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Correction:

The “Our Expert” section of issue 2 of our magazine was dedicated to hydrogen with a list of some of the projects we’re participating in.

One of them is WIN4H2, which we erroneously referred to as WIN4H20. We know we’re not perfect, so those of us at Connexion would like to apologize for that error.

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:

Javier Alonso
Jamie Cadden
Ángel Carpio
Lee Cook
Raquel Díez
Rafa Fernández
José Antonio de la Fuente
Pedro Herrero
Ibón Ibarrola
Lorena Iza
Juan Jesús Jiménez
Phoebe Lewsey
Jesús Manso
David Ramos
Javier Ranera
Luke Robbins
Iván Saco
Mariluz Salido
Alberto Sanz
Laura Sarroca
Arjen Schneiders
Miguel Vasco
Maria Walsh
Bomberos Unidos
Fundación Real Madrid
HYGGELIG
Rivas Sahel
Save The Children

Editorial

Diversity Enriches Us

“Our integration process proves how diverse our people are”

reating innovative solutions to improve the world is our purpose yet it’s also the motivation that moves us every single day to keep on evolving and growing as a company. And this approach is not exclusively limited to our business activities but rather it goes much further beyond considering our aspiration is to positively contribute to society.

We celebrated European Diversity Month in May and, in line with foregoing, we’re quite proud of the progress we’re achieving in this area which is making us an ever more diverse company. It’s the result of working for a fairer and more equitable organization and society where there are real equal opportunities and diversity means more than just the traditional sense of gender and capacities.

To this end, we’ve been promoting a broader and more inclusive concept of diversity at Exolum for

some time now. Our internationalization process and, above all, our integration into a single company has put us in front of a mirror that demonstrates just how extraordinarily diverse we are at Exolum. Using this as a starting point, we have come to understand that we must approach diversity from a more realistic perspective by including dimensions like gender, multiculturality, sexual orientation and religion as well as generational and functional diversity or any other type of diversity that makes us different.

This way of thinking and acting is reflected in our ‘2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report’, a publication that marks a turning point at Exolum not only because it summarizes all the steps we’ve been taking in the area of diversity but also because it reflects the unwavering commitment by Exolum’s senior management to diversity.

Given the growing relevance of this issue at the company, we’ve decided to create a Diversity Committee that will oversee effective compliance with the goals defined in the group’s diversity strategy worldwide.  Among other things, it will monitor all actions set forth in the annual plan as well as the indicators established to track our evolution in this area. As an example, we are now reviewing our people management processes including selection and evaluation in order to add mechanisms that help further guarantee equal opportunities and internal talent development.

Our company is becoming bigger and bigger all the time with a more extensive international presence and, therefore, more diverse yet we still have a long way to go. Luckily, we have a team that has proven its capacity to adapt to change and its commitment to people.

About us

WE move on

A Matter of Hydrogen

Green hydrogen plays a key role on the path towards decarbonizing the planet. And as part of our commitment to promote this sustainable energy, we have gotten involved in a number of initiatives seeking to boost its use to achieve a more accessible, efficient and sustainable world. 

Under the umbrella of the plan for diversification towards new business models we are currently immersed in, contributing to the development of the green hydrogen sector as an energy vector has become one of our firmest pillars. This commitment recently led us to joining Hydrogen Europe, a leading organization in the sector whose goal is to promote the European industry of this sustainable energy to reach the EU’s climate neutrality goals for 2050. The Hydrogen Europe alliance includes more than 300 companies and 30 national associations throughout the hydrogen and fuel cell battery value chain.

Along these same lines, and as already announced, we’ve formed an alliance with Naturgy known as Win4H2 to study and develop green hydrogen production, distribution and supply infrastructures to enable mobility across the entire Peninsula with vehicles that operate on this fuel. This project provides for the construction of a system of 50 hydrogen refuelling stations that will cover all of Spain. What’s more, work will begin in the coming months on the first green hydrogen production plant in the autonomous region of Madrid, Hydrogen Henares, near our San Fernando-Torrejón facility. 

Pioneers in Healthcare

We’re quite pleased to be contributing our experience and knowledge to such innovative challenges such as the development and installation of the first hospital floor in Spain to generate O2 and H2 by water electrolysis using renewable energies. We’re doing so by participating as a technology partner in this Viamed Health project to be carried out at the Viamed San José Hospital in Murcia.

This initiative is part of the Viamed CO2 neutral hospital strategy. The group’s hospital in Murcia will become the most autonomous energy-wise as it will have its own O2 and fuel supplies.

An Active Part of GreenH2Pipes

We joined the consortium comprised of eight sector companies and six research centres to promote hydrogen generation, injection and transport via the gas system that already exists in Spain as well as its storage in liquid organic hydrogen carriers through GreenH2Pipes. 

As part of this project, we’ll be responsible for the third and final line which consists of developing new materials to manufacture catalysers that support hydrogen storage in a liquid form by combining it with LOHC (liquid organic hydrogen carriers).

These are just some of the projects we’re currently working on.  Rest assured, we’ll be working on many more because it’s our way to move forward towards the future.  We’ll continue to keep you informed!

For Safer Aviation

In the last few years, Exolum has participated in MICTEST, an ambitious research and development project which is part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. The aim is to expand knowledge on new materials that can prevent the growth and formation of microorganisms habitually found in aircraft fuel storage systems. These microorganisms have a harmful impact as they corrode and clog filters and other parts.

We’ve collaborated with LEITAT, a technical institute with more than 110 years of experience in industrial innovation processes, to develop the project. After collecting aircraft fuel samples at different points of various facilities to have a broad sampling range, they studied the microbial population, isolated the strains and cultivated them in their laboratory.

As explained by Javier Villarreal, the quality specialist involved in the research project, later on “we receive these strains at the Central Laboratory and use them to try to contaminate commercial kerosene to better understand how this kind of contamination occurs and the impact on fuel quality”. After several months, we obtained visibly contaminated samples which we analysed to verify how the fuel properties had been affected. Thus, adds Javier, “we saw that these samples had much higher water and particle content than uncontaminated samples not to mention more acidity than kerosene which is corrosive”.

This project has allowed us to better understand how microorganisms behave and the effects they can have on fuel which has made us more aware of the importance of good practices aimed at preventing their proliferation at our facilities.

