We are Bio Tech Oils UK Ltd, and here in sunny Tredegar, South Wales we produce Bio Diesel. To put it empirically, Bio Diesel is a synthetic alternative fuel, prepared through the process of Transesterification, by chemically converting our feed stock oils into Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME or Bio Diesel). Feed stocks that we can convert into Bio Diesel include waste vegetable oils, tallow, rapeseed, palm oil and essentially any natural oil. However, we tend not to use virgin oils, and especially palm oil, because of ethical reasons.

Currently we are the biggest producer of Bio Diesel in God's own country, Wales. Beside supplying many Welsh firms, we have had the honour of supplying the fuel for the generators at the recent Live Earth concert in London.

While the Bio Diesel we produce is generally blended with mineral diesel and used by haulage firms in South Wales as a road fuel, there are many, many applications for such a fuel; a few of which have been demonstrated publicly by the likes of Richard Branson and his Bio-powered trains and very recently his Bio-powered 747 jet plane.

Fortunately, Bio Diesel can be delivered and distributed through the same systems that are already in place for the delivery and distribution of mineral diesel, and so there is no need to put in any expensive infrastructure. For example, LPG required putting in massive infrastructural changes around the country to store the fuel, and vehicles require expensive conversions to run on it. While most LPG fans tout the fuel as being 'green', it is still a fossil fuel, and as such is still contributing to atmospheric pollution and possible global warming. Bio Diesel does not require any special storage facilities, so no money and energy has to be wasted on creating new infrastructure or converting fuel systems. Bio Diesel is quite literally a plug-and-play renewable fuel.

As of April 2008 the government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) Programme will place an obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure that a certain percentage of their aggregate sales are made up of Bio Fuels. The effect of this will be to require 5% of all UK fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010. The RTFO is modelled on the existing Renewables Obligation in the UK electricity supply industry. The transport sector is responsible for 25% of emissions and through this initiative the RTFO expects to reduce the carbon emissions from road transport in 2010 by about 0.7 - 0.8 million tonnes, equivalent to 2.6 - 3.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Bio Diesel can be blended into mineral diesel at any level, while falling under different British Standards depending on concentration. Essentially, above 5% is covered by BS EN 14214, while below 5% is covered by BS EN 490. Interestingly, when a fuel is sold at or below a 5% blend level the sellers do not have to tell the purchasers about there being Bio Diesel present; and so, chances are that if you drive a diesel-powered car you have already used our fuel. In which case, I say 'Thank you for using renewable fuel and making the future more sustainable for our children'.

Dr. Andrew J. Price
plants