Biofuels a mystery to most

Reuters

FILL 'ER UP: A biofuel filling station in Malaysia. In New Zealand, the Automobile Association and biofuel retailers are squabbling over whether ethanol-blended fuels are incompatible with common engines.

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Biofuel retailers are denying claims from the Automobile Association that engines in old cars, motorboats and lawnmowers are at risk of ruin from new fuels.

Ethanol-blended fuels are on sale at some Mobil and Gull service stations, but AA spokesman Mark Stockdale said there was a risk the fuels were incompatible with some engines.

The general sale of biofuels is set to become a requirement under the Biofuels Bill, which has yet to be passed through Parliament.

The law will require petrol retailers to make a fixed percentage of their fuels ethanol-based. This will probably involve two common blends of biofuel being available: a 3 per cent blend (E3) similar to 91 octane and a 10 per cent blend (E10) for higher octane fuel users.

Mr Stockdale said a Transport Ministry report in 2006 showed 14 per cent of cars in New Zealand - those produced before 1986 - were "at risk" with ethanol-blended fuel.

About half of New Zealand's 2.7 million cars, mostly Japanese imports, were at "possible risk" from the higher ethanol E10 blend, according to statements from their manufacturers.

"That leaves 1,044,000, or less than half the fleet, compatible at a 10 per cent blend, namely late-model New Zealand-new cars."

The manufacturers' sentiments are not supported by fuel retailers, or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

Gull New Zealand general manager Dave Bodger said tests that manufacturers said justified their lack of support for ethanol-blended fuels had not used corrosion inhibitors and were not representative of the fuel blends being delivered in New Zealand.

Gull's E10 products had been on sale for nearly a year, with more than 20,000 fills sold each month, he said. "We have not had anybody come to us with major issues."

Mr Stockdale said the risk varied between the blends. Most cars built after 1986 would work on E3 and E10, but there was more chance of corrosion with an E10 blend. When it came to water contamination, the highest risk was with E3 blends, he said.

Ethanol was attracted to water and would separate from the fuel if there was any water in the fuel tank, essentially clogging the fuel system and stopping the engine.

"While E3 provides no operational risk for the majority of vehicles, the lower blend has a higher risk of poor performance if the water is in the tanks, greater again for recreational boats and motors not being used very often or not maintained."

Mr Bodger said there was a very limited risk because there was water in most fuel tanks.

The risk was obviously greater for boats as there was more chance of water getting into a marine fuel tank.

For that reason, biofuels were not recommended for boat engines, he said.

Tony Frost, the Transport Ministry senior adviser on fuels, said local testing was under way to ascertain exactly what effect New Zealand-blended biofuels would have on Japanese-made cars.

Cars assembled in Europe or the United States should be acceptable as 5 per cent ethanol blends were standard. However, the Japanese standard was a blend maximum of 3 per cent, and that country was moving to a different type of biofuel.

Mr Frost said the current uncertainty was hindering the introduction of biofuels in New Zealand.

But the local research would give petrol firms guidance on what they should put into their blends.

He said results of the tests would not be available till November, however, one month after the Government's proposed date for mandatory biofuel adoption.

Mr Stockdale said there was no way to know what blends would be available at which stations, and the compatibility of an individual's car would dictate where they should buy their fuel.

"There will be confusion in that they won't know what they are filling up with unless it is very clear to them."

He acknowledged Mobil and Gull had gone to some lengths to advertise the shift to biofuels and communicate that to customers.

Mobil spokesman Alan Bailey said there were signs on pumps at its five Wellington service stations taking part in the biofuel trial.

"Our view is that we are certainly meeting all the safety requirements in terms of advising people."

He said there had been no reports of problems or complaints since the first biofuel pumps began operating in June. "Hopefully, that's a good indication."

EECA spokeswoman Vicki Connor said it was satisfied with the amount of information available and would be happy if all petrol companies emulated Mobil's efforts.

The authority was referring people to the AA website for a list of compatible cars, she said.

"It's a new fuel and it needs to be introduced with as much information as possible. We're trying to make sure it gets covered."

But Mr Stockdale said not enough information was available.

"We would prefer it was more obvious, and that there was a public information campaign."

The authority should be leading that publicity, in addition to efforts from oil companies, he said. "It is on sale and the public need to be aware of it."