First to be running on new ethanol fuel blend

BP Australia has chosen the lower Hunter as the first region in New South Wales to release its new ethanol fuel blend. The company held the statewide launch of its Unleaded 91, a blend of unleaded petrol with up to 10% ethanol, at Heatherbrae, near Raymond Terrace. BP Connect Heatherbrae will be one of 14 BP-branded service stations in the Hunter and Central Coast regions selling the new blend. The blend was introduced in Queensland earlier this year. “Newcastle is the first city in NSW where ethanol blended fuel will be made available to BP customers,” the company’s Fuels Strategy Manager Nick Moen said. Moen said Newcastle would also play an important part in the rollout of the fuel across the state. BP has invested A$1.5 million (US$1.3 million) at its Newcastle Terminal at Carrington to receive, store and blend ethanol. The company said the deal with Manildra, combined with a 15 million-liter supply deal with CSR, made it the largest marketer of biofuels in Australia. (August 23, 2007)