Argent Energy

Argent Energy (UK) Limited pioneered the large scale commercial production of biodiesel in the UK. Today we’re the country’s foremost biodiesel producer and our fuel is increasingly giving businesses that rely on transport a means to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions. We specialise in producing our clean, green, road fuel from by-products of other industries - specifically tallow and used cooking oil â€" which have few alternative uses. Harnessing the power of old chip fat, rendered abattoir waste and out-of-date packs of meat to fuel cars, buses and lorries may seem far-fetched, but that’s what we do. It means that our fuel beats other biofuels on both greenhouse gas reduction and sustainability criteria. In 2009, we were named Most Sustainable Biodiesel Supplier/Producer at the World Biofuels Conference. And in 2010 we were awarded the accolade of Biodiesel Corporation of the Year by the World Refining Association. Production started in 2005 at our state-of-the-art plant near Motherwell in Scotland and we can now deliver up to 50 million litres (45,000 tonnes) of high quality biodiesel a year. We have invested heavily in ensuring that our biodiesel is of consistently high quality and is produced to EN 14214 2008 (the European standard for biodiesel as an automotive fuel). Ours is the only plant in the UK to use distillation technology. This ensures that our fuel is a homogenous, clear and very clean biodiesel. Biodiesel is most commonly used in a blend of up to 7 per cent biodiesel to 93 per cent mineral diesel, so no changes are required to the logistics of the fuel supply chain or to vehicle engines. But, after a very successful trial with Stagecoach, some buses now run on 100 per cent biodiesel and so can our own truck fleet. In between, there’s increasing interest in high percentage blends. This environmentally-friendly form of fuel is also finding uses outside the transport sector - for heating, for example - as consumers and businesses explore innovative ways of reducing both their costs and their carbon footprint. It is now widely regarded as an important part of a carbon reduction strategy. Argent Energy is owned by John Swire & Sons Ltd, the parent company of Swire group.