21 May 2001: A claim by the British Association of Bio Fuels and Oils that Bio-diesel is the 'fuel of the future' has been questioned by Volvo UK.
According to Volvo UK environment manager John Pitts, bio-diesel 'is dirtier, smellier, and less fuel-efficient than low sulphur diesel'. And, as part of Volvo's own research into bio-diesel and based on Swedish research, he says it 'makes engines more costly to maintain'.
The comment follows a British Government move in the recent budget to make bio-diesel 20p cheaper than low sulphur diesel. Volvo suggests that instead of using bio-diesel in its pure form, fleet operators should mix the low sulphur fuel with a 5% concentration of rapeseed oil.
"The most alarming statistic from recent Swedish research is that bio-diesel emissions are 10 times more carcinogenic than standard low sulphur fuel," says John Pitts. "And tailpipe emissions of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen can be up to 40% higher than diesel engines."
He also notes that rapeseed oil cuts performance by 10% and there are penalties in fuel consumption. Difficulties at low temperatures - rapeseed oil turns into the texture of margarine at 14degsC - and the need to clean fuel heaters more often are also disincentives.
"There is no perfect fuel, even hydrogen doesn't have all the answers. They all have their own individual benefits and problems. Bio-diesel may well be one of these future fuel choices, but at Volvo we favour fuels like methane/CNG."
Volvo is planning to introduce a new Bi-Fuel range of LPG and CNG models this autumn, as the first manufacturer to offer a complete range of Bi-Fuel models that have been designed and developed in-house and are factory-fitted on the production line.
