Green fuel on tap (From Stroud News and Journal)

Green fuel on tap

FILLING up on biodiesel is set to become a lot easier as a Stroud filling station becomes one of the first in the UK to have its own pump.

The green fuel, similar to cooking oil, will soon be available from a forecourt pump like traditional petrol in a pioneering project from a Woodchester firm.

Adrian Lawton, boss of Pure Biodiesel Ltd in the Woodchester Trading Estate believes the move will make biodiesel more accessible to drivers.

"The word is spreading," he said. "In the few months I have been down here the amount I am selling has quadrupled just because I am available to do it.

"It is not quite going to look like a normal filling station because it is on an industrial yard.

"But it will hopefully make it a lot easier - I have to do it by the jug at the moment."

The eco-friendly biodiesel is made from processed vegetable fats and can be used in most diesel engines without the need for conversion.

Green Party members welcomed the idea, saying drivers should be encouraged to use alternative fuels to help tackle climate change.

Spokesman Philip Booth said: "This garage is very good news. Biofuels, such as biodiesel made from used industrial fast-food cooking oil, are carbon-neutral and part of the answer to tackling climate change."

But he added: "However we must be careful. Recycling wastes into biofuels like this offers much greater benefits for struggling local economies than enormous agricultural monocultures.

"In the States vast areas of GM crops are being grown for biodiesel. We do not want to see that here, with multinational corporations strengthening their hold on British farming.

"Highly intensive agricultural production and the loss of set-aside land could lead to fewer refuges for biodiversity and strengthen the grip of agribusiness on rural land management."

For more information on Pure Biodiesel call 01453 872000.