At 11:00 p.m. on May 27, 2020 (Beijing Time), the World Economic Forum (WEF) released Global Innovations from the Energy Sector 2010-2020. Sinochem Energy High-Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Sinochem Energy High-tech”), a subsidiary of Sinochem Holdings Corporation Ltd., was selected into this white paper for its innovation in a project of “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”. This white paper brings together innovation cases of the global energy sector in the past decade. These cases not only bring innovation benefits to the whole society, and play their roles in accelerated transformation of the global energy sector.
In 2019, the World Economic Forum’s International Energy Community in China launched a competition to highlight examples of disruptive innovations coming from the energy sector over the past decade. The submissions were evaluated by a panel of experts from China, the US, Europe and Africa. As an innovation-oriented chemical conglomerate with tremendous world-class influencing power, which is driven by high technology, Sinochem Holdings Corporation Ltd. was invited to submit its case for this competition. From the submission of application materials in October 2019 to the achievement of desired result on May 27, 2020, after multiple rounds of screening, demonstration and evaluation, “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System” of Sinochem Holdings Corporation Ltd. stood out from many candidates on a global scale, which was included into Global Innovations from the Energy Sector 2010-2020.
In addition, other successful cases included HVDC LightTM (ABB), Immersion Cooling Fluid for Data Centers (Shell), Smart Wires Power Flow Control Technology (United Kingdom Power Networks), Environmentally-friendly Electrical Switchgear (Siemens), etc.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is also known as “Davos Forum” because the first session was held in Davos, Switzerland. It is an unofficial international organization committed to analyzing and discussing about the issues in the world economy and promoting international economic cooperation and exchange.
Why Did “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System” Become a Successful Submission?
A large number of hazardous chemicals need to be transported every year. As drivers are employed by the clients, their information sharing with the owners and plants/warehouses is impeded, and warehouse loading or unloading schedules are not transparent. As a result, drivers blindly leave for the delivery destinations so that hazardous chemicals transportation vehicles congest near chemical plants or warehouses, which would trigger severe damage in the event of an explosion.
In order to prevent hazardous chemicals transportation vehicles from congestion and intensify supervision of mobile source of hazards, Sinochem Energy High-tech has independently developed “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”, which is designed to defuse safety management risks caused by vehicle congestion in chemical plants, third-party warehouses and chemical parks, and improve driver and operating personnel wellbeing. While working efficiency of loading and unloading sites is improved, enterprises and governments no longer need to newly build parking lots, which saves lots of land resources from being occupied by parking. This not only solves the problems for relevant enterprises, but also generates considerable social value.
Through “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”, chemical plants/warehouses can independently provide reservation time frames for loading and unloading according to their own business and production conditions. This system allows drivers to make remote querying of delivery plans and advance scheduling of loading and unloading. This effectively fills a safety loophole in vehicle queuing due to unplanned and disorganized swarming of the drivers into chemical parks and warehouses.
In addition, chemical parks, chemical plants and warehouses can perform real-time visual monitoring for the dynamics of personnel and hazardous chemicals transportation vehicles through “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”. Real-time warning is given in case of deviation from prescribed routes, entry into the prohibited area, overspeed and other abnormalities of personnel activities and hazardous chemicals transportation vehicles.
Real-time view for the locations of all vehicles within electronic fence of warehouses/chemical plants and real-time warning of vehicle violations
What changes has “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System” brought to users?
Since “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System” went live, it has been applied by Anhui Huaibei New Coal Chemical Industry and Synthetic Materials Base, Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (“Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical”), Sinochem Tianjin Port Petrochemical Terminal Co., Ltd., Chongqing Ziguang International Chemical Co., Ltd. (“Chongqing Ziguang”), Chongqing Yingtianhui Chlor-Alkali Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (“Chongqing Yingtianhui”), Changchun Chemical (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., Wuhan Hengyang Chemical Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd., Wuhan Youji Industrial Co., Ltd., Qianjiang Xinyihong Organic Chemical Co., Ltd. and other chemical parks and petrochemicals enterprises, which has achieved the desired results.
Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical minimizes queuing vehicles on site and enhances safety control
In the late April 2019, Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical, together with Sinochem Oil Marketing Co., Ltd., and Sinochem Energy High-tech Co., Ltd., launched “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”. Since this system was put into service more than one year ago, delivery site of Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical has changed markedly.
Firstly, the number of hazardous chemical transportation vehicles waiting to take delivery of goods on site has been drastically reduced. Thanks to “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”, Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical can independently provide reservation time frames for loading and unloading according to its own business and production conditions. Drivers can make query about delivery plans in advance and take delivery of goods at the appointed time. Therefore, since this system went live, the number of hazardous chemical transportation vehicles waiting to take delivery of goods on site has dropped sharply, and safety risk has been sharply minimized.
Secondly, the safety control of drivers and hazardous chemical transportation vehicles has been further enhanced. In an online manner, the staff verifies whether the qualifications of drivers, supercargoes and vehicle meet the compliant requirements through “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”. Under the premise of passing such verification, drivers can make a reservation for delivery time. Once an illegal operation or an expired qualification is detected, the on-site staff closes the access to reservation.
Thirdly, the efficiency of delivery has been greatly improved. Drivers can view the queuing status in real time through “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System”, and prepare for entering the sites in advance. In addition, through this system, loading jack makes one-touch calling for the drivers to enter the sites, eliminating the need for security personnel’s phone call for driver names. Driver waiting time on site has been shortened significantly compared with the previous duration.
Chongqing Yingtianhui and Chongqing Ziguang optimize the delivery process and strengthen compliance supervision
In the late December 2019, “Vehicle Queuing Reservation System” was successively put into service in Chongqing Yingtianhui and Chongqing Ziguang. Since launch for more than five months, this system has brought significant improvements to both enterprises in terms of on-site management.
Firstly, the delivery process has been optimized, and the on-site management has turned safe and orderly. Since operation of this system, drivers have remotely inquired about delivery bills and made an online reservation for delivery time. The on-site staff makes one-touch calling for the convenience of drivers to enter the sites, and then vehicles enter the sites in an orderly manner. On delivery site of Chongqing Yingtianhui, as of May 26, 2020, more than 400 drivers had made more than 6,000 reservations. Driver waiting time on site has been greatly shortened, with an average duration of 13 minutes. In this way, the efficiency of delivery has been remarkably improved.
Secondly, authenticity and compliance of the information on vehicles, drivers and supercargoes have been verified online, and compliance supervision of drivers and hazardous chemical transportation vehicles has been strengthened. Since this system was put into service in Chongqing Yingtianhui and Chongqing Ziguang, more than 400 drivers and supercargoes and more than 300 hazardous chemical transportation vehicles have been examined with reference to the online filing. Support has been provided for the staff’s on-site management. In case that expired certificates or qualifications of drivers and vehicles are found, the follow-up handling is made without delay.
The fundamental mission of every enterprise lies in innovation and creation. Sinochem's staff have pressed “Accelerator Key” of technological innovation in order to demonstrate the greatest innovation and the best creation with the highest efficiency and the lowest consumption, and contribute to China’s intelligence and digitization on the horizon.
[Editor in charge: Wu Quan]