularity and sustainability required by production systems. Using renewable energy and water as the raw material, H2 molecules containing energy are synthesized for storage and transport. The use of hydrogen for energy re-generates water which closes the cycle.

The main obstacle to green hydrogen penetration is the fact that the cost of its value chain is currently higher than that of those it is meant to replace meaning the demand is quite low. Thus, we’re facing a vicious circle (demand-availability) which until now has halted the development of the sector.

A Necessary Change

The areas of action that will largely make it possible to correct this trend and strengthen the sector will focus on the development of infrastructures that meet the demand for hydrogen for chemical uses yet replace grey hydrogen as well as others that will be able to supply the demand from leading users in mobility and logistics niches. Likewise, there must be a commitment to projects that enable the development of technologies for the entire value chain that lower costs and increase the confidence associated with such developments.

But the most important thing is undoubtedly support from government administrations with the injection of capital to attract private investment in this initial phase. This support must also lead to investments in end use equipment, essentially buses and lorries as the only way to develop the market. The government approach must be through a technology-neutral perspective with the establishment of goals that are as demanding as necessary yet which allow the achievement thereof through solutions involving all kinds of technology.

Exolum’s Bet on Green Hydrogen

At Exolum, our vision and vocation is to become a relevant agent in the hydrogen industry. Therefore, we’re developing initiatives aimed at different sectors and links in the value chain:

  • The Win4H2 Project, which will lead us to building a network of production and supply points along with Enagás and Naturgy which will enable mobility with hydrogen all over Spain as well as connections to bordering countries.
  • Studies on projects, either alone or with partners, to take hydrogen to the industrial sector and use it for chemical uses and energy.

  • The construction of a hydrogen production plant in the Henares Corridor to develop technology and a market with a breakthrough concept.

  • Projects to demonstrate alternative hydrogen generation and logistics technologies for liquid sectors, essentially Liquid Organic Hydrogen Transporters (LOHC).

  • Initiatives to evaluate, produce and distribute synthetic fuels that are carbon-neutral and use green hydrogen.
  •  

We’re developing initiatives aimed at different sectors and links in the value chain

What excites us

EXOLUM-LIVE

There is only one Exolum

The North West Europe (NWE) region brings together our activities in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. We have been working for months to fully integrate it into our corporate culture and make Exolum a single global company. From London, Tony Champness is in charge of leading the process.

What is your role as head of NWE's integration?

It is my job to make sure the people that are working on integration projects have everything they need to make the project a success. This involves eliminating the bottlenecks and securing the resources to carry out the planned tasks. I am also responsible for communicating to the NWE management team any progress, risks or problems we encounter.

What team do you work with?

There are three of us in the Integration Management Office. Badrul Islam, who is responsible for tracking 111 projects and reporting; Veronica Vinelli, who is in charge of controlling integration costs and capturing the savings and synergies associated with integration; and myself,  ensuring that we  focus the work in the right areas to make the best use of our time and effort. We are all involved in ensuring that the eight work teams involved are on track with their plans.

What areas are you focusing on moving forward with integration?

Our objectives are aligned with Exolum’s principles and values, i.e. efficiency derived from standard systems and processes, appropriate use of resources, acquisition of new competencies in the chemical field and preparation for the challenges arising from the energy transition.

Teamwork is key to successful integration

What objectives have been achieved by 2021?

The implementation of Safety Foundations, a standardized approach to the management of investment projects and the creation of a five-year investment program, the implementation of Velocity as a corporate incident reporting system, the restructuring of four levels of management and the recording of a synergy of 4.1 million pounds in 2021. 

And what are the challenges for 2022?

The goal will be to complete the remaining projects (such as Formula ONE) on schedule, help NWE operate in a stable, standard and centralized way, ensure the transition goes smoothly and take advantage of all possible savings and synergies.

How is the integration into Exolum going?

Challenging. Personally, I am learning about aspects of the business in which I had no experience, which I find rewarding. However, the changes we are making are affecting a lot of people and we have to take that into account. We could not have made so much progress without the support of the eight team leaders, project managers and frontline staff, who are instrumental in making the changes work. This teamwork is critical.

The challenges of doing integration in the Pandemia

As you can imagine, co-ordinating and progressing 111 projects during the last 18 months with the extra complication of the pandemic has been challenging.  The IMO would like to thank everyone involved in the Integration projects for there flexibility and adaptability and moving to different ways of working during this difficult time.