We Participated in the British Ministry of Defence Sustainability ‘Challenge Panel’

We continue to collaborate on and participate in sustainability-related actions in the countries where we’re present. Recently, Nacho Casajús, NWE Lead, was part of a panel of experts organized by the British Ministry of Defence to get opinions on the sustainability strategy this English institution is working on. Nacho offered his expertise on the various cornerstones underlying this strategy with a special focus on the issues most related to our activities. Participating in the institution alongside Exolum were companies and education institutions like Babcock International, Gartner and the University of Cambridge.

A High Standing Project at the Lima Airport

We must congratulate ourselves at Exolum because we’ve been awarded a contract to build and operate the new fuel supply system at the Jorge Chávez International Airport, the most important one in Peru.

This is a very significant project for Exolum and a challenge that will allow us to implement all of our knowledge and experience as we demonstrate why we’re the global leaders in our sector.

We’ll be building a new fuel storage facility at the Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru to expand its capacity in addition to funding and supervising the construction of a new hydrant system (LIMFuel project) after being named the successful bidders of the tender announced by Lima Airport Partners. At the same time, we’ll be managing the storage facility and providing into-plane fuelling services throughout the expansion project concession period.

Ready for the Future

The project, in which we’ll invest more than 80 million dollars all the way to 2025 and for which more than 130 people will be hired, is aimed at preparing the airport (the most important one in Peru in traffic) for its medium and long-term needs. The new facilities will be equipped with the latest technology available to ensure the utmost efficiency, quality and safety. Moreover, to meet the highest operation standards, we’ll be adding new sustainable supply vehicles (some electric) and other auxiliary vehicles to facilitate aircraft fuelling and reduce CO2 emissions.

A second and a third phase will be developed after this first phase, most likely in 2029 and 2036. The hydrant system will be expanded in those phases with 20 an d27 new refuelling positions.

The Project in Figures

Storage facility

  • Four 8,700 m3 tanks each
  •  7 unloading positions and another 2 loading positions for into-plane fuelling units
  •   A fuel reception station and connection to the future dedicated pipeline

Hydrant system

  • 29 new supply positions 
  • Connection to the current hydrant system

Phases II and III:

  • 47 new supply positions
  • Expected between 2029 and 2036

WHO WE ARE

Celebrating Our First Anniversary

Time sure flies by! And almost without realizing it, last March we proudly celebrated Exolum’s first anniversary. It seems like it was yesterday when we cleared up that mysterious X, leading to  an exciting era filled with cutting-edge projects which is gradually making us the company we want to be.

Nowadays, Exolum is a highly visible brand at all of our worksites that has allowed us to move beyond our past successes to guarantee an ever-brighter future. Throughout this process, we continue taking steps to become one global company that is united by the talent offered by each of the people that make it up who are driven by a desire to be better every single day and contribute innovative solutions to help create a sustainable future.

We’re absolutely certain this is only the beginning. And we hope to celebrate many more anniversaries!

A video to remember

To celebrate this first birthday, we asked all the members of the ‘Exolum family’ to send us a photo celebrating this milestone. With the images we received, we made an emotional video that we wanted to share with all of you. Thank you all for joining the party.

Watch the video again on the Exolum Channel

Welcome Cristina

We’d like to introduce you to Cristina Fernández, the new executive secretary at Exolum. With a degree in Law and Business from ICADE, she has more than 20 years of experience in the legal affairs departments of large companies like Ferrovial and Telefónica where she had worked for most of her career until joining us.

Cristina is thus the second woman to be on the Exolum EXCO which is a source of great motivation as she carries out her new duties: “I’m thrilled to be at Exolum, which is a great solid and innovative sector leader, and be able use my effort and experience to help overcome the significant and passionate challenges ahead in the transformation process”. We wish her great success on this new adventure. 

A New Global Team to Manage Our Assets

We continue taking steps towards an ever more consolidated integration as one united Exolum. One of the most recent steps was forming the Global Assets Management and Integrity team which was created with the double goal of “defining the global asset management policy and procedures for all of our facilities and ensuring the management model and strategy are the most efficient for Exolum in addition to providing integrity management services for the Spain and North West Europe business divisions”.

Thus was explained by manager Rafael Fernández, who is leading a group of nine people from those two regions. This is the second completely global Exolum team created following the formation of the Cybersecurity team as a flagship for the company’s new culture. In fact, people are the keys to the team’s successful performance. “We’re talking about critical tasks that require a great deal of knowledge and experience meaning we’ve made sure we have highly specialized members,” says Rafael.

Efficiency and Safety as Goals

Ever since it was formed, the team has been moving forward with its aim of ensuring and optimizing our asset management. The work model is the one that had already been implemented in Spain yet with the added challenge of applying it to all NWE region facilities. Jamie Cadden, Asset Strategy & Reliability Analyst, explains that, following an initial situation analysis, the team is now focusing on “the integrity of the nearly 850 Exolum tanks in the NWE region in addition to identifying best practices to reduce risks and provide the best possible services in both regions. And it is all being done with an emphasis on efficiency, quality and safety”.

A Single Strategy

Since it is a highly transversal process that involves many teams from different countries, communication is essential. “We’re going to evaluate many of our transport and storage infrastructures and need our protocols and procedures to be aligned. It’s important to find synergies,” says Juan Jesús Jiménez, Operations Analyst-Integrity.

There is no doubt this team will help us continue improving our activities and making progress towards an ever safer and more responsible company.

The New Hydrant at the Dublin Airport Is Up and Running

This fuel distribution system is an important operational improvement that reinforces the quality, safety and efficiency of aircraft supply.

We’ve finally finished one of our most important projects in Ireland. The truth is there has been an enormous leap in quality at the Dublin airport with the start up of the new fuel hydrant at Terminal 1.

The hydrant is an underground pipe system that can distribute aviation fuel from the storage facility to the tarmac. The aircraft are then fuelled by dispenser vehicles from connection points called ‘pits’. This system offers important operational advantages in efficiency and safety in addition to reducing CO2 emissions.

More Efficient Operations

The final jobs done to conclude the project involved the relocation of 25 pits and the execution of another seven, all associated with Terminal 1 (PIER 1) as well as the expansion of the hydrant system in remote areas. Ángel Carpio, Project Developer, offers more details: “The initiative involved demolishing the pits we had to relocate, the installation of new pipes and their connection to the main hydrant line as well as the repair of a number of heavy paving slabs. To finish it all off, the hydrant was cleaned, and tests were done to ensure it operates properly”.

