Following engagement with NFU Scotland, and other stakeholders, Petroineos have announced they will reduce the volume of biodiesel in their fuel

Petroineos, the only crude oil refinery in Scotland, have decided that they will reduce the volume of biofuel blended into their fuel while they continue to investigate the cause of the current fuel problems being experienced by users. This announcement follows extensive lobbying by NFU Scotland, and other stakeholders including Petroineos, for Scottish and UK Governments to act quickly on this issue.

Since the Union’s meeting with Petroineos on 20 November, NFUS have continued to log calls from members and there are now 380 individuals who have logged an issue with fuel.  In response, NFUS has carried out fuel tests to try to ascertain the cause. The Union has carried out a determined and concentrated lobbying effort including contacting the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson MSP, corresponding with the Department of Transport, Transport Scotland and Scottish Government, and calling for a short term derogation and a longer term taskforce.

Despite this change from Petroineos, NFU Scotland will continue to pressure the UK and Scottish Governments for more long term assurances, as this issue has already had a heavy cost for not only individual businesses but the industry as a whole.

It is recognised that greater understanding of the longer term implications of biofuel in diesel needs to be better understood and the Union is calling for an expert working group to be set up in order to prevent this issue from reoccurring.

NFU Scotland’s President Andrew McCornick said: “It is positive to see Petroineos acting swiftly off the back of the discussions with NFU Scotland and other industry leaders.

“This issue is not a quick fix though and may not completely resolve this problem. We need government to work with producers and users to find a workable, long term solution to these issues.

“We need to see an expert working group established and NFU Scotland needs to be involved to represent our members, whose businesses have been heavily affected by these biofuel issues.

“I would like to personally thank each and every member who has taken the time to report this issue to NFUS.  It is important that other members who have yet to report problems contact NFU Scotland and report it. This information is still important and will help to give us the best possible understanding of problem so that we can feed these into discussions going forward.”

Notes to Editor

NFU Scotland’s Business Guide Update is available to members at https://www.nfus.org.uk/archivedoc.aspx?info_id=17525

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Contact Douglas Ross on 0131 472 4059