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The Rise of European Ethanol

Phillip Bureman
Phillip Bureman

Although the majority of the bioethanol used in transportation fuels in Europe is imported from either Brazil or the US, there are an increasing number of European ethanol producers coming on-line. This article also compares the established quality specifications for fuel ethanol produced in Europe, Brazil and the USA.

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en CMYK c76 m0 y100 k0 tone 362 c r61 h164 b42 e CMYK c100 m56 y0 k0 tone 293 c r12 g71 b157 vetica Black and Helvetica Ultra light biofuels additives xx october 2011 biofuels international Although the majority of the bioethanol used in transportation fuels in Europe is imported from either Brazil or the US, there are an increasing number of European ethanol producers coming on-line Rise of European Ethanol T he greatest percentage of renewable biofuel produced and sold in Europe is biodiesel, but bioethanol constitutes a substantial percentage. The speed of E5 and E10 motor fuel introduction into the marketplace varies from country to country. In the UK, France, Germany and Finland, E5 is sold today. However in other countries, such as Italy and Norway, bioethanol blending is not common practice. Blends greater than E5, including E10, have been proposed, but these higher percent bioethanol blends have not been widely accepted. In May 2003 the European Parliament by Directive 2003/30/EU promoted the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport. Legislation followed, such as the European Fuel Quality Directive permitting the use of 5% ethanol in petrol blending and a more recent statement permitting the use of E10 in the fuel market effective January 1, 2011. Currently, The European Commission on Energy has set forth a directive for all member states to produce 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Examples of renewable energy sources include using wind, solar, oceanic, geothermal, and biological resources. This directive also states that 10% of the transportation sector energy in 2020 must originate from renewable sources such as biofuels. In October 2007, the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) was approved by the British Parliament requiring suppliers of road fuels to incorporate a portion of biofuel into petrol or diesel, or pay a penalty. The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) was then established and given the responsibility to monitor and implement the RTFO. Although 5% biofuel is not slated for implementation until the 2013/2014 time period, much of the petrol and road diesel produced today, respectively contains 5% ethanol and 5% B100 FAME. There are some differences between ASTM D4806 Standard Specification for Denatured Fuel Ethanol for Blending with Gasolines for Use as Automotive Spark- Ignition Engine Fuel and EN 15376 Automotive fuels Ethanol as a blending component for petrol Requirements and test methods. Nevertheless, many producers of ASTM D4806 grade ethanol also meet the EN 15376 specifications. On arrival at coastal terminals in Europe, ethanol is typically either: - Blended with a denaturant and corrosion inhibitor prior to immediate blending with petrol to produce E5 or E10; or - Shipped to inland terminals where denaturant and corrosion inhibitor are added prior to finished petrol blending for road tanker distribution. In some cases, bioethanol received at inland terminals has been previously blended with denaturant. Bioethanol blends such as E90, for example, may be received. Because of concerns about water pick-up and associated petrol quality issues, E5 and E10 grades are rarely moved by pipeline. Corrosion inhibitors were initially