Page 82 - North American Clean Energy January February 2015

biopower

Making Smarter Choice at the Pump

Biofuel facts for the road

Despite great eforts to reduce our carbon footprint, many of us still drive vehicles on a • E10
near-daily basis. To negate the environmental impacts of gasoline, some carpool or take hough the wording many vary, look
Did you know?
transit, while others have been fortunate enough to ind their way into an electric car or a for “Contains 10% ethanol” on the gas

Since the 1990s, ethanol in
micro-hybrid (stop-start cars, so named because their combustion engines turn of when pump. According to BETO, this label
the United States has been the car stops, say at a red light).
means that ethanol has been blended into
Nevertheless, statistics from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that the petroleum gasoline—resulting in a
produced almost solely from motor vehicles (including non-road vehicles), account for some 75% of carbon monoxide combined 10% ethanol and 90% petroleum
corn grain. According to the
emissions nationwide. Clearly, Americans aren’t doing enough to reduce vehicle-related gasoline. Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel,
Energy Department’s Bioenergy pollutants.
made from plant materials that have a
Technologies Ofice (BETO), Ongoing eforts have been made in some regions of the United States, however, to high-octane rating. It burns cleaner than
increase the availability of biofuels (liquid fuels that are derived from renewable sources, petroleum.
however, this is changing. Two
Energy Department-funded such as from plants or vegetable oils). Last year, for example, the I-75 Green Corridor Ethanol must be blended with petroleum
project was completed in the eastern US, and currently represents the nation’s longest fuel to be used in conventional cars and
cellulosic ethanol bioreineries biofuels corridor via a six-state partnership.
trucks. Blends of up to 10% ethanol (E10)
(POET-DSM’s Project LIBERTY Interstate 75 runs from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan at the Canadian border to Miami, are approved for use in all vehicles, as well

and Abengoa’s Hugoton Florida. Biofuels stations were added with the intent of illing in gaps in access along the as in all gasoline transportation, storage,
bioreinery) opened in 2014, and interstate, such that a station of each type can now be found no greater than 200 miles and dispensing infrastructure in the US.
apart. Five years in the making, the I-75 Green Corridor Project’s goal was to enable E10 is now sold in every state.
are gearing up for production.
travel along the entire 1,786 mile-length of this highway, using either of the two primary

These irst-of-a-kind bioreineries biofuels: E85 or B20.
• E85
Using E85 requires a lex-fuel vehicle (FFV), while many diesel vehicles can use B20. When “E85” is at the pump, it’s usually
produce ethanol from non-food FFV’s are engineered to run on gasoline, or any blend of up to 85% ethanol. Whereas, marked in yellow. Not as widely available as
sources, including corn husks
almost all diesel vehicles can run on biodiesel (B20), with few if any modiications to E10, E85 denotes gasoline that ofers up to
and stalks, as well as vegetative the vehicle—though it’s always important to properly verify compatibility with the 85% ethanol. And, unlike E10, E85 requires
residue. At some point in the manufacturer.
a FFV. As mentioned, lex-fuel vehicles
As the options at gas stations increase, it’s not uncommon for drivers to be unclear of are designed to run on gasoline, or any
future, cellulosic ethanol could
be an option for an E10 gasoline what to choose when it comes to the diferent biodiesel names and numbers. From E10 blend of up to 85% ethanol. In some areas,
and E85 to B20, the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Oice (BETO) recently blend pumps even allow drivers a choice
blend. (Read more at http:// compiled some basic deinitions and information to make fueling up a simpler—and, in terms of the percentage of the ethanol
energy.gov/eere/articles/four- hopefully, a greener—choice for those on the road.
included. (If unsure of your vehicle’s

cellulosic-ethanol-breakthroughs).
FFV status, simply search the online list
Finding clarity in biofuels
of E85 vehicles by type and model year.
Investing in ongoing research and development (R&D) to help commercialize biofuels, he CleanFuelsCorridor.com also has
BETO is working to make other second-generation biofuel options available in an efort: information at www.cleanfuelscorridor.com/indvehicles.html).

“To reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, build the economy, and reduce greenhouse Interesting, BETO has started working with the Energy Eiciency and Renewable
gas emissions (according to their website at: http://energy.gov/eere/).
Energy’s (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Oice and the National Renewable Energy
For now, here’s a quick breakdown of the cleaner fuel options available at many gas Laboratory (NREL) on a preliminary investigation of E20–E40 ethanol blends (20% to 40%
stations across the US*.
ethanol) in advanced engines, which could be developed to better utilize high-octane fuel.

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