Shell is trialing wireless technology in its US service stations, initially to make cost savings.
IBM is to carry out field trials for Shell across a selection of six petrol stations in the US to examine the savings that can be made using wireless technology to reduce operation and maintenance costs at its sites, including energy costs.
As well as managing energy usage and comparing one sites against another, the technology could also enable maintenance requirements to be identified before there was a breakdown. While the trial is only covering six sites in the US, if, in around nine months time, it proves to be successful, it could be extended to the company’s 2,300 sites in the US – and then potentially to sites across Europe and the rest of the world.
Energy consumption management technology is not new in the industrial and commercial sector, but this is a new development in the drive to reduce costs for fuel retailers, which, across most of the world, are facing tight margins from selling fuel. Cost reductions will be vital in placing a company at a cost advantage to its rivals.
The technology may also provide extra benefits to the fuel retailers. Once the infrastructure is in place, they may be able to use it to add services such as ePayment or vehicle diagnostics – or to allow downloading of content, such as videos, into in-car telematics systems. This would improve retailers’ offerings for motorists, providing the companies with a potentially lucrative new revenue stream.
