OKQ8 Sweden Opens Europe’s First Sustainable Filling Station

Solar panels and rainwater for the car wash, solar cells for energy production, high speed rechargers for electric cars and a ’green’ roof are only a few of the environmental attributes at OKQ8 Sweden’s sustainable filling station, under construction in Stockholm. The station, due to be inaugurated in January 2012, is built with the ambition to be operated with almost no environmental impact. The construction of the station itself is environmentally optimized with maximal use of sustainable materials.

-    The sustainable filling station is our very own contribution to renew the industry. As an industry, we can do so much more than develop renewable fuels and environmentally friendly car products, says Göran Lindblå, Executive Chairman of OKQ8 Sweden.

-    Q8 has a strong reputation for leading the way in innovation and sustainability; as early as 1985 we were the first company to launch unleaded fuel in Europe. Initiatives that contribute to securing a sustainable future has always been a top priority for Q8 and this unique retail site is yet another example that we are serious about achieving our goals, says Hussain E. Esmaiel, President of Kuwait Petroleum International.

Station made of renewable materials
The station’s back bone is built using glulam beams, which is a renewable material and less energy consuming than steel. The walls are isolated with stone wool, a natural material made from mineral fibers, which contains recycled material. The stone wool itself is also recyclable.

’Green’ roof and sun-heated rainwater for the car wash
The station’s roof will contain both water collectors and solar panels, which will heat up the rainwater to be reused for the station’s car wash. The remaining part of the shop roof is covered by sedum, whose vegetation both absorbs air pollution and helps to naturally insulate against heat and cold. Sedum will give the shop a more even temperature inside and lower energy use regardless of the season.

-    Our starting point is that our sustainable station will be run with the least possible environmental impact. Although the construction cost for this project is higher than for our other stations, we are fully convinced that the station - which in itself will be almost energy self sufficient – also will return the investment, says Andrea Haag, Environmental Manager OKQ8 Sweden.

The only gas station with high speed rechargers for electrical cars
Other smart solutions that the sustainable station will provide are rechargers for electrical cars. The rechargers will get part of their energy from the solar cells on the rooftop of the shop. OKQ8 Sweden will, as the sole fuel provider, have eight parking spots for rent with recharger with only up to 20 minutes recharge. The station also provides electrical cars for
rent, namely Mitsubishi iMiEV, one of the first mass produced electric cars available on the Swedish market.

Reinforced grass at parking spots and roof coating which breaks down exhaust fumes with help from the sun To visualize the station’s sustainability, parking spaces will be covered with reinforced grass. Titanium oxide coated concrete slabs are framing the parking spots and part of the rooftop is coated with the same material. Titanium oxide has the ability to break down dirt and exhaust fumes when in contact with the sun.

-    I’m proud that KPI, together with our partners, are leading by example in demonstrating the greatest care for the environment and we actively encourage more projects of this type in the future, says Faraok Hussain Al-Zanki, Chief Executive Officer at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

OKQ8 best at Sustainable Development within the fuel industry
During 2011 OKQ8 was nominated ’Sweden’s most sustainable fuel company” in the brand review Sustainable Brands. In the review Swedish consumers get to decide which brands are the most sustainable on the Swedish market. The basis for the review is the 10 principles named in UN’s Global Compact, which includes a company’s environmental responsibility, human rights, industrial laws and prevention of corruption.

For more information, please contact:
Andrea Haag, Environmental Manager OKQ8 Sweden Mobile: +46 70 268 02 03 E-mail: andrea.haag@okq8.se
Göran Lindblå, Executive Chairman OKQ8 Sweden Mobile: +46 70 598 44 22 E-mail: goran.lindbla@okq8.se