Ibón Ibarrola, Terminal Manager at the Dublin airport, says the new facilities “greatly streamline into-plane fuelling operations as they help reduce the number of large road tankers used for supplies which were taking nearly 20 minutes to go and come back to the fuel storage facility”.

This project is part of the concession agreement reached in 2016 between Exolum and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).

The Success of Our Stand at the UKIFDA Fair

For the first time ever, Exolum participated with its own stand at the annual fair organized by the United Kingdom and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA). The event, which was held at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool over two days, helped us enhance our relationships with our current customers and suppliers as well as contact other potential ones. Our colleagues Freddie Jackson, Gareth Buckley, Tim Barrow and Graham Jenkins were responsible for representing the company.

The Senior Leadership Team’s Visit to Our Amsterdam Facility

The Senior Leadership Team visited Holland on 14th and 15th March and took advantage of the trip to hold its first quarterly review meeting (QBR). For many of the members of the team, it was an opportunity to get to know people from the company in the country and an excellent chance to visit our Amsterdam facility following two years of healthcare restrictions deriving from COVID-19. The meeting made it possible to analyse the progress that has been made on the initiatives underway in the country and share the local team’s goals and challenges in addition to putting names to faces and strengthening relationships.

We Sponsored the AFSEA Welcome Dinner

With the pandemic-related restrictions gone, the Air Fuels and Sustainable Energy Association (AFSEA) was again able to hold its annual meeting face-to-face. Exolum wanted to support this event, so we sponsored its welcome dinner which took place at the Stafford RAF base (home to the British air force). AFSEA is an organization that brings together the entire civil and military community of fuels and energies in order to share experiences and knowledge and develop best practices.

The British Home Secretary Visits the Grays Facility

At the end of April, we had a very special visit at our Grays facility in the United Kingdom. The British Home Secretary, Priti Patel, accompanied by a group of police officers from County Essex, was able to get to know the facility and the work done there.

OUR EXPERT

Chemicals and the Chemical Industry

The companies that produce industrial chemicals are central to the modern world economy, converting raw materials (oil, natural gas, air, water, metals and minerals), into more than 70,000 different products.  These products and technologies are used in vital medicines and foods, the construction of buildings, transport, providing heat and energy, and many other aspects of our daily lives.

Importance to the economy

The chemical and pharmaceuticals industry is the United Kingdom’s second largest industry and is a hugely important part of the nation’s economy. Approximately 85% of the industry is in England and accounts for around 9% of the total UK’s goods exports. Trade in chemicals between the UK and EU member states accounts for around 57% exports and 73% imports. The chemical sector contributes around 20% of the total research and development within the UK.

The future of Chemicals

With increasing competition worldwide, innovation remains crucial in finding new ways for the industry to satisfy it’s increasingly sophisticated, demanding and environmentally conscious consumers. To succeed companies must become not only more diverse, and sustainable, whilst embracing the hydrogen economy, but also more agile and open, providing the capability to develop innovative solutions.

Whilst many chemical companies have taken the responsibility to reduce emissions, the chemicals sector is still one of the largest emitters of Green House Gases (GHGs). The chemicals sector therefore needs to continue to play a vital role in the delivery of a successfully decarbonised economy, and greener, more sustainable future

The products of the chemical industry can be divided into three categories:

1. Basic chemicals – which are sub-divided into: Chemicals derived from oil and increasingly from coal and biomass, known as petrochemicals, include hydrocarbons, which are converted into such products as petrol and ethanol.


2. Speciality chemicals. A wide variety of chemicals fall into this group, and generally produced in smaller amounts than Basic Inorganics, including; adhesives, agrichemicals, cleaning materials, colourants, cosmetic additives, construction chemicals, elastomers, food additives, fragrances, industrial gases, lubricants, paints, polymers, and textiles.


3. Consumer chemicals are sold directly to the public. They include such products as detergents, soaps and other toiletries. The search for more effective and environmentally safe detergents has increased over the last 20 years, particularly in finding surfactants (cleaning agents) that are capable of cleaning anything from sensitive skin to large industrial plants.

Exolum’s role in the Chemical industry supply chain

Exolum is a leading independent supplier of specialist storage and handling services for the chemical industry. Across our European businesses our terminals in the UK, Ireland, and Germany occupy prime locations, with many serving major chemical clusters and offering easy access to petrochemical and industrial complexes, plus road, rail and shipping routes for receipt and onward distribution of chemical products.

  • Exolum’s storage network provides prime locations for the receipt, storage and onward distribution of chemical products for clients involved in marketing and manufacturing.
  • At Mannheim in Germany, we have two Terminals offering close proximity to Europe’s leading chemical manufacturers.
  • With access to deep water jetties, highly developed transport links and direct pipelines to local manufacturing plants at some locations, our terminals on England’s west and east coasts are ideally placed for the distribution of products to the UK’s chemical processing industries on Runcorn, Widnes, Tyneside, Teesside and Humberside.
  • Chemical products stored at our facilities are used in a wide range of applications, from pharmaceuticals and personal care products, to foodstuffs, fuels and solvents.

What excites us

EXOLUM-LIVE

Exolum opens new headquarters in London!

Our colleague Phoebe Lewsey (PA to NWE HSSE Lead & COO), who has led the refurbishment and relocation project, gives us more information about the new office.

 

What is the reason for the change of office?

Due to the new phase of the company, we needed to update our headquarters. We wanted it to be in a location that would support our brand, be attractive to current and potential customers and and, most importantly, to be a place that would accompany, inspire and that would accompany, inspire and engage the people who work there.

Where is the new headquarters?

In the City (EC4), at 55 King William Street. It is certainly a place that will meet all our needs, a vibrant all our needs, a vibrant area of the city with excellent transport links.

What are the facilities like?

We will occupy the entire first floor of the building, with a total area of around 8,600 square metres. The headquarters include a collaborative workspace and a and another one designed for individual concentration. In addition, we will have two kitchens and a great outdoor terrace.

What has the relocation process been like?

We can now say that we have been officially crowned the new tenants of King William Street! We have moved some of the assets out of the old Wilson Street office, but we have brand new furniture and audio visual equipment in all the meeting rooms. Although there is still some finishing touches to do, we are really pleased with our new office.

A New Door Roof at the Barcelona Facility

Our Barcelona facility has a new infrastructure designed to foster continuous operation. It’s a new roof that covers the loading arm pump pit to protect this area from flooding caused by rain and, thus, minimize the number of equipment breakdowns and operational downtime.