Formula ONE accelerates at NWE

The Formula ONE rollout project at NWE is picking up speed and is focusing on centralizing all employees of the Terminals group of companies into a single corporate tool in MyZone.

We are thus moving towards the unification of two fundamental platforms:

  • SAP Successfactors. The employee portal is being revamped to become a multifunctional tool that will allow, through the ‘MyZone’ section, to request social benefits, vacations or access payroll consultation, among other functionalities.
  • Concur.  This application will make it possible to manage business travel and related expenses. As it is integrated with the travel agency, it simplifies tasks such as booking accommodation and tickets or approving expenses.

Formula ONE is also oriented towards change management, offering training actions, webinars, multimedia material… Undoubtedly, a great help to continue growing as a company and as professionals.

Meeting...

María Soledad Gil. An Entire Lifetime at the Company

In 1971, at just 19 years of age and not really sure about what to do with her future, she decided to take the competitive exam to join Campsa. Last December, after 50 years of service and dedication to her administrative work, it was time to say goodbye to Exolum as the person who has been with the company for the longest.

What was it like when you started at Exolum?

I was young and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Someone in my family recommended I prepare for the competitive exam to get a job with what was then known as Campsa, so I left for Madrid to take the exam, I passed and joined the company as an administrative assistant. My first destination was Gerona, but I later asked for a transfer to my native town of Barbastro (Huesca) where the company had some offices. I finally came to Barcelona in 1976, where I worked at sites that no longer exist such as the lubricants plant and the sales agency before ending up at the storage terminal.

How has your work evolved?

A lot! There were no computers when I began and we had to do everything on typewriters and manual calculators. Technology gradually arrived and we had to adapt to new processes. My duties have always been related to suppliers and administrative procedures related to the business and customers but the working methods now have nothing to do with what we did in the past.

And how has the company changed?

It also has nothing to do with what it once was! And not just because of the name. It’s always been a great company, but it’s known how to modernize and adapt to the times. I do well with change and never had any problems getting out of my comfort zone to learn and evolve. In fact, I’ve really liked the challenge of changing with the company. I’ve also really enjoyed sharing the work with younger and younger people who I’ve learnt a lot from. And they’ve learnt from me because, as they say, experience is a whole other degree.

What memories come to your mind when you think about all this time?

I’d say 99.9% of what I’ve experienced over the years has been positive. I’ve never had any problems with my colleagues or superiors and I’ve always been quite content. What’s more, I’m very thankful to the company for everything it’s given me.  It’s always been like a family. I met my partner working in Barcelona and I think that’s the most important thing.

Would you change anything about your career?

No, I think I’d do it all over again. I never imagined I’d be here for so long, but the experience has been unbeatable in all ways.  It was perfect. People’s professional mentality is different now; they’re moved my other interests, but I’m really proud to have dedicated my entire professional life to Exolum. I think my mentality has a little to do with that as I’m from a rural area and people don’t think so much about retirement there. Work has allowed me to remain active and helped me feel alive.

“I’m very thankful to the company for everything it’s given me.  It’s always been like a family”

Time to continue enjoying life

After working for a half century, María Soledad is anxious about the life that awaits her. It’s all very positive though as she can now dedicate her time to the things she likes the most.  “I feel really alive and am really excited about doing things yet the fear of the coronavirus stops me a bit. I’ll take some time to get my ideas together and see what kind of options I have, but I want to continue educating myself and stay up to date on the new technologies, for example. I’ll also spend some time on myself and go to the gym more. Plus, I’m in love with Barcelona and hope to enjoy it a lot”.

TransformACTION

XPIRIT

The Cultural Change That Helps Us Grow

Xpirit and Hub Digital, Hub Digital and Xpirit, two initiatives that are pushing for a cultural change within our organization yet are actually the same but with two different areas of application: digitalization and organizational.

When you hear Hub Digital or Xpirit, you get the feeling they’re two different initiatives that share synergies. Hub Digital was launched in 2019 to modernize the company through digitalization and introduce lean methods. Xpirit arrived nearly a year later with our new brand to change the way in which we organize things, lead, prioritize and develop projects. They’re two initiatives which, in the end, converge on a single path with a single horizon: building a change-oriented company.

“Xpirit has brought what are known as ‘pools’, teams of people who are exclusively dedicated to project management and planning”

HUB Digital focuses on efficiency to get valid results as quickly as possible with the allocated resources. Flexibility in prioritizing goals and an organization based on autonomous and self-managed multi-disciplinary teams has been key to its success.

