The shift from B7 to B10 would cost between RM1,000 and RM3,000 for a unit

By SHAHEERA AZNAM SHAH / Pic By TMR File

Malaysian hauliers said they are ready to shift to B10 from the current B7 biodiesel despite having to incur more cost.

Association of Hauliers president Datuk Nazari Akhbar said the change from B7 biodiesel, which is the current industry standard of fuel blend, to B10 would cost between RM1,000 and RM3,000 for a unit.

“We will accommodate to the government’s mandate. If we have to change, we would have to spend more for the shift (from B7 to B10),” Nazari told The Malaysian Reserve when contacted recently.

The B10 biodiesel is a blend of 10% palm methyl ester (PME) and 90% petroleum diesel, while B7 biodiesel includes 7% of PME.

Last Monday, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok announced that the programme for the transportation sector would be implemented in phases beginning last Saturday, before its mandatory implementation in February 2019. She also said the B7 programme for the industrial sector would be implemented starting July 1, 2019.

Kok said the programme is expected to increase the domestic palm oil demand to 760,000 tonnes annually and contribute only 2.2 million of carbon dioxide to the greenhouse gas emission savings yearly.

Meanwhile, Nazari said at the moment, the hauliers have no objection to use B10, but not B15.

“The palm oil, in general, contains more volume of water and it requires a specific type of filtration system in vehicles.

“For fleets that could not accommodate fuel with 10% blend of palm oil, the companies have to spend up to RM3,000 per truck to instal the filtration kit,” he added.

Nazari said, at the moment, most of the international fleet brands used by local hauliers are able to operate with the change without any alteration to their fleets.

“Most of our hauliers are using the Volvo Trucks, Mercedes-Benz, Scania and MAN fleets, and all the companies have gotten back to us on their prime movers’ durability on using B10.

“However, we have a small market of Japanese and Chinese trucks that we have approached to see if their fleets are compatible, but we have not received any feedback,” he said.