Australian petrol station franchise, Caltex, has announced it’ is selling ethanol blended petrol at more than 200 sites in eastern Australia. Bio E10 contains 10 per cent ethanol, blended with regular unleaded petrol, in a bid to reduce environmentally harmful emissions. It is sold from Canberra to Cairns, offered at 114 sites in NSW, 81 in Queensland and six in ACT.

Des King, CEO and managing director for Caltex believes this 200 milestone for Bio E10 is a huge achievement towards Australia’s biofuel industry. “Climate change and energy security are important emerging issues. More Caltex customers now have the choice of ethanol blended petrol that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels.”

Caltex also offers its customers New Generation Diesel at more than 150 sites throughout NSW, containing two per cent biodiesel, as well as the five and 20 per cent biodiesel blends sold to commercial customers. As a result of Caltex’s commitment to biofuels it has reached its volume target for 2006 under the Australian Government’s Biofuels Action Plan and has already achieved its 2007 targets.

King also revealed further work in progress towards increasing the presence of Caltex biofuels in the petrol market in the future. “We are investing in storage terminal and service station upgrades in New South Wales and Queensland to sell increased quantities of ethanol and biodiesel blends. We have contracts in place for ethanol and biodiesel supply and are seeking additional supply contracts for biodiesel in particular.”

King added, “Caltex supports the development of a market-driven and sustainable biofuels industry based on consumer confidence, reliable supply and competitive prices throughout the supply chain. We remain opposed to mandating the use of biofuels including ethanol blends.”