Independent oil and fuel supplier Oil 4 Wales has won the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) Green Award for 2022 for its efforts in transitioning the business to Green 4 Wales.

The family-run business, which delivers across all of west Wales and has depots in Felin Fach, Pwllheli and Blaenau Ffestiniog, has been recognised for its commitment to achieving a decarbonised future for the liquid fuel distribution sector.

Over the last year, Oil 4 Wales has been exploring a number of initiatives to decarbonise Wales and replace fossil fuels with clean forms of energy.

In July 2021, it opened Wales’ first AdBlue production plant in Sennybridge, which manufactures the green fuel concentrate using a high-purity urea solution and Welsh water. It has established a partnership with Welsh hydrogen car manufacturer Riversimple which will see it provide refuellers for hydrogen-powered electric cars at its depots and service stations across Wales.

It has been part of a testing panel set up by UKIFDA and OFTEC to test Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a sustainable alternative to carbon emitting Kerosene. HVO is a relatively new bio-fuel alternative which could be used to heat the 114,000 homes across Wales using Kerosene, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 per cent.

The company has also been part of a feasibility study commissioned by Welsh Government through HyCymru, the Wales Hydrogen Trade Association, and Costain, looking at decarbonisation schemes and the infrastructure required for a hydrogen economy in South Wales.

Judges commenting on Oil 4 Wales, said: “We were particularly impressed by the way Oil 4 Wales has sought to expand its distribution business into other areas including looking at producing hydrogen through a network of community-based facilities in Wales, with the possibility of also producing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil.”

Colin Owens, managing director of Oil 4 Wales, said: “As Wales’ leading oil and fuel supplier distributing 160 million litres of fuel to commercial and residential customers annually, we are on a mission to provide more sustainable solutions to our customers.

“We are fully committed to helping Wales reduce its carbon emissions and over the last year, we have made important strides into our own efforts to transition to Green 4 Wales, while also supporting Welsh Government in its efforts to decarbonise Wales.

“It is clear that hydrogen will play a vital role in replacing diesel going forward and we want to make sure that Wales is at the forefront of this development, while also ensuring that the benefits of other renewable bio-fuels are also explored and taken into account.

“For example, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HV)) is one of the cleanest fuels on the market. It is helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% and doesn’t incur the high infrastructure costs compared to some of the other proposed replacement energy sources.”