B15 Biodiesel Expected To Save 386.7 Mln Litres Of Diesel Annually

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- Increasing the biodiesel blend from B10 to B12 or B15 in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah is expected to reduce diesel consumption by 334,139 tonnes a year, equivalent to about 386.73 million litres per annum.

The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities said a cost-benefit analysis conducted by the ministry revealed that the reduction would not only lessen reliance on fossil fuels but also extend the country's diesel supply by up to 20 days.

“This proves that the National Biodiesel Programme is able to strengthen the nation’s energy security and enhance Malaysia’s resilience against supply disruptions and volatility in the global energy market,” the ministry said in a written reply published on the Parliament website today.

The ministry was responding to a question from Senator Norhasmimi Abdul Ghani on the effectiveness of the country's biodiesel programme in reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and lowering diesel costs for domestic users.

Since the introduction of the National Biofuel Policy on March 21, 2006, the National Biodiesel Programme has become one of the government's strategic instruments to strengthen national energy security while supporting the development and stability of the palm oil industry.

The ministry said the effectiveness of the programme is evident in the reduction of diesel consumption through the partial replacement of diesel with palm-based biodiesel, or Palm Methyl Ester (PME).

“As the world faced geopolitical uncertainty and a global energy crisis that disrupted supply chains and fuel prices, Malaysia took proactive steps by increasing the biodiesel blend rate for the nationwide transport sector.

“This will reduce dependence on fossil fuel, strengthen the nation’s energy security and extend the availability of existing diesel supplies,” it said.

-- BERNAMA