Biodiesel

New Zealand’s diesel specification, Engine Fuel Specifications Regulations 2011 (SR 2011/352), sets the maximum limit for biodiesel in diesel at 7% v/v.

However, at present, the government does not mandate any addition of biodiesel in diesel. As a result, oil marketing companies can choose whether or not to blend.

The SGS Worldwide Fuel Survey (WWFS) results from diesel samples taken from 2011-2022 showed that most samples did not contain biodiesel. Two samples taken in 2018 contained biodiesel at 1.1 and 1.3% v/v, and one sample in 2020 contained 1.0% v/v of biodiesel. The figure below shows the average biodiesel content in diesel samples from 2011-2022.