Exclusive: Discussing ENOC’s futuristic station with Zaid Alqufaidi

After last week’s announcement of the new visually stunning ENOC station for EXPO 2020 Dubai, PetrolPlaza spoke to Zaid Alqufaidi, Managing Director of ENOC Retail, to learn more about their “service station of the future.”

The UAE’s ENOC recently unveiled its innovatively designed “service station of the future,” their most ambitious site to this day. The station will cater EXPO 2020 Dubai’s vehicle fleet. Equipped with hundreds of solar panels, a wind turbine, almost 4,000 LED lights and multiple screens all across forecourt and c-store, the site is a testament to ENOC’s innovative and ambitious spirit.

The idea for the station fist began in April 2018 when ENOC, a wholly owned company of the Government of Dubai, was approached by EXPO 2020 to be an official partner and provide the infrastructure to fuel the World Expo’s vehicle fleet.

"I personally felt that since the Government of Dubai and the UAE were spending huge amounts on the facility, it wouldn't be fair for us to build a conventional gas station. It was an opportunity to do something special,” says Zaid Alqufaidi, who is responsible for the strategic development of ENOC's retail business stream.

After reviewing “amazing design proposals” from around the world, the retailer decided to choose something closer to their own environment. The station is built as a ghaf tree, the national tree of the UAE, and one which embodies the company’s environmental targets.

“The ghaf is green throughout the whole year. Despite high temperatures it conserves a very small quantity of water. People in the past used it as a place of shade in the dessert. The same as service stations – when people travel the only place where they stop is a gas station to rest and have a bite to eat.”

A visually stunning station with sustainability at the core

ENOC’s idea was to create a self-sustainable site that reflects both the oil company and the Government’s vision of sustainability. The 3,800 LED light modules not only illuminate the station but can also make the canopy display messages. The canopy acts as giant digital screen from underneath and above. To reduce costs, they have installed sensors in the canopy that automatically dim the lights by 50% when there are no customers.

The leaf-shaped ethylene tetrafluoroethylene cushion canopy is 100% UV ray-protected and corrosion-proof. The nine tree designs that support the station were built from 22,500m2 of carbon fibre. In addition, some 283 photovoltaic panels generate 143 MWh of solar power per year.

“We live in a place that has 365 days of sun and it was a great opportunity to use the pv panels. We were the first (fuel retailer) to use solar panels in the region in 2016. The station is connected to the national grid, allowing us to do the net metering,” explains Alqufaidi.

Another first is the installation of a 25-metre wind turbine that produces 12.7 MWh of wind energy annually.

Water recycling has been a concern for UAE retailers for a number of years now. With UAE citizens washing their vehicles almost every day, water recycling systems became a standard feature for ENOC stations. “For this particular site we went a little further. All the water generated from the daily use at the station we collect, recycle and reuse. It's self-sustained.”

The station also includes vapour recovery systems as evaporation rates are really high due to the heat.

The site includes 283 photovoltaic panels and a wind turbine

Innovation in every corner

Machine learning, artificial intelligence and data analytics customise retail offerings, managing queue and waiting times at the forecourt, and improving the customer journey.

Vehicle mapping surface lighting direct vehicles to the fuelling area, as well as entry and exits. “It's human nature to join a queue. In this station, we put a smart lighting system on the floor to guide them to the dispenser they have to go to. The fuel dispensers, supplied by Gilbarco and a first for the region, also indicate through light if the pump is available or not. All this helps reduce congestion at the station,” says the industry veteran.

The dispensers also have large screens that are used for safety messages and branding. The size of the screen also helps motorists see how much fuel is being dispensed while they sit in their vehicle.

Over 12 million LED chips illuminate the multiple digital screens across the site. Alqufaidi explains how he has always “resented” paper posters for advertisement. Digital screens allow them to have a smarter look and better promotions and advertisement for the thousands of clients that go through their sites.

“We are among the highest throughput stations not only the region but probably globally – we pump an average of 60,000 litres at each station. In 2019 we recorded 120 million transactions in a year.”

In addition to the liquid fuel dispensers, the station also has fast and ultra-fast chargers that adapt to European, American and Asian EV models. The seven leafs of the canopy represent the seven emirates of the UAE.

The 7 leafs on the EV canopy represent the UAE's 7 emirates

360º customer experience – The ultimate goal

Zaid Alqufaidi’s dream is to provide a full 360º experience to ENOC customers, and that starts with personalization. Last November they launched their own loyalty program 'Yes'.

“How can technology help us greet customers individually? All our network is equipped with smart digital cameras. They are a security requirement from authorities. Every vehicle in the UAE has a smart toll tag that charges you automatically. Recognizing vehicles is easy for us – we want to know the person sitting on the vehicle. Individuals carry their own mobiles. Whenever they visit our station (with the app) we capture all the data. The more they shop, the more we know them. Through digital screens we can send direct, specific messages to individuals,” explains a passionate Alqufaidi.

ENOC’s ambition doesn’t stop there, however. As they are one of the UAE official providers for vehicle resting and registration, they can know when a vehicle is due for inspection.

“Our ultimate goal is to capture customers 360 degrees. We can build the most beautiful stations but if they are not smart enough they are not doing their job. We are driving our business model to provide all services to our customers – fuel, convenience, registration and maintenance,” concludes ENOC’s Managing Director.

With innovation being at the heart of the UAE, Alqufaidi believes it will not be long until one of their counterparts raises the bar again. ENOC will continue to strive for modernization and expansion, including their new venture in Saudi Arabia where they already operate 20 stations.

Written by Oscar Smith Diamante