The construction industry faces an immense challenge over the next few years to radically cut building carbon emissions to meet proposed government legislation. The aggressive carbon neutral plan means the industry must engineer sustainable low carbon technologies into both construction projects and the buildings that result.
For buildings, there exists a plethora of new energy saving and energy generating technologies to choose from. This, combined with low carbon and energy efficient design, will go a long way to meeting the carbon neutral targets. But, there exist few technologies for lowering the carbon emissions associated with the actual construction of buildings. A heavy reliance on fossil diesel fuelled generators and plant machinery makes lowering emissions during construction very difficult to achieve.
However, Biofuel Refineries, based in High Wycombe believe they have the answer. They buy waste cooking oil from suppliers in the Greater London area and refine it to produce pure biodiesel – no mixes – to supply clients such as contractors, road haulage companies, schools and large office blocks.
“Biodiesel offers a partial solution to lowering emissions during the build phase,” says MD Nitesh Patel. “It can directly replace both plant machinery and generator red diesel, significantly lowering the net CO2 produced. As it does not require any equipment conversion and it mixes readily with fossil diesel, if offers an easily implemented and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.”
Commenting on the carbon neutral impact on the construction industry, Nitesh Patel says, “Facing up to the challenges of carbon emissions will be difficult and costly. In its December 2010 report the government’s Committee on Climate Change estimated investment costs to meet carbon budgets would reach £16 billion annually by 2030. However given the cost of the forthcoming carbon levies and penalties, as well as the cost of damage caused by an increasingly warming climate, implementing low carbon solutions in buildings, such as biodiesel, offers a tangible way to minimise these costs today.”
It’s a delicate balancing act keeping supply and demand for their product serviced, but Nitesh is confident that with a sure and steady growth of 10% over the next year they will be the ‘go-to’ biofuel supplier for the southeast construction industry in years to come.
