Despite green ideals: Unity List opens for diesel comeback in North Jutland buses

Despite green ideals: Enhedslisten opens for diesel comeback in North Jutland buses

The climate-friendly biodiesel for Region North Jutland's public transport has become so expensive that regular diesel may be considered, says Enhedslisten

Fuel prices for public transport have exploded - especially the prices of the more climate-friendly biodiesel, also called HVO. (Photo: © Nordjyllands Trafikselskab)

By

Nicole Torp Hjørringgaard ( [email protected] ) 35 minutes ago

The greener diesel in the North Jutland buses has become so expensive that Region North Jutland is facing a large deficit in the millions.

And although biodiesel emits less CO2, the coffers are now so empty that Enhedslisten's regional council member Susanne Flydtkjær - despite the party's green ideals - is ready to go back to running on regular diesel for a period to save money.

- If we need to find the money so we can secure public transport so people can get to education and work, then it is of course clearly a possibility temporarily, she says.

She also emphasizes that the region would then have to look at where other CO2 reductions can be found in the period.

The region urgently needs to find 60 million kroner to keep public transport running as it does today ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/busser-og-tog-i-fare-region-skal-finde-60-millioner-kroner-paa-kort-tid ).

The main reason is rising fuel prices - especially the prices of the more climate-friendly biodiesel that many of the buses run on.

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Legal challenges

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According to the company OK's website, biodiesel is currently about nine kroner more expensive per liter than regular fossil diesel.

But it is not certain that a switch can happen immediately. Operations manager at Nordjyllands Trafikselskab Erik Frederiksen says that it will not be legally possible to change the fuel to something with a worse environmental impact under the current agreements.

- The next time we enter into a new agreement, hopefully there will be other products on the market that mean we might be able to switch to electric buses on these very long routes we operate, he says.

Several places in the country, including at Midttrafik, have already chosen to drop biodiesel due to the high prices.

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