Miguel Vasco, Project Developer, explained, “The project was completed as planned in a very short period of time. Thanks to the new roof, the pump area is now protected from storms and rainwater will not be able to get into the hydrocarbon water system which means much better water treatment at the facility. This is just one more example of our innovative solutions for improvement which, in this case, benefits our facilities.

A Scale to Enhance Safety in Algeciras

We’ve begun supplying tankers at our Algeciras facility with IFOS (a product that comes from blending diesel oil with fuel oil or base IFO).  It’s a new service that has led to the implementation of complementary measures to guarantee the quality and safety of these operations. Standing out among these measures is the start-up of an innovative scale to weigh transport vehicles.

Lorries must drive over it before and after tanker filling.  “These supplies are measured in kilos meaning the scale, which is integrated into the loading control system, allows us to count the final quantity of fuel supplied,” explains Mariluz Salido, Project Developer for Global HSSE & Technology. “Plus, it helps us maximize safety by preventing overfills and, as a result, spills,” she adds.

On the other hand, David Ramos, Project Developer, mentions that this project “is one more example of Exolum’s capacity to adapt to our customers’ requirements and make our facilities more flexible”.

DAVID RAMOS
Project Developer

Cleaner and Cleaner Energy in Mora

As you all know, our Mora facility is already operating on clean solar energy due to the photovoltaic installation. The main artifice behind the project, David Ramos, says, “Nearly 27% of the energy consumed is of sustainable origin with a clear environmental and economic benefit and monthly savings of around 40,000 Euros.”

Meeting…

“As a woman, getting here hasn’t been easy”

Lorena is an example of how dreams can come true with hard work and sacrifice. She chose to study and work in an environment where it was by no means common, yet her efforts have been rewarded and she now enjoys a happy life.

Lorena IZa

Maintenance Technician,
Guayaquil (Ecuador)

How did you start at Exolum?

Back in November 2019, almost by accident. I couldn’t continue at the company I was working for and Exolum offered me a chance to join the Guayaquil airport facility team. I started as a maintenance tech, and it was a great opportunity for me as it allowed me to continue learning and growing in my career. 

What do you do on the job?

My main task is ensuring proper maintenance of the fixed facility equipment and vehicles we use for into-plane fuelling operations. The objective is for everything to work as best as possible and avoid any operational stops. It was quite complicated in the beginning because we had taken control of the facility overnight and there was so much to be done. That kind of situation forces you to learn fast.

Has the evolution been good?

We’ve improved in all areas and enhanced quality and efficiency in all tasks. When we began, the facility was under the threat of a large number of auditing reservations, but we were able to reduce them to zero.  We even received a prize for the best ‘into plane’ fuel supplier in America! I have personally been given more and more responsibilities and have matured a lot. I enjoy my work.  It’s like a game for me and I’m always thinking about how to improve things. I work hard each day so my colleagues will feel proud of me.

And are you proud?

I moved to Guayaquil after finishing school and that independence helped me grow. It was hard because I was working in the mornings and studying at night, but I realized I could do whatever I put my mind to. Getting here hasn’t been easy and even less so as a woman. I was the only female in my university class and there weren’t any other women here when I began working. Many people discriminate against you because they think you can’t do this kind of work as a woman. Fortunately, things are changing.

What is your personal life like?

I live with my niece.  She’s like a daughter for me.  And we do a lot of things together which I really enjoy. At the weekends, we sometimes go to the beach or go hiking in the mountains. I also like learning and I do courses related to my line of work. I’m in the process of getting certified for industrial maintenance management. But the truth is I’d like to develop my artistic side and learn how to paint or play the guitar, so I hope to find time for that.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I hope to be a more educated and mature person. I think I’ll be married, with a family and enjoying life a bit more. Professionally, I imagine I’ll continue to progress and perhaps engage in my own business.  And I hope to have learned to play guitar!

Loyal to Her Roots

Lorena was born in the inter-Andean region of Ecuador in the city of Quito, a place of deeply rooted traditions. One of them is dance which they teach at school and is present in all festivities. It’s not so popular in Guayaquil, but she never hesitates to put on her traditional dress and enjoy dancing whenever she can.

A FEW SNIPPETS

One place:
The trails on which you can go hiking and camping.

One food:
Anything typical of my native city: oven-roasted pork, fritada (a fried pork dish), locro de papas (potato and cheese soup)…

One song:
I like nu metal which is a combination of heavy metal and other genres like hip hop, grunge, alternative rock and funk.

One film:
Anything that involves fantasy and adventure based on novels: The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…

TransformACTION

XPIRIT

Another Xpirit Success

We’ve developed an innovative leak detection system for tanks that improves the safety of our operations.

Xpirit continues to reveal the path to progress. Under this philosophy, one of the latest projects successfully carried out focused on the development of a leak detection system for above-ground storage tanks. The initiative was aimed at certifying a method for ensuring tank air and water tightness. To achieve this, the multidisciplinary team responsible for its management, led by Raquel Díez from the HSSE & Technology pool, applied a truly innovative approach with very good results.

Xpirit once again boosts innovation and teamwork 

Technology Applied

The team’s mission was to find a system that would identify possible leaks in storage tanks “since they pose a risk for the environment and safety,” explained Raquel.

Thus, the team came up with the idea of combining an automatic tank measuring system with analysis software to process all the data collected. Fortunately, the latter had already been defined which made the whole process a lot easier. Therefore, Raquel says, “The main work involved assembling each tank and facility on a new system that is more robust than the current one and improving the algorithm.”

Successful But Not Without Difficulties

This has been a clear example of a ‘waterfall project’ where the final objective was clear and the phases to be developed were defined from the beginning.  “However,” emphasizes the project Leader, “the duration of the testing sometimes required replanning the project based on the results obtained and the availability of the resources.” Raquel says, “The team’s lack of experience in related technical issues was one of the biggest difficulties.” In any case, all the constant communication with the experts was key to “successfully completing the project”.

This system reinforces the safety of our operations in addition to providing for considerable economic savings over the next several years as we won’t have to depend on a third party to ensure our tanks are water and airtight. Perhaps what’s most important to Exolum is the success of Xpirit, a spirit of innovation and teamwork that is helping us become a stronger company.

The Project Dream Team

This initiative is further proof that everything is possible with the right team:

Raquel Díez,
Project Leader, is responsible for the project execution management, definition and oversight.

Víctor Martín,
from the Aviation & Network Operations project pool, led all the technical developments. 

