Govt: B10 biodiesel will not lead to engine malfunction

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has given its assurance that the standard of B10 biodiesel will not lead to engine malfunction.
The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities said the standard of B10 biodiesel has been developed since 2013 and has been given the provisional standard under MS 2535:2013(P).
"Prior to the implementation of the B10 Programme, the government has conducted an extensive consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
"In addition, the government through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) had conducted B10 field trials on 75 vehicles of various makes (e.g. Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, Peugeot etc.) since January 2013.
"The trials indicate no negative effects such as engine oil dilution, fuel filter plugging and fuel injector clogging.
"Currently, some MPOB vehicles are also running on B20 without any reported problems," the ministry said.
Earlier this month, the ministry said the government is pushing for the usage of B10 biodiesel nationwide.
The implementation which is scheduled to come into effect on July 1 demonstrates the government's efforts towards reducing dependence on petroleum diesel as well as reducing GHG emissions through the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable source of energy.
However, this has raised concerns among diesel-powered car owners where there is a possibility of the engine warranty on their vehicles becoming void.
When met after launching the 2016 Malaysian Furniture & Furnishing Fair (MF3) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center here, the ministry's secretary- general Datuk M Nagarajan said there was confusion over the matter.
Nagarajan gave his assurance that the ministry will continue to undertake further research to ensure the product's compatibility which includes further road trials and sharing of data with diesel automotive manufacturers.
The biodiesel programme was launched in June 2011 with the implementation of the B5 Programme (blending of 5% of Palm Methyl Ester with 95% petroleum diesel).
The programme was subsequently upgraded to B7 (blending of 7% Palm Methyl Ester with 93% petroleum diesel) and was implemented throughout the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak beginning December 2014.
Currently, countries such as Colombia and Indonesia have implemented B10 and B15 respectively.