Bio-fuel burning on public transport
Following the introduction of government subsidies for bio-fuel, trials of the fuel are underway on Wellington buses. Mana Coach Services is running one bus on 100 percent bio fuel, and will soon have a second,? says service quality controller Brent Blann. ?The company expects to expand bio-fuel more into the fleet, although it will more likely be as 20-80 bio-diesel mixture. ?We consider this a work-in-progress, and further development is very much dependant on securing a confident source of supply,? says Mr Blann. In close discussion with suppliers, NZ Bus (that own Go Wellington and Hutt Flyer) was cagy about releasing details of their trials. An NZ Bus spokesperson says, ?We have run trials using bio-fuels with our fleet and we continue to work with our supplier on a national solution for the business?. Bio-Energy Association of New Zealand executive officer Brian Cox says people are increasingly seeing the potential of using mixed bio-diesel fuel. He says usage of the fuel overseas has become ?mainstream? and supply and demand will dictate when New Zealand follows suit. ?What we have in New Zealand is a lack of experience with the fuel, and from our point of view the lack of experience is related to a lack of acceptability. ?You need to build people?s confidence in the supply and performance of the product,? says Mr Cox. He encourages transport companies to trial the fuel, and is pleased bus services are using it. A government tax rebate for bio-fuel has produced the latest round of trials. ?Prior to [the government subsidy] buses have not taken much interest, but now it has become more attractive and compatible. ?Any diesel vehicle can use it without modification,? says Mr Cox. Ethically, New Zealand is removed from the massive changes happening in the US and China around replacement of food crops with bio-fuel, says Mr Cox. ?The most bio-diesel produced in New Zealand comes from rape-seed in Canterbury, where farmers are seeing its value as a break crop [to use between their regular crop cycles]. ?Normally they would have three crop cycles, and now they are adding a fourth with rape-seed, which helps with soil nutrients and provides farmers with a sense of [monetary] security,? says Mr Cox. Gull and Mobil currently sell an ethanol blend, and Mr Cox says the mixed fuels will become more available as the demand increases. ?We like to think we?re not going to need to bring any bio-fuel into the country. ?It?s not a case of the technology catching up ... it?s moving at fierce speed,? Mr Cox says.
