05/02/2009 (Helsinki Times) - A proposal by Helsinki City Transport (HKL) and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) to power all buses and rubbish trucks in the capital region by fuel made from palm oil has drawn criticism from environmental organisation Greenpeace. For several weeks trials have been carried out in Lahti with hybrid buses which use a mixture of electricity and diesel. HKL is planning to test the buses in Helsinki over the following months, with a view to putting them into service as early as the end of this year.

The new fuel, called NExBTL, is being developed by Finnish fuel company Neste by refining vegetable oils. The problem, says Greenpeace, is that up to 80 per cent of the oil used is palm oil. They point out that production of the oil is a major industry particularly in South East Asia, where the intensive farming required has led to an increased rate of deforestation, nullifying any benefits that the fuel itself has in terms of lower carbon emissions. “We are particularly concerned about the effect of deforestation on the orangutan population in Indonesia and Malaysia,” says Greenpeace head of communication in Finland, Juha Aromaa. “The increasing demand for palm oil is contributing in a major way to a loss of biodiversity and increase in pollution.”

There are potential benefits to using biofuel, however. Hybrid buses are said to use 30 per cent less fuel than normal diesel buses, and run more quietly. In addition, Neste has stated that carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 40-60 per cent. HKL Planning Director Ville Lehmuskoski was quoted in Helsingin Sanomat as saying, “Hybrid vehicles are well suited for city traffic. The use of hybrid buses provides an efficient way to quickly reduce emissions and energy consumption.” However, this argument does not wash with Greenpeace, who point out that if the use of biofuels increases as planned, Neste will become the world’s largest palm oil user, greatly increasing CO2 emissions. Travelling by bus may then become a much less environmentally friendly option.