SUPPORTED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION
The BEST experiences with
distribution of bioethanol
for vehicles
BEST WP4 Distribution
March 2010
This report is produced within the European project BEST - Bioethanol for Sustainable Transport. BEST deals with the introduction and market penetration of bioethanol as a vehicle fuel, and the introduction and wider use of flexible fuel vehicles and ethanol cars on the market.
Read more at www.best-europe.org
Issued by: BAFF – BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation, Box 73, 891 22 Örnsköldsvik,
www.baff.info
Project leader: Lena Nordgren, BAFF, Box 73, 891 22 Örnsköldsvik, +46 660 751 87, [email protected]
Authors: Lena Nordgren, BAFF, Angéla Ekman-Nätt, BioFuel Region and Elin Skogens, BioFuel Region
Language: English
Project no: TREN/05/FP6EN/S07.53807/019854
Project acronym: BEST
Project title: BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport
Instrument: Integrated Project
Thematic Priority: 6.1 Alternative Motor Fuels: BioFuel Cities
Report title:
The BEST experiences with distribution of
bioethanol for vehicles
Deliverable no: 4.20 Version: 1
Lead Participant for the deliverable: BAFF- BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation Date of delivering to EC, contractual: August 2009 (M44)
Date of delivering to EC, actual: March 2010 (M51) Period covered:
Revision
Approved by X Site coordinator
X Wp leader
X Evaluation manager
X Coordinator Steering Group European Commission Dissemination level: X PU – Public
PP – Restricted to other programme participants (including Commission Services)
RE – Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including Commission Services)
CO – Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including Commission Services)
Start date of project: 01/01/2006
Duration: 48 months
Table of Content
Background – the BEST project ... 9
Introduction ... 13
What are E85, ethanol vehicles and pumps? ... 14
What can flexifuel vehicles and E85 offer? ...14
Ethanol pumps...15
Ethanol blends ...15
Infrastructure and filling stations before BEST ...16
The BEST objectives in WP4 Distribution ... 17
Description of activities in WP4 Distribution... 18
Task 1 – Efficient distribution and logistics for bioethanol fuel ...18
Task 2 – Increase the number of filling stations and introduce flexipumps...18
Task 3 – Long-term supply of bioethanol ...18
Task 4 – Logistic studies of ED95...18
Task 5 – Fuel Enhancer for Ethanol Diesel engines (FEED) ...19
Task 6 – Standardisation of bioethanol...19
Impact and results... 20
Task 1 – Efficient distribution and logistics for bioethanol fuel ...20
Sweden ...20
Preparation of fuels ...20
Transport of fuel...20
Storing and handling E85 ...21
Rotterdam ...21
Domestic production of bioethanol in the Netherlands ...21
Transport of fuel...21
Developed distribution system during the BEST project...21
Other sites ...21
La Spezia...22
Basque Country ...22
Somerset ...22
Task 2 – Increase the number of filling stations and introduce flexipumps...22
Total development of infrastructure at the BEST sites...23
Results per BEST site ...24
Stockholm and BioFuel Region, Sweden ...24
Rotterdam, The Netherlands ...24
Somerset, England...24
Basque Country and Madrid, Spain ...24
La Spezia, Italy ...25
Brandenburg, Germany...25
Nanyang, China ...25
Development of flexifuel pumps...25
Fuel retailers ...26
Training of personnel and information to the public...26
Volumes of E85 purchased and sold ...27
Task 3 – Long-term supply of bioethanol ...28
Task 4 – Logistic studies of ED95...29
Task 5 – Fuel Enhancer for Ethanol Diesel engines (FEED) ...30
Result ... 30
Conclusions... 31
Task 6 – Standardisation of bioethanol...31
Fuels...31
Low blend ethanol in petrol...31
E85...31
Vapour recovery...32
Fire hazards...33
Sustainability...33
CEN...33
ISO ...34
The Verified Sustainable Ethanol Initiative...34
Nordic Ecolabelled Fuels – “The Swan” ...34
Safety aspects ... 36
Flammability of E85 compared with petrol ...36
Fuelling with E85...37
Open Spaces ...37
Closed Spaces...37
Recommendations from the Swedish Petroleum Institute ...38
In case of fire ...39
Visibility...39
Difficulties of extinguishing ethanol fires ...39
Risks of extinguishing ethanol fires...39
Choice of materials – storing and dispensing of E85 and ED95 ... 41
Fuel Storage and dispensing...41
Material recommendations ...41
Materials ...41
Metallic materials ...41
Non-metallic materials...41
Storing Ethanol Fuel...41
Using existing fuelling systems...41
Suitable materials for underground tanks...41
Suitable materials for aboveground tanks...42
Dispensers...42
General Dispensing Equipment ...42
Fittings and Connectors ...42
Piping ...42
Environmental Aspects... 43
Ethanol ...43
Oil separators and Solubility...43
Gas recovery ...44
Cost and maintenance experiences... 45
Basic information ...45
Installation costs ...45
Maintenance ...45
Conclusions ...46
Problems and opportunities ... 47
The “Chicken and egg” problem: What comes first, the pump or the car?...47
Legislation, regulations and customs ...47
PCC permits – a short sighted system...48
Fuel price and taxes...48
Tax per litre vs energy content ...49
Taxes...49
Biofuels Directive ...50
The Energy Tax Directive...50
Obstacles for tax reductions...50
Standards, classification, safety and environment...51
Water content ...51
Sustainability...52
Filling stations ...52
Legislation – mandatory development of filling stations...53
Conclusions... 54
Safety aspects and material choices...55
Regulations and standards...56
Recommendations ... 57
To local governments ...57
To national governments and agencies ...57
To the EU ...58
To filling station owners...58
References... 59
Appendix 1: Requirements and test methods for Ethanol E85 ... 61
Appendix 2: Climate related requirements and test methods ... 63
Appendix 3: Summary of Swedish law (2005:1248) ... 64
Appendix 4: Safety Data Sheet – E85... 65
1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE/PREPARATION AND OF THE COMPANY/UNDERTAKING ...65
2. HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION ...65
3. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS ...66
4. FIRST AID MEASURES ...66
5. FIRE-FIGHTING MEASURES ...67
6. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES...67
7. HANDLING AND STORAGE ...67
8. EXPOSURE CONTROLS/PERSONAL PROTECTION ...68
9. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES...69
10. STABILITY AND REACTIVITY ...69
11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION...70 12. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION ...71 13. DISPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS...72 14. TRANSPORT INFORMATION...72 15. REGULATORY INFORMATION ...73 16. OTHER INFORMATION...73
Background – the BEST project
The project BEST, Bioethanol for Sustainable Transport, deals with the introduction and market penetration of bioethanol as a vehicle fuel, and the introduction and wider use of ethanol vehicles and filling stations with ethanol on the market.
