23 June 2005
A Standard for environmentally-friendly oil alternative
New Zealand’s first Standard for Biodiesel will help to ensure consumers will be able to access a renewable fuel resource in the future that is reliable, affordable and good for the environment.
The clock is ticking on the world’s oil supplies. Oil prices continue to rise, air pollution is getting worse, and Kyoto Agreement obligations need to be met. The timing of New Zealand’s Biodiesel Standard couldn’t be better.
Countries around the world are looking for renewable sources of fuel, and the demand for biodiesel is likely to grow.
Entitled Automotive Biodiesel – Specification for manufacture and blending (NZS 7500:2005), the Standard is now available from Standards New Zealand (SNZ).
The Standard addresses issues around managing biodiesel, which can be used in trucks, buses, cars and other diesel engines as a blend with diesel fuel or as 100% biodiesel. Fuel sold at the retail pump will contain no more than 5% biodiesel.
John Kelly, Project Manager at SNZ, said they began developing the New Zealand Standard after being approached by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) in October last year. Biodiesel standards already exist in the USA, Europe and Australia.
“People need to know that the biodiesel they can buy from the pump will work well,” said Mr Kelly. “The Standard will help to ensure that biodiesel from service stations will be compatible with vehicles and meet quality and blend specifications, as well as being environmentally-friendly.”
“The Standard will also provide producers, importers and vehicle manufacturers with more confidence that the fuel is an acceptable quality,” said Mr Kelly.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has developed a biofuel label, which can only be used if the biodiesel meets the new standard.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils or animal fats, and has various advantages over normal transport fuels including:
- it is a renewable energy source
- reduced overall greenhouses gas emissions
- reduced exhaust emissions (which differ depending on the blend)
- it is more biodegradable than ordinary diesel
- reduces dependency on fossil fuels
- it can be used in unmodified vehicles (depending on the blend)
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