Sintra, a famous tourist city on the outskirts of Lisbon, opened the country's first biodiesel gas station on the 30th, bringing biodiesel, an economical and environmentally friendly new fuel, to the market for the first time. The launch of the filling station is part of a joint project between the Sintra city energy department and the public health department to promote biodiesel, a new environmentally friendly fuel.

The organization believes that the opening of Portugal's first biodiesel gas station is of great significance to the popularization of this new fuel, and calls on all relevant government departments to continue to give greater support to biodiesel enterprises in terms of tax reduction and other links, so that more people can enjoy this low-cost, high-efficiency and environmentally friendly fuel.

French President Jacques Chirac has joined the government's efforts to promote the use of biofuels. His own "Citroen C6" luxury car and the cars of his officials have been modified to use biodiesel that burns cleaner. At the Elysee Palace, the president's official residence in central Paris, the car fuel pump has been modified to deliver alternative fuels. "The presidential car now uses biofuels derived from rapeseed refining, the same as half of the cars in the Elysee Palace." A spokesman said on September 30.

In order to encourage people to use more environmentally friendly "green fuel", Minnesota legislation stipulates that the diesel sold locally must be added with 2% biodiesel (biodiesel). Minnesota is also the first state to do so.

The price of gasoline in many parts of the United States has now climbed to $3 (about S $5) a gallon, and local people have renewed interest in alternative fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol (ethanol). Both fuels are made from crops such as corn or sugar cane. If this fuel is mixed with gasoline, the exhaust emissions of the vehicle can be reduced.

The U.S. Biodiesel Council estimates that by the end of this year, local biodiesel use will reach at least 50 million gallons, equivalent to double last year. The 45 biodiesel plants in the United States produce 180,000,000 gallons of fuel oil annually, a commission spokesman said. Another 54 biodiesel plants will be operational next year or the year after, increasing production to an estimated 750,000,000 gallons per year.

When asked by Nanyang Business Daily, executive chairman of Malaysia IOI Group (IOICorp,1961, Main Board Planting Unit), Dansri Li Shenjing said that the government's proposal would definitely promote the biotechnology industry and make it flourish. Producing biodiesel is one area of the biotech industry, he said. After the implementation of this plan, China's palm oil inventory will be reduced immediately, and the reduction of inventory will have a stimulating effect on the price of palm oil, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

IOI Group recently confirmed that it has made a bidding application to the authorities to become one of the three groups that produce biodiesel in China. A total of 10 conglomerates have made relevant bidding applications. Li Shenjing said that the production cost of producing biodiesel from palm oil is about less than US $20 (about RM75) per barrel. If the international oil price remains at about US $70 (about RM264) per barrel, this biodiesel produced from palm oil will still appear cheap.

He said that European and American countries already use plants as a technology for producing gasoline or diesel, and their governments also encourage them. In addition, according to a market source, IOI Group may consider setting up a biodiesel production plant by itself if it cannot win the goal of one of the three biodiesel production groups mentioned above.