Petrol contamination traced

Updated 18.26 Sat Mar 03 2007
Keywords: Morrisons, Supermarket

Silicon contamination in unleaded petrol which has caused thousands of motorists to break down has been traced to four petrol storage tanks at a depot in Essex.

Harvest Energy, which shares facilities at Vopak's oil terminal at West Thurrock, with Greenergy, said its tests had found "unusually high levels of silicon" in four petrol storage tanks at the site.

Harvest Energy, which shares facilities at Vopak's oil terminal at West Thurrock, with Greenergy, said its tests had found "unusually high levels of silicon" in four petrol storage tanks at the site

In a statement the company said the contamination had not been detected prior to sale to retailers including supermarkets because routine testing of petrol did not include a test for silicon.

"We will now be testing for silicon as a matter of course," the company said.

Harvest Energy said it had isolated the higher silicon fuel, and could guarantee no further contaminated petrol would be distributed.

The company also said it had appointed an independent inspection company to test fuel stocks at more than 100 petrol stations across the South East over the weekend.

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