Rafael Fernández,
Head of the Global Assets Management and Integrity team, participated as a Sponsor, guiding the team towards the objectives defined.

Fran Barajas,
Operations Analyst-Strategy & Reliability, provided technical support as an expert in the area.

Jorge Pedrazuela,
from the OT pool, collaborated on the development of the new software.

Raquel Díez, Project Leader, pool de HSSE&Technology

“The new Xpirit way of thinking and working which complements our teamwork with the participation of professionals with multidisciplinary backgrounds providing different points of view and constant innovation allows us to be more flexible as a company and adapt better to changes.”

 

Jorge Guillén Talks About QBRs

In an interesting presentation, our Spain Region Lead gave us more details on QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews), explaining how decisions are made at these meetings and why some projects are prioritized over others in addition to going over the main initiatives currently being carried out.

You can see it again on the Exolum Channel

Do you know what OKRs are?

OKRs are objectives and key results, and they represent a method that helps teams establish clear goals which are measurable. María Mira, Agile Coach at the company UST, and Ricardo Ribó, Agile Coach at Exolum, talked about them in a recent webinar.

You can see it again on the Exolum Channel

GROW

Xtep: The Step that Helps Us Continue to Grow

Taking a first step is all you need to move forward. That’s why, when thinking about our professionals’ development, we decided to start XTEP, an all-new performance evaluation model that will allow us to improve and adapt to new realities.

We never get tired of saying it: people are the priority at Exolum. Thus, as part of our cultural and organizational transformation process, we came up with Xtep, a tool that enhances the way we evaluate ourselves with a more agile and collaborative model that’s adapted to our new work methods.

So that no one is left behind and in order to answer all those questions that always come up when a new procedure is implemented, we’ve published a series of video tutorials (accessible via Campus Exolum) as well as a digital brochure, all supplemented

by an introductory session with Jorge Lanza, CEO, Cristina Jaraba, Global People Lead, Claudia Bello, COE Talent Management, and Nuria Marquínez, Global People Project Developer.

And if you still have any type of concern, no worries! The Global People team will be right by your side throughout the process to help you with anything you need.  Just write to us at: people@exolum.com. Because each step we take together will enable us to continue growing.

The ONE SAP (Finance and Procurement) Project is Rolled Out in the UK, Ireland and Holland

The ONE SAP project for PS & TS in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Holland went live early this year when NWE began using SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Ariba as their main finance and procurement management tools. Within the first few months after it went live, the project manager decided to expand support for the application via ‘hand-holding’ sessions aimed at supporting users in their daily activities, performing tasks in the ONE SAP applications along with the consultants who helped implement the applications. This ensures proper system performance and reinforces knowledge of the new tools and processes.

This phase of additional or ‘premium’ support has come to an end. The team of consultants that collaborated with the process will support us by resolving tickets through the Service Centre. In other words, they will be responsible for handling tickets relating to incidents and queries via https://service-center.exolum.com/

Plus, the project team has made plenty of support and training material available to all NWE users at https://grupoclh.sharepoint.com/sites/NWESAPGoLive

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Exolum who has been and is working to make the use of the new applications possible and ensure their correct functioning for their effort and dedication.  Thank you all!

NETWORKING

Our 'I Hackathon’ is a Great Success

This initiative is an example of how talent and teamwork help us find innovative solutions and ideas that improve the company’s day-to-day.

In February, we started the ‘I Exolum Hackathon’ as a call for the daring to help us with the challenge of coming up with ideas to improve our performance in our daily work.

Sixty-two people stepped up to the plate and were organized into nine teams. Each of the teams was

assigned a specific challenge. All of the groups received training in Power Platform and Design Thinking to foster the development of their ideas and were given support from facilitators.

The entire process culminated on 3rd and 4th May with the hackathon held at our Madrid headquarters. All of the participants worked out the details, refined and prototyped their proposals in addition to participating in competitions and

 challenges in an inspiring and creative atmosphere with a superhero theme.

In the end, each team defended their proposals before a panel of judges who had to choose three winners from among all the prize-worthy ideas. To all of you daring participants, thanks for your talent and enthusiasm.

First Runner-Up: ‘Matriz de Confusión’, for their proposal of an application to record maintenance work on vehicles at airports.

Winner: ‘XtarGate’, for their idea for a tool to calculate the impact of our carbon footprint and water consumption with each service.

The most competitive team: ‘Guardianes de la Galaxia’, because of their fighting spirit in all of the gamification activities organized.

TRENDS

How to Turn a Need into an Innovative Solution

We’ve developed a new and improved access control system for tankers entering our facilities in Spain which brings significant benefits in terms of safety and reliability.

Thousands of road tankers enter our facilities to load fuel every single day. It’s a highly automated process that requires no interaction with Exolum personnel at the facilities unless there is an incident. This level of agility and efficiency is the result of the ongoing improvements that have been implemented over the years. It’s a philosophy we continue implementing which has led us to developing an in-house project to reinforce operational reliability, specifically in the road tanker facility access control phase.

 

Technological Update

The traditional system we’ve been using to allow lorries to enter was based on transponders, which are devices installed on the cab and tanker which emit a unique identifier via radiofrequency to obtain information (through our databases) on the vehicle and allow the supply if everything is in order.

However, time is running out on this technology as these transponders will soon become obsolete. So, Exolum went to work on a pilot project at the Villaverde facility to find an efficient alternative which would also offer significant improvements.

Optimized Equipment

The initiative was led by José Antonio de la Fuente, COE and Global HSSE & Technology OT Portfolio Manager. “After looking at different options available on the market, we realized the solution was much simpler than going with something completely new,” he says. With the Edge Computing application, we can read and recognize front registration plates on the cabs of the tankers using the perimeter security cameras that already exist.

The solution for tankers has been just as innovative. Years ago, we developed a security system known as SIBC (the Spanish acronym for Arm-Compartment Identifier System) to prevent overfilling the different tanker compartments. 

Three Complementary Solutions

By combining three different technological solutions (registration plate recognition, the security system during loading –SIBC– and the MyExolum app), we were able to develop a fully renovated access control system to guarantee the security of our operations and offer our customers efficient services.

“Once the loading arms are connected on the island, we get information through this little device on the compartment used and, therefore, the tanker aiming to be loaded,” explains José Antonio.

The third technological solution is MyExolum, the app drivers use to carry all supply-related documentation. Users are required to confirm the vehicle they’re driving and this information will be used in the Exolum systems to identify the cab and corresponding tanker.

