When It Comes To Biodiesel, Oils Ain't Oils, Warns Car Chief

Newcastle Herald

Saturday September 29, 2007

Brent Davison

KOREAN car maker SsangYong has praised moves by the major oil companies to bring improved diesel fuel to Australia, but warned of the potential problems of biodiesel fuels.

SsangYong Australia managing director Keith Timmins said the introduction of premium diesel was a significant step forward, given the number of advanced common-rail, turbo-diesel engines coming onto the market.

But the variable quality in available biodiesels could cause damage to engines.

Mr Timmins said the word "biodiesel" was a wide-ranging term, and fuels marketed as such could contain a variety of elements including vegetable oils and animal fats that could work in older-style diesel engines that do not meet new environmental standards.

"There is no doubt the car makers have been ahead of the oil companies in terms of producing greater efficiencies form diesel engines and generally the major oil companies have supplied fuel of a high standard [and] the move to common-rail turbo-diesels has underlined the need for fuels of a high quality at all times," he said.

In a swipe at the aftermarket fuel industry, the SsangYong boss said that, despite warnings, car owners were using fuels of dubious quality and it was the car makers who had to "pick up the pieces".

"If bottled water was sold with the level of impurities that many diesel fuels contain there would be a major outcry and heads would roll," he said.

If bottled water was sold with the level of impurities that many diesel fuels contain . . . heads would roll.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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