During the project more than 70,000 ethanol vehicles and ethanol buses have been put in operation, evaluated and demonstrated. More than 300 pumps for high blend ethanol, E85 and ED95, have been opened at filling stations and low blends with petrol and diesel have been developed and tested. Through BEST the participating cities and regions aimed to prepare a market breakthrough for ethanol vehicles and for bioethanol as a fuel and also to inspire and obtain followers. During the project several incentives promoting bioethanol vehicles and bioethanol fuels have been introduced locally and sometimes also nationally. Also several sever barriers to further market penetration was faced and in some, but not all, cases overcome.
The participating cities/regions are: BioFuel Region (SE), Brandenburg (DE), Somerset(UK), Rotterdam (NL), Basque Country and Madrid (ES), La Spezia (IT) Nanyang (China) Sao Paolo (Brazil) Co-ordinating City is Stockholm (SE).
The project is co-financed within the 6th framework; Sustainable Energy Systems/Alternative Motor Fuels: Biofuel Cities.
The project started in January 2006 and will continue till end of 2009. The work in the BEST project is split in 9 work-packages, WPs. WP1 - Cars WP2 - Buses WP3 - Low Blends WP4 - Distribution WP5 - Incentives WP6 - Coordination
WP7 - Marketing and Dissemination WP8 - Transfer of knowledge WP9 - Evaluation
This report gives detailed information about all the work conducted within WP4 – Distribution in the BEST project. Similar WP-reports are compiled for all WPs except WP6. In the end of the project a Policy Report summarizing the results from the whole project has been published. Please refer to www.best-europe.org to find all reports from the project.
This report was mainly written by Lena Nordgren, WP4 Coordinator for the BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation – BAFF.
Örnsköldsvik in December 2009.
Lena Nordgren
Summary in English
This report investigates the activities, results and impacts of Work Package 4 – Distribution of the BEST project. The main focus in WP4 Distribution was the introduction and demonstration of both public and non-public filling stations for the high blend ethanol fuel E85.
The ethanol blend E85 can be sold in two different kinds of pumps; a dedicated E85 pump or a “flexifuel pump” dispensing various blends of ethanol and petrol.
Flexifuel pumps cost slightly more than dedicated E85 pumps, but much less than pumps for gaseous alternative fuels such as biomethane. By installing a flexifuel pump the most flexible option is achieved.
Before the BEST project only Sweden and Brazil had a developed grid of infrastructure for E85. In M42 of the project a total of more than 300 pumps were installed at the BEST sites in comparison to the objective of 120 pumps for M48.
A general conclusion of the project is that strategies to introduce alternative fuels and vehicles must be integrated and address the issue of filling stations in parallel to and in synergy with other issues, such as fuel production and vehicle sales.
The leading fuel retailers, on the market, are often harder to get to pioneer in the development of ethanol pumps. It can therefore be a good idea to begin working with the independent (i.e. non-oil producing companies) filling stations, such as private or franchise operations.
The project has proven that it is of utmost importance that the price of E85, compared to petrol, is competitive per km.
Lack of standards and regulations for ethanol used as a fuel has proven to cause delay and therefore fuel standards need to be harmonised in the EU and adopted and recognised in all relevant legislation. Standards for storing and dispensing ethanol fuel are also necessary.
Guidance and regulations on safe handling and storage of E85 have been developed in some countries and can easily be transferred to other EU member states.
General observations regarding E85:
E85 fires spread more slowly and less violently than petrol fires. Using alcohol-resistant extinguishing foam is the best method of extinguishing an ethanol fire.
E85 poses a smaller explosive risk than petrol or diesel. However, E85 has the same explosion classification as petrol, group IIA.
E85 produces more flammable vapour in confined spaces at high temperatures than petrol. E85 vapour carries greater risk of igniting the tank outlet compared to petrol vapour.
E85 has greater conductivity than petrol, reducing the risk of a build-up of static charge in the fuel. However sparks may still occur and could then ignite the fuel.
When using E85 in storage tanks and pumps it is very important that the materials used are compatible with ethanol. Storage tanks, prior used for other types of fuels, must be thoroughly cleaned or relined with a fuel resistant material to avoid residue and sludge contaminating the ethanol fuel.
When a new fuel such as bioethanol is introduced on the market it is of utmost importance to inform the public, the users and suppliers of this new fuel. Different target groups and ambassadors need to be identified and worked with to get the best results.
Introduction
The purpose of the BEST project was to initiate a lasting development of bioethanol fuel all over Europe and to demonstrate the prerequisites for a market breakthrough for bioethanol-fuelled vehicles and a well developed infrastructure for bioethanol. Therefore, the BEST sites have worked for the introduction of vehicles and distribution lines combined with targeted information campaigns. This work was followed-up by studies on, for example, effects of different kinds of local, regional and national incentives.
This report investigates the activities, results and impacts of Work Package 4 of the BEST project – Distribution. WP4 Distribution aimed for having both non-public as well as public filling stations with high blend bioethanol fuel in operation at all participating sites in the BEST project except Sao Paulo. The report is structured in the following way:
- Description of E85, ethanol vehicles and ethanol pumps. - An overview of the objectives in WP4 Distribution. - Description of partners and activities in WP4 Distribution. - Impact and Results of the six different tasks performed.
- Detailed description of safety aspects to consider when using bioethanol as a fuel at filling stations.
- Description and recommendations on what materials to use when storing and dispensing E85 and ED95.
- Environmental aspects to be considered when using bioethanol at filling stations. - Description of cost and maintenance experiences when using ethanol pumps at the
participating BEST sites, studied in three surveys during the project. - Problems and opportunities highlighted by WP4 Distribution. - Conclusions and recommendations.
What are E85, ethanol vehicles and pumps?
The main focus of the work in WP4 Distribution was the introduction and demonstration of filling stations for E85.E85 is a fuel blend that consists of 86 weight per cent anhydrous bioethanol, 11,6 weight per cent petrol and the remaining percentages being two types of denaturants and colouring. The exact content varies slightly between different countries; see p 28-29 and Appendix 1-2. The fuel is intended for flexifuel vehicles that can alternate between E85 and ordinary lead-free petrol or any blends of these without any adjustments to the engine. The use of E85 in the flexifuel engine reduces the emissions of fossil carbon dioxide by about 80 per cent. During winter, colder countries may use winter blends, increasing the volume of petrol, to maintain the fuel’s performance at extreme temperatures, see Appendix 2. This has no significant effect on vehicle performance as the vehicle is “flexible”, but slightly increases emissions of both controlled emissions and fossil carbon dioxide compared to driving in summer (due to the higher petrol content).
Ethanol or Flexifuel vehicles are cars with an internal combustion engine that is designed to run on petrol plus an alternative fuel such as bioethanol. Bioethanol is more corrosive than petrol, so non-corrosive materials are introduced to some components of the engine. Fuel injection and spark timing is adjusted automatically by electronic sensors, meaning the cars can burn any blend of bioethanol and petrol – meaning the cars are “flexible”.
