According to HM Revenue and Customs provisional data, sales of biodiesel in 2007 were around 347 million litres compared to around 169 million litres in 2006 - an increase of more than 100 per cent. This follows a fivefold increase in biodiesel sales the previous year. Total diesel sales in 2007 amounted to around 25,500 million litres.  These figures show that in 2007 biodiesel still only made up just 1.4 per cent of total diesel sales.  Biofuels sales in the UK are predicted to grow over the coming years, encouraged by a number of policy initiatives.  Argent Energy can now supply up to 4.2 million litres per month.

Global warming has given rise to UN, EU and UK policy imperatives to cut carbon dioxide emissions. A key approach is reducing transport emissions and various targets and policy drivers now exist to encourage the use of biofuels. Until Argent’s production came on stream, the UK had little significant biodiesel production capacity.