Mayor calls on UK biofuel industry to turn London into biodiesel hub

London mayor Boris Johnson is calling on the UK’s biofuel industry to turn more of London’s waste, such as cooking oil, into biodiesel for the capital’s bus network.

It is claimed vehicles running on biodiesel produce around 25% fewer carbon emissions than those running on traditional fuel.  London’s bus fleet uses approximately 250 million litres of fuel each year, 20% of which could potentially be made up of biodiesel. 

The capital also has the highest concentration of food businesses in the country producing between 32 and 44 million litres of used cooking oil every year. However the vast majority of the low carbon fuel is currently being processed in the north of England and Scotland.

The Mayor’s vision included proposals to help deliver the capital’s first biofuel refinery that will be able to tap in to the huge potential for biodiesel in London.

It is envisaged that a new plant could convert up to 28 million litres of waste oil a year, providing 20% of the fuel for London’s bus fleet while creating hundreds of jobs and saving more than 50,000 tonnes of CO₂.

‘By capturing used cooking oil right here in London and turning it into biodiesel we could provide 20% of the fuel needed to power London’s entire bus fleet while saving thousands of tonnes of CO₂ and creating hundreds of new jobs,’ says Johnson.

Demand for biodiesel from other vehicles is also increasing with use expected to rise from 4.75 to 10% of all transport fuel in the UK by 2020.