THE Greens yesterday accused the government of “criminal delays” in providing incentives for use of biodiesel as an alternative to conventional fuels that pollute the environment.
At a news conference, the party outlined the benefits of using fuel-grade biodiesel, pointing out that Cyprus lags behind many European countries in this respect.
Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. It contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend.
Biodiesel can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulphur and aromatics.
It is not the same as raw vegetable oil, which needs to be processed in line with strict industry specifications.
The Greens sought to heighten awareness about alternative fuels as Mobility Week 2005 was launched in Europe, featuring events across the continent for anyone interested in sustainable mobility. The objective is to facilitate widespread debate on the necessity for changes in behaviour in relation to mobility and in particular the use of the private car.
Charalambos Theopemptou of the Greens yesterday described the production of biodiesel as an “extremely interesting possibility for Cyprus,” explaining that the cost for the required infrastructure for processing used oils and animal fat would be minimal.
In cases where 100 per cent biodiesel is used, vehicles’ engines would need small modifications but the cost for motorists was negligible. The gains, on the other hand, are considerable: motor engines’ performance is actually improved, and far less pollutants are churned out.
Moreover, using other biofuels such as bioethanol, would create jobs in the agricultural sector, and farmers could produce their own fuel.
Theopemptou cited a number of European countries where incentives are given to people using biodiesel-powered cars, such as lower road taxes or free parking.
“We urge the government to implement the relevant EU directive [June 2005] that provides for tax exemptions in the production and sale of biodiesel.”
