B10 biodiesel mandate deferred to avoid burdening the public

PUTRAJAYA, 15 Nov -- Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong ketika sidang media pada Program Semarak Integriti hari ini. --fotoBERNAMA (2016) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is deferring the implementation of the biodiesel mandate for B10 in transportation sector and B7 in industrial sector.

In a three-paragraph statement, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said the Government had wanted to strengthen the implementation of the Biodiesel Program by increasing the blend for transportation sector to B10 and the B7 for the industrial sector.

(B10 is a mixture of 10% palm biodiesel with 90% petroleum diesel, while B7 is a blend of 7% palm biodiesel with 93% petroleum diesel.)

“After a thorough study, taking into consideration the difference between crude palm oil (CPO) and diesel prices at current volatile market, I would like to announce that the implementation of biodiesel mandate... will be deferred to a later date,” he said.

“Although significant effort has been put into for its implementation, the Government is committed to ensure that there is no burden of extra cost to the rakyat at this time.”

The implementation of the B10 programme, aimed at reducing dependence on petroleum diesel, has been delayed several times. It was widely expected to be implemented by end of this year.

Both the B10 and B7 mandates, it was reported, were expected to contribute an annual consumption of 709,000 tonnes of crude palm oil in Malaysia.