Tag Archives: biofuel blends

Ethiopia to Increase Ethanol Content in Petrol to 10% E10

March 13, 2011   Karl   1 Comment
bioethanol fuel pump

Ethiopia to Increase Ethanol Content in Petrol to 10%

In response to skyrocketing oil price at the global market, the Ethiopian government on Friday unveiled that it will increases the volume of Ethanol content in gasoline to 10% as of March 15.

Since 2009, the country has been provided a 5% ethanol and 95% benzene blended (technically known as E5) for the market in which a Sudanese owned oil company, Nile Petrol, was a sole agent that was carrying out the blending process and distributing for all local oil station.

But now the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) declared that Oil Libya is awarded the task of blending the 10% ethanol-Benzene blend.

According to the Ministry of Water and Energy, the country has a plan to top up an ethanol blended oil to the local market to reach E25 (a 25% ethanol content blended in Benzene and biodiesel).

The State Minister of MoWE, Wondimu Tekle, said that the consumption of oil that is imported to the country is increasing with the booming of economy in the country.

According to him, Ethiopia spends more than 8.6 billion Birr every year to import fuel oil with hard currency.

“We want to increase the ethanol content from E5 to E10 to help lower the foreign exchange we spend on oil. This is also important measurement to stabilize the market by reducing the burden of the entire consumers,” he said.

“Since we import oil with huge amount of hard currency, the only solution we have is to develop alternative energy sources like bio-fuel,” he added.

He pointed that due to the introduction of this project, mostly in Addis Ababa and its surrounding areas, the country was able to blend over 13 million liters of ethanol blended oil (E5) and as a result saved over USD10 million in two years.

According to a document obtained from MoWE, from 2009 to the end of 2010, about 2.9 million liters of ethanol has been so far blended with over 245 million liter of Benzene.

In his briefing, the state minister confirmed that, while designing this massive plan of developing bio-fuels projects, the government had hoped that private investors would contribute a lot; however, most of them failed to so.

He also explained that his office has identified those investors and sent their name to the Ethiopian Investment Agency and other pertinent government organizations to take action against these companies who didn’t live up with their commitment. But the state Minister declined to mention the names of those companies.

Ethiopia has three state owned sugar factories which have been operational for long time, including Fincha, Metahara and Wonji.

However, the country produces ethanol from byproduct of sugar factory solely from Fincha which has been so far producing Eight million liters every year since 2009. Similarly, Metahara Sugar Factory is currently set to start producing Ethanol that amounts to 10 million liters per year as of this month.

The fourth factory which is under construction is the Tendaho Sugar Factory which was also said to be the biggest and most promising factory expected to produce huge amount of ethanol upon its completion.

According to the state minister, upon the completion of all sugar factories including the private factories, the country will be able to produce over 180 liters of ethanol after five years.

Of course, Ethiopia has been producing ethanol only for benzene consuming automobiles. But the state minister indicated that still another project is on the pipeline to produce biodiesel for diesel consuming motors.

According to MoWE, the bio-fuel is set to be produced from jatropha, caster seeds and palm trees in which the planting of these trees is being undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development in Amhara, Tigray and Southern regions.

 

Nadew Tadele, Director of Bio-fuel Development Coordination Directorate within MoWE told Ezega.com thatthe Organization of the Amhara Rehabilitation and Development Association (OARDA) is the first local company that will build biodiesel processing factory in Bati Woreda of Amhara Regional state.

The organization is also seeking the technological assistance from the MoWE. However, Nadew did not indicate the investment amount the organization has proposed.

OARDA has so far planted over 165 million seedlings of Jatropha in 50 woredas in degraded areas as part of preparation for the would be built biodiesel processing factory, according to Nadew.

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Spain increases biodiesel use to curb impact of rising oil prices

March 03, 2011   Karl   No comments

Spain increases biodiesel use to curb impact of rising oil prices

Spain is taking action to reduce the economic impact of rapidly increasing oil prices in part by increasing the allowable content of biodiesel for blending in transportation fuels.

According to Spain’s Vice President Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, a €10 ($13.77) increase in the price of a barrel of oil equates to nearly a €6 billion ($8.26 billion) rise in the overall cost of energy. To help combat this increased energy spending, the government of Spain plans to enact three measures to be published March 4 and become active March 7.

Regarding biodiesel content in transportation fuels, the government will increase the percentage of biodiesel from 5.7 percent to 7 percent. According to information posted on the government’s website, this measure is aimed at achieving fuel savings.

