A Parliamentary committee of MPs and peers has launched an inquiry into introducing E10 in the UK.

The inquiry, by the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Bioethanol, follows announcements last year from two of the UK’s largest bioethanol producers, Vivergo and Ensus, that they were ceasing and pausing production due to insufficient demand in the UK where only E5 is available.

It also comes ahead of an anticipated announcement later this year by the Department for Transport on E10.

The inquiry will be seeking written evidence from all private and public bodies and individuals with an interest in the production or use of bioethanol including:

● bioethanol producers;

● motorist organisation;

● farmers;

● fuel retailers;

● environmental groups; and

● Department for Transport.

Interested organisations and individuals have until May 10 to submit written evidence to the APPG Inquiry Secretariat at info@britishbioethanol.com.

If time is available oral evidence sessions will be hosted by the APPG on 30 April or 1 May in Parliament to enable MPs and peers to hear directly from experts and the industry. A final report expected in the early Summer.

Scunthorpe MP Nic Dakin, chair of the APPG for British Bioethanol, said: “The British Bioethanol industry, which is worth £1bn to the UK economy, is in a state of collapse and the introduction of E10 could help bring it back from the brink.

“This inquiry will seek to better understand the issues and barriers around introducing E10 in the UK which is already available in many other developed nations.

“While securing the future of the Industry on which thousands of jobs depend, introducing E10 could also help the UK meet its carbon reduction and air quality improvement targets, making it an issue urgently needing further investigation.”

Grant Pearson, commercial director at Ensus Fuels, said: “After years of delay and false dawns, the bioethanol industry now needs urgent progress on E10 which if introduced, could bring this £1bn industry back from the brink of collapse.

“As E10 is cleaner and greener than the current E5 fuel, making it available at UK pumps is a no brainer, but we hope this inquiry will identify any remaining barriers to its introduction and ways to quickly overcome them.”

Topics