Thus, HUB Digital has demonstrated the impact of these new ways of working based on agility and has been a key lever in the launch of Xpirit.

Xpirit sets forth the cornerstones for the cultural change targeted at Exolum: teamwork, transversality, focus and efficiency. Likewise, the work model validated by HUB Digital has spread to the entire organization with organizational changes and the application of lean tools to projects and operational processes.

Dedicated teams

“HUB Digital introduced the role of product owner for each initiative developed. This person essentially ‘owns’ the project: they describe it, manage the costs, prioritize the tasks, look for technology partners, and act as a bridge between the development team and the business. Their main mission is for the initiative to have an impact on our profit and loss account,” explains Víctor Montaño, Portfolio Manager, who has been a product owner of several projects.  

“Xpirit, on the other hand, has brought what are known as ‘pools’, teams of people who are exclusively dedicated to project management and planning,” adds Project Developer Luis Miguel Lara.

There’s a ‘pool’ for every business area.  “This new mentality allows us to determine each person’s responsibilities which increases performance as they can dedicate all their time to the project assigned,” says Víctor Montaño. 

This is one of the paths we’re following at Exolum to grow and continue making the world better through innovative solutions.

The projects include the constant delivery of value and continuous reviews

From Theory to Practice

Here are two projects that have benefitted from this combination. Both are examples of how lean work at the company gets results.

Vehicle registration plate access control

The goal was to find an artificial intelligence-based solution to be able to use the same cameras installed at our facilities for access control which would also enhance security and enable better vehicle control. There are several sides to this initiative: the development of plant control systems, an application to manage access and the necessary technology to process vehicle registration plate information. 

Less false alarms at the Supervision and Surveillance Centre

This centre is responsible for ensuring the perimeter security of our facilities by centralizing all intrusion alarms that may go off. Nearly 180,000 false alarms are received every single month due to animals, rain or plants and resources had to be used to verify all of them. Again, artificial intelligence has allowed us to implement a model that analyses the cause of each alarm to reduce the ones we must actually consider by more than 50%.

Continuing Our ‘Te Interesa’ Talks

We want to continue sharing knowledge and expanding our ‘Xpirit’. As part of our habitual ‘Te interesa’ talks, we’ve had the opportunity to hear from two people who have told us a little more about lean methods.

What exactly does it mean to be ‘lean’? That question was answered by our COE-IT Architecture Lead, Rubén Pérez. “It’s a way to keep on improving and focus our work on what really matters in order to be more agile. It’s not a change; it’s an evolution,” he said.

As you all know, lean methods are key to Xpirit. One of them, SCRUM, was discussed by Gloria Zuil, an expert on the topic who got a little deeper into the philosophy and benefits.

 

Did you miss these talks? You can see them on the Exolum Channel on the Contigo Portal.

GROW

A new tank to modernise our Inverness facility

Our commitment to innovation drives us to keep improving all our operations and workplaces every day. We aim to be more efficient and productive, but also safer, always looking after and protecting people and the environment in which we operate.

The tank we have designed and built at our facility in Inverness (Scotland) undoubtedly responds to this philosophy. Named T-29, it has a tank capacity of 5,566 cubic metres, with an internal diameter of 22.5 metres and a height of 14 metres. It is a carbon steel surface model with a fixed roof for the storage of Jet-A1 Duty aviation fuel.

With this project, carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, we replaced two other semi-buried tanks 

 

that were located in the Exolum Inverness Oil Storage Depot. These tanks were over 70 years old and required extensive works to keep them in operation, which is one of the reasons as to why their removal was recommended.

This new tank will allow us to optimise activity at the Inverness depot, delivering a safer and more resilient service. In addition, the four million euros invested in the project have had a positive impact on the local business, as we utilised local contractors and suppliers for its development.

A tank full of advantages

  •  Extends storage and supply capacity from Inverness.

  •  Facilitates more efficient and regular maintenance tasks as it is above ground.

  • It has the latest safety mechanisms to guarantee its integrity, the quality of operations and the protection of the environment.

  • Brings greater resilience to the network ensuring greater security of supply to our customers.

NETWORKING

‘TED Talks’ - Listening for Progress

Picasso once said inspiration does exist, “but it has to find you when you’re working”. And that’s true.  However, it’s not always enough to just work.  Sometimes you need something more: motivation. What better way to find it than a good talk?

