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<p>The Department for Transport assesses a number of different fuels in terms of a
range of environmental impacts including air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
A number of initiatives are underway to encourage cleaner, lower carbon fuels.</p><p>
</p><p>The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation was amended to increase rewards for
suppliers of biopropane from April 2015, following a consultation which considered
the potential benefits of alternative fuels, including biopropane, in delivering greenhouse
gas savings. Biopropane is the term commonly used to describe liquid petroleum gas
(LPG) derived from production processes that use biomass as the feedstock.</p><p>
</p><p>The Department for Transport and Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership also established
a Transport Energy Task Force which considered the potential of Liquefied Petroleum
Gas (LPG) in meeting our greenhouse gas reduction targets, alongside other alternative
fuels, last year.</p><p> </p><p>While no formal assessment of the air quality impact
of LPG has been made, DfT and Defra officials met with representatives of the LPG
industry during the consultation on the UK Air Quality Plans in 2015. Industry data
shows that retrofitting older diesel cars and vans to run on LPG can reduce emissions
of NOx (oxides of nitrogen) and particulate matter whilst producing CO2 (carbon dioxide)
emissions between those of equivalent diesel and petrol engines.</p><p> </p><p>Birmingham
City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of older black cabs from
diesel to LPG as part of the 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme.
As part of this funding, emissions will be measured before and after conversion.</p><p>
</p><p>As part of the Department’s Heavy Goods Vehicle emissions testing programme,
the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership is testing a dual fuel (diesel / LPG) retrofit
conversion to a Euro VI truck, as well as gas and diesel comparators. Vehicle tests
are currently underway and we expect to publish the results later this year. On 30th
June, the Department launched an HGV accreditation scheme for retrofit technology
to enable equipment manufacturers or vehicle operators to conduct robust, repeatable
and reliable tests to validate the impact on fuel consumption and emissions under
a range of operating conditions.</p>
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