With fuel prices threatening to cripple the Australian transport industry, opening the door for greater use of biofuels, the Truck
With fuel prices threatening to cripple the Australian transport industry, opening the door for greater use of biofuels, the Truck Industry Council will lobby the Federal Government to exercise strict control over biodiesel production in Australia, says Mark Strambi, the National Sales Director for Iveco Trucks.
As part of a wide-ranging interview, Strambi says it is “all well and good” to produce trucks that meet ADR 80/02, but much of their ability to operate depends on the quality of the fuel available.
“BP and the others do well on their low-sulphur diesel, but then we have individual blenders producing variable quality biofuels,” Strambi says.
While virtually all manufacturers will allow up to 10 percent biodiesel, Strambi says beyond that point and this variable quality becomes “too risky” to be allowed.
As a result, he says the next meeting of the Truck Industry Council will see the management board “set the directive” for the committee to approach Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate Change and Water, and call for the Commonwealth Government to ensure biofuels are produced in line with the Australian Standard.
While he acknowledged the efforts of some companies to produce fuels of suitable quality, Strambi says the problem is the inconsistency that is available on a national scale, which creates warranty issues for manufacturers.
As well as discussing biofuels, Strambi says he believes compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), which are both in plentiful supply in Australia, have a “big future” in providing cost effective fuel supplies for the transport industry.
“Filling stations are the issue for long haul operators, but for fleets operating ‘return to base’ vehicles, it is a prime opportunity,” he says.
“Already many European trucks and Australian buses are gas powered, it is minimal engineering to convert, much of the work is already done.”
For the full interview with Mark Strambi, see the next edition of ATN magazine.