Friday 20 July 2018

UK mulls introducing ‘greener’ petrol at forecourts

UK mulls introducing ‘greener’ petrol at forecourts

New, greener petrol could be provided at forecourts across the UK under new plans proposed by the government.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking views on whether and how it should introduce the E10 fuel – which contains more bioethanol than traditional petrol – to the market.

It previously announced changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which requires suppliers to increase the amount of renewable fuel provided across the UK up to 2032.

To meet the target, fuel suppliers could choose to increase the percentage of bioethanol in petrol beyond the current 5% (E5) up to a limit of 10% (E10).

According to the DfT, using the E10 fuel could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of a petrol vehicle by around 2%. However, industry figures suggest there could be around one million cars in the UK that are unsuitable to use the E10 fuel.

The government has therefore launched a consultation - which will run until 16th September 2018 - on the proposals and the reintroduction of an E5 protection grade to ensure standard petrol remains available at an affordable price.

It also seeks to introduce new fuel labelling at petrol pumps and on new cars.

Transport Minister Jesse Norman said: “This government is ambitiously seeking to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and cut carbon emissions from transport. But drivers of older vehicles should not be hit hard in the pocket as a result.

“We have launched this consultation in order to understand the impact of E10 on the UK market better and to ensure that drivers are protected if any changes come into effect.”

New legislation aimed at boosting the number of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) across the UK was passed through Parliament ysterday.

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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