That is the outcome of negotiations between the Keep Westpoort Accessible foundation, the Oad bus company and Greenmills, which produces biofuel. Two Westpoort-bound buses are now being converted to the use of biodiesel.

The Keep Westpoort Accessible foundation (Stichting Westpoort Bereikbaar) is a joint initiative by the Port of Amsterdam, local companies, as well as the regional and provincial governments. The foundation’s aim is to provide good employee transport by offering a collective transportation service to participating companies. The system is named the Westpoort Bus.

Over the past five years, the Westpoort Bus has evolved from an experiment into a regular transport system that, each day, serves 17 participating companies and 800 passengers and makes 120 trips. The Westpoort Bus offers commuters an excellent alternative to car use at locations where public transport is not a viable option.

The Westpoort Bus service is being provided by the Oad Touringcarbedrijf. If the switch to biodiesel proves to be successful, Oad may convert more of its buses to make them run on biodiesel. With this project, Oad is the first bus company in the Netherlands to start using biodiesel.

The biofuel to be used by the buses comes from Greenmills – a producer of second-generation biofuel (obtained from residual flows). This year, Greenmills is building a production facility in the Port of Amsterdam. To mark the official start of the construction process, Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen will drive the first pile into the ground on Kretaweg (Kreta Road) in the port on March 28, 2008.

Ab van der Neut, Communication Department of the Port of Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 5234875 or +31 (0)651171291
Or visit: www.wbus.nl