BRITISH RAPE oil could be helping supply a Tesco forecourt near you next year, the supermarket’s producers heard at an open day last week.

It unveiled plans to sell biodiesel at 40% of its petrol stations from 2006, through a deal struck with biofuels firm Greenergy.

At forecast rates of sales growth, and assuming the mix is 5% biodiesel to 95% conventional fuel, the move could account for 20,000t of rape oil next year.

Alex Lewis, communications director at Greenergy, said that was the equivalent of 50-60,000t of harvested crop.

The firm’s Immingham biodiesel plant should start crushing and processing UK rapeseed before the end of 2006, she added.

A Tesco spokesman said: “We are especially pleased to be able to offer another opportunity for Tesco’s farmers to work with us to grow the UK biofuels market.”