New UK trade body for sustainable renewable transport fuels

A total of 12 companies comprising the UK’s producers of liquid renewable fuels and the majority of the green gas used in UK transport have formed the Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA) which aims to be the ‘go to’ voice for UK renewable transport fuel producers and suppliers.

RTFA’s founder members are Associated British Foods, ABSL, Alco, Argent Energy, Calor, CNG Fuels, Ensus UK, Gasrec, Greenergy, Nova Pangea, Olleco, and Velocys. The trade body is calling for rapid action to decarbonise transport through use of bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethane and biopropane, to help achieve the UK government’s net zero emissions by 2050 target. It says the UK cannot afford to wait for the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen to achieve this goal.

As the UK government sets its sights on becoming net zero in carbon emissions by 2050, transport will be one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise due to heavy road freight, rail where it cannot be electrified, shipping and aviation. The RTFA sees an enduring role for sustainable renewable fuels for these challenging areas. Lighter duty vehicles will transition to electrification, but cars with internal combustion engines will be on the UK’s roads for many decades and will need to be run on renewable fuel, it says.