Bioethanol has lower energy content than petrol and manufacturers of FFVs usually inform consumers that the cars consume up to 30-40% more fuel than conventional petrol cars. However, the
measurements and evaluations carried out within the BEST project suggest that this might be an overstatement and that the actual consumption rate of FFVs is slightly lower than expected, 20-30%, judging from the energy content. This is something that needs further investigation, more details in the BEST report D9.26 BEST Evaluation Report, (to be published end 2009).
What can flexifuel vehicles and E85 offer?
Flexifuel vehicles running on E85 can make a significant contribution towards the achievement of EU climate targets whilst supporting economic development in agriculture. Energy security and the resilience of transportation and the economy will be increased by diversifying the range of fuels on offer in the EU.
E85 is a liquid fuel that can be used in dedicated or converted flexifuel vehicles, making it an ideal fuel type for a transport system based on the supply of liquid fuels. As flexifuel vehicles can operate on blend of bioethanol and petrol, as mentioned above, they are appropriate during the transition to a new transport system as users can change their fuel choice according to the availability of fuel. Depending on how bioethanol is produced, use of E85 in converted vehicles can significantly reduce emissions of fossil carbon dioxide (CO2), further details in BEST D9.21 Report on life cycle
greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol supply chains at BEST sites, (2009) and the report BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport – Results and recommendations from the European BEST project, Final report, (2009).
Some studies show that emissions of the regulated pollutants carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are lower when bioethanol fuels are used compared to petrol or diesel, while other studies show higher emissions with bioethanol. It is unclear whether these studies concern cold starts or normal operation. In the few studies that differentiate between cold start and normal operation, emissions/km was usually lower from ethanol cars. In addition the use of bioethanol fuels normally resulted in levels within the permitted limits.
Important to notice is that “total hydrocarbons” is used as an indicator for harmful hydrocarbons in the exhaust fumes. Flexifuel vehicles emit high levels of unburned bioethanol when cold starting. But
non-combusted bioethanol is usually considered less hazardous to human health than e.g. unburned petrol. Thus, comparing total HC from petrol and bioethanol cars could be misleading. BEST tests show that around 60% of the hydrocarbons emitted are non-combusted bioethanol, further information in the report: BEST D1.20 Emissions and experiences with E85 converted cars in the BEST project, (2009).
Ethanol pumps
The ethanol blend E85 can be sold in two different kinds of pumps;
A dedicated static E85 pump selling only pre-mixed E85which gives that the service stations require two sets of pumps to be able to offer both petrol and E85. This option involves a lower investment cost, but more space is required on the service station forecourt. Pre-mixed E85 can also be sold in a pump, connected to two underground fuel tanks, offering both petrol and E85 but no blends thereof.
A “flexifuel pump” dispensing various blends of ethanol and petrol, from unblended petrol and mixtures such as E5 and E10 up to E85 at present, which encourages a flexible fuel development. Blends are mixed at the point of delivery. Customers select the blend using a button on the fuel dispenser. Petrol and E85 are stored in two underground fuel tanks, but only one pump is required. In the future, both E85 and E100 could be sold from the same pump together with different low blends as well as ED95 (ethanol for diesel engines).
Flexifuel pumps cost slightly more than dedicated E85 pumps, but much less than pumps for gaseous alternative fuels such as biomethane. Additional investment costs for a flexifuel pump compared to a static E85 pump are not more than approximately €1,000. By installing a flexifuel pump the most flexible option is achieved.
A more and more common situation at filling stations offering E85 is that in total four different tanks are used; 1 for diesel, 2 for two different octanes of petrol and 1 for E85. These 4 tanks are usually connected to a number of so called service islands with a number of pumps. A combined pump can then sell diesel, petrol and E85. Many of these new pumps, already adapted for ethanol, can also be rebuilt for a flexible use as described above.
Important to notice is when using already existing tanks, previously used for a fossil fuel, for E85 the tank must be thoroughly cleaned or relined with a fuel resistant material before filled with an ethanol fuel, further details in the Chapter “Choice of materials – storing and dispensing of E85 and ED95” on p 38.
Ethanol blends
Especially three different blends of bioethanol are mentioned in this report, one low blend and two different high blends:
E5 – 5% anhydrous bioethanol, 95% petrol – used in existing petrol cars and pumps. E85 – 85% anhydrous bioethanol, 15% petrol – further information above.
ED95 – 96,5% hydrous bioethanol, 3,5% additives – used in bioethanol buses, converted
Figure 1: Flexifuel pump with three different ethanol blends.
Infrastructure and filling stations before BEST
Before the BEST project there was just Sweden and Brazil that had a developed grid of infrastructure for E85. To begin with there was also in these countries a chicken- and egg situation since there were no filling stations offering E85 and no filling stations was willing to offer E85 since there were practically no flexifuel cars on the market.
The Brazilian BEST site has not been participating in WP4 Distribution.
The BEST objectives in WP4 Distribution
There have been several different objectives in WP4 throughout the BEST project. The original objectives in WP4 have been to:
- Establish E85 blending and storage
- Production of bioethanol at required specifications for requested usage - Promotion and installation of E85 fuelling stations
- Information of installation of flexifuel pumps - Information activities
- Follow up of volumes of E85 sold
- Study on consequences and sustainability of the long-term production and supply of
bioethanol from cellulose and the consequences and sustainability of a large-scale import of bioethanol to the EU
- Work with the development of standardisations for bioethanol as a fuel
The demonstration objectives for installation of E85 pumps have also been established in numbers, both for EU-funded pumps as well as not EU-funded pumps, for all sites participating in WP4 Distribution.
Table 1: Demonstration objective, total at M48 with EU-funding
Demonstration objective, total at M48 with EU-funding
Stock-holm BioFuel Region Rotter-dam Somer-set Basque Country Nan-yang Madrid La Spezia Branden-burg Total 0 10 0 5 4 3 1 0 0 23
Table 2: Demonstration objective, total at M48 without EU-funding
Demonstration objective, total at M48 without EU-funding
Stock-holm BioFuel Region Rotter-dam Somer-set Basque Country Nan-yang Madrid La Spezia Branden-burg Total 25 45 12 0 0 0 2 1 12 97
Table 3: Demonstration objective, total at M48, with and without EU-funding
Demonstration objective, total at M48 with and without EU-funding
Stock-holm BioFuel Region Rotter-dam Somer-set Basque Country Nan-yang Madrid La Spezia Branden-burg Total 25 55 12 5 4 3 3 1 12 120
Description of activities in WP4 Distribution
In order to reach the objectives described above the work have been performed through thedevelopment of six different specific tasks, each involving different sites and partners of the project. The tasks have been somewhat changed during the project and the final tasks are described below.
Task 1 – Efficient distribution and logistics for bioethanol fuel
Participating sites: BioFuel Region, Rotterdam, Somerset, La Spezia, Basque Country, Brandenburg Activities: The regional capacity and logistics for distributing E85 at the sites have been studied and promoted. Work towards authorities regarding regulations for filling stations have also beenperformed at some sites.
