GUIDANCE ON SPILL RESPONSE TO BIOFUELS A detailed analysis and response guidance was released as a Technical Bulletin to all ISAS Accredited Contractors in January 2021- this is an abridged version – for the full version, and other Technical Bulletin join ISAS – info@isasaccreditation.org
sustainable renewable source is 5% in petrol and 7% in diesel. This will increase to 10% ethanol in petrol from September 2021. There is no doubt that further increases will follow. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Order (RTFO) compel owners of transport fuel who supply at least 450,000 litres a year or more, to make sure the mix is at least 12.4% biofuel by 2032. This has an environmental benefit, in 2018 the use of biofuels saved 3,727 kilotonnes of CO2, the equivalent of 1.5 million average car emissions per year.
Introduction International Spill Accreditation Scheme (ISAS) were asked by the Environment Agency to provide guidance on the appropriate spill response to biofuels. A biofuel is a fuel that is produced from biomass (e.g. vegetable oil, animal oil/ fats, waste cooking oil) rather than fossil fuels. Biofuels offer a more sustainable energy source than petrol or diesel and they can produce significantly lower emissions and toxins than fossil fuels, however, these environmental benefits will depend on how the biofuels are produced and used. Biofuels can be used in their pure form but are commonly blended with existing products such as petrol and diesel, in order to reduce emissions. Biofuels are increasing in usage across a range of sectors from bulk transport to commercial and home heating and mobile power generation, and their use will further increase as we strive towards a net zero carbon world. In the UK transport sector currently the percentage of biofuel derived from a
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With respect to liquid fuel heating, OFTEC have completed research on the use of biofuels, and the research revealed that biofuels, both 100% pure biofuel and a 30% blend of FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) and kerosene, provided the best carbon reducing routes for the least financial outlay. OFTEC state that renewable liquid fuels manufactured from waste material could provide a ‘drop-in’ replacement for heating oil and that these fuels can quickly be brought to market and have the potential to virtually remove emissions from the UK’s 1.5 million and RoI’s 686,000 oil-heated homes. It is clear that the use of biofuels is going to increase dramatically in the coming years and owing to the
