GreatGas scoops ‘Best Oil Company Initiative’ for its fully unmanned self-service filling station concept at

Ireland’s Forecourt and Convenience Retailer Awards 2011

The Irish Forecourt and Convenience Retailer Awards are designed to reward professionalism and entrepreneurial spirit in retailing, reward innovation and commitment while, at the same time, helping to raise industry standards.

GreatGas’ revolutionary 24/7 ‘pay-at-the-pump’ forecourt opened in Santry, in Dublin, two years ago and has been a huge success ever since. Until recently, only diesel was available at GreatGas 24/7 on the Old Airport Road in Santry, Dublin 9 as dispensing petrol on an unmanned forecourt was prohibited by Irish law. This legislation has now changed and petrol is now on offer at the outlet. The addition of petrol to the forecourt has provided extra convenience for customers, particularly those on early and late flights to and from Dublin airport and tourists who need to fill up before returning their rental cars.

Ray O’ Sullivan, Managing Director of GreatGas, says they are delighted with the award win.

“We are now well advanced with plans to roll out three more outlets around the country in the coming year and we are also open to approaches from other existing forecourt owners who are interested in partnering with us on this new business model.”

GreatGas 24/7 ‘pay-at-the-pump’ forecourts provide customers with quick and hassle free petrol and diesel, twenty four hours a day all year round. The facility could not be easier to use! You simply drive onto the forecourt, insert your credit, debit or fuel card at the pump and select the amount of petrol or diesel you require. You are then asked to enter your card’s security pin number and this will unlock the pump and you can begin pumping the fuel. After dispensing the requested amount of fuel, you will be provided with a receipt.

GreatGas awards €3.5m haulage contract to COH
05 September 2010

Irish-owned fuel supplier GreatGas has awarded a €3.5 million contract to Cork-based haulage firm COH Transport.

Under the terms of the four-year deal, COH will transport fuel produced at the ConocoPhillips oil refinery in Whitegate , Co Cork, to the GreatGas network of forecourts in Munster and south Leinster.

GreatGas has worked with COH since its launch in 2006, but this is the first long-term contract between the two firms. ‘‘We have been in the oil haulage business for over ten years, and this contract with GreatGas, for its logistics requirements from ConocoPhillips in Whitegate, further cements the relationship between the two companies," said Doreen Hartnett, director of COH Transport.

In July, GreatGas signed a five-year contract, worth in excess of €30 million, to open its 50thbranded forecourt in Harold’s Cross in Dublin. Situated on Parnell Road, the facility was the third Great Gas forecourt to open in Dublin in 12 months.

GreatGas 24/7, the first unmanned and automated self-service filling station in Ireland, opened in Santry last summer.
GreatGas plans to open 15 more forecourts in the next 12 months. It supplies 50 existing branded forecourts and a further 30 independent operators.

Headquartered in Churchtown, Co Cork, GreatGas is part of the DCC plc group. As well as the ConocoPhillips facility in Whitegate, the supplier sources fuel from Chevron in Dublin and Galway, and the LSS terminal in Derry.

Printed in Sunday Business Post – 5^th September 2010