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East of England Euro MP Robert Sturdy yesterday pledged to do all he could to help a Norfolk company's campaign for a cut in excise duty on biodegradable diesel.
It came as he visited Global Commodities UK, based at Shipdam near Dereham, which produces 10 million litres of the fuel every year from waste vegetable oil.
The driveECO fuel can be used without any engine conversion and produces no harmful emissions. Thanks to a deal with supply company Broadland Fuels, it will be available at 40 filling stations in East Anglia. It is used in the regional haulage industry and has been tested by Broads boat hirer Camelot Craft.
Global Commodities managing director Dennis Thouless, who is planning a second plant at Lowestoft to boost production to 180 million litres a year, is keen to use virgin oilseed-rape oils rather than the recovered variety, so generating a new and profitable market for farmers.
But when combined with 26p per litre excise duty, the extra cost of using virgin instead of recovered oil would deprive the biofuel of its price advantage over regular diesel or liquid petroleum gas.
Mr Thouless said "I strongly believe that East Anglia could be the oil field of the future, but it will not come to fruition until excise duty is reduced. We still have to pay almost 26p per litre excise duty in this country. I'm hoping pressure can be added on our government to further reduce excise duty in the next budget".
Mr Sturdy, Conservative environmental spokesman in the European Parliament, said he had addressed the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on the same subject. He added: "I am delighted to see in action what I have been campaigning for 20 years. I will do everything I possible can to help East Anglia and this particular company develop this product. We can apply pressure to ensure these projects get Government backing".
From the Eastern Daily Press – December 2002
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