With respect to drivers, they will continue to be identified via their personal cards upon entry as has been done to date. As a new development, the update to the electronic delivery note app (MyExolum) has made it possible to reinforce the security of the information provided as drivers may enter the registration plates for their habitual vehicles.

The system is already up and running at the Villaverde facility where it has led to major improvements in reliability and security with a
minimal number of incidents. Starting in the second quarter of 2022, we’ll begin rolling it out at all of our facilities in Spain. One more step on the road to excellence.

Benefits from the Project

Security: different mechanisms are integrated to guarantee information reliability.

Operational: the number of incidents has dropped from 2.5% to a minimal 0.1%.

Economic: operational costs have dropped from 140,000 a year to around 20,000 euros.

Drivers: no more transponders installed on their lorries with a drop in related incidents.

Javier Alonso

Global HSSE & Technology Lead

“It’s a very interesting technology project based on a need that was aimed at replacing external technology through which we’ve created an opportunity by developing our own innovative solution at a very low cost. Our Facility Control Centre will be the primary beneficiary and the user of the new system meaning it was highly involved in its development.”

 

José Antonio de la Fuente

COE and Portfolio Manager

“The project is another example of how collaboration, teamwork and the application of lean methods can get results. This is a shared success for areas like Sales, Operations and HSSE & Tech. I would particularly like to highlight the great work done by Rubén Alonso, Mariluz Salido and Luis Miguel Lara, who were responsible for the three areas of the project (app, control systems and access control) as well as the TaskForce (Kevin Dessi, Lorenzo Chávez and Pablo Pérez).  Working with them brought great satisfaction.”

 

Safety and health

Safety

Safety Is Always First

In April, we celebrated Health and Safety Month which is a very special initiative for us that helps us continue making progress in the area of prevention so we can become a safer and more responsible company all the time.

At Exolum, we know safety is a priority in everything we do. It’s an essential pillar at the company as we relentlessly implement initiatives and dedicate resources to guarantee protection for our people, our facilities and the environments where we’re present.

It is in this context that we decided April would be Health and Safety Month, carrying out various activities to spread awareness among all the people at Exolum of the importance of security in our daily work.

The most important moment was no doubt 28th April, which is World Day for Safety and Health.  We celebrated by emphasizing all of our achievements in this area as well as by taking the time to think about new ways to make Exolum the safest company possible. Working together, we’ll get there for sure.

‘Te Interesa’ Talk

Javier Alonso, Global HSSE & Technology Lead, and Marta Fernández, COE of HSSE, offered us a stimulating talk on the importance of safety in each and every one of the activities carried out at Exolum. They both focused on prevention as the best ally for avoiding incidents in addition to reminding us of the Safety Foundations, our golden rules for achieving a safe environment which must be present in everything we do.

 

You can see it again on Exolum Channel

Safety Foundations Survey

Ever since they arrived, Exolum’s Safety Foundations have become an important part of our day-to-day and our main ally in making our activities safer and safer. We wanted to measure how familiar our workforce is with them, so we launched a survey to find out.  In view of the

results, the effort to make people aware of them was well worth it. Participation was rewarded as we randomly gave away several safety kits among all those who completed the survey.

Jesús Manso
HSSE Lead

Safety: A Shared Responsibility

“Committing to safety is inherent in our company. As with all of our activities, we also work to continuously improve in this area by constantly reviewing our processes and encouraging initiatives to continue reinforcing our culture of prevention and safety. The main objective is to protect people, Exolum’s most important assets.

Being successful at this requires effort and teamwork, since, as is often said, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Safety begins with oneself, and we all must remember that we’re all in the same boat. I firmly believe that by working together, we’ll be capable of turning accidents into something of the past. That’s why we need everyone’s collaboration. We’re counting on you.” 

WEllness

Health and Wellbeing: It’s All About Balance

Besides being a safe company, we want to be healthy and balanced. That’s why as part of our Health and Safety Month, we organized various activities aimed at improving our people’s wellbeing.

Emotional health and wellbeing are essential factors for people’s adequate development. At Exolum, we’re well aware of this and that’s why we decided to dedicate a part of our Health and Safety Month to these issues by organizing several activities focusing on offering tools and useful tips for our professionals to foster their vital balance. It all revolved around World Health Day which is celebrated each year on 7th April.

Emotional wellbeing is a broad concept that includes many different aspects. As always, virtue lies at the middle; in other words, finding harmony among all of them so they are reflected in our lives. A healthy and varied diet, healthy habits, physical activity, a positive attitude and routines that help with personal development are just a few examples of the roads to happiness or at least getting close.

‘Te Interesa’ Talk

Our company doctor, Javier Ranera, talked about the physiological, psychological, genetic and microbiotic conditioning factors of nutrition and the health implications. He also gave us a few tips on how to be more critical with the vast amount of information published on food and the importance of checking it against reliable sources.

You can see it again on Exolum Channel

The 70,000 Step Challenge

For motivation related to the importance of leading an active lifestyle, we launched the 70,000-step challenge for everyone at the company in every country where we’re present. Those interested were to record the number of steps they took between 1st and 10th April in a mobile app. All the people who did it were placed in a draw for 15 fitness bracelets.

Learning to Manage Stress

In collaboration with Sanitas, psychologist Andrea Trujillo talked to us through a virtual meeting about managing and coping with stress, a situation that seriously affects people’s physical and emotional capabilities. During this talk, the doctor offered useful advice on how to deal with the pressure associated with our daily lives, personally and professionally.

 

You can see it again on Exolum Channel

Mindfulness Session

With some help from instructor Eva Rodríguez, we had the opportunity to relax and disconnect a bit from our routines in a wonderful mindfulness session. This relaxation technique teaches us to be aware of our emotions in order to get rid of all the frustration and anxiety caused by not being able to change certain situations. The feelings at the end of the event couldn’t have been better, especially for the winner of the gift box full of experiences we gave away in a draw for those participating.

You can see it again on Exolum Channel

Involved

de&i

Diversity Has Come to Stay

We like to celebrate and we’re always finding reasons at the company to do so. For European Diversity Month, we focused throughout the month of May on this issue which is becoming more and more important at Exolum and in society.

Video of Jorge Lanza

We began the month with a very personal message from our CEO, Jorge Lanza, who wanted to share his thoughts with everyone at Exolum on the need to work together to achieve the goal of becoming a more and more diverse company. Empathy, respect and building bridges of understanding were some of the keys mentioned.

