Massy Gas Freeport Terminal showcases AutoGas, remote monitoring technology

Massy Gas Chairman Peter Graham extolled the minister of the company's role in fuel security.

“As the suppliers of over 40 percent of Jamaica’s LPG products, GasPro is creating value and transforming lives,” Graham told the minister before the tour. He said the Freeport facility located in Montego Bay is strategically placed to service the tourism sector.

“From Ocho Rios to Negril, most hotels are supplied by GasPro,” Graham said. “And, we service schools, hospitals, cookshops and homes across the island.”

LPG is not only a cooking gas, he stressed, as the company has been able to supply the fuel for alternate usage.

“We have been able to channel hotels, who previously used electricity to wash and dry dishes and companies who formerly use diesel to run broilers, to now use LPG to do that,” Graham revealed.

He also mentioned that there are some customers, including manufacturers and hotels that use LPG (propane in particular) to efficiently produce power for their operations.

The cleaner-burning fuel can also be used for cars as its AutoGas application showed.

He pointed out that the use of LPG can help the country to lower carbon emissions, as is shown by its usage in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

“We have already converted over 100 motor vehicles and will continue to build out the refuelling capabilities including here at Freeport. Our environment in Jamaica deserves no less, we want to add more vehicles this year,” Graham said.

Many fleeted companies have also converted and reaped savings from AutoGas.

For technology, the Chairman explained the advancements adopted by the company, including remote tank monitoring.

“For many of our major customers, we can stay in our offices and monitor their tank levels. We have invested in remote monitoring to ensure that customers do not run out of LPG,” Graham said.

GasPro is also doing real-time safety inspections and customer billing through a new software called TankSpotter.

Technology will also be utilised in the home-gas market.

“We still have to deal with the problem of ‘gas done’. It is a frustration that many of our home cooks have to contend with. We are committing to the minister to introduce innovations to address this issue,” Graham said.

The Minister in her remarks welcomed the addition.

“This is my first tour of such a facility… and to see LPG innovations that Massy Gas Products has made covering cooking, power, heating and lighting needs of Jamaica,” Minister Williams said.
The innovations of Massy Gas and others, she surmised, help to create a modern, efficient, diversified and environmentally sustainable energy sector.

“There is a great thrust to find cleaner fuels for the transportation sector, so I am very happy to hear about the [AutoGas] product and over 100 vehicles converted already,” she said in accordance with a cleaner energy agenda.

“As a government, we have taken another step to govern and manage the sustainable growth of the island’s energy sector through the re-establishment of the Jamaica Energy Council. The recent Cabinet approval will see to the creation of a strategically comprised body with a wide cross-section of stakeholders to allow for the required synergies… their decisions allow for the continuation of policy for the public good,” Williams shared after inviting Massy Gas to participate in the Council.

Industry Standards
Chairman Graham also urged Minister Williams to prompt colleague minister, Audley Shaw — in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce — to look into the reintroduction of the LPG safety competition, where the Bureau of Standards Jamaica would assess and inspect the various marketing companies.

“We believe the use of LPG (cooking gas) is so dominant that an incident by any of the companies is a major threat to the public,” Graham admonished.

Every five years, he shares, GasPro self-regulates mandatory hydrostatic cylinder testing to ensure their integrity.

He believes no company should fill a cylinder beyond that five-year window.

“Whether through legislation or agreed policy this should be enforced, and any company that falls out of line should face sanctions,” Graham said.

“Since 1992, we have been a safe, efficient import terminal and in 2012 we brought our capacity to this facility to 830,000 gallons of storage after a US$2 million investment,” Graham revealed.

We are looking into investing another US$3 million to expand further. This is a show of confidence in Jamaica that we are contemplating this investment to help further boost our fuel security and availability of LPG in the market.”

Port congestion is a major impediment to timely and cost-efficient supply of LPG and Graham expressed Massy Gas’ full support of any plan by the Port Authority of Jamaica to expand and upgrade the Port of Montego Bay.