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Graz sets the standard with 100% clean buses
The city of Graz, in Austria, is one of the cities setting the standards for clean buses in Europe. It is believed to be the only city in Europe where 100% of the public bus fleet runs on biodiesel. Part of the fuel comes from an unusual source.
Graz' hippest contributor to biodiesel. Photo: Jenny Rollo
The initiative began in 2004 as part of the CIVITAS Trendsetter programme. Used cooking oil (UCO) is collected from the town’s restaurants and cafes on a massive scale. The UCO is then converted into biodiesel and provides fuel for the entire bus fleet of 130 buses.
Other sources
To keep the fleet running, the bus company, GVB, uses 3.8 million litres of biodiesel a year. Not all of it comes from UCO. Regular biodiesel made from crops such as rape seed and sunflower seed is also used.
In winter, due to the lower temperatures, the fleet runs on a mix of 70% biodiesel and 30% fossil fuel.
Unwilling
A key part of the project’s success, however, is put down to the fact that in Austria, biodiesel is exempt from fuel tax. A step that most European countries are still unwilling to take.
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