UK Petroleum Industry Association 28th January 2009
PRESS RELEASE
Revised Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Limits Announced
The new Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation for next 5 years has been announced today by Transport Minister Andrew Adonis.
Subject to parliamentary approval, the yearly obligation level for fuel suppliers under the RTFO will be: 3.25% for 2009/10; 3.5% for 2010/11; 4% for 2011/12; 4.5% for 2012/13; 5% for 2013/14. The new levels are in line with recent recommendations in the Gallagher Review of Biofuels advising a slowing down in the rate of increase of biofuel content in road fuels to reach 5% in 2013/14. The original RTFO targets envisaged a biofuel content of 3.75% in 2009/10, rising to 5% in 2010/11.
Also announced today was the introduction of two new eligible fuels: biobutanol and renewable diesel.
Ends
Enquiries:
Nick Vandervell +44 (0)20 7269 7604
Chris Hunt +44 (0)20 7269 7601
Notes to editors:
- UKPIA represents the oil refining and marketing companies operating in the UK, which also own approximately 2,152 of the UK's 9,271 service stations.
- UKPIA members own and operate the nine crude oil processing refineries in the UK.
- The description "biofuel" is a generic one used to describe liquid or gas fuels that are not derived from petroleum based fossils fuels or contain a proportion of non fossil fuel. Biofuels fall into two main categories- conventional biofuels produced from plants - crops such as sugar cane/beet for ethanol and palm oil, rape seed oil or re-processed vegetable oils for bio-diesel - and advanced biofuels from gasified biomass. At present, most biofuels fall into the conventional category.
- More information can be found on UKPIA's website under 'Publications' - specifically 'Future Road Fuels', and 'Biofuels in the UK'.