Tesco, a global grocery and general merchandise retailer based in the UK, declared that it has received certificate from the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) for its newly developed renewable ethanol biofuel.
Tesco Cheetham Hill. Credit: Tesco
The certificate from the energy ombudsman of the government was received after two years of intense research and development and it will allow Tesco to manufacture its fully recyclable ethanol biofuel in the UK. The fuel research is also an important component in the pledge of the company to bring down its carbon emissions by 50% by the year 2020.
The ethanol fuel produced by Tesco utilizes organic waste products as its base. Before achieving its certification, the fuel went through a strict process to check for traces of normal fossil fuels in the mix and ultimately certified it as a 100% renewable product. The company presently utilizes the developed fuel in its specially altered combined heat and power (CHP) generators at its stores located in Cheetham Hill and Dumfries.
According to Bukky Bird, Tesco’s Property Services Team’s head of environment, completing the certification process was the result of two years of dedicated work by Tesco and will further encourage the renewable energy program of the company. The company is looking forward to producing more fuel for use in more number of stores and planning to become a zero carbon discharging Retail Company by the year 2050.