Office of Biofuels
The Office of Biofuels has been established within the NSW Department of State and Regional Development to manage the implementation of the Biofuel (Ethanol Content) Act 2007 and the Regulations made under the Act, and to develop strategies to support the further development of the biofuels industry in NSW.
Biofuel (Ethanol Content) Act 2007
The Act is to come into effect on 1 October 2007.
The purpose of the Act is to provide for a minimum ethanol content requirement of 2% in respect of the total volume of petrol sales in the State, at the primary wholesale level.
The Act does not require ethanol to be added to all petrol sold in NSW.
The Act requires primary wholesalers to report quarterly their total volume of petrol sales, including petrol ethanol blends, and the total volume of ethanol in the petrol sold. The Act does not apply to sales of petrol and petrol-ethanol blend fuel by one primary wholesaler to another.
Under the Act and Regulations, a primary wholesaler is a petrol wholesaler who either:
- operates or supplies petrol from any of the following facilities (whether or not in NSW) in connection with petrol wholesaling:
- an oil refinery
- a shipping facility
- a facility to which petrol is supplied by pipeline from an oil refinery or a shipping facility
- a facility to which petrol is supplied by a pipeline from a facility referred to in paragraph (c), or
- blends ethanol with petrol for resale in NSW.
Enquiries about registration as a primary wholesaler should be directed to the Office of Biofuels.