The most recent statistics posted to the European Biodiesel Board’s website state that Spanish biodiesel plants produced approximately 859,000 tons (258 million gallons) of biodiesel in 2009. Only Germany and France produced more biodiesel that year. EBB statistics also note that Spain had approximately 4.1 million tons (1.2 billion gallons) of installed biodiesel capacity in 2010.

In addition to increasing the percentage of biodiesel blended into national transportation fuels, the Spanish government also intends to reduce highway speed limits from 120 kilometers per hour (74 miles per hour) to 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour). According to information released by the government, this measure will reduce gas and diesel fuel consumption by a respective 15 percent and 11 percent. The price of many local and long-distance trains will also be reduced. The price reductions are designed to encourage increased use of mass transit systems, further reducing the nation’s fuel consumption.

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German motorists are avoiding filling up with Bioethanol

February 28, 2011   Karl   No comments

Motorists avioding biofuel blends

German motorists are avoiding filling up their cars with gasoline with a higher biofuel blend due to concerns it could cause engine damage, German oil industry association MWV said.

The German government has from Jan. 1, 2011, permitted a rise in the maximum level of bioethanol allowed in blended gasoline to 10 percent from 5 percent previously as part of German’s programme to protect the environment.

The new fuel is being introduced in stages in the first quarter of 2011, but the MWV said up to 70 percent of motorists are avoiding the new blend, called E10, in petrol stations where it has been introduced.

Many motorists were apparently concerned about possible engine damage from the new blend, although 90 percent of cars can use the higher E10 blend without difficulty, it said.

Motorists continue to use the old fuel with 5 percent bioethanol content called E5, it said.

If the trend continued, petrol stations would run out of E5 gasoline, it said.

The association said motorists should simply check whether their car is suitable for the higher blend.

Germany’s bioethanol industry is expecting a major rise in sales in 2011 because of the new fuel

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Auto industry sues EPA over biofuel blend ruling

December 22, 2010   Karl   1 Comment

Auto industry sues EPA over biofuel blend ruling

Car and boat manufacturers launch legal action challenging EPA decision allowing higher blends of ethanol

The roster of court cases faced by the US Environmental Protection Agency was extended again yesterday, when a group of auto and engine manufacturers launched legal action against the watchdog over its decision to allow higher blends of ethanol for use in cars built after 2007.

The EPA ruled in October that cars with a model year of 2007 or later could safely use fuel containing up to 15 per cent ethanol, so-called E15, a richer blend than current ethanol blends that contain no more than 10 per cent biofuel.

The decision was made in response to federal mandates requiring increasing levels of ethanol to be used in the US. The EPA is also currently weighing whether to allow older cars built since 2001 to similarly use richer blends of ethanol – a decision that has been delayed until next year.

However, many car makers remain opposed to the use of E15 and a new coalition, dubbed the Engine Products Group (EPG), yesterday filed a suit against the EPA alleging that the decision would confuse customers and lead to engine damage if the fuel is used in older engines.

The petition, which was filed in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, requests that the EPA reconsider the decision and calls for a judicial review of the E15 ruling. It also alleges that the EPA does not have the authority under the Clean Air Act to grant a partial waiver for some ethanol blends and not others.

The group claims to represent 400 million engine products and brings together the Alliance of Automobile Manufactures, the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.

Kris Kiser, an executive with the outdoor equipment group, told the influential Washington-based Hill blog that the group was concerned that the ruling would result in customers putting the wrong fuel in the wrong engine.

“While all members of the EPG have and continue to support the development and use of safe and sustainable alternative fuels, the action EPA has taken to permit E15 to be sold as a legal fuel, even if limited only to certain products, will have adverse consequences for the environment and consumers,” he said. “A partial waiver, by its nature, necessarily will result in the misfueling of products not designed or tested for E15 use.”

The ethanol and biofuels industry maintains E15 is safe for all engines and is pushing for the EPA to combat customer confusion by authorising the richer blend for use by all vehicles.

The EPA is currently carrying out tests on older vehicles and could reach a decision on whether to allow E15 for use in older vehicles as early as next month.

Wider use of E15 is widely regarded as essential for the take-up of the fuel as currently many filling stations are reluctant to invest in new pumps given only part of the US fleet are authorised to use the fuel.

The EPG suit is the second to target the E15 ruling and comes just weeks after the Grocery Manufacturers Association filed a similar suit challenging the EPA decision on the grounds it could push up food prices by increasing demand for corn.

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