You may have heard about those famous ‘TED Talks’.  But what exactly are they? TED (an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a non-profit organization that has been gathering speakers from all over the world for more than 30 years to promote ‘ideas worth spreading’. It is with this goal in mind that they hold an annual congress and the aforementioned ‘TED Talks’ covering all sorts of topics from science and technology to culture and entertainment as well as politics, business and much more.

This revolutionary format has seen the likes of presenters such as the co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, scientific disseminator Stephen Hawking, singers Bono and Sting, and even Pope Francis.  But, you don’t have to be famous to participate.  You just need an idea that fosters change. Today, it’s a real reference for entrepreneurs looking to open their minds and hear other points of view.

TE is an organization that has been promoting ‘ideas worth spreading’ for over 30 years

The secret of their success

More than 3,700 free TED Talks can be found at the organization’s website: www.ted.com. They’re organized by topic so it’s easy to find one that interests you. The fact that they’re short –approximately 5 to 20 minutes– makes them entertaining and perfect for taking advantage of any downtime you may have. Plus, there are presentations in different languages (mainly English, Spanish and Portuguese, but also many others) and they feature
subtitles.  So, why not try one?

Here are five of the most popular talks to get started:

You can see these top 5 with subtitles in any of our four languages:Spanish, English, German and Dutch!

TRENDS

Committed to Cybersecurity

We continue working to enhance the security of our digital and IT environment, a task we must all get involved with in order for it to be a success.

There’s a cyberattack every 10 seconds and, of them, 95% are caused by human error. This explains why cybersecurity is one of the main risks for companies around the world. And Exolum is no exception.

Process automation, more complex IT systems, remote communications… Technology is becoming more and more important in our activities and boosting our improvements yet it also brings risks we must all protect ourselves against. Cyberattacks are becoming more and more elaborate and complex and have multiplied in view of companies’ digitalization and the pandemic.

Just as occurs with people’s health, the best cybersecurity insurance is prevention. Analysing vulnerabilities and reinforcing protocols and systems are a few basic concepts. Another is spreading awareness among people for the crucial role we play as the weakest link in the chain.

The best cybersecurity insurance is prevention

We must insist on one key message: cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility and we must all be fully involved in it. In order to make progress in this area, Exolum has implemented a few outstanding initiatives in recent months such as communication campaigns, specific training and activities for International Computer Security Day. It all adds up when the aim is to be more and more cybersecure.

The Exolum Cybersecurity Decalogue

1. Always logout on the computer when you finish working.

2. Use strong passwords with at least twelve characters and memorize them. Mix letters, numbers and punctuation marks.

3. Never install unofficial apps on your devices.

4. Don’t open suspicious pages; make sure they begin with https and/or have a security certificate.

5. Be careful with pop-up windows requesting bank data or updates. Don’t click on any unknown links.

6. Be aware of emails that may not be all that reliable. Pay attention to the sender, the wording, the language… And if it’s suspicious, use the ‘Report phishing’ button in Outlook.

7. Make sure you have backup copies of important files on OneDrive or SharePoint.

8. Notify User Services if you have any questions or have even the smallest suspicion of a cyberattack.

9. Be careful with your phone. Never trust requests for personal data and always check first with the official sender.

10. Open Wi-Fi networks may be unsafe and give cyber-delinquents access to your data.

Don’t fall for phishing

Cyber-delinquents are constantly coming up with strategies to obtain our personal data. One of the most common ways is ‘phishing’, a method through which they steal a third party’s identity in order to obtain sensitive information. To prevent our people from falling into such a trap, we started a campaign with tips and useful recommendations to help detect possible fraud.

Training Makes Us More Digital

We never get tired of learning at Exolum and we’ve created several very interesting technology-related webinars:

The Revolution of Smart Technologies

Smart Data expert Enrique Serrano talked to us about the latest trends in artificial intelligence. [Watch]

Data Analysis for Your Day-to-Day

Our colleagues Pablo Pérez and Víctor Montaño presented the most basic tools that may be needed when working with data and helped us manage them better. [Watch]

Data Science: A Passing Thing or The Reality?

The contribution by our data scientist, Lorenzo Chávez, helped us understand how data science has been perfect integrated into our daily lives.  [Watch]

The Low-Code/No-Code Revolution

In this session, we looked at what the future holds in terms of automation and lean application development where business divisions will have a starring role in the exploitation of the synergies between the two areas. [Watch]

Did you miss these webinars? You can see them on the Exolum Channel on the corporate site

Safety and health

Safety

May the ‘Safety Foundations’ Be With You

You’re already aware of our ‘safety foundations’, the eight basic of safety that help us protect people, our facilities and the environment in our activities. Now, you must always keep them with you in your day-to-day and disseminate them to make Exolum the safest possible company.  Can we count on you?

