Biofuel is a fuel suitable for cars and trucks, produced from renewable biological resources.
The source material can be any plant or animal material capable of being converted to a fuel. There seems to be few limits to this: scientists are working on using algae to create biodiesel from sewage in Blenheim.
But Gull has taken a faster route by using ethanol (the alcohol in wine, beer and spirits) from fermenting the sugars in the whey produced by our dairy industry. Using agricultural by-products or other biological waste to make biofuel helps us meet our greenhouse-gas reduction targets, and reduces our dependence on imported fuel.
Waste cooking oil is being converted to biodiesel in many small-scale plants here, and there are plans for larger-scale production using tallow from the meat industry. Blends of biodiesel, such as B5 (5 percent biodiesel added to standard diesel) are most likely to be offered.
The biofuels label
This label (right) was introduced by the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA) to assure motorists that a fuel meets quality specifications and is suitable for use in their cars.
By the time the mandatory biofuel sales obligation is implemented, the government's Petroleum Products Specifications Regulations will also be altered to cover biofuel blends.
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