PONTYPOOL inventor and entrepreneur Graham Taylor will launch the UK's first commercial diesel operation based on recycled cooking oils later today.

Apart from saving drivers and operators money, the fuel will offer significant environmental benefits.

Vegetable fuels contain no sulphur - the culprit behind the "acid rain" generated by exhaust emissions from vehicles using conventional fuels.

It will also be "carbon dioxide neutral' as the CO2 released during combustion will only match that absorbed by the plants in the fields which produced the oil.

The launch will take place at Pontypool's Pimlico Garage, which is owned by Dave Thomas.

It will be the UK's first retail outlet for the fuel.

The modest inventor said: "It's not such a radical idea really. After all, the inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolph Diesel, ran his engine on vegetable oil."

Initially the fuel will consist of between five and ten per cent vegetable oil blended with the conventional variety.

The service promises to offer cheaper diesel than that based entirely on mineral oil and the fuel will be better for engines due to its higher lubricity. "I should say it reaches parts other fuels can't," said Mr Taylor, laughing.

Mr Taylor is planning a chain of retail outlets across Wales and beyond.

He has also designed a large-scale gravity-powered centrifuge to be based at an industrial unit in Pontypool.

This will recycle cooking oil from shops across Wales and recycle it for automotive use.

But this is about 12 months away as Mr Taylor needs to gain European process approval before being able to supply diesel to the commercial market.

Until that point he is relying on refineries to blend and supply the fuel for him.

This is a relatively expensive method of production but will still enable the fuel to be sold more cheaply than conventional brands.

He said: "Although this fuel offers a number of environmental benefits, realistically, the only reason people are going to buy it is if it is cheaper."

He eventually plans to offer diesel which is 100 per cent recycled. The launch represents years the fruition of years of research for the inventor, much of which was conducted in Cyprus for reasons of economy.