Why were these foundations created?

Safety is an obsession for all of us, so we’re constantly looking for ways to improve in this area. In 2019, as part of the  ‘Always Safely’ plan, we started doing an analysis to identify risky situations with a high potential for damage (which we must all know as SIF).

The groundwork study

The results of this study make it possible to focus on the necessary actions to minimize the risks associated with the activities detected, grouped into right different areas for action.

Colleagues

And thus arose our eight ‘safety foundations’, which account for the main safety indicators related to people and processes that we must comply with in the areas defined in order to keep all of them and the company, in general, safe.

Two teams, one goal

This initiative was the result of the work done by two teams in Spain and the United Kingdom who shared their knowledge and experiences to better understand the needs and then come up with the foundations, the scope of which is global for all of our facilities.

Integrating them into your day-to-day

Having finished all this work, it was time to disseminate them. To do so, we started a global communication campaign to create specific materials so people could become familiar with them and integrate them into their day-to-day. This project also lead to the creation of ‘Safety Day’ which is the day we celebrate safety at Exolum.

So, now what?

Safety is and will always be a strategic cornerstone for Exolum, meaning we will keep on promoting the ‘safety foundations’ and any other initiative that helps us continue to improve in this area. We’re all in the same boat.  Working together, we’ll be able to turn Exolum into the safest possible company.

Working together, we can make Exolum the safest possible Company

Great dissemination efforts to reach everyone

Ever since we defined the ‘safety foundations’, we’ve been engaged in immense communication efforts to present them and disseminate them among all of us who are a part of Exolum. We’ll keep on working to keep them present in our day-to-day but we need all of you to put them into practice and become leaders so everyone, whether they’re a part of the company or not, can hear about them.

5.5 talks

The ‘safety foundations’ have been the focus of the safety meetings we hold on the 5th of every month.

The corporate site

We’ve posted signs and added materials to this channel for every one of the eight ‘safety foundations’.

Videos

With short, educational videos, we continue to teach about these foundations and a prevention culture through them.

Jesús Manso

HSSE Lead

“All of us must keep the ‘Safety Foundations’ with us in our daily work as well as become familiar with the concepts of SIF and FVCC and actively help disseminate and teach them to all internal and external collaborators”.

Marta Fernández

COE HSSE

“The goal of this initiative is to protect lives. The ‘Safety Foundations’ are life-saving rules for everyone.  They don’t just apply to industrial plants; they apply to all of us. We must always keep them in mind as they help us identify the red lines we should never cross.”

WEllness

Connected Homes Beyond Alexa

Smart homes that automatically make your bed, cook, clean… that’s the future Ray Bradbury once imagined in his famous The Martian Chronicles. It has taken more than 70 years for the dream of a self-managed home to become something more than just science fiction.

Technology is with us when we’re working, studying and even in the car. So, why not allow it to make life easier at home too? The extraordinary development of home automation in recent years now allows us to control devices (household appliances, climate control systems, etc.) and even rely on greater security. And all of it can be controlled from a smartphone no matter where you are. It still doesn’t bring us breakfast in bed, but… who knows?

If you’re convinced, the first thing you need to do is check your Internet connection. Smartphone devices work via a Wi-Fi network, so we recommend contracting a high-speed plan that guarantees optimal functionality if you’re going to connect several devices. It’s also a good idea to have a virtual assistant so you don’t have to worry about opening and closing all the applications.  You’ll just need your voice. Google, Alexa, Siri and Cortana are some of the most popular household ‘brains’. Before choosing one, think about the operating system you use (Android or iOS) to make sure all your equipment is compatible.  So, do you have everything ready now? Here are some more things you can do.

Why not allow technology to make life easier at home too?

More Than Just a Trend

More convenience is the whole purpose behind ‘connecting’ a home. Here are three ideas for becoming connected and starting out in household automation:

Goodbye Switches:

Smart lightbulbs and shades now exist on the market which, when connected to a sensor, can activate when a person’s presence is detected. They are very easy to install and control… directly by voice! If you have any questions about how they work, there are all sorts of tutorials available on the Internet (or, if you’re a more traditional type, you can always ask a shop assistant). But, that’s not all.  Mobile devices can also be used to program the climate control system for each room which, when added to the foregoing, amounts to significant savings by the end of the month.