Task 2 – Increase the number of filling stations and introduce
flexipumps
Participating sites: Stockholm, BioFuel Region, Rotterdam, Somerset, La Spezia, Basque Country, Brandenburg, Madrid, Nanyang
Activities: All sites are participating in this task to increase the number of filling stations with E85, which is the core activity in WP4 Distribution.
Task 3 – Long-term supply of bioethanol
Participating site and partner: BioFuel Region, Umeå UniversityActivities: Ethanol produced from cellulose offers a way to increase the potential for production with less competition of agricultural land, as residuals as straw and bagasse can be used, as well as
cellulosic energy crops or residuals from the forest industry. As there are yet no large scale production of ethanol from cellulose and a need to summarize already existing Life Cycle Assessments on
cellulose derived ethanol was identified, BEST performed a literature study of, mainly theoretical, Life Cycle Assessments for production of ethanol from cellulose1.
Focus of the study performed was comparability of primarily energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases.
Task 4 – Logistic studies of ED95
Participating site and partner: BioFuel Region, SEKABActivities: The main focus of the work performed in WP4 Distribution is infrastructure for E85 used to replace petrol in Otto engines. There is however also a significant need to replace fossil diesel. Partner SEKAB has therefore been studying and suggesting an infrastructure grid for ED95 pumps in both Sweden and England. Main focus has been on the Swedish market by co-operation with engine supplier Scania and some main transport companies on the market.
1
D4.11 A Literature survey on Life Cycle Assessments covering cellulose derived bioethanol, BioFuel Region, (2007)
Task 5 – Fuel Enhancer for Ethanol Diesel engines (FEED)
Participating site and partner: BioFuel Region, SEKABActivities: The objective has been to develop a new improved quality of the bioethanol fuel, ED95 for ethanol adapted diesel engines, originally also including development work to improve the quality of the ignition enhancer additive. The task is performed by BEST partner SEKAB together with several business partners.
This is an ongoing task that will continue after the BEST project.
Task 6 – Standardisation of bioethanol
Participating site and partner: BioFuel Region, SEKABActivities: Partner SEKAB has worked with the development of standardisation for bioethanol as a fuel, by taking part in the European CEN TC19/WG21 taskforce on E85 with the aim to agree on a technical standard.
SEKAB has also been taking part in WG1-5 under the CEN TC383 – “Sustainably produced biomass for energy applications” and chaired the WG4: Economic and social aspects. Furthermore, SEKAB has taken part in the Technical Committee and the national work led by the Swedish Standardisation Institute.
Partner SEKAB has also launched the provisional certification scheme “Verified sustainable Ethanol” on the Swedish market and been participating in the Swedish work on standardisation of ED95 as a fuel for light and heavy duty vehicles.
Impact and results
Task 1 – Efficient distribution and logistics for bioethanol fuel
The sites participating in this task have been BioFuel Region, Rotterdam, Somerset, La Spezia, Basque Country and Brandenburg.
Early in the project three different reports were written on the subject distribution and logistics; - “D4.1 Logistics and supply plan” written in December 2006, by Royal Nedalco in the
Netherlands, describing the Rotterdam access to bioethanol for distribution. Royal Nedalco did later leave the project.
- “D4.4 Present ethanol production, market and distribution in Italy” written by ETA-Renewable Energies in December 2006.
- “D4.8 Logistics of fuels from ethanol producer to forecourt in Sweden and the Netherlands” written as a joint project by BioFuel Region and The City of Rotterdam in October 2007. During the project the distribution and logistics have developed at the sites and below are example of the logistics of fuels from ethanol producer to forecourt in Sweden and the Netherlands given, which have been studied in more detail.
Sweden
Most of the bioethanol used in Sweden is imported from Brazil where sugar cane is the dominating raw material.
Preparation of fuels
The mixing of the different types of bioethanol fuels are performed at designated sites. These sites are preferable located close to existing infrastructure like harbour, rail road and roads. This will facilitate the transport of raw material and fuels to and from the mixing site.
At the mixing site there is storage tanks for the components in the fuels, the size of these tanks depend on the volumes of fuels produced at each
specific site. From the storage tanks there are pipe connections to the different means of transport so that raw material and fuel can be pumped to and from the storage tanks. The tanks are placed within an embankment which will collect leakages from the tanks. This embankment must be able to collect the total volume of the largest tank + 10% of the volume of all tanks placed within the embankment. There are also spill collection system and rain protection needed at the mixing site, and a control system that will control the levels in the tanks, pumps and other equipment associated with the mixing site.
Transport of fuel
From the mixing site the fuels are either transported by boat, train or truck. E85 is produced at the mixing sites and transported either directly to the filling stations by truck or to fuel depots using all three modes of transport as above. ED95 is today mainly distributed directly to the
public transport companies by truck and used in especially dedicated ethanol buses and heavy duty vehicles, more information of ED95 can be found in the BEST report D2.08 Bioethanol buses – the BEST way to sustainable transport, (2009).
Storing and handling E85
One of the major benefits with ethanol as a fuel is that it is a liquid soluble in gasoline. It can be distributed and implemented in today’s infrastructure without any major modifications. E85 has however different corrosive properties from gasoline, which means that some materials are unsuitable for use when storing and handling ethanol blends. Some materials that should not be used with E85 are zinc, brass, lead and aluminium. E85 and gasoline react differently with some plastic and rubber materials. It is therefore important to choose a material that is compatible with ethanol for use in pumps, pipes and tanks. Examples of materials that are suitable for use with E85 are stainless steel, galvanised steel and bronze, further information can be studied in the Chapter “Choice of materials – storing and dispensing of E85 and ED95” on p 38 and in the BEST report D4.2a Storing and
dispensing E85 and ED95 – Experiences from Sweden and the US, (2005).
Rotterdam
In the beginning of the BEST project the situation in Rotterdam was as follows: Domestic production of bioethanol in the Netherlands
Ethanol is produced at Nedalco in Bergen op Zoom, who produces ethanol for several market
segments: the beverage market, the industrial market and the transport segment. In 2006 about 20% of the production volume in Bergen op Zoom (15 million liters) was produced for end use as bioethanol (for the transport segment).
Since Nedalco at Bergen op Zoom has no dehydration and blending capacities, this is done by Nedalco’s partner Bruggeman Alcohol in Heilbronn (Germany). At this location, the bioethanol is dehydrated and blended with regular gasoline into E85. E5 is blended at the territory of the pumpholder, Argos Oil. At Bruggeman Alcohol in Heilbronn the bioethanol is also stored. Transport of fuel
Bioethanol for the use of E5 and E85 was in the beginning of the project only transported by trucks from Germany to the Dutch filling stations. Due to small quantities of bioethanol used in the
Netherlands only 1/3 of a truck was used per delivery. This has given high logistics costs since the fuel had to be transported from Germany in small quantities. This in combination with the lack of tax incentives resulted in very high costs of E85 at the pump, see also figure 6 on p 45, significantly higher than that of petrol.
