Tag Archives: E10

German motorists avoid filling with bioethanol

May 24, 2011   Karl   No comments

German motorists avoiding biofuels

The Germans have a famous passion for automobiles, but it has run smack into European Union directives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. So rather than ask German drivers to give up those highly tuned Mercedes or BMWs, the government is offering them “E10″ — gas mixed with 10 percent ethanol, produced from corn and wheat.

But there are two problems: German car lovers are refusing to buy it and environmentalists say it’s no greener than regular gas.

At a gas station in Berlin, Franziska Muller fills up her Volkswagen Polo on her way home from work. Its shiny, waxed finish mirrors her immaculately put-together business attire. And even though it’s cheaper, the 32-year-old says there’s no way she is going to risk putting the new 10 percent ethanol gas into her car.

“You bet I’m worried about my car — most of all about the motor,” Muller says. “Nobody can guarantee that it won’t get damaged. Of course, it means I pay a bit more for gas, but for now there’s no way I’m touching the stuff.”

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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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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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Australia floods mean shortages of Ethanol and higher fuel prices

January 11, 2011   Karl   No comments
australia-floods

Floods in Australia could cause higher fuel prices

Motorists should brace for shortages of ethanol and higher prices for the fuel at the bowser brought on by the Queensland floods, the competition regulator has warned.

The floods which have devastated parts of Queensland and shut a key ethanol processing plant, will probably trigger a shortage in domestic supply, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said today.

“The supply shortages may lead to reduced availability of ethanol blended fuels (such as E10) across Australia and mean that motorists may find that fuel pumps which carry ethanol blended fuel are closed or out of order,” said ACCC commissioner Joe Dimasi.

The Royal Automotive Club of Queensland confirmed ethanol production had halted in Queensland after days of rain flooded sugar cane fields and closed of the Dalby Bio-Refinery in a development likely to cut availability of the ethanol and drive up its price.

“The price of E10 will rise,” said RACQ executive manager of public policy Michael Roth. “(But) the more widespread outcome will be shortages of E10,” he said.

A litre of E10 in Brisbane currently costs 126.1 cents a litre, according to petrol price tracking service MotorMouth. Melbourne E10 costs 125.2 cents a litre, while in Sydney it costs 129.9 cents.

Mr Roth could not speculate on the total impact on the fuel’s prices but noted that ethanol comprises only 10 per cent of E10.

Any ethanol shortage could worsen if Brisbane was hit by the floods, he said.

“The major Brisbane refineries may not be able to operate in the upcoming days if Brisbane gets flooded,” he said. “So there might be a wider fuel shortage, certainly in Queensland but that would also impact fuel prices a little bit down south.”

In any case, Mr Roth expected ethanol production in Queensland to be very low for some time. The lower stocks of E10 could force consumers to switch back to regular unleaded petrol in the interim.

The reduced production volumes anticipated for ethanol prompted the ACCC to warn petrol retailers to meet their obligations under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to be clear about pricing with customers.

The ACCC encourages retailers to be clear in their signage and labelling at their service stations, including on price boards and at the pump, regarding the availability, or lack of, ethanol blended petrol,” said Mr Dimasi.

Even without the Queensland floods, Australia faces a potential ethanol shortage in the coming years because of rising demand spurred by state government mandates and investment uncertainty in the biofuel following the global financial crisis.

The NRMA was not available to comment on the expected ethanol shortage while the floods continue, it said.

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