Biodiesel buoyed by BOC

has signed a 10-year agreement with

(Biofuels) to supply nitrogen and compressed air to the company’s new plant at Seal Sands, Teesside, for the production of biodiesel.

Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and, according to BOC, could make a significant contribution towards reducing greenhouse gases and meeting Kyoto targets.

BOC is contracted to supply up to 26 tonnes of gaseous nitrogen a day to Biofuels from the nearby BOC plant at Teesport, the UK’s largest producer of industrial gases.

When fully commissioned the Biofuels site at Seal Sands will produce at least 250,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year, equivalent to 284 million litres, using renewable vegetable oil crops as the feedstock.

Traditional diesel is produced from mineral crude oil. Biodiesel is produced from a variety of vegetable oils, including but not limited to palm, rape, canola, soy, linseed, coconut, mustard and cotton oils. It can also be manufactured from tallow oil and yellow grease used cooking oils.

Biodiesel offers similar power and energy content to ultra low sulphur diesel fuel (ULSD) and has been in general pure use for the last 10 years in continental

. However, the majority of the

biodiesel produced is expected to be used as a five per cent blend with mineral diesel.