Emissions fall with rape-seed
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by Ian Wylie • LCIt's produce 25% fewer particulate emissions for a 5% drop in fuel efficiency if switched from diesel to rapeseed oil, according to the Royal Mail which has completed the first phase of its biofuel trial.
For the past 12 months the Royal Mail, which operates more than 28,000 vehicles, has been using pure Rapeseed Methyl Ester (RME) as a direct replacement for dery in twotonne and three-tonne vans based at Hook in IIampshire and Fife in Scotland. Half the vehicles ran on diesel, the others on 161E.
Royal Mail environmental consultant Keith Reed says the trial was the first detailed analysis of RME in light vans and suggests using rape-seed oil eliminates sulphur dioxide and black smoke and also significantly reduces levels of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. He says there is no evidence to back fears that RME causes damage to engines.
The next phase of the trial, which is being run in conjunction with Ford and Shell, will examine the performance of blends of RME and diesel.
Rape-seed oil is also subject to a higher duty than on diesel, although Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is understood to be monitoring the Royal Mail trial with interest.
Our test of Dalgety's biodiesel FL10 (CM 15-21 December 1994) returned 6.65mpg, compared with 7.45mpg on conventional diesel.