PM launches B10 biodiesel programme – to reduce CO2 by 10%, boost demand for Malaysian palm oil

PM launches B10 biodiesel programme – to reduce CO2 by 10%, boost demand for Malaysian palm oil

Prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the B10 biodiesel programme for the transportation sector today at Putrajaya. B10 biodiesel – which contains 10% palm oil, up from the 7% blend currently sold at the pumps – will be mandatory from February 1 next year.

The PM – who symbolically flagged off five oil tankers from Petronas, Shell, Petron, BHPetrol and Caltex at the event – says that the use of B10 biodiesel will reduce the emission of 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, and the move will also boost demand for Malaysian palm oil.

“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,” Mahathir said, reported by Bernama. He added that the programme will also help the country to achieve its low-carbon mobility objective, as outlined in the 11th Malaysia Plan.

“I believe the B10 programme for the transportation sector will run smoothly and will increase palm oil demand in the country from December 2018,” the PM said, urging car manufacturers to cooperate with the government in ensuring the smooth implementation of the biodiesel programme.

PM launches B10 biodiesel programme – to reduce CO2 by 10%, boost demand for Malaysian palm oil

Expect the percentage of palm oil content to increase in the future. “Malaysia needs to increase the fuel mixture in the future to strengthen domestic demand for palm oil,” Mahathir said, citing Indonesia’s B20 programme of 20% of palm oil biodiesel running since 2016. Dr M said that the hoped that all parties will be ready to adopt B20 by year 2020.

“The use of palm oil biodiesel will have a positive impact on the palm oil industry by reducing palm oil stocks and stabilising palm oil prices. Through this effort, 650,000 palm oil smallholders will continue to enjoy more stable palm oil prices with increased revenue,” he added.

The ministry of international trade and industry (MITI) is currently preparing the National Automotive Policy (NAP) review, and Mahathir wants biodiesel to be included. “We, by right, should ensure that in the future, only vehicles that can use more than 10% of biodiesel are sold in Malaysia,” he said.

The primary industries ministry said in a statement today that the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has been carrying out field tests on diesel vehicles – including the Peugeot 508 driven by the PM to the launch today – without encountering any problem. The tests involved 150,000 litres of B10 biodiesel. There was also an MPOB-DBKL test that clocked up over three million kilometres in just over three and a half years without any breakdowns.

PM launches B10 biodiesel programme – to reduce CO2 by 10%, boost demand for Malaysian palm oil

It added that the palm oil-based biodiesel is a renewable energy produced by sustainable palm cultivation, and the use of one tonne of such biodiesel is equivalent to a reduction of three tonnes of CO2 in the air. In Malaysia, palm oil biodiesel was initiated in 2011 with the B5 programme, before this was increased to the current B7 blend from November 2014.

Implementation of the B10 programme for the transportation sector started on December 1, and retail sales of the fuel started today at a Shell station in Gombak. Mandatory use of B10 biodiesel will commence on February 1, 2019.

Is B10 safe? We’ve written a fair bit about B10 biodiesel before, and you can learn more about the fuel with the 10% palm oil mix here. Also check out what MPOB’s biodiesel researcher, Dr Harrison Lau, has to say here.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • teropong on Dec 11, 2018 at 7:19 pm

    Will this be affecting the euro 5 blend as well?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • azrai on Dec 12, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      Kudos to current gov! Clean biodiesel & protect our country airspace & sea sovereignty.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 6
  • Shamsubahrin on Dec 11, 2018 at 7:35 pm

    HUGE boost to TH Plantation & Felda. Hidup PM!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 4
  • albag on Dec 11, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    How confident are they to ensure the diesel vehicles we’re using are not affected on the engines? Especially potentially harming the engine parts

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  • Gaviny on Dec 11, 2018 at 8:35 pm

    Knowing or government efficiency, no data= no breakdown. Good luck to lorries using b10

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • Ahmadjr on Dec 11, 2018 at 10:28 pm

    Euro 5 boleh mixed 10% palm oil tak?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Trafalguar on Dec 12, 2018 at 12:45 am

    Sure, CO2 reduction is fine and dandy. What about NOx emissions?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
  • citizenjohn on Dec 12, 2018 at 8:11 am

