CBI member, BP has announced that it has opened its first branded petrol station in Shandong Province. The new station has been opened in partnership with BP’s new joint venture partner, Shandong Dongming Petrochemical Group, and marks the start of a plan to launch 1,000 new petrol stations across China over the next five years.
BP’s latest petrol station has opened in Jinan, in the Huaiyin District. According to Hanna Hofer, president of BP China Retail: “[with the opening of the Jinan site, BP] is testing a new design and service offer, reflecting the uniqueness of the fast-changing retail environment and customer needs in China.” This new service offer includes made-to-order coffee delivered to the car as well as free WIFI on-site.
The company is expanding the number of petrol stations it operates within China in response to the Chinese government lifting the 30-site limit on international fuel retailers in 2018.
BP currently has operations at 1,000 petrol stations across China, but will double that number over the next five years by adding new sites in Shandong, Henan and Hebei Provinces.
The new site will be BP’s first retail site in China offering charging for electric vehicles. According to Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive, BP Downstream: “China is an important market in our downstream growth strategy; this marks the first BP site with our full offer, demonstrating continued intent to provide charging solutions, fuels, and a high-quality retail offer to our customers.”
BP has publicly committed itself to a low carbon future, aiming to reduce greenhouse gases in its operations, improving its products and services to help customers lower their emissions, and to create new low carbon businesses. It is with this in mind, that BP launched the “BP Target Neutral” programme.
The new petrol station in BP will be the first site enrolled on the scheme in China, which aims to balance traditional petroleum sales with electrical power supply across BP sites.
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