Londons Black Cabs Switch To Cheaper Biofuel
13 October 2011
Around 1,000 out of 21,000 of the iconic London black cabs have made the switch from diesel to using biofuel generated from used cooking oil, at a saving of 20p per litre
Last week it emerged that, after Thomson's test flights using biofuel generated from cooking oil, many environmentalists regarded the scheme as counterproductive, saying vast amounts of cooking oil would be needed and would harm the environmental in other ways. See CIWM story
Perhaps an alternative use for the biofuel made from cooking oil has been discovered in central London, with around 1,000 out of 21,000 black cabs turning to the alternative fuel as a way of helping to clean up London air and save 20p per litre in contrast to average diesel prices.
The solution would see less amounts of the fuel being needed than to fuel flights but would also make a vast different in local terms, to city's and town.
With such environmental and cost benefits it seems like a win-win situation, yet a tight licensing regime and relatively high upfront costs means getting a biofuel company up and running in the first place is tough.
A company must acquire two permits from two government departments to operate as a biodiesel producer in the UK; from the Environment Agency and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which can be costly and take up to half a year to attain according to Uptown and Pure Fuels, the only two companies providing London with its source of biofuel.
Another issue is that Recycled vegetable oil won't work in petrol engines, only diesel cars. And even though the oil works in all normal diesel engines, some car manufacturers only provide warranties for use of fuel with a maximum of 5 percent biodiesel.
Renault and VW warrant their European vehicles for up to 30 percent, while Volkswagen and Scania stand out as firms that allow most of their diesel engines to use 100 percent biofuel.
According to Department of Transport figures, biofuel only accounts for a small fraction of UK road power, with only 3.1 percent in 2010. Used cooking oil is the key ingredient, accounting for around a third of all biofuels on the road.
The market share is not yet significant enough for the government to compile figures.
Darrel Moore