Developed distribution system during the BEST project
An increase in the number of E85 pumps and request for higher volumes of E85 has developed the logistics in Rotterdam. Argos Oil is still purchasing their E85 in smaller quantities from Bruggeman in Germany. Now there is however also a second supplier on the market; Tam Oil who use imported Brazilian bioethanol which is blended into E85 in the Netherlands.
Other sites
The main focus of this task have been on the sites described above. The work was however also performed at the following sites, shortly mentioned below.
La Spezia
The production of the fuel E85 was at first delayed in La Spezia due to lack of a national or
harmonised EU standard for E85. As a result of lack of regulations, ethanol and petrol was for a period of time not allowed to be kept in the same building.
However, E85 for the pump in La Spezia is now purchased from MAGIGAS in the Tuscany region who buys the bioethanol from a producer in Sicily. MAGIGAS has got a license to blend E85 on the Italian market. However, when the first order for E85 was made the company had just lost this license and had to renew it which caused some delays in the delivery of E85 to the pump managed by the company ACAM.
Basque Country
BEST partner EVE is coordinating the purchase and transport of bioethanol for the filling stations offering E85 in the Basque Country. The logistics performed this way have proven to reduce transportation costs.
The ethanol used in the Basque Country as well as in the Spanish site Madrid is produced by the Spanish producer ABENGOA.
Somerset
In Somerset is E85 supplied by Harvest Energy to Morrisons Supermarkets where the pumps are located. The ethanol used originates in Brazil and is imported to the UK from Rotterdam. The high ethanol blend E85 is then blended in the UK.
Task 2 – Increase the number of filling stations and introduce
flexipumps
One of the main objectives in WP4 Distribution has been to increase the number of filling stations with pumps for E85 within the BEST sites but also to get followers in other parts of Europe. All sites participating in the project have after the project at least a few pumps for demonstration of E85 as a fuel in the transport sector, table 4 present achieved numbers of pumps compared to the set objectives.
Table 4: Achieved total number of E85 pumps at M42 compared to objectives and number of pumps at start of the project in ( ).
Achieved total number of E85 pumps at M42 compared to before BEST in ( )
Stock-holm BioFuel Region Rotter-dam Somer-set Basque Country Nan-yang Madrid La Spezia Branden-burg Total 190(30) 77(24) 12(0) 5(0) 8(0) 2(0) 3(0) 1(0) 4(1) 302 Objectives for total number of E85 pumps M48 of the project
25 55 12 5 4 3 3 1 12 120
The network of E85 pumps is expanding in Europe. Sweden has the biggest network with more than 1,400 pumps spread over the country at more than every third regular filling station. Neighbouring country Denmark on the other hand has no E85 pumps at all. France has approximately 300 stations with E85, mainly at filling stations located on the highways. Germany has about 250 stations with E85 spread across the country, although fewer in the eastern part. In the Netherlands, the number of filling stations with E85 is rising rapidly due to a national subsidy, in June 2009 there are approximately 30 stations but the number is expected to increase to about 70 in the near future. In Switzerland, which is of about the same size as the Netherlands, the number of E85 pumps is higher, more than 50.
Neighbouring country Austria has had a more modest development, with only 13 stations in June 2009. In Italy there is at this point only one station with E85, located in the BEST site La Spezia. The situation in Spain is somewhat better, although the market is still at an early stage. Further information on where to find filling stations with E85 in Europe can be found at web sites presented in table 5.
Table 5: Example of web sites on where to fuel E85 in Europe.
All of Europe
www.etanol.nu/databasen.php A database that, besides address lists, provides GPS coordinates and Google maps. Available in 15 different languages. Austria www.superethanol.at France http://ethanol-e85.fr/carte_stations_E85.html Germany www.e85.biz The Netherlands www.fuelswitch.nl www.schonevoertuigenadviseur.nl Spain www.energias-renovables.com/paginas/Comustible.asp Sweden www.miljofordon.se/bransle.aspx Switzerland www.bioe.ch UK www.morrisons.co.uk
Total development of infrastructure at the BEST sites
The number of pumps has for obvious reasons increased with 100% in Basque, La Spezia, Madrid, Nanyang, Rotterdam and Somerset since they had no pumps at all before the BEST project began. In Brandenburg the number of pumps has increased with 75%. For a period of time Brandenburg actually had to remove a number of pumps due to insecurity in what regulations to follow.
In Sweden, national legislation obliges filling stations of a certain size, see Appendix 3, to install alternative fuel pumps. Bioethanol pumps were a cost-effective solution for many filling station operators and this has led to a rapid increase; Stockholm 84% and BioFuel Region 68%.
The development of flexifuel pumps have however been almost nonexistent except for site Basque where all 14 pumps are of the flexifuel model, 8 of these offers E85. In BioFuel Region have one flexifuel pump been installed during the project period but non at the remaining sites. Reasons for this see section on flexifuel pumps below.
Results per BEST site
Stockholm and BioFuel Region, Sweden
In both Stockholm and BioFuel Region the objectives have been fulfilled with a large marginal. The development has been very rapid on the market, due to a mandatory obligation for larger filling stations to offer a renewable fuel. At present more than one third of the filling stations in Sweden are selling E85.
The ethanol used in E85 on the Swedish market is mainly produced from sugar canes in Brazil. There has however been a limited development of flexifuel pumps in Sweden. The uncertainties regarding regulations for vapour recapturing systems in combination with no permission to use higher low blends than E5, see also p 28, have made fuel companies reluctant to flexifuel pumps. Another factor is that the Swedish standard for E85, SS15 54 80:2006 – Automotive fuels – Ethanol E85 – Requirements and test methods, now states a summer respectively a winter quality for the
ethanol/petrol content, see Appendix 2. This prevents the possibility for the customers to choose a higher content of ethanol, 85%, in winter time by using the functions in a flexifuel pump.
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
After a slow start there are, in June 2009, 12 filling stations with E85 in the Rotterdam region. The slow start was mainly due to the very high price of E85 on the market. Ethanol in the Netherlands have not been exempted from excise duty, resulting in a price for E85 at approximately 1,9 € which is significantly higher than that of petrol per volume , and thus even more expensive per km.
Another factor increasing the cost have been that since only small volumes are sold no partner have been interested in producing E85 in the country, see section on distribution and logistics in Task 1. Two suppliers however, are now active on the market in the Netherlands; Argos Oil who still purchases E85 from Bruggeman in Germany and Tam Oil who is purchasing Brazilian sugar cane ethanol blended into E85 in the Netherlands.
The main E85 provider of these two is now selling the fuel for the same price as petrol but this is however not based on energy content but volume. This gives that E85 is still more expensive per kilometre driven due to the extra 20-30% energy needed and the excise that has to be paid. However, a new Dutch national subsidy for offering biofuels is expected in 2009 which could lower the price of E85 and rapidly lead to an increase in the number of filling stations.
Somerset, England
Five rebuilt pumps for E85 was early in the project installed in Somerset by the supermarket chain Morrisons. All of these pumps did have some maintenance problems to begin with but after a change in the rubber material no incidents out of the ordinary are reported, see also Chapter “Cost and Maintenance experiences” on p 42-43.
