Fuel Factory is a community-led business dedicated to supplying residents of Rhondda-Cynon-Taff with high-quality, environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel for use in diesel cars. Any profits made by Fuel Factory are either used to develop and expand the business, or are donated to local charities whose aims are similar to those of Fuel Factory.

FAQ

What is the Biodiesel User Group?

It’s simply a membership group of like minded people who are interested in cutting their polluting emissions by using biodiesel in their vehicles. Membership of the group allows users to buy biodiesel from any Fuel Factory branded pump

What is Biodiesel?

The biodiesel supplied by Fuel Factory is made from 100% recycled vegetable oil sourced from chip shops, restaurants and other food outlets. It is safe, non-toxic and biodegradable. Most importantly, biodiesel is much less polluting than normal petroleum diesel:

• 78% lower Carbon Dioxide emissions
• 50% lower Carbon Monoxide emissions
• 20% lower particulate emissions
• 67%  lower hydrocarbon emissions
• 100% lower Sulphur Dioxide emissions

Biodiesel also has other benefits: there’s no fall-off in engine performance, it lubricates your engine better than normal diesel, which reduces wear on fuel injectors, and is also a better solvent than petroleum diesel, which helps to clean your engine of deposits left in the fuel pipes by normal, petroleum diesel.

How can I be sure about quality?

We source our biodiesel from Sundance Renewables; an Ammanford–based outfit, who were the pioneers of biodiesel in Wales. They have many years’ production experience, and their fuel has achieved the European EN14124 quality standard for biodiesel. Sundance’s website can be visited on:

http://www.sundancerenewables.org.uk

How do I sign up?

 Simple. You simply need to obtain and fill in a membership application form, which is available on reception at Bryncynon Strategy. As soon as this has been completed you will receive a membership card and number, and you’re ready to start filling up from the pump!

Will my car run on biodiesel?

Yes, if it’s a diesel car. Petrol engines won’t run on biodiesel. Although most diesel cars on the road will run happily on 100% biodiesel, we wouldn’t recommend a  mixture of above 50/50 with petroleum diesel, particularly in the winter months or if your car was built in 2004 or after. Users whose cars were made prior to 1990 whose engines may still have some rubber parts should be aware that biodiesel could corrode them, although it is more than likely that over the years these parts will have been replaced by more modern plastic nylon equivalents, which biodiesel has no effect on.

Please also note that Seat, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda have approved all their cars manufactured between 1996 and 2004 to run on 100% biodiesel.

All users should note that they will need to replace their fuel filter 600-800 miles after switching to biodiesel. This is because the deposits left by petroleum diesel will have been cleansed from your fuel pipes leaving your engine gleaming, but your filter filthy. Changing filters regularly from then on as part of a normal servicing regime should ensure problem-free biodiesel driving in years to come.

What’s the legal situation?

You will receive a receipt every time you fill up, confirming that you have paid fuel duty and VAT on your biodiesel purchase. In the unlikely event that you are pulled over and ‘dipped’ by the police, you will simply need to produce your receipts to prove that the nice men at Customs and Excise have got their slice.

If your car is still under warranty it may be worth contacting the manufacturer to see whether there are any issues with your using biodiesel in terms of that warranty.

When and how can I buy the biodiesel?

To begin with we plan on keeping the pumps open during office hours – 9:30 to 4:00 from Monday to Friday. This may change depending on demand. Please note that members of the biodiesel user group can only purchase fuel on production of a valid membership card. Payments must be made by cash in advance only as we are unable to accept cheques or credit cards.

How can I help?

Like any group, Fuel Factory’s biodiesel user group depends on the energy and goodwill of its members to keep going. If you’re willing to volunteer any of your time to help promote the group or to sell biodiesel at the forecourt we’d be very, very grateful. Please contact us if you can give us your support.

Useful Links

If you want to find out more about biodiesel, information is available online from the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel - a great resource for an overview on biodiesel

http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk/index.htm - useful information about biodiesel and where you can get it. Very useful section on compatibility with different cars.

http://www.biofuelsystems.com/excise.htm - information about tax on biodiesel

http://www.veggies.org.uk/biodies.htm - biodiesel information with a more global/political slant