DUMORE ENTERPRISES
July 1st, 2020
DUMORE ENTERPRISES
Leading In Climate-Positive Policies and Business Lines Presenter at the June 2020 Energy Efficiency and Renewables Conference
By Kieran Andrew Khan
Adapting to change has become the order of the day for businesses amidst a global pandemic and the resulting economic impacts. Established in 1981, Dumore Enterprises has experienced shifts in the marketplace. With business lines from oilfield and industrial supplies to transport and commercial leasing, the company knows the benefits of diversification as a measure to reduce risk and improve offerings to its customer base.
One such expansion is into the area of CNG – the culmination of over eight years of research, investment and experience. Certified as a licensed installation company and CNG service provider, Dumore offers conversions (retrofits) on vehicles to use CNG as an alternate fuel. They also provide fleet leasing with CNG options and operate the largest fleet of CNG vehicles in the region. Apart from being cost-effective (80% savings on super gasoline and 70% on diesel vehicles), CNG also has other fantastic benefits. Switching lowers carbon monoxide output by 80% and carbon dioxide (which contributes to global warming) by 30%. Customers who also switch would note that due to the higher-octane rating, there is less wear and tear in their engines over time too.
Becoming a licensed installation centre was a journey of learning for the organisation. “We stood by the regulators and believed in their work to make CNG installation standards comparable with international standards,” Alex Jodhan of Dumore notes. “We also worked with many of the national agencies to support training initiatives so that competent technicians specialised in CNG can be accessed. Our investment creates new jobs and promotes a skill area for new employment. We have completed approximately 1000 installations of CNG and surpassed 38 million kilometres driven on CNG,” he also pointed out.
Ever conscious of their role as a corporate citizen in the context of increasing environmental concerns over climate change, Dumore remains committed to evolving with the market, changes in regulations and consumer demands. “Charging vehicles with fossil fuel-generated electricity creates more inefficiency and results in the losses in transmission of electricity as an example,” Jodhan adds. “Dumore is continuously monitoring the changes in transport fuel options. Hydrogen-enriched CNG (a mode for the quick first deployment of hydrogen into the transport fuel option), hydrogen and even electric vehicles will all be viable options for us. Our decision to invest will also be influenced by our local infrastructure, of course,” Jodhan highlights.
Another area in which Dumore has invested heavily for over three decades is in their integrity mission. “In the US, a study by the Environmental Defense Fund in 2018 found that 2.3% of methane gas produced was lost to leaks with an estimated cost of USD 2 billion per year. They cite the International Energy Agency with estimates that the worldwide industry could reduce emissions by 75% and that two-thirds of the leaks could be plugged at ‘zero net cost’. Essentially the savings pay for the repair,” he advises. Dumore has supplied and manufactured bolts, studs and gaskets to the energy sector – oil and gas, petrochemical, refining, industrial and manufacturing sectors, with its accompanying material test reports. Through their international partners, the company developed the ability to locally deliver awareness training on bolts, gasket technology and flange assembly best-practices.
Additionally, they offer pipeline repair and modification solutions, as well as ECITB, accredited joint integrity training using local trainers. These investments add quality, competency and sustainability to their customers—a win-win for all.
Since 2010 they also phased out the use of plastic packaging for all their supplied products outside of supplier packaging. While this results in an increased cost, this initiative was taken in the interest of the environment. They have been replacing it with cardboard instead. “We have used approximately four hundred thousand boxes of various sizes over the last ten years,” Jodhan proudly notes – highlighting the scale that one small business decision by one company can have. “We have also been changing our lighting fixtures company-wide to LED fixtures to reduce our electricity draw further. Dumore also actively engages in rigorous building and facility maintenance to improve efficiency and reduce waste and have been harvesting rainwater for emergency use for fire and disaster preparedness measures. We have also improved electrical performance with balancing of phases and proper grounding,” he adds. Their natural lighting design inputs and other LEED standards have gone into their future building plans as well – making use of our year-round sunny conditions.
“This is for us, a start. Our next steps as a supporter of ‘net-zero targets’ will be a combination of offerings,” Jodhan points out. While continuously engaged in investments that boost the human resource of their company with a view to up-skilling the national labour resource, they balance this with ambitious but necessary environmentally-friendly decisions – proof that one company can make a big difference.
