AS demand for fuel grows, a Bury fuel supplier has invested in a new site to be built in Pilsworth.

Crown Oil is planning to put the nine-acre development to continue the trajectory of growth it has seen in the last 18 months.

The space will enable the company to carry out research and development, and store alternative sources of fuel.

Managing director Matthew Greensmith, said: “As green measures have never been higher up the agenda, businesses have a responsibility to act now to contribute towards reducing the effects of climate change.

“Crown Oil has taken this responsibility seriously, encouraging customers to make the change to HVO, while setting the example ourselves.

“As a result, we have found demand for greener, cleaner alternative fuels increasing, which has led to a need to expand our current operations into a new site.

He added: “Our Pilsworth site will enable us to serve an even greater number of customers and carry out more research and development into alternative products. We look forward to opening this additional site and continuing the work that resulted in our Green Award earlier this year.”

The company’s wider workforce, covering accounts, sales, marketing and IT will remain at Crown Oil’s head office at Heap Bridge.

Bosses at Crown Oil say they became the first and only UK fuel supplier to run its entire fuel fleet of tankers and delivery vehicles on hydro-treated vegetable oil in June 2021.

This, along with the new site investment, comes as part of the firm’s contribution towards net zero by switching to greener fuels without need to go completely electric or modify vehicles, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 per cent and and nitrogen oxide emissions by 27 per cent.