Air1 helps keep wheels turning during Covid-19 pandemic

AdBlue producer Yara, which is responsible for the Air1 AdBlue brand, has emphasised the ongoing importance of ensuring the diesel exhaust fluid’s availability during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Road transportation is dependent on AdBlue; virtually all modern diesel vehicles are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to be fully compliant with emission regulations,” the company pointed out.

“Programmed not to run without AdBlue, these vehicles will not restart if the AdBlue tank is left empty.

“Without diesel vehicles the transport system would break down – and without a transport system, face masks and hand sanitisers would not reach the hospitals; food and toilet paper would not reach the shops; builders and electricians would not reach the building sites.

“It is Yara’s position that Air1 AdBlue should be classified as essential in keeping supply chains working.”

In order to maintain business continuity during the Covid-19 pandemic, Air1 has outlined three key commitments it has made to help it traverse the current challenging environment.

These include the safeguarding of company employees, contractors, partners, neighbours and society at large; a commitment to keep operations running to support continued supply of food and other essential products to society; and to behave responsibly and according to government guidelines.

Yara’s total UK terminal capacity for AdBlue is 15 million litres at its sites in Immingham, Dagenham and Liverpool, meaning its security of supply is unparalleled, the firm says.

“The best chance of keeping our supply chain operations running at this critical time is down to all parties involved and by following local government guidance and avoiding unnecessary contact,” said the firm.

“We wouldn’t have the ability to keep successfully supplying AdBlue if it wasn’t for our partnership with our haulier Suttons Tankers and our dedicated UK fleet of road tankers and experienced drivers.”

Michael Cundy, managing director of Suttons Tankers, added: “Safety is our most significant focus at Suttons and this has become even more prominent during the outbreak of Covid-19.

“As a logistics provider transporting operationally crucial products, our work has become increasingly vital to the critical national infrastructure and as such, we have been strictly following government guidelines and have been reviewing these on a regular basis to ensure maximum levels of safety for our staff and customers.

“This has included providing staff with appropriate PPE and reviewing internal processes to reduce contact and any potential risk of infection.

“A reduction in paperwork transmission has also been a crucial factor in safeguarding Suttons employees and customers while undertaking key worker responsibilities to deliver essential products such as AdBlue.”

He continued: “The safety of our staff and customers is of paramount importance to us and we are doing everything we can to ensure the highest level of safety in the workplace.”

Yara says that its UK plants are all currently operating as normal; however, ongoing operations depend on a number of factors, all of which are being monitored closely.

“The situation is dynamic and could impact both demand and supply chains, depending on the spread of the virus and severity of government measures, but with the continued support from our business partners and customers, we are determined to keep the wheels turning and keep supplying AdBlue,” the firm concluded.

More information is available from the Yara website.