    Should diesel car owners hold their own protest then against increasing biodesel content that will damage their engines? It’s the only way this Government will listen after all.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 3
    • Then kampung oil palm smallholders hold their own bio protest that will damage their livelihood

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • John Minum Teh 8X on Dec 12, 2018 at 8:47 am

    No point launching this when previous incompetent Government never gave us clean petrol or diesel

    Until today our Ron 95 is Euro 2M AND until today, 90% of all Diesel vehicles use Euro 2M Diesel

    In Europe, Euro 2 diesel and petrol was banned in 1994 because it was deemed carcinogenic (cancer causing) and toxic. That was 24 yrs ago!!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 6
  • Badrul on Dec 12, 2018 at 9:15 am

    Our palm oil already lingkup because PORIM all tidur.

    Go to PORIM and RISDA and FELDA you see all lazy people managing our country agriculture

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 10
  • I don’t know who to bilip. Abang abang who are promoting BioDiesel who say it is OK BUT BUT BUT

    BMW and Mercedes, two world top makers of Diesel engines in the world, with renowned intelligent research and development departments…..both also say BioDiesel not good for their engines.

    Who to believe?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5
    • The whole world with renowned intelligent bankers & reconomists says MY wasnt going bankrap….both say MY economy was going up under abang abang control, but Bapak says if u din vote him, MY will go bankrap.

      So who did u belip?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 1
  • Asterisk on Dec 12, 2018 at 10:27 am

    While Ron95 Euro 4M is still no where insight…………………………

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • I’m guessing it’s just a matter of time before signs with “Pump B10 Diesel at your own risk” are written at service centers walls and owners manual for manufacturers that did not endorse it.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • rally_fan (Member) on Dec 12, 2018 at 10:32 am

    the govt isn’t pushing bio-diesel because of what car manufacturers are doing or not doing.. or whether its good or bad for the environment.. the govt is doing it to boost the oil palm industry which in turn is good for the country. dont forget.. the majority of diesel users in malaysia are commercial vehicles.. and those vehicles are mainly using older technology diesel engines.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • Red jacket on Dec 12, 2018 at 3:18 pm

      How to boost palm oil production when every manufacturers warn against it. Will the commercial vehicle operators take the risk i.e engine damage/warranty? You can look up EU list of commercial vehicles which B10 compatible online. The list is very short.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 3
  • Khairul Yusuf on Dec 12, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    More deforestation in the future to ensure palm oil production

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • Rakyatsuara on Dec 12, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    Is not boost, is a FORCE rakyat to consump it, you should know the result after 5 years.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • thomas on Dec 12, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    Indonesia has started with B20 and will increase to B30

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • ss427 on Dec 12, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    Warning to all SG drivers who owns Euro 5 n Euro 6 certified diesel cars.

    Do not ever pump these B10 diesel into your previous high tech diesel engines. The formulation will choke and disable your DPF filter in no time. And it will clog the fuel injectors quickly. The palm oil will also leave stubborn residue in your combustion chambers.

    Always top up b4 entering malaysia. Your inherit excellent fuel economy should be able to see u cover ard 1000km on average with a full tank of diesel.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • adlanar on Dec 12, 2018 at 10:45 pm

    the same manufacturers couldn’t ignore asean’s largest automotive market which happened to be on B20 for years already. just their excuse to using Malaysia as a dump market for their lesser tolerant engines that didn’t make the cut

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Chin Hui Ling on Dec 13, 2018 at 11:34 am

    B10 will not choke up cars in fact B100 are cleaner than Diesel. Support first and see for yourselves the cleaner Diesel used and better for the future of our generation where the air will be cleaner.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Chin Hui Ling on Dec 13, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    B10 Biodiesel – which contains 10% palm methyl ester (and not palm oil), up from the 7% blend currently sold at the pumps.
    Palm Oil cannot be added into Diesel directly. Palm Oil had to be converted to Palm Methyl Ester (B100) before it can be blended into Diesel directly.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Have tried B20 in Indonesia on our diesel cars, excavator and Trailer head trucks.
    Much better compared to conventional diesel fuel. Engine run smoother, cleaner fuel filter and injectors.
    The minus is slight heavier FC, degrade in colour of the fuel after long time storage.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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