Crown Oil buys in Bury to ramp up green fuels operation 

The fuel distribution firm has acquired nine acres off Borden Way in Pilsworth for £2.2m and will use the land for research into and storage of sustainable products. 

Crown Oil said it is expanding to cope with “rocketing customer demand for green fuels”. 

The site, sold by a private North West-based investor, was previously occupied by Park Royal Stone, which collapsed in 2018. The land was marketed for sale by BC Real Estate and sold for an undisclosed sum. 

Crown Oil is based in Heap Bridge in Bury. Staff, including accounts, sales, customer services, marketing and IT, will remain at the head office. 

The company claims to be the first and only UK fuel supplier to run its entire fleet of tankers and delivery vehicles on hydrotreated vegetable oil, a practice it adopted in June 2021. 

Crown Oil is also encouraging other companies to use vegetable oil to lower their emissions. 

Managing director Matthew Greensmith said the investment was timely, taking place as the world’s leaders meet to discuss environmental issues at COP26. 

“Crown Oil has taken this responsibility seriously, encouraging customers to make the change to hydrogenated vegetable oil, while setting the example ourselves,” Greensmith said.

“As a result, we have found demand for greener, cleaner alternative fuels increasing, which has led to a need to expand our current operations into a new site. Our Pilsworth site will enable us to serve an even greater number of customers and carry out more research and development into alternative products.”