Fuel blend an old idea

THE article on Maxol’s proposed biofuel mix for vehicles (August 29) brought back memories. I worked with a an Irish oil company during the 1960s, when two State-sponsored factories were producing alcohol from potatoes, grown on contract by local farmers.

Oil companies were obliged to buy the alcohol and it was added to regular petrol and sold as PAB (petrol-alcohol blend). So, the technology is not new.

The factories closed due to a lack of continuity of potato supplies.