The Ministry of Transport plans to purchase 20 passenger trains running on biodiesel fuel, which will meet the requirements for dual mobility, as they can also be powered by regular diesel. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov to journalists during the "Tour of Europe" initiative in support of renewable fuels. According to him, the tender procedure will also be announced in the coming days. According to Karadjov, the use of biodiesel is an excellent opportunity in the conditions of increasingly strict environmental standards and can facilitate the transition to zero-emission transport.
All fuel distributors are obliged to supply a certain percentage of biofuels to each gas station, the Deputy Prime Minister added. "From now on, we have almost no excuse not to offer biodiesel fuel at every gas station", commented Grozdan Karadjov. He emphasized that the supply of this fuel will depend on demand, and added that as its use in heavy-duty vehicles, buses and trains increases, it will become more accessible and widespread.
When asked by BTA whether the production of biodiesel is more expensive, Karadjov replied that its price is not higher than that of conventional fuel. "For the moment, it is not available everywhere", he explained.
In response to another question related to aviation, where the transition to sustainable fuels was accompanied by expectations of higher prices, Karadjov pointed out that this is true, but in aviation the requirements for the fuel process are significantly higher. In conventional transport, engines work the same way - if a tank full of biodiesel is replaced with regular diesel, there will be no difference in engine performance.
Currently, Europe is prioritizing electromobility, but there is also a slight change in European Union policy. According to Karadjov, news in this direction is expected in the coming months. During the last Council of Transport Ministers in Luxembourg, the topic was widely discussed, and the European Commission has committed to presenting a new vision for the transition period to full electrification in a short time. This vision cannot fail to include biodiesel as an important opportunity and a serious innovation, Minister Karadjov emphasized.