The progress of new pumps in the area have been totally stopped after these five pumps due to mainly two reasons; the negative publicity in the media regarding sustainability of biofuels, the debate on food vs fuel in combination with a very high price for E85, higher than that of petrol per kilometre driven.
Basque Country and Madrid, Spain
The both Spanish sites in the BEST project reached their demonstration objectives quite early in the project even though the bioethanol at first was considered as an alcoholic beverage and taxed after that system. The progress has then continued even if the development still is at a very early stage.
In Madrid the first pump was installed by BP as a non-public pump for the municipality. Then two more pumps for the public have been installed by June 2009.
The only site in the BEST project that have had success with the investments in flexifuel pumps have been the Basque Country. A total of 14 flexifuel pumps, in June 2009, are installed of which 8 provides E85 together with the low blends E5 and E10. The other six pumps are also of the flexifuel version but offer only the low blends E5 and E10 to the customers. One of the filling stations with E85 is an independent station, the rest is operated by AVIA.
La Spezia, Italy
The first and so far only pump installed in La Spezia was really delayed for a number of reasons. At first the delivery of the actual pump was delayed by the pump supplier and then parts were missing due to uncertainties regarding the approval of the metric system. When the pump was finally installed the E85 provider temporarily lost their license to deliver E85 which caused further delays. A second supplier on the market could have prevented this delay.
This in combination with a low number of flexifuel vehicles have resulted in a classical chicken and egg situation. What comes first; the vehicles or the pumps? A factor contributing to the slow
development of pumps has been the very high price of E85 with similar situation as in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Brandenburg, Germany
After a very fast development in 2006 there was actually a reduction of the number of pumps. Issues regarding water contamination, when using E85, has been debated and regulations unclear. There have been 7 pumps in the region but most of them have been closed due to lack of permissions. One pump remained in operation selling E85 after a period of E50. This station had all permits since it was a new filling station. There was also one station north of Berlin kept in operation since there was no
connection to public water.
Stations in the region have been struggling for more than a year to get permits and some technical adjustments with the supplier have also been made. But due to lack of regulations the permissions have been delayed.
In June 2009 there are a total of four E85 pumps in operation. Nanyang, China
Two E85 pumps are, in June 2009, installed at an existing filling station owned by the Tianguan Group who is also the provider of the fuel as one of five appointed bioethanol producers in China and located in Nanyang.
The development was somewhat delayed in Nanyang since authorities discussed whether to use hydrous E100 instead of anhydrous E85. Decisions was however made to stick to the original plan to use E85 and a standard for E85 was developed based on the American standard for E85; D5798 Standard specification for Fuel Ethanol (Ed75-Ed85) for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engines.
A third pump is planned to be installed at a new built filling station. The authorization process is long and all permits are still not approved.
Similar to the development in La Spezia, Italy, there has been a very slow development of flexifuel vehicles resulting also here in a chicken and egg situation. What comes first; the vehicles or the pumps? This once again is proving the significance of working with the two processes in parallel.
Development of flexifuel pumps
The development of flexifuel pumps have been almost none except in the Basque Country, where the use of low blends and E85 have been demonstrated in these specific pumps.
The lack of development is caused by especially the lack of permissions in the EU to use higher low blends than E5. This is now changed in the Fuel Directive (Directive) 2009/30/EC) adopted in December 2008 which might open for a development of flexifuel pumps.
The other reason has been uncertainties and lack of regulations on whether the pumps shall have a vapour recapturing system or not. At present some EU country demands vapour recapturing for petrol but not for bioethanol, while others have no obligation for either fuel. When using a flexifuel pump uncertainties have occurred whether the vapour shall be returned to the petrol tank or the ethanol tank. It has not been the potential hazards regarding this put to safety or the environment that has been the issue, but the very lack of regulation, which have made the authorities irresolute. The main supplier of the flexifuel pumps have as a result of the lacking interest on the market waited for set regulations before having an actively marketing of the product.
Certain of this pump supplier’s pump models can however in fact be transformed into flexifuel pumps when there is a demand from the market. The same pump supplier have also prepared their pump models for an adaptation of vapour recapturing from the ethanol nozzle by plugging the last
connections which can be opened if needed due to changed regulations. This demands however that the issue on how to handle the vapours must be decided upon.
In BioFuel Region a total of six flexifuel pumps are in operation. These pumps have however for the above mentioned reasons only been used for sales of E85 and petrol 95 octane. In order to encourage the market to try these pumps an incentive has been used for a period of time. The incentive has been in the form of 20 m3 of free E85 which actually is financing the total investments in the flexifuel pump.
Fuel retailers
The leading fuel retailers, on the market, are often harder to get to pioneer in the development of ethanol pumps. It can therefore be a good idea to begin working with the independent (i.e. non-oil producing companies) filling stations, such as private or franchise operations. These stations may be easier to target since they are not directly linked by ownership to a larger oil company with own oil refineries. Another example also shown in the BEST project is; that Shell sells E85 on the Swedish market but is more reluctant on their “home” market in the Netherlands. The same case has been shown in Spain where BP is interested in selling bioethanol but they do not have this approach on their “home” market in the UK.
Training of personnel and information to the public
When a new fuel such as bioethanol is introduced on the market it is of utmost importance to inform the public, the users and suppliers of this new fuel. This in order to overcome and explain different kinds of questions and myths that are spread regarding the fuel.
To do this different target groups needs to be identify to get the best results. I.e. when introducing biofuels in the public sector it is important that the employees using the vehicles and refuelling them with bioethanol are informed on what kind of fuel is used and why a change is needed. Basic
knowledge regarding the use of fossil fuels and climate change has proven to be of significance. Other good ideas are to supply these users with a printed leaflet with Q&A so they easily can answer any questions they might face both when working but also on their spare time from friends and family. These drivers/users of bioethanol become important ambassadors of the fuel.
Another important group of ambassadors is the staff working at filling stations who meet the customers with flexifuel vehicles ready to refuel them with bioethanol. In the BEST project both Swedish sites have targeted this group by having half day seminars. These training activities have focused on increasing awareness of environmental and safety issues as well as the implications of using bioethanol fuels. Staff in filling stations might however be a difficult group to reach since they have few meetings together and some of the staff must always be managing the actual filling station. This could however be overcome by dividing the staff into two to four groups depending on the size of
the station. It has also proven successful to supply the staff with a printed leaflet answering questions and myths regarding the fuel. These leaflets can easy be given to interested customers.
Important to take into account regarding staff is however that especially in larger cities there often is a high circulation of employees, especially with youth working for shorter periods, and they may not be that interested in the actual product their selling.
Leaflets have been produced and handed out in several of the BEST sites during the project; in
Somerset leaflets have been produced by the supermarket chain Morrisons who manage all five pumps in the region. In Somerset another approach have also been taken to secure th-at no refuelling of bioethanol is made by mistake until the public is familiar with the new fuel; all customers need to talk to the staff in the cashier by using an intercom radio before the ethanol pump is started. This way the staff can assure that the customer actually is going to refuel their vehicle with bioethanol.