Convenience:

The home revolution began with the widespread use of household appliances. These devices have evolved so much that there are now refrigerators that warn you when you’re running out of certain foods, washing machines that can be programmed from a mobile device, ovens that predict the proper temperatures and times and even kitchen and cleaning robots! All of these appliances stand out due to their energy efficiency as well as their remote monitoring capabilities and ability to detect problems and communicate them before a breakdown.

More Peace of Mind:

The major telephony operators are aspiring to become the best partners for connected homes. Their strength lies in security and, among other services, they now offer video-surveillance so you can see what’s happening in your home at all times no matter where you are, for example. The advantage is the ‘turnkey’ nature of it all as you don’t have to worry about the installation or configuration. Plus, they often include other interesting smartphone packages.

Protected Digital Identity

The Internet de las Cosas (IoT) is a phenomenon that makes our lives easier yet there is a disadvantage: when connecting home systems to the Net, they are exposed to hacking. In order to prevent this, it’s important to isolate smart home networks from all others (so no one can access your emails or bank accounts), rely on powerful anti-virus and security software for smartphones (Android or iOS), use complicated passwords and always keep all equipment used updated. Just like with anything else, smart use of technology is fundamental.

Involved

de&i

A Commitment to Work-Life Balance

The circumstances surrounding the business may change and even the needs may change, but one thing remains permanent: Exolum’s impact with all of its professionals.  And these efforts have earned us renewed recognition from Másfamilia as a ‘B+ Proactive Company’.

We’re a company known for being dynamic and constantly evolving, but also for something more: a strong commitment to its people. Thus, one of our strategic principles is all about achieving a work-life balance.

Such is our commitment in this area that, once again this year, the Másfamilia Foundation has rated us as a ‘B+ Proactive Company’ to again recognize us as a family-friendly employer.

“EFR certification acknowledges all of our effort in human resources
since 2008”

We were granted the EFR seal for the first time in 2008 and ever since it has highlighted our work in the area of human resources which aligns us with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 5 ‘Gender Equality’, SDG 8 ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ and SDG 3 ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’.

But, let’s not allow this success go to our heads! The team under Fernando Pastor, BP-Global People Lead, which is responsible for adapting the work method defined by the EFR standard to the Xpirit organizational structure, will continue working along the same lines to improve every single day and meet the expectations of all those who are a part of this great big family. Because our commitment is and will always be with you.

EFR: Seeking Professional and Personal Balance

EFR certification recognizes organizations that engage in a management model based on work-life balance as well as flexibility and mutual respect and commitment. There are now more than 850 EFR entities throughout the world, a seal that boosts organizations’ corporate reputations with governments, the market, investors, the media and society at large.

ON THE CUTTING EDGE

A Voice for Awareness

We get involved in just causes. For example, we took advantage of International Day of Persons with Disabilities to hold an online talk during which volunteers and workers from the Prodis Foundation and El Arca Foundation told us about their experiences. Plus, along with Prodis and the Talismán Foundation, we organized a benefit market at the headquarters in Madrid to support their mission and work.

Along these same lines, we also wanted to show our support for World Breast Cancer Day. In relation to this issue, we offered a Te Interesa Talk with Dr Margarita Feyjóo, Head Oncologist at the La Moraleja Hospital (Madrid).

Positive Male Models

We celebrated International Men’s Day –a day that encourages positive male values and awareness of the social problems men and boys face– with some great news: the publication of an interview on the United Nations Global Compact website with a colleague whose commitment to gender diversity is steadfast: José Luis Conde, Operations Aviation & Network Lead, a real reference who continues working to empower women within our organization.
Don’t miss it!

 Read the interview

FEEL GREEN

Cooperation for Biodiversity

Continuing Action with GREFA for the Fauna
in the Environments Where We’re Present

We work to leave a mark on society but not on the environment. Well, maybe a bit of a positive mark. That’s the goal of the work we do alongside GREFA, the Native Wildlife and Habitat Rehabilitation Group, an organization we’ve been collaborating with since 2012.

We have engaged in many projects together over all this time, implementing a number of habitat conservation actions in different areas across Spain where we operate. 

The construction of a kestrel centre in Arganda del Rey (Madrid) to house colonies of young lesser kestrels, increasing the presence of rollers and Iberian eaglets in the Autonomous Region of Madrid and tagging black vultures in the Valle de Alcudia and Sierra Madrona Nature Park (Castilla La Mancha) are just a few examples.

