Is that a cabbage in your tank?

A cleaner burning fuel made from animal and vegetable fats will be available at New Zealand pumps by the end of 2005.

Gull says it plans to start importing the Australian-made B-20 fuel blend, which is made up of 20 percent bio-diesel and 80 percent petroleum-based diesel.

The head of Gull New Zealand, Geoff Gillott, says B-20 has just come on the market in Australia and he hopes to begin importing it for sale at Gull's 31 North Island outlets within a few months.

He says the diesel blend is cleaner burning and will help ease demand on fossil fuel because it is made in part from renewable animal and vegetable stocks.

Mr Gillott says Gull hopes to start manufacturing bio-diesel in New Zealand "in the future".

He says the B-20 fuel is likely to retail for about the same price as ordinary diesel.