considered for use in ethanol in Europe to help protect metallic lines, storage tanks, and distribution equipment from corrosion. Today, the Standard EN 15376 Automotive Fuels Ethanol as a blending component for petrol Requirements and test methods recommends the addition of an anti-corrosion additive to fuel grade ethanol. Similarly, the Conservation of Clean Air and Water in Europe (CONCAWE) Report No. 3/08 Guidelines for blending and handling motor gasoline containing up to 10% v/v ethanol supports the use of a suitable corrosion Implementation Period Biofuel Content, Vol % 2008/2009 2.5 2009/2010 3.25 2010/2011 3.5 2011/2012 4.0 2012/2013 4.5 2013/2014 5.0 Timetable for implementing the British Renewable Fuels Transportation Obligation ASTM D4806 and EN 15376 ethanol specification comparison Property ASTM EN 15376 D4806 Methanol, vol%, max 0.5 (1) Water, vol% (mass%), max 1.0 (1.26) (0.3) Inorganic Chloride, mass ppm (mg/L), max 10 (8) (20) Sulfur, mass ppm (mg/L), max 30 (10) Total sulfate, mass ppm, max. 4 N/A pHe 6.5 to 9.0 N/A Denaturants Gasoline Petrol, ether, based alcohol-based
Green CMYK c76 m0 y100 k0 Pantone 362 c rgb r61 h164 b42 Blue CMYK c100 m56 y0 k0 Pantone 293 c rgb r12 g71 b157 Helvetica Black and Helvetica Ultra light additives biofuels biofuels international october 2011 xx inhibitor in fuel grade ethanol. Most ethanol corrosion inhibitor formulations sold in the US contain a combination of a ferrous metal corrosion inhibitor and a compound to control the acidity of ethanol during transportation and storage. Some formulations also contain a marker for effectively monitoring inhibitor dose rate. The pHe, or acid strength, of fuel ethanol is measured by ASTM D6423 Standard Test Method for Determination of pHe of Ethanol, Denatured Fuel Ethanol, and Fuel Ethanol (Ed75-Ed85). The reasons for measuring the pHe of ethanol are described in Appendix X1.1.6 of the ASTM D4806 fuel ethanol specification. The specification states the following: - Below 6.5 pHe, fuel pumps can malfunction as a result of film forming between the brushes and commutator - Fuel injectors can fail from corrosive wear - Excessive engine cylinder wear can occur in E10 blends - Above the pHe upper limit of 9.0, fuel pump plastic parts can fail In Europe, the acidity of bioethanol is being considered as a measurable specification. At this time, an appropriate method for measurement of ethanol acidity has not been determined, and no specification for ethanol acidity has been established. The use of an anti-corrosion additive in bioethanol is recommended by EN 15376 and supported by CONCAWE Report No. 3/08. However, a standard method for measuring ethanol acidity has not been determined. l References ASTM D4806, 2011, Standard Specification for Denatured Fuel Ethanol for Blending with Gasolines for Use as Automotive Spark- Ignition Engine Fuel, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 05.02, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 600-606. ASTM D6423, 2011, Standard Test Method for Determination of pHe of Ethanol, Denatured Fuel Ethanol and Fuel Ethanol (Ed75-Ed85), Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 05.03, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 330-332. CONCAWE, 2008, Guidelines for blending and handling motor gasoline containing up to 10% v/v ethanol, Report No. 3/08, CONCAWE, Boulevard du Souverain 165, B1160, Brussels, Belgium. EN 15376, 2007, Automotive fuels Ethanol as a blending component for petrol Requirements and test methods, European Committee for Standardization, Management Centre: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels. For more information: This article was written by Tony OBrien, Phil Bureman and Kim Peyton, www.nalco.com

