UK: Plant power!

A fleet of 50 business vehicles running solely on Pure Plant Oil (PPO) will be launched by the social enterprise "Blooming Futures" based in Shoreham, Sussex. This employee co-operative is specialized in modifying diesel engines to enable them to run on Pure Plant Oil (PPO) – the most sustainable motor fuel currently in production. After securing finance from The Co-operative Loan Fund, the co-op is now developing a 'Bio-Fleet' initiative that will create a user base of 50 business vehicles in the South East of England running on PPO supplied by local agriculturalists. The Bio-Fleet is also being supported by DEFRA – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – under the Environmental Action Fund and the Network for Social Change. Mat Bulba, director at Blooming Futures says: "The project is developing at a real pace now and as a co-operative we are having to expand and take on new members to help with the growing work-load." Blooming Futures believes that before motorists can be encouraged to reduce their impact on the environment by using PPO fuels, a regular supply must be established. www.bloomingfutures.com