This collaboration is part of our sustainability strategy which guides us to improve our environmental performance in order to make progress towards a more sustainable future.

Looking Back at 2021 Projects

The ‘Eaglet’ Campaign

  • Goal: To conserve this species (which is protected in Spain) to foster their reproduction and consolidation. 
  • Where: La Sagra Madrileña-Toledana, a corridor known as the eaglet zone which occupies a total surface area of 10,373 hectares. 
  • Actions: Eaglets are tracked to guarantee their wellbeing, reproductive pairs are distributed, nests are located and monitored and individual birds are tagged with GPS devices.
  • Results: GREFA has intervened in a large number of nests to foster the flight rate. Four individual ash eaglets (nine since the beginning of the project) have been tagged to gain valuable insight into their behaviour. Their presence in the area has also helped spread awareness among local farmers.

Arganda Kestrel Centre

  • Goal: To protect lesser kestrels which are daytime birds of prey that have been listed as vulnerable worldwide and in Europe and in danger of extinction in the Autonomous Region of Madrid.
  • Where: GREFA kestrel centre in Arganda del Rey (Autonomous Region of Madrid).
  • Actions: To protect these kestrels, the organization installs nests and fosters breeding in captivity to reinforce the populations of this species.
  • Results: As part of the ‘Kestrel Centre Network’, GREFA seeks to create a ring of lesser kestrel colonies around the city of Madrid. Along with ten others, the Arganda del Rey kestrel centre has boosted the growth of the lesser kestrel population.

Volunteers for the Environment

We celebrated World Climate Change Day with an environmental volunteer day organized along with Foundation for Development and Integration at the Caserío de Henares Environmental Education Centre. We were able to get to know the area and become more aware of the effects of pollution as well as plant aromatic spices and trees in addition to building nest boxes for birds.

FEEL BETTER

Resources and Hope for Childhood Cancer Research

When Jonathan Román, Operations Specialist at the Barcelona facility, found out about Antonio Manzanares’ story, he knew he had found the organization he was looking for to collaborate with – the FADAM Association. For five years now, he has been dedicating all the time and resources he can to magnifying their work on childhood cancer.

What is the FADAM Association?

FADAM (Family and Friends of Ángel Manzanares) is a charity association created in 2004 by Antonio Manzanares after losing his son Ángel to cancer. Their mission is to help boys and girls who have been diagnosed with cancer as well as their families. They do so through information, advice and support because families often feel quite lost in the beginning and need a lot of strength to cope with the situation. But, above all, by promoting research in close collaboration with the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute.

How did you begin collaborating and how do you help?

I’m a father and was looking for something related to children. In the beginning, I thought about working with the Spanish Association Against Cancer, but a friend of mine told me about FADAM and Antonio, its founder, and I became quite interested. Plus, the headquarters is located in Cerdanyola del Vallés, a town near mine, which means I can dedicate more time to it. Over the years, I’ve really developed a friendship with him and become more aware of the issue of childhood cancer. I pay a voluntary monthly fee and help out as much as I can by either raising funds, speaking with families who contact the association or using my knowledge in electricity to fix things at headquarters.

What do you get out of this collaboration?

It’s quite satisfying to see how our work helps families who are going through a really rough time. With their efforts and tenacity, FADAM has been able to get paid leave from work for one parent when their child is diagnosed with cancer. They’ve also achieved an increase in per diems during treatment or hospitalization for care as their had been no increase since 1977. Furthermore, they continue fighting each and every day to get more resources earmarked for cancer research. Being a part of it all is a real source of pride.

What are you hoping for in the future?

I hope more resources will be set aside to fight cancer, especially for research into the most uncommon types because they are the ones that lead to the most deaths. I think money’s being used for less important things and it would really help extend the survival rate for many children. As long as the Association continues to operate, my family and I will continue doing everything in our hands to help.

“It’s quite satisfying to see how our work helps families who are going through a really rough time”

Helping Develop an Experimental Project

Faithful to our commitment to the communities where we operate, Exolum has collaborated with the FADAM Association to strengthen a pioneering research project at Vall D’Hebron Research Institute which could give access to a new drug to treat brain tumours in children. It’s a year-long study that will measure the therapeutic potential of drugs specifically aimed at key elements of cellular division. Our contribution made it possible to acquire the necessary cell models to complete the experimental phase, among other resources.  “We’re very thankful.  Collaboration efforts like what Exolum has done help give children with cancer more opportunities,” said Antonio Manzanares, Chairman of FADAM.  

