Government told bio-LPG is ‘future of LPG autogas’

The Government must include bio-LPG in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in order to secure the future of LPG autogas as a transport fuel, according LPG supplier Autogas Ltd.


The warning follows proposed amendments to the RTFO Order 2007 by the Department for Transport (DfT), in which is stated that ‘biomethane will continue to be the only gaseous renewable fuel supplied between now and 2020’ – despite Nesté oil agreeing to supply 160,000 tonnes of bio-LPG between 2016 and 2020.

Bio-LPG is a by-product of biodiesel production created from renewable sources, making it a carbon neutral alternative to conventional LPG which is produced using fossil fuels.

Autogas Ltd has advised the Government to remove the current 1p per year duty differential erosion for LPG in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in December, so that all gaseous road fuels are placed on a level playing field.

The company also calls for the creation of an integrated road fuels strategy to recognise the long-term role of bio-LPG as a sustainable transport fuel.

Gaseous fuels

Head of Autogas Ltd, Linda Gomersall, said: “With 1,400 refuelling sites supplying 155,000 cars and vans, LPG autogas is already widely used in the UK and bio-LPG should be taken equally seriously within government.

“Bio-LPG is chemically indistinct from LPG autogas, and can therefore be used by all existing LPG autogas powered vehicles without the need for modification. Bio-LPG is the future of LPG and should be recognised as a serious option for sustainable transport fuel.

“With the Department for Transport predicting that from 2015, 5% of new HGV’s will be using gaseous fuels, as well as the huge opportunity to lower emissions from non-road mobile machinery such as fork lift trucks and generators.

“It makes perfect sense for the government to recognise bio-LPG as an option and to make the transition to gaseous fuels as smooth as possible.”

In June, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) published a report which set out how the UK Government can best achieve its 2020 target of 10% transport energy from renewable sources, as defined in the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive.

Last month, edie reported on a blueprint drawn up by Autogas Ltd, suggesting that the Government give tackling air pollution the same level of priority as climate change when devising transport policy.

Lois Vallely

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