FCL Petroleum has signed an agreement with Petrochem Carless to enable FCL to offer automotive advanced fuels made with guaranteed biocomponents to the UK market.

Blending will take place at the refinery of Petrochem Carless at Harwich where blends from B5 (5% sustainable fuel) to B50 (50% sustainable fuel) will be produced to specific client requirements.

The announcement follows the establishment of a joint venture in 2007 between FCL and Portugal-based Martifer, which produces fully sustainable biofuels.

Martifer handles the complete process from feedstock growing (primarily rapeseed) and harvesting through to processing and refining at two facilities in Portugal and Romania which have a combined production capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year.

These are then shipped by FCL Petroleum’s sister company, global logistics provider FCL UK, to Harwich.

The PrioBio brand of advanced fuels is now well established within the Portuguese fuel retail market and FCL Petroleum is expecting similar success when these products appear on UK forecourts.

Colin Walker, managing director of FCL Petroleum, explained: “While many current suppliers of these products simply purchase from variable sources and distribute, we are able to guarantee the source and thus the high quality and sustainability of our products.

“Furthermore, as we are uniquely operating from two refineries, we can guarantee volume and continuity of supply.”