AvantiGas receive their first UK delivery of BioLPG
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AvantiGas, a part of UGI International, has secured the exclusive rights to all of polish-based Ekobenz’ bioLPG supply. Ekobenz is the first and currently only company in Europe that has succeeded in commercialising bioLPG production based on advanced bioethanol produced from waste
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The partnership ensures that AvantiGas and UGI International can increase its bioLPG volume, a sustainable alternative to fossil LPG
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The partnership further strengthens AvantiGas’ position in the UK bioLPG market, where the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme makes bioLPG even more attractive to invest in
The UK has an ambitious decarbonisation agenda with the government working towards net zero in 2050 and a 68% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
UGI International has secured the exclusive rights to the supply of bioLPG from polish-based biofuel producer, Ekobenz. A first shipment has already been made to Swedish UGI company Kosan Gas from Ekobenz’ state of the art research facility in Bogumiłów, and now the first shipment has arrived into the UK. Ekobenz, a Polish technology specialist in catalytic conversion of bioethanol to bio-gasoline and bioLPG, is the first and currently only company in Europe that has succeeded in commercialising bioLPG production based on advanced bioethanol produced from waste. This partnership brings a significant boost to AvantiGas’ current BioLPG supply in the UK.
“We consider it our mission to be an innovator in offering our customers a greener and cleaner LPG fuel and we are continuously researching new initiatives in the emerging fuels market that will lead us down a pathway of sustainability. We are convinced that this can be a small step in the right direction for us becoming the frontrunners in the future. The partnership with Ekobenz is one of many initiatives we are currently pursuing on the path to securing the production of renewable fuels. It is complementary to other business activities in UGI International, which also include renewable wind power and existing bioLPG currently supplied in the Nordic region of Europe. It ultimately supports AvantiGas’ and UGI International´s ambition of aligning and where possible exceeding business goals with the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) guidance protocol,” says Neil Murphy, VP Business Development, UGI International.
What is bioLPG?
Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) is most commonly used for industrial processes, off grid heating and as a transport fuel. In general, conventional LPG contains less sulphur than other fossil fuels resulting in cleaner combustion, higher efficiency, and less required maintenance. BioLPG’s sustainable properties compared to its non-bio counterpart is further strengthened by the fact that Ekobenz uses advanced bioethanol, produced from waste and residues as feedstock in its production
AvantiGas and Ekobenz
AvantiGas is one of the leading distributors of LPG in the UK supplying off-grid commercial and domestic customers across England, Scotland and Wales with low-carbon energy solutions. A UGI International company, which operates in 17 European countries servicing a customer base of approximately 615,000 end-users. UGI International employs several brands such as AmeriGas, Antargaz, AvantiGas, DVEP Energie, Flaga, Kosan Gas and UniverGas. In 2020 UGI International serviced customers across broad markets – such as commercial & industrial, residential, agriculture, autogas and aerosol, with 1.7 million tons of LPG. UGI International is committed to aligning its business operations with REDII and you can read more about the companies ESG strategy by clicking here.
Ekobenz is a Polish-based start-up established in 2006, which specialises in ETG (ethanol to gas) technology. Their production facility is based in Bogumiłów in Poland where the company transforms second generation bioethanol to advanced biofuels suppling a global energy company with bio-gasoline and now UGI International with bioLPG. The ETG technology is patented and the main objective of Ekobenz’ research is to create a liquid bio-hydrocarbon, which can be added to fossil fuels without any limitations, thus increasing the share of renewable energy in transportation fuels Ekobenz’ total workforce currently stands at 50.