Rotterdam June 8, 2006 - Argos Oil has become the first oil company to introduce E85 (85% bioethanol and 15% petrol) in the Netherlands. Argos oil has worked in partnership with Rotterdam city council in the 'BEST' project (Bioethanol for Sustainable Transport), an EU project the aim of which is to reduce pollution and diversify away from fossil fuels. From 8 June onwards motorists can fill their cars with E85 at the Argos filling station in Rotterdam's Feijenoord district.

 

State Secretary Van Geel was the first to use this bioethanol from this filling station. Argos E85 as sold at the Rotterdam station can only be used in cars with modified engines, such as the Saab BioPower, Ford Flexifuel, and Volvo Flexifuel cars.

 

Saab, Ford and Volvo representatives were present at the opening, along with their cars, and allowed motorists to test-drive this new biofuel during the launch of Argos E85. 'BEST' is an EU project to introduce bioethanol into European towns and cities. Peter Goedvolk, founder and director of Argos Oil, expects E85 to be a success in the Netherlands. He says: "The opening of this filling station forms a breakthrough in introducing bioethanol onto the Dutch market. In a very short time there will be hundreds of flexifuel cars driving around the Rotterdam area running on E85 fuel".

 

This is not the first bioethanol filling station opened by Argos in Holland. In November 2005 Argos introduced it's first 'e-fuel' station in Gorinchem.  In contrast to the more recent Rotterdam station, Argos' Gorinchem station sells a mixture of petrol plus 5% bioethanol additive, and can be used in every car that normally runs on Euro 95 petrol without modification.

 

The Netherlands has in force an obligatory minimum 2% biofuel content in all petrol and diesel sold. The 5% biofuel mixture sold at Argos's Gorinchem station is the maximum possible additive for cars with a normal petrol engine without modification. The Netherlands has introduced a US $90 million excise duty exemption in 2006, and US $75 million that has been reserved for biofuel innovations.

 

David Smith, Singapore