McDonald's UAE, Emirates Transport discuss biodiesel initiative
February 12, 2013
BY Weber Shandwick MENA
McDonald's UAE this week showcased its successful biodiesel initiative to executives from Emirates Transport, the leading transportation company in the country, during a visit to the Neutral Fuels biorefinery in Dubai.
The visit was set up following the success of McDonald's UAE's biodiesel initiative, which prompted Emirates Transport to approach the company to discuss best practice and identify ways through which the biodiesel initiative could be incorporated across its fleet of vehicles.
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McDonald's UAE's biodiesel campaign was originally launched in 2011 with the support of Dubai FDI, the foreign investment promotion arm of the Department of Economic Development. Under this initiative, 100 percent used vegetable oil is collected from McDonald's outlets across the UAE and converted into 100 percent biodiesel by McDonald's cleantech partner, Neutral Fuels. To date, the collected biodiesel has fueled the totality of the company's logistics fleet, travelling over 1.5 million kilometers.
Rafic Fakih, managing director and partner of McDonald's UAE said, “Our involvement with Emirates Transport marks yet another milestone in McDonald's UAE's biodiesel initiative. We remain committed to reducing the UAE's carbon footprint and we hope to encourage other UAE companies to consider incorporating environmental initiatives such as using biodiesel into their business plans going forwards.”
Karl Feilder, founder, chairman and CEO of Neutral Fuels, added, “Our facility remains the only licensed biorefinery in the Middle East. Choosing state-of-the-art technology and equipment was a big decision for a new business when we started out, but it was of course the right thing to do and we take pride in maintaining the very high standard we've set for biodiesel manufacture here. Being able to provide high-quality biodiesel from a high-quality facility is key to our success.”
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Mohammed Abdullah Aljarman, general manager at Emirates Transport, continued, “Our overall objective is to provide mass transport that is comprehensive, safe but also environmentally sustainable. We aim to do so by learning from professional and experienced industry leaders such as McDonald's UAE and Neutral Fuels, and we are excited about the possibilities which biodiesel can offer.”
Biodiesel is the only renewable transport fuel option that can be commercially deployed today. Independent studies have shown that biodiesel usage results in approximately 80 per cent less carbon dioxide than burning traditional fossil diesel on a lifecycle basis. In addition, biodiesel has excellent lubricating properties, which help prevent premature engine wear and failure. Biodiesel also acts as a cleaning detergent in fuel systems, improving efficiency and reducing maintenance
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