Britain’s cars are guzzling diesel like never before, presenting a growing challenge to oil refineries that weren’t configured to maximize production of the fuel.
The nation consumed 540,600 barrels a day of diesel in February, according to the most recent data from the International Energy Agency in Paris, an adviser to the UK and 28 other countries.
Demand more than doubled over the past two decades, while gasoline use contracted by a third.
“The consumers view diesel cars as something that is environmentally friendly because hopefully they’re using less fuel overall,” Jonathan Leitch, a London-based research director for refining and oil product markets at Wood Mackenzie, said.
February’s surge in diesel buying was also caused by an improving economy and falling prices, which encouraged drivers to fill their tanks, Leitch said.
Retail prices dropped to a five-year low of $6.59 a gallon at the start of the year and remained around that level in February, according to data from the AA Motoring Trust. Costs slid 25 percent in the six months through January.
Total UK diesel consumption grew to 21.2 million tons in 2012 from 15.3 million in 2000, according to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Cars were responsible for two thirds of that increase, with the rest coming from light vans, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches.
Diesel consumption records will be broken again in September, November and February as the nation’s economy expands, Leitch predicted.
The UK economy will grow by 2.6 percent this year, according to the average of 52 economist forecasts compiled by Bloomberg.