More information about information activities at other sites can be found in the BEST report D 7.01 Communication programmes in BEST: 2006-2009 – Recommendations and lessons learned, (2009). A third group of important ambassadors are taxi drivers using flexifuel vehicles. They get in touch with their customers during the ride and are often targeted with questions. Site Stockholm has specifically targeted this group with information.
At an early stage, when there are only a few pumps on the market, it has proven to be of importance to show the public where these are by having road signs and maps on web sites i.e. on where to find filling stations in the region/country. This will also give the pioneering filling stations offering a new fuel extra attention.
Over the years a dedicated cooperation with high school teachers and students has been developed in BioFuel Region. As a result students have been trained on the subject and employed by the BioFuel Region during specific information campaigns at filling stations at i.e. weekends. The students have then been targeting customers coming to the filling stations and regardless on the kind of fuel they are refuelling they have had the opportunity to get
information on climate change, the use of bioethanol and flexifuel vehicles.
These kinds of information campaigns are often getting media attention which is a good way to spread information to the public. Other ways to attract media is to invite them to the inauguration of a new pump. Several sites in the project have had official inaugurations of new pumps performed by
someone significant in the society and been getting media attention through this. Another good idea to continue to get attention to the actual development of the number of pumps in the city or region is by having celebrations at pump number 10/25/50/75/100 and also repeatedly report the development in sales figures for E85.
Volumes of E85 purchased and sold
The purchased and sold volumes of E85 at a designated number of pumps have been followed at all sites except Stockholm. The volumes sold differ greatly between the sites for a number of reasons. At some sites the pumps have been installed for only a short period of time and data is scarce, this in combination with a low number of flexifuel vehicles has resulted in very limited volumes of E85 sold. At other sites is the sold volumes much higher i.e. in Sweden where the market is well developed. The main factor influencing on volumes sold has however proven to be the price of E85 in comparison to that of petrol. High bioethanol fuel price has been, during the whole BEST project, a problem in La Spezia, Somerset and Rotterdam.
Figure 4: Example of sold volumes of E85 in liters, from 3 filling stations, compared to price of petrol per litre and price of E85 both per litre and energy equivalents in the Basque Country.
A general look at the prices for E85 in some European countries, during BEST, show that it was more expensive per kilometre to drive on E85 than on petrol in Italy, UK and the Netherlands, whereas the taxes favour E85 in Sweden, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and France. The price per kilometre driven is however dependent on the price level of both E85 and petrol.
Even Sweden still is, with a well developed market for E85, sensitive to the price of E85. In
November 2008 sales of E85 dropped because the price of petrol per kilometre was less than that of E85, see also figure 7 on p 46. It is of utmost importance that the price of E85 is competitive relative petrol per energy content.
This is supported by an analysis in Stockholm, which is reported in BEST D5.13 Report on incentives – Status, experiences and strategy incentives beyond BEST Stockholm, (2009).
Task 3 – Long-term supply of bioethanol
Ethanol produced from cellulose offers a way to increase the potential for production with less competition of agricultural land, as residuals as straw and bagasse can be used, as well as cellulosic energy crops or residuals from forestry. As there are yet no large scale production of ethanol from cellulose and a need to summarize already existing Life Cycle Assessments on cellulose derived ethanol was identified, BEST performed a literature study of, mainly theoretical, Life Cycle Assessments for production of ethanol from cellulose2.
Focus of the study performed was comparability of primarily energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases.
The method used to accomplish this relied on literaturesurveys. The literature study of performed LCA-studies has been restricted to only include LCAs that has been announced in public. Also the LCAs should in general be performed according to the guidelines in the ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 standards, or in a way that they can be compared with LCAs performed according to the mentioned ISO-standards. Besides, there was made no distinguish between LCAs and Well-to-Wheel reports (WTW), because no major differences in the methodologies used in published LCAs and
2
D4.11 A Literature survey on Life Cycle Assessments covering cellulose derived bioethanol, BioFuel Region, (2007)
WTWs. Six different assessments, of which two actually are Well-to-Wheel reports, have been studied. They have all been previously used as reference material in published articles.
At the time of the study there had not been published any real case life cycle assessment that describes the procedure to produce cellulose ethanol. As a consequence, all assessments that have been studied are prepared based on assumptions, often considering different pathways, issues and methodologies in order to present the results. Also, the methodologies, sources of data input and calculations were often poorly defined. Therefore, it was not possible to compare the results of those assessments from a technical point of view. Neither could it be claimed that those assessments can provide a useful basis for decision-making-processes in the context of sustainable development. The methodology of life cycle assessment is however an interesting and probably useful method when ethanol should be assessed from a sustainability point of view. It is also desirable that the methodology of life cycle assessments within the field of ethanol becomes more standardised, if it should be possible to compare the sustainability of different pathways in between.
Five out of six studied assessments show that ethanol potentially could contribute to largely reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) if cellulosic feedstock is being used. And some conclusions show that of all the feedstock and ethanol plant process fuel types examined, cellulosic ethanol gives the largest reduction in fossil energy use and GHG emissions relative to petrol. For a discussion on the potential of cellulosic ethanol, see the BEST reports D9.26 BEST Evaluation Report, (to be published end 2009) and D9.28 Sustainability analysis of biofuels production and use, (to be published end 2009).
Task 4 – Logistic studies of ED95
The main focus of BEST work in WP4 has been infrastructure for E85 used to replace petrol in spark-plug engines. There is however also a significant need to replace fossil diesel. Both because there is an upcoming shortage of diesel in the EU and furthermore as the diesel technology normally is 20-25% more energy efficient than current spark-plug engines. As also ethanol is a limited resource, it is important to use as energy-efficient vehicles as possible. For a description on BEST work on using ED95 in passenger cars, see BEST report D1.16 Converting diesel powered cars for ED95 use, (2009).
ED95 is an ethanol fuel for heavy vehicles and can be used in adapted diesel engines. The fuel consists of 95% hydrous bioethanol and about 5% additives that improve ignition and lubrication. The ethanol powered diesel engines is not as flexible as the flexifuel vehicles since they cannot be run on regular diesel as alternative. In order to fully develop the number of vehicles, both buses and trucks, with ED95, from not having just depot based vehicles and ED95 pumps, an infrastructural net of filling stations for ED95 is needed.
A study has shown that the establishment of filling stations in large scale should follow the same establishment places that exist today for diesel refuelling, since these follow the main roads for goods transportation. Suggestions have been made on how to develop this in two phases in Sweden and England, see figure 5 below. In order to do this successfully co operation with some main transporting companies are suggested and thus speed up and facilitate the introduction of heavy and light duty vehicles with compression engines to the use of ethanol fuel as ED95.
Figure 5: Suggestion on how the development of an ED95 infrastructure in Sweden and England can be implemented in a two step scenario.