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The Rise of European Ethanol

  • 1. en CMYK c76 m0 y100 k0 tone 362 c r61 h164 b42 e CMYK c100 m56 y0 k0 tone 293 c r12 g71 b157 vetica Black and Helvetica Ultra light biofuels additives xx october 2011 biofuels international Although the majority of the bioethanol used in transportation fuels in Europe is imported from either Brazil or the US, there are an increasing number of European ethanol producers coming on-line Rise of European Ethanol T he greatest percentage of renewable biofuel produced and sold in Europe is biodiesel, but bioethanol constitutes a substantial percentage. The speed of E5 and E10 motor fuel introduction into the marketplace varies from country to country. In the UK, France, Germany and Finland, E5 is sold today. However in other countries, such as Italy and Norway, bioethanol blending is not common practice. Blends greater than E5, including E10, have been proposed, but these higher percent bioethanol blends have not been widely accepted. In May 2003 the European Parliament by Directive 2003/30/EU promoted the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport. Legislation followed, such as the European Fuel Quality Directive permitting the use of 5% ethanol in petrol blending and a more recent statement permitting the use of E10 in the fuel market effective January 1, 2011. Currently, The European Commission on Energy has set forth a directive for all member states to produce 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Examples of renewable energy sources include using wind, solar, oceanic, geothermal, and biological resources. This directive also states that 10% of the transportation sector energy in 2020 must originate from renewable sources such as biofuels. In October 2007, the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) was approved by the British Parliament requiring suppliers of road fuels to incorporate a portion of biofuel into petrol or diesel, or pay a penalty. The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) was then established and given the responsibility to monitor and implement the RTFO. Although 5% biofuel is not slated for implementation until the 2013/2014 time period, much of the petrol and road diesel produced today, respectively contains 5% ethanol and 5% B100 FAME. There are some differences between ASTM D4806 Standard Specification for Denatured Fuel Ethanol for Blending with Gasolines for Use as Automotive Spark- Ignition Engine Fuel and EN 15376 Automotive fuels Ethanol as a blending component for petrol Requirements and test methods. Nevertheless, many producers of ASTM D4806 grade ethanol also meet the EN 15376 specifications. On arrival at coastal terminals in Europe, ethanol is typically either: - Blended with a denaturant and corrosion inhibitor prior to immediate blending with petrol to produce E5 or E10; or - Shipped to inland terminals where denaturant and corrosion inhibitor are added prior to finished petrol blending for road tanker distribution. In some cases, bioethanol received at inland terminals has been previously blended with denaturant. Bioethanol blends such as E90, for example, may be received. Because of concerns about water pick-up and associated petrol quality issues, E5 and E10 grades are rarely moved by pipeline. Corrosion inhibitors were initially considered for use in ethanol in Europe to help protect metallic lines, storage tanks, and distribution equipment from corrosion. Today, the Standard EN 15376 Automotive Fuels Ethanol as a blending component for petrol Requirements and test methods recommends the addition of an anti-corrosion additive to fuel grade ethanol. Similarly, the Conservation of Clean Air and Water in Europe (CONCAWE) Report No. 3/08 Guidelines for blending and handling motor gasoline containing up to 10% v/v ethanol supports the use of a suitable corrosion Implementation Period Biofuel Content, Vol % 2008/2009 2.5 2009/2010 3.25 2010/2011 3.5 2011/2012 4.0 2012/2013 4.5 2013/2014 5.0 Timetable for implementing the British Renewable Fuels Transportation Obligation ASTM D4806 and EN 15376 ethanol specification comparison Property ASTM EN 15376 D4806 Methanol, vol%, max 0.5 (1) Water, vol% (mass%), max 1.0 (1.26) (0.3) Inorganic Chloride, mass ppm (mg/L), max 10 (8) (20) Sulfur, mass ppm (mg/L), max 30 (10) Total sulfate, mass ppm, max. 4 N/A pHe 6.5 to 9.0 N/A Denaturants Gasoline Petrol, ether, based alcohol-based
  • 2. Green CMYK c76 m0 y100 k0 Pantone 362 c rgb r61 h164 b42 Blue CMYK c100 m56 y0 k0 Pantone 293 c rgb r12 g71 b157 Helvetica Black and Helvetica Ultra light additives biofuels biofuels international october 2011 xx inhibitor in fuel grade ethanol. Most ethanol corrosion inhibitor formulations sold in the US contain a combination of a ferrous metal corrosion inhibitor and a compound to control the acidity of ethanol during transportation and storage. Some formulations also contain a marker for effectively monitoring inhibitor dose rate. The pHe, or acid strength, of fuel ethanol is measured by ASTM D6423 Standard Test Method for Determination of pHe of Ethanol, Denatured Fuel Ethanol, and Fuel Ethanol (Ed75-Ed85). The reasons for measuring the pHe of ethanol are described in Appendix X1.1.6 of the ASTM D4806 fuel ethanol specification. The specification states the following: - Below 6.5 pHe, fuel pumps can malfunction as a result of film forming between the brushes and commutator - Fuel injectors can fail from corrosive wear - Excessive engine cylinder wear can occur in E10 blends - Above the pHe upper limit of 9.0, fuel pump plastic parts can fail In Europe, the acidity of bioethanol is being considered as a measurable specification. At this time, an appropriate method for measurement of ethanol acidity has not been determined, and no specification for ethanol acidity has been established. The use of an anti-corrosion additive in bioethanol is recommended by EN 15376 and supported by CONCAWE Report No. 3/08. However, a standard method for measuring ethanol acidity has not been determined. l References ASTM D4806, 2011, Standard Specification for Denatured Fuel Ethanol for Blending with Gasolines for Use as Automotive Spark- Ignition Engine Fuel, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 05.02, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 600-606. ASTM D6423, 2011, Standard Test Method for Determination of pHe of Ethanol, Denatured Fuel Ethanol and Fuel Ethanol (Ed75-Ed85), Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 05.03, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 330-332. CONCAWE, 2008, Guidelines for blending and handling motor gasoline containing up to 10% v/v ethanol, Report No. 3/08, CONCAWE, Boulevard du Souverain 165, B1160, Brussels, Belgium. EN 15376, 2007, Automotive fuels Ethanol as a blending component for petrol Requirements and test methods, European Committee for Standardization, Management Centre: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels. For more information: This article was written by Tony OBrien, Phil Bureman and Kim Peyton, www.nalco.com