You can see it again on Exolum Channel

We Published the 2022 Dossier on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We’re proud to have published our very first report on diversity, equity and inclusion which is a complete document sharing the initiatives and actions undertaken at Exolum to continue encouraging and promoting these three cornerstones within our organization and within society at large in addition to the next steps we’ll be taking to keep making progress in these areas.

The document is clear proof of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and allows us to ensure equal opportunities for everyone at the company, irrespective of their personal conditions or circumstances. In fact, we comply with the laws in effect in each country where we do business and follow international standards and best practices as well as the provisions on this issue set forth in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Equality on the Job Too

We do what we say. We recently endorsed the Diversity in Spain Charter, a project promoted by the European Commission and the Spanish Ministry of Equality to spread awareness for the commitment to diversity and inclusion at the workplace. The objective of the charter is to foster a community that shares the same principles and, therefore, enhance the quality of life and work for people and organizations. Thus, we’ve joined more than 1,350 signatory companies in Spain and more than 12,500 overall throughout the European Union.

 

Our Commitment in a Decalogue

What better way to create our Diversity Decalogue than with help and collaboration from all of you at Exolum? Thanks to everyone who has contributed by sending words that help us understand and build what diversity should be at our company.

Diversity...

1. …generates EMPATHY because it helps us understand our differences.

2. …fosters INCLUSION because it makes us plural.

3. …promotes RESPECT for others.

4. …reinforces the feeling of BELONGING to a group.

 

5. …enhances COMRADESHIP and makes us more tolerant.

6. …unites the TEAM and helps us give the best of ourselves.

7. …contributes VALUE because it enriches
points of view.

8. …makes us feel PROUD of who we are.

9. …strengthens TOLERANCE for others’ ideas.

10. …boosts the IDENTITY of a single Exolum.

An Awareness Contest

As part of European Diversity Month, we organized the ‘I Diversity Short Story Contest’. All of the texts had to be about one of the words from our Diversity Decalogue and they could not exceed a total of 100 words. The winner, who was chosen by a panel of judges from the Global People staff, was Félix Gómez, Ventures & Innovation Lead at Exolum, who won a free ebook. In addition, we have created a diversity book with the stories. 

Check it out here

A New Website Area

If diversity is a main theme at Exolum, it must be a main part of our corporate website. That’s why we’ve created a specific area at https://exolum.com/en/sustainability/diversity/ where we share our approach to and position on diversity, offer information and data on the results of our commitment to equal opportunities and present a good number of the initiatives we carry out to become more and more diverse.

Power to Women!

We also did not want to miss out on the occasion to highlight the essential role of women at Exolum (and in the world!) by celebrating Women’s Week in March.

Science is Also Female

Science is a world in which women are fortunately becoming more present. At Exolum, we’d like them to have an even greater starring role and that’s why we’ve joined the ‘STEAM Alliance for Female Talent. Girls in Science’, a Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training initiative that was created in 2021 to encourage STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in connection with the Arts and Humanities) vocations among children and young women.

An Article by Jorge Guillén in ‘Ethic’

Jorge Guillén, Spain Region Lead, published an editorial entitled ‘STEM Talent or How to Have References from Childhood’ in ‘Ethic’, a reference journal on sustainability. The text discusses the importance of making female talent visible in technical and scientific areas and it explains how the gender gap hinders integration and innovation within organizations

Read it here

The Role of Men in Reaching Equality

For Women’s Day, we also participated in the UN Target Gender Equality LIVE event. Our Aviation Operations & Network Lead, José Luis Conde, talked about the most recent initiatives that have been carried out by the company to foster gender equality by focusing on the need for men to help end inequality.

Celebrating Women’s Day and Girls in Science

On 11th February, we joined the celebration proclaimed by the UN in 2016 in a view to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. We also wanted to pay homage to all the women at the company who have opened up the road to making Exolum an even more diverse and inclusive company THANK YOU!

Laura Sarroca and Maria Walsh, Two ‘Inspiring’ Women

At Exolum, we wanted to find out who are the most inspiring women among their colleagues. We suggested four finalists in the Spain region and NWE region.  After all the votes came in, the chosen ones were Laura Sarroca, Operations Coordinator- Accounts Payable in Madrid, and Maria Walsh, Bought Ledger Controller in London.  Congratulations to the two of them! And thank you to all the women at Exolum for helping us continue to grow each and every day.

Laura Sarroca: “There are many references at this company”

“The fact that these actions recognizing women continue to be necessary in the 21st century should make us all recapacitate as a society and as a company. I think these kinds of initiatives are ‘opportunities’ for the company to get to know the people we believe deserve recognition and I’d like it to lead to more job opportunities for those chosen. I’d like to thank all of my colleagues whether they voted for me or not because it’s always been very easy to work with all of them. Perhaps I’ve not always been recognized in some ways, but I’ve always received their recognition. There are many references at this company.  They might not always be seen or heard, but they’re our best asset and our future.”

Maria Walsh: “You’re only as good as your team is”

“I felt quite overwhelmed when I heard I was a finalist along with three other wonderful women so I couldn’t believe it when I won. I think we all deserve recognition. In the end, you’re only as good as your team is and I’ve got a fantastic one behind me. These kinds of initiatives help make the role of women more visible and I think that’s good.  However, I believe I’m treated properly and it’s not because of my gender. I’m not very good with words, but I’m very thankful for this award. I’ve been at the company for ten years and I love working here as the people are really pleasant and I can identify with the Exolum values.”

Women Opening Up New Paths

On 8th March for International Women’s Day, we organized a webinar with Socorro Fernández Larrea, a civil engineer and CEO of JUSTNOW as well as a member of corporate boards like Red Eléctrica de España. During the talk, Socorro shared her own personal and professional experiences and the difficulties she’s faced.

Also, to celebrate Women’s Week at the company, we had an enjoyable meeting with some of our leaders at Exolum:  Mª José Muñiz (Santovenia Storage Facility), Ana Monteseirín (Asturias Airport Facility), Rebeca Bolaños (Social Action Secretary) and Javier Alonso (Global HSSE & Technology Lead), as well as Cristina Jaraba (Global People Lead) as the moderator.

You can see the talks again on the Exolum Channel

FEEL GREEN

Encouraging Soil Decontamination

Exolum is a part of the Phy2Climate project, participating in the pilot test that seeks to recover land contaminated by hydrocarbons through phytoremediation.

