ERMA decision a green light for biofuels
ERMA ethanol storage decision saves money and time in introducing biofuels.
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Today's decision by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) to allow petrol blends containing up to 10 per cent ethanol in single-skinned underground tanks is welcome news for the environment, motorists and oil companies, says Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues, David Parker.
"In February the Labour led government announced the phased introduction of biofuels from 2008 which will require 3.4 per cent of the total fuel sold by oil companies to be biofuel by 2012," said David Parker.
"Today's decision to allow these ethanol blends to be stored in single, instead of double, skinned tanks removes a major financial and practical barrier to their introduction. That's good news.
"New Zealand farmers are well placed to benefit from a move to biofuels as they will likely produce the feed stocks for them such as tallow. Next generation biofuels hold the prospect of foresters and other land owners getting in on the act as technologies are developed to produce ethanol from a range of energy crops including wood.
"Labour's biofuels strategy is just one part of moving towards a more sustainable, carbon neutral future."
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Today's decision by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) to allow petrol blends containing up to 10 per cent ethanol in single-skinned underground tanks is welcome news for the environment, motorists and oil companies, says Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues, David Parker.
"In February the Labour led government announced the phased introduction of biofuels from 2008 which will require 3.4 per cent of the total fuel sold by oil companies to be biofuel by 2012," said David Parker.
"Today's decision to allow these ethanol blends to be stored in single, instead of double, skinned tanks removes a major financial and practical barrier to their introduction. That's good news.
"New Zealand farmers are well placed to benefit from a move to biofuels as they will likely produce the feed stocks for them such as tallow. Next generation biofuels hold the prospect of foresters and other land owners getting in on the act as technologies are developed to produce ethanol from a range of energy crops including wood.
"Labour's biofuels strategy is just one part of moving towards a more sustainable, carbon neutral future."