---

Cepsa has become the first supplier in the Strait of Gibraltar to install mass flow meters (MFMs) on its barges.

The Spanish firm has installed and certified a mass flow meter system on two of its barges and, over the coming months, Cepsa says the technology will be available on its entire fleet in the Bay of Gibraltar. It also plans to extend this system to its operations in other ports, such as Barcelona, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Huelva and Gibraltar.

Cepsa opted to install Promass flow meters developed by the Swiss manufacturer Endress+Hauser AG. According to the company's website, it currently sells 42 Promass Coriolis flow meters.

Commenting on the product, Cepsa said: "The new technology, based on the Coriolis effect, enables the amount of fuel to be supplied to be determined by mass. This in turn avoids calculations being made from measurements by volume corrected by its density and temperature, and also eliminates the possible effect that the presence of air in the flow could have."

Alberto Martinez-Lacaci, manager of Cepsa's bunker unit, remarked: "Having a technology that allows an absolutely precise fuel supply is a priority for our Company. We have opted for a pioneering system in order to offer our clients a supply based on transparency and the trust that they place on our products and operations."

Cepsa added: "In addition to the high degree of precision to the supply, which is essential in the bunker fuel business, the use of this technology reduces operation times by up to three hours, which in the long term will increase profitability. In addition, another advantage is its transparency as it allows for continuous and simultaneous monitoring throughout the entire supply process."

According to Cepsa, its measurement system equipment has been calibrated, certified and sealed according to the Directive 2014/32/EU (MID).