Clean Musso scheme

NICHE South Korean car manufacturer SsangYong is using New Zealand as a test-bed for biodiesel fuel technology in its diesel-powered Musso utility and believes it has potential in Australia.

NZ firm Renewable Energy Solutions is running a 2.9-litre turbo-diesel Musso converted to run on either "Envirofuel" or diesel fuel.

It is also in the process of converting a common-rail diesel-engine Stavic to test the fuel.

The technology is currently available on New Zealand’s north island.

Envirofuel is recycled plant oil – processed, filtered and refined to produce a clean-burning fuel.

It is a non-fossil fuel-based resource that the company claims is non-toxic, has less pollutants and less emissions than diesel fuel. It also says fuel holding tanks can be installed at home.

Chairman of SsangYong importer Rapson Holdings, Russell Burling, told GoAuto the use of Envirofuel was still in the "embryo" stages but that he would like to trial the technology in Australia.

The company is planning to bring in a NZ engineer next month to look at the local requirements.

"SsangYong Korea is also interested," Mr Burling said. "Definitely with the way fuel prices have gone we must investigate alternatives."Mr Burling said the Musso burned 100 per cent clean emissions when running on Envirofuel.

In New Zealand it is available to fleet operators and Mr Burling said it could become available here, subject to local testing and validation procedures and whether the appropriate infrastructure could be put in place.

"We would definitely like to head down that path and know it will run on all our engines," he said.

According to the Envirocar website, Envirofuel costs NZ40 cents a litre (A36 cents) and tests have shown that it offers 30 per cent better fuel consumption than diesel with no loss of performance.

A conversion costs $NZ5000 ($A4543).