We’re a part of the environment around us and that’s why we get actively involved in initiatives that seek solutions to help improve the planet’s health. With this goal in mind, Daniel López from HSSE is

participating in the Phy2Climate project driven by the European Commission which aims to recover land contaminated by hydrocarbons.

The pilot test involves decontaminating the soil with phytoremediation, a technique based on the ability of certain plants to absorb contaminants and take advantage of crops planted to produce biofuel. One of the sites chosen to develop this experimental treatment is the fuel storage facility in Tarragona which is a suggestion we got from ARC (the Catalan Waste Agency), which collaborates with the private technology centre and programme partner LEITAT.

Sixteen partners are immersed in this R&D project from countries like Austria, Germany, Spain, Serbia, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Argentina, Lithuania and India, and each of them are doing so with the same commitment: to guarantee our tomorrow.

You can watch a video about this project on the Exolum Channel

Visit to One of the Project’s Pilot Plantations

All of the Phy2Climate partners will be participating in a congress to find out the scope and progress of this initiative during a meeting organized by LEITAT. This centre has suggested visiting the Tarragona facility where the phytoremediation work will be done to get to know the area where the selected plants will be grown.

What About Storing Renewable Energy?

We have one objective: to make it so energy from renewable sources grows from the current 25% to 86% by 2020 yet we need to find formulas that will allow us to store it efficiently and affordably. REGENERATING is the Key.

Alberto Sanz,
COE Hydrogen and New Energies

“We would like to do our part in transforming the Spanish energy system and REGENERA is one big step on this path. The aim of this project is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels all while improving the integration and management of renewable energies.”

The main characteristics of renewable energies is that they depend on nature meaning there are daily and monthly variations in production which means reinforcing the supply security with efficient storage systems is necessary. Thus REGENERA (Spanish for “regenerating” –a consortium comprised of Exolum and Grupo DAM, ENGIE, Sorigué, Hidroquimia, Tyris AI, H2B2, AIGUASOL– seeks to develop innovative technologies that guarantee the supply of the existing surpluses and their use in industrial processes to produce green fuels, hydrogen, methane and hytane.

Our role in this project is to research storage and distribution technologies for renewable hydrogen in liquid carriers. This process is a great opportunity as it would provide the logistics for this new energy vector using existing infrastructures which is a basic principle of a circular economy.

REGENERA is set to last 40 months and is part of the Spanish national R&D&I programme ‘Science and Innovation Missions’ run by the Spanish Industrial Technological Development Centre (CDTI).

 

Turn Off Lights and Faucets for the Earth

We participated in ‘Earth Hour’ on 26th March. We did so by turning off the lights at headquarters for one hour as a symbolic gesture to spread awareness for the issue of climate change. We also celebrated World Water Day on 22nd March to remember just how important this essential liquid is.

FEEL BETTER

Gestures to Make the World a Better Place

At Exolum, one thing’s clear: we want to help build a more sustainable future for everyone. And that’s why we constantly collaborate with all sorts of organizations close to the company in order to enhance the lives of those most in need. Here’s a list of some of our latest efforts:

Supporting Ukraine

The start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine filled us with disbelief and shock. At Exolum, we are responsible and charitable, and we were not going to just sit back and watch.  We made a donation of 100,000 euros to Save the Children to help meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees. We also launched the ‘Exolum with Ukraine’ challenge so everyone at the company could make their own donations which raised another 12,000 euros.

Sports as a Driver of Social Inclusion

For more than twelve years we’ve been collaborating with the Real Madrid Foundation and the City of San Fernando de Henares to help them run a local social sports school as part of our social action plan. This programme uses sports to encourage the social inclusion of girls and boys all while instilling values like equality, overcoming difficulties and teamwork.

Promoting Education in the Sahara

With the change of brand to Exolum, we had a large quantity of corporate material (paper, t-shirts, caps…) that became obsolete for the company yet could be used by Rivas Sahel, a charity association that works on behalf of the Saharan people. All of these objects were sent to the Sahara to be distributed among educational programmes in the Tinduf camps in Algeria to benefit young children.  This way, they’ll have basic materials to continue their education.

Uniforms for Emergencies

As occurred with our corporate material, we also had many uniforms at our facilities we could no longer use. We donated them to Firefighters without Borders, an NGO made up of professionals who specialize in emergencies and catastrophes who sent them to their missions in Ukraine and Colombia.

Computer Equipment Donation

We support the work of HYGGELIG Inclusive Art Association which aims to enhance the wellbeing, self-esteem and independence of the intellectually disabled so they may be included in society and the job market. Thus, we are giving a second opportunity to this equipment which will continue to be useful and helping both entities perform their activities.

DISCOVER

Still Searching for Our Corporate Mascot!

Help us find a character that represents who we are and what we do.

If you haven’t yet done so, send us your ideas to
comunicacion.interna@exolum.com

LET'S PLAY

Download the solutions

How do you say storage tank in...

  • Spanish? Tanque de almacenamiento
  • German? Lagertank
  • Dutch? Opslagtank

Have You Used Wordle?

One word a day, five letters and six tries. Those are the basics of Wordle, a simple and addictive game for word discovery which has become quite the phenomenon around the world and is available in many different languages. In reference to the ‘day-to-day’ format, its creator, Josh Wardel, explained that he “purposely did what you’re not supposed to do if your goal is growth and, oddly enough, it led to growth”. This is just one more example of how innovation is always rewarded.

An Award-Winning Magazine

As you may have read in this issue, we have many things to celebrate. No doubt one of the most exciting for us is the award we received for our Connexion magazine which received a silver medal in the ‘Employee Publications’ category at the recent Astrid Awards.

These international awards are an annual must-event in the communications sector as they highlight creativity, innovation and originality in designing reports, campaigns, books brochures, magazines and all sorts of other resources. For this edition, they received work from more than 80 countries around the world which adds even more to our success.

Connexion is a magazine made by and for everyone at Exolum, so we’d like to thank you for your collaboration and encourage you to continue doing so with the same enthusiasm. And, of course, our most sincere congratulations to the entire team responsible for the publication.

Carmen Arroyo 

Operations Analyst Communication – Coordinator of the magazine Connexion

 

“This prize rewards our commitment to communication and our efforts to bring Exolum’s news closer to everyone at the company as well as our contacts. Thanks to all of you who collaborate by offering your knowledge and experience and special thanks to Álvaro, Eva, Silvia and Beatriz from the team at the consulting firm Atrevia who are accompanying us with this lovely project.”

 

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