Malaysia is going for a greener diesel in February next year.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today launched the B10 Biodiesel Programme that will see the fuel – comprising 10 per cent palm oil biodiesel and 90 per cent fossil diesel – used by all types of diesel vehicles in the transportation sector beginning Feb 1, 2019.
The use of 10 per cent palm oil biodiesel in Malaysia for vehicles such as four-wheel-drive vehicles, lorries and buses will reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, he said.
The B10 programme will contribute to reducing the emission of carbon dioxide by 10 per cent per year from the total number of diesel vehicles in the country, he said when launching the B10 Biodiesel Programme for the Transportation Sector at Dataran Putra here.
“The air quality, especially in the urban areas, will also increase through the use of biodiesel with the reduced emission of dust and black smoke into the air. The implementation of the B10 Programme is apt at this time in view of the lower price of palm oil biodiesel compared to petroleum diesel,” he said.
“I believe the B10 Programme for the transportation sector will run smoothly and will increase palm oil demand in the country from December 2018,” he said.
Dr Mahathir also urged vehicle manufacturers as well as original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to cooperate with the government in ensuring smooth implementation of the B10 Programme as well as any biodiesel programmes in the future.
“Malaysia needs to increase the fuel mixture in the future to strengthen domestic demand for palm oil,” he said.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/dr-mahathir-malaysia-moves-towards-greener-diesel