Task 5 – Fuel Enhancer for Ethanol Diesel engines (FEED)
The objective has been to develop a new improved quality of the bioethanol fuel, ED95 for ethanol adapted diesel engines. The current fuel for the ethanol buses has an old specification which needs to be developed. A main reason for that are the short service intervals, which the ethanol buses have. That makes the use of ethanol buses more expensive compared to standard diesel buses.
The new fuel composition was supposed to be developed and adapted to the new third generation heavy-duty ethanol adapted compression engine, now introduced on the market by Scania. More specifically the project aimed to develop a new additive package for the ethanol fuel such as a new functional additive composition. The new functional additive should improve the lubrication and the cleaning in the fuel injector.
The task have been performed by BEST partner SEKAB and the objective was on one hand to understand the mechanism for how and where injection deposits are formed so the problem could be set aside and on the other hand to define lubricant and cleaning additives for the fuel and develop or find compatible engine oil to match with ED95.
The third objective was to attain a new improved ignition improver to the additive formulation. The most important specifications required for this type of fuel and engine in combination have been listed. Important requirements are lubricity and fuel compatibility with the engine oil. There are several other specifications required, which not can be disclosed at this part of the project.
To improve the function of the ED95 fuel, deposits in the fuel system must be avoided. A main reason for forming deposits is incompatibility between the fuel and the engine oil. When deposits are formed in the injector, lubrication in the fuel injector and the fuel flow are reduced.
The project has been focused on technical studies, such as laboratory tests, bench engine tests in different scale and analysis of test results.
Result
Based on the results of the project, a new fuel mix has been developed for the ED95 fuel. In addition to the ignition improver a lubricating agent is added to the fuel additive package.
In some markets it is required an extended denaturant formula to meet local requirements. The actual countries are Norway and Belgium, where the Swedish denaturing is supplemented by 1 percent of MEK – Methylethylketone, and 1 percent t-butanol. The engine tests have shown that MEK also appears to have a cleaning effect and thus has a positive effect on engine operation.
Conclusions
The new fuel composition for ED95 in combination with other engine related measures has shown an obvious improvement for the function of the ethanol buses.
Development of a new ignition improver will probably start when this new fuel formula is completely tested.
Task 6 – Standardisation of bioethanol
There are some already existing standards of bioethanol as a fuel but joint standardisation on EU level is lacking in several cases.
Partner SEKAB has worked with the development of standardisation for bioethanol as a fuel, by taking part in the European CEN TC19/WG21 taskforce on E85 with the aim to agree on a technical standard.
SEKAB has also been taking part in WG1-5 under the CEN TC383 – Sustainably produced biomass for energy applications and chaired the WG4: Economic and social aspects. Furthermore, SEKAB has taken part in the Technical Committee and the national work led by Swedish Standardisation Institute. Partner SEKAB has also launched the provisional certification scheme “Verified sustainable Ethanol” on the Swedish market plus been participating in the Swedish work on standardisation of ED95 as a fuel for heavy-duty transports.
Fuels
Low blend ethanol in petrol
The specification of 100% ethanol (E100) as a blending component at up to 5% for petrol is available since 2007 in EN 15376 Automotive fuels – Ethanol as a blending component for petrol –
Requirements and test methods. The use of 5% ethanol (E5) in petrol is included in EN228. This limit will be increased to 10% ethanol max following the revised Fuels Quality Directive 2009/30/EC. Both EN 228, and EN 15376 needs to be reviewed to allow 10% ethanol. The longer aim is to adjust the EN 15376 ethanol specification to allow blending at all ratios.
E85
There is an ongoing work to standardise E85 on an EU level. Partner SEKAB of the BEST project is taking part in the European CEN TC19/WG21 taskforce on E85. The latest version of the suggested standard for E85 can be studied in DRAFT prEN 15293, version April 2009, Automotive fuels – Ethanol (E85) automotive fuel – Requirements and test methods, which is a revised work of the CWA 15293. The document was in June 2009 out for remiss and comments, see Appendix 1 for suggested requirements and test methods. In Appendix 4 an E85 safety data sheet for the company SEKAB is presented.
Water content
The suggested EU standard for E85, DRAFT prEN 15293, wants to limit the water content to 0,24% (by volume), while Brazil has proposed 0,5% and the US is urging for 1,0% water content. Brazil and the US, which are major ethanol producers, object to the lower water standard proposed by the EU. In Sweden the standard regarding water content has been 0,3% for a long time. Now several experts claim that European engines and cars cannot handle ethanol with a higher water content than 0,24%, though no proof of this is presented. Sweden on the other hand has had higher water content than the suggested 0,24% for a long time without any problems. A result of permitting only low content of
Table 6. Example of already existing national standards for E85
Sweden SS15 54 80:2006 – Automotive fuels – Ethanol E85 – Requirements and test methods
France XPM 15-029 (2006) Automotive fuels- Petrol – Superethanol – Requirement and test methods
Germany DIN 51625 Automotive fuels – Ethanol (E85) automotive fuel – Requirements and test methods
Hungary MSZ CWA 15293:2006Automotive fuels – Ethanol E85 – Requirements and test methods
U.S.A. D5798 Standard specification for Fuel Ethanol (Ed75-Ed85) for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engines
Poland A quality requirement
ED95
The ethanol fuel ED95 for diesel engines has no standardisation on an EU level. There is however a Swedish standard that covers the ethanol part of the fuel. This standard, SS 15 54 37 – Motor fuels – Fuel Alcohols for high-speed diesel engines is being revised at present and a new version is planned for the autumn 2009. There are at this point no plans to make a European standard from this. Discussions are however ongoing in the CEN/TC 19 New fuels coordination group. The discussions made are however stating that the use of 95% ethanol (ED95 + additives) in diesel engines is only suitable for captive fleets and specifications can be covered by a CWA – CEN Workshop Agreement. This is however not the complete scenario since as mentioned above plans are made for grids of infrastructure for ED95 also for trucks. This might lead to a need for an EN standard eventually. At present directives of reference ethanol fuel for diesel engines is available in the European Parliament and Council directive 2005/55/EG with the latest changes in the Commissions Directive 2008/74/EG in July 2008.
Filling station
The work with filling stations has shown that there is a lack of joint standards in the EU when investing in an alternative fuel.
Spillage
The European standard for Oil separating systems, divided in two parts, can be of use however even if they are not made specifically for the use of ethanol as a fuel: EN 858 EN 858:1 Separator systems for light liquids (e.g. oil and petrol). Principles of product design, performance and testing, marking and quality control and part two EN 858:2 Separator systems for light liquids (e.g. oil and petrol). Selection of nominal size, installation, operation and maintenance.
The guide for good housekeeping standard that is divided into three parts can also be of some use even if they are not made for ethanol specifically: CEN/TR 15367-1 Petroleum products – Guide for good housekeeping – Part 1 : Automotive diesel fuels, Part 2 : Automotive petrol fuels, Part 3 : Prevention of cross contamination.
Vapour recovery
There is no harmonised standard in the EU regarding vapour recapturing systems for petrol or ethanol fuels. Some of the participating countries have mandatory vapour recapturing systems for petrol gases
