The environment is a priority for us. OK is the only consumer-owned oil and energy company in Denmark, which is why we feel that we have a special responsibility for the environment.
We are well aware that our products represent a potential risk to the environment if not handled and used correctly. That's partially why we have a tradition of being one of the first to introduce new and more environment-friendly products, and the list of our environmental achievements is long.
No more lead
Right up until the late 1980s, petrol contained lead, which is extremely hazardous to health and to the environment. In 1990, OK was one of the first to take the initiative to remove lead from its petrol and introduce petrol with lead substitute.
First with sulphur-free diesel
Sulphur is known to cause acidification - particularly of the aquatic environment. OK was the first oil company in Denmark to launch sulphur-free diesel in 1998. This diesel type has a permitted sulphur content of max. 0.005%. By comparison, heating oil can have a sulphur content which is 10 times higher.
More environment-friendly petrol
In 1998, OK also reduced the content of the carcinogenic substance benzene in petrol to 1%, even though it is still permitted to sell petrol with a benzene content of right up to 5%.
Protecting our water
OK was the first oil company in Denmark to stop sales of 98 octane petrol, which contains MTBE, completely, in 2000. MTBE is an ether which even in small quantities can give drinking water a very unpleasant taste, rendering it unusable.
Green car wash
Our car washes have been proudly bearing the Nordic environmental Swan mark since November 2004. The Swan mark is proof that our car washes protect the environment in terms of operation and configuration. OK has 53 Swan-marked car washes, a number which is constantly growing.
Safe quality
Along with these initiatives, environmental safety at warehouses, filling stations and for our tankers has been continuously improved, including the introduction of new technical solutions. Furthermore, OK's goods inwards, warehouse and despatch are ISO 9002 certified. This ensures uniform quality for our produces and for their storage and handling.
B5Next
OK took part in the biodiesel project, B5Next, in 2009.
B5Next was created to gain experience within Denmark of the use of biodiesel as a biofuel. B5Next is a demonstration project designed to collect experience and technical know-how for the storage, distribution and building of filling station facilities, and general supply of biodiesel for use in public transport and private cars.
The EU Commission has an objective for the use of biofuels within the EU to reach 5.75% by the end of 2010, and most member states have introduced measures to fulfil this objective.
Despite higher oil prices, biodiesel is not yet competitively priced compared to conventional diesel. Consequently, its use is conditional on some form of duty relaxation or mandatory mixing.
B5Next was supported financially by the Danish Færdselsstyrelsen (Road Safety and Transport Agency) as one of four projects under the pilot scheme for biodiesel. Similarly, the project received financial support from Region Midtjylland.
The reason that Region Midtjylland along with Landbrugsrådet took the initiative to bring Danish-produced biodiesel out to public transport and private motorists, is due to the region's heavy investment in energy and the environment. This includes Region Midtjylland as an operator of public transport being the trendsetting region, and will lay down requirements for the fuel buses run on. The project is intended to ensure that the public sector leads the way in supporting an environment-friendly fuel, and that biodiesel is used in Denmark - in sufficiently large amounts to ensure that the experiences harvested of logistics, organisation and distribution can be used when the introduction of biodiesel becomes mandatory on a national scale in the near future.