A Bio-bus Takes to the Road

26 October 2007

Pure biodiesel from used cooking oil to power eight vehicles in Stagecoach trial

The UK’s first trial of buses running on 100 per cent pure biodiesel was launched today.

In a pilot project, Argent Energy, the UK’s first large scale biodiesel producer, is working with Stagecoach, one of the UK’s biggest bus and coach operators, to supply the biodiesel made by recycling and processing tallow (animal fat) and used cooking oil – both by-products of the food industry.

The environmentally-friendly fuel will be used to power eight buses serving the Kilmarnock area in Scotland in a trial which is expected to run for around six months.

Passengers will be able to help fuel the buses by exchanging their used cooking oil for discounted bus travel under a unique environmental incentive scheme.

Running under the slogan “Do your part, be Bio smart!” the single-deck Bio-buses have been fitted with bespoke dual fuel tanks and Argent Energy is providing bulk fuel storage at Stagecoach’s Kilmarnock depot for the duration of the trial.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: “This innovative project is a great opportunity for our customers to play their part in saving the planet by recycling household products that would otherwise go to waste. I’m sure the idea of cheaper travel in exchange for the used contents of your chip pan will capture people’s imagination.

“Biodiesel is an excellent renewable fuel which has a number of environmental benefits, and we are delighted to carry out the first UK trial of this technology on a commercial bus service.  We are looking forward to assessing these vehicles and the potential of this technology for our bus operations in the UK.”

Jim Walker, Operations Director at Argent Energy, said: “We are delighted to work with Stagecoach on this ground-breaking trial. I am pleased that Stagecoach has recognised the importance of using biodiesel made from the by-products of other industries and from the left-overs from our everyday lives.

“Because we recycle these products as our raw materials, Argent Energy biodiesel is exceptionally environmentally friendly. So not only will Argent guarantee a quality product for these eight buses, their carbon footprint will be significantly reduced, benefiting the community as a whole.”

While the use of 5 per cent biodiesel blended with 95 per cent mineral diesel is common and requires no modifications to either vehicles or supply logistics, the use of 100 per cent biodiesel is different. B100 needs to be kept at a constant temperature and that requires dedicated fuel storage tanks and modifications to vehicle fuel tanks.

Ends

For further information contact: Maria Limonci, Argent Energy Public Relations Consultant, t: 01560 482683, m: 07753 163186.