Find out more about the FADAM Association

FEEL BETTER - nEWS

Helping Develop an Experimental Project

Doing sport regularly is not only good for one’s health, it also teaches values like perseverance, integration, tolerance and teamwork.

At Exolum, we’re aware of the importance of these values among young people and that’s why we’ve renewed our collaboration agreement with the City of San Fernando de Henares and the Real Madrid Foundation to continue the work done by the social sport football school for integration, an initiative that was started back in 2010.

For Jorge Guillén, our Spain Region Lead, “It’s an honour to sponsor initiatives like these which have a decisive impact on the youngest in our society, helping them become good athletes and good people using sport as the tool for transmitting principles that are so essential for adulthood like effort and doing one’s best”.
We couldn’t agree more!

The Gift of Charity

We launched a joint charity action throughout the entire company along with the NGO Save the Children on 20th December for International Human Solidarity Day.

The goal was to raise funds to improve the lives of refugee children all over Europe who are living under horrendous physical and emotional conditions.  We can only say one thing: Thank you very much for your collaboration and solidarity! Exolum did its own part by doubling the sum you all contributed so, together, we can help those most in need.

We Sponsored the 8th Iberus-Exolum ‘Emprende’ Awards

Zaragoza hosted a new edition of the Iberus-Exolum ‘Emprende’ Awards, an event organized by Campus Iberus which includes the public universities of La Rioja, Lleida, Navarre and Zaragoza. The quality of the finalist projects was once again so great the judges had a really difficult job choosing between them. In the end, the winners were:

  • ‘Business Ideas’: Newex. Whose product is the first sustainable suit 100% made specifically for canyoning.
  • ‘Innovative Company’: Maximiliana. It’s a mobile phone for the elderly or those with mobility/visual problems.
  • ‘Challenge’: Almotech. It’s a small household appliance used to reconvert used vegetable oil into different types of soap.

The ‘Challenge’ category was included following an express request by our company to encourage ideas that respond to the challenges we’ll be facing ahead, not only as a company, but as a sector. Javier Alonso, Global HSSE & Technology Lead, represented us at the ceremony and handed out the prize to the winning project in this category.

Less Work and More Play!

We lost a bit of that closeness we’ve always been known for during the pandemic, but we’re not giving up. Such is the case that we organized the 2021 Exolum Padel Tournament at the Ciudad de la Raqueta facilities (Madrid) with all safety measures in place, of course.

In all, 16 pairs took part in this new edition with Iván Henche and José Manuel Fernández (both from the Villaverde Peripheral Maintenance Centre) declared the champions of group A while Dora Valdés and Mavi de Lamor (from headquarters) coming out on top in group B.  Congrats to the four of them! All the other participants are most certainly awaiting revenge next year.

DISCOVER

Have a good trip James Webb!

We said goodbye to James Webb at the end of 2021. No, not a person.  It’s the most incredible spatial telescope built to date. It began its journey in French Guiana with the goal of helping us better understand the origins of the universe. The unprecedented resolution and sensitivity of this telescope will be key.  Lots of luck!

LET'S PLAY

How do you say INTO-PLANE FUELLING in...

  • Spanish?  Puesta a bordo
  • Dutch? Bijtanken vanvliegtuigen
  • German? Flugzeugbetankung
Download the solutions

Help us create our corporate mascot!

We’d like to find a character that represents who we are and what we do.

Are you up for it? Send us your ideas to comunicacion.interna@exolum.com

Here’s an example in case you need some inspiration. We’re counting on you!

Winners of the First Exolum Xmas Contest

OK, so we’ve almost forgotten about Christmas already.  But, we really wanted to share some very special news for the company with you. We organized our first international contest in December and, given the holiday season, Christmas cards were the stars.

We received nearly 80 entries from all the countries where we’re present. Thanks so much to all the kids and their families! They were so good the judges had a really hard time choosing just three. The winners were:

  • Under 5 category: Lucía Isabel Montero Cortés, 5 years old, Arahal (Spain) facility
  • 6 to 9 year-olds: Lara Möbius, 7 years old, Mannheim (Germany).
  • 10 to 13 year-olds: Leonel Ureta, 12 years old, Ecuador.

IF YOU NEED MORE CONNEXION…

Access to all isssues

Editorial

About us

What excites us

TransformACTION

Safety and health

Involved