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Written question asked by Samantha Niblett (Labour) on Friday, 23 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 January 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Keir Mather (Labour) on Monday, 2 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Biofuels: Research

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research her Department is undertaking into developing alternative vehicle fuels, such as synthetic and bio fuels.

Answer

In recognition of their established carbon reduction benefits the Government supports the use of low carbon fuels in surface transport vehicles through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme. Under the scheme the supply of synthetic fuels and biofuels produced from renewable inputs is eligible for support, where these low carbon fuels meet stringent sustainability criteria.

Whilst my Department does not generally undertake its own research into developing alternative vehicle fuels, it does periodically fund specific research studies to inform policy development and the deployment of such fuels. A recent example is a study on higher bio content fuel deployment in heavy-duty transport, the outputs of which were published online in August 2025.

Additionally, the Department provides funding for latter stage development and deployment of hydrogen, a synthetic fuel, through the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) and the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programmes.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
108065
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Biofuels Research
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk