UK Transport company switches 15-truck fleet to ‘pure plant oil’, Verdent Fuel, to reduce GGEs 70 percent

UK transport company H. Wragg Transport has converted its fleet of fifteen 44-tonne tractor units to Verdant Fuel, a canola-based fuel oil which achieves 70 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The “pure plant oil” was evaluated in a pilot test before full conversion. The trucks have been modified to hold secondary tanks, so that they start on conventional diesel and switch over during operation to running biofuels.

In recent months, the UK biodiesel business has been winding down i the face of US competition. Recently, D1 Oils completed a $32 million capital raise, primarily from existing shareholders, and said it would exit the UK biodiesel refining business and concentrate on its plantation and science businesses, including its JV with BP.

“We believe that UK (biodiesel) demand will largely be met by subsidized US imports. We do not see the UK as offering a viable location for refining and trading to meet domestic demand for the foreseeable future,” the company said in a statement. The company will close or sell its two UK plants, affecting 80 staff.

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