A Merridale diesel dispenser has been installed on the Falklands Islands at the Fox Bay diesel bunker facilities. The complex is located between the airfield and Fox Bay Village. The bay is at the southern end of the Falkland Sound, about 150 miles from the capital at Stanley.
Fox Bay Village is the main settlement of the West Island with a population of around 30 out of a total of 100 people, most of whom are sheep farmers. Diesel is a crucial commodity, not only for transportation but also for electrical power generation.
Fuel oil distribution is managed by the Falkland Islands Government which also owns the storage tanks. The bunker facility comprises four tanks giving a total capacity of 80,000 litres. Usage is currently around 1,000 litres a day and the tanks are replenished on a six weekly cycle.
The facility is managed by the Fox Bay government agent, Mark Jones. It is part of a wide ranging remit which covers Postmaster, general maintenance of the government buildings: water supply, storage and repair, plus the fire service cover for the aircraft taxi service.
“I am also responsible for the allocation of diesel supplies,” explains Mark.
“Previously I had to physically unlock the old pump and supply the fuel to our customers. Sometimes this would be once or twice a day and maybe up to ten transactions if we were busy. Each sale was recorded manually. Not a big job but diesel is a valuable resource and accuracy was important.
“The opportunity to upgrade came along as the equipment we were using was becoming increasingly unreliable. So we went online to look for a replacement pump.
My main priority was to find a self-service pump that could guarantee reliability. Fox Bay is a coastal environment, fully exposed to the elements and the weather here gets pretty harsh at times.”
“A deciding factor for choosing the Merridale Auditor GS was the build quality. The unit is sufficiently robust and it incorporated a secure system for self-service, fuel management, stock control and the reporting for customer accounts. Since it has been installed it has made my life a lot easier,” says Mark.
“And Merridale were very helpful. Even at such a great distance, our communications have been excellent. All the staff contacts have been brilliant to deal with. If I have any problems, I know that I can speak to someone directly – by telephone if necessary.
