EORC bio-diesel sales up 10 per cent

EORC, producers of bio-power, have reported a 10 per cent increase in bio-diesel sales for 2006, a total of 1.7 million litres.

The announcement was made by Nick Parnis England, joint managing director, and Pippo Psaila, commercial manager of EORC, Malta's largest producer of bio-diesel during an audio-visual presentation for the media, petrol station owners and other strategic players in the land fuel sector. Station owners were better familiarised with the product and how it enhances car/engine performance.

Two of Malta's top diesel system experts, Vincent Micallef and John Farrugia, have received formal training overseas in the various uses of bio-diesel on all types of vehicles and machinery, and attended the fifth European motor bio-fuel forum in Newcastle last September.

Both the experts gave a comprehensive account of the beneficial effect of bio-diesel and its problem-free adaptation. They dealt with a host of mechanical scenarios and bio-diesel applications.

The topics tackled by the conference included bio-diesel engineering - the Ford flexible fuelled vehicle; Volkswagen's bio-fuels strategy; fleet practices with bio-diesel in local traffic buses; bio-fuels - here to stay; bio-fuels - an environmental and health opportunity; and building towards 2008 - evolution in the UK bio-fuels market as the renewable transport fuel obligation approaches.

In the past two months bio-power reached another milestone in its success story when it reached 30 per cent penetration at retail level with the major stations stocking and selling bio-diesel.

Bio-power is a clean burning fuel that is produced from waste oils to give Maltese consumers a win/win situation in converting a waste material that highly pollutes the environment to a clean burning fuel. Bio-power and bio-diesel enhances engine and car performance and leads to better fuel consumption.

Above all, the use of bio-diesel has a significant impact on the overall quality of life and well-being of the Maltese in that its clean burning properties is positive from a health perspective.

Bio-diesel has full government endorsement and support, and the launching of the Green Procurement Policy, aimed at promoting environmental awareness to be adopted in Malta between 2007 and 2009, also augurs well for the bio-fuel industry in Malta.

Bio-diesel is also a net contributor to the macro-economic development in Malta, serving as a catalyst for job creation - from collection to rendering, actual production, distribution, marketing and selling.

From a health perspective, bio-diesel enhances quality of life and is particularly valuable in cases of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, allergies and cardio-vascular disease. It also serves to enhance and protect a clean environment. This makes bio-diesel the best alternative fuel to date and the only one that has obtained international and world approval after more than 51 million miles of exhaustive road testing in the US alone.

Last month, the EORC bio-power project reached world acclaim when Newsweek magazine carried a feature about it. The EORC project had gained international recognition when it featured in the BBC World Challenge, placing second in the world out of 476 projects from over 70 countries.