Government’s proposals will fail to deliver greener petrol

The REA has criticised ongoing Government delays and questioned its ability to deliver E10 following proposals published on 20th July.

The new Department for Transport consultation clearly recognises the benefits of E10 petrol (i.e. petrol with 10% renewable bioethanol) and wants the UK to join the many other countries around the world where E10 is available.

Grant Pearson, Chair of the Renewable Energy Association’s Transport Fuel Group, said:

“Government’s intention is clear – it wants E10 on the market, but the proposal will prevent or at best delay E10’s introduction. It goes against the polluter pays principle and will ensure that cleaner fuel, which is the best for the majority of cars, will only be found in a minority of petrol stations. We need an effective way of making the transition to greener petrol, whilst protecting UK motorists. We believe this can be achieved by making E10 widely available alongside a legacy fuel such as ‘super/98’.

“The UK has two of the largest manufacturers of bioethanol in Europe. These facilities support 6,000 jobs and provide UK agriculture with a market for feed wheat and a source of protein-rich animal feed co-product. If the market for E10 is held back, not only will these jobs and UK farmers be put at risk, but the UK motorist will be forced into paying more for reducing carbon from cars.”

The consultation document sets out how E10 (i.e. petrol with 10% renewable bioethanol) has the following benefits:

• It reduces greenhouse gasses,
• It is the reference fuel for new car type approval for fuel consumption and emissions standards
• It keeps the cost of meeting the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation down, and
• It supports UK industry and agriculture, particularly to the large bioethanol producers in the North East

The consultation is available to read here.

—ENDS—