Non-Retail Biodiesel Blends
27. It is recommended that the regulations allow for the sale of non-retail biodiesel blends, consisting of any proportion of diesel and biodiesel as agreed between seller and purchaser. This gives greater flexibility for supply by the biodiesel industry and use by consumers with contractual agreements.
28. It is recommended that the biodiesel component of non-retail biodiesel blends is required to meet the biodiesel specifications, and the diesel component is required to meet the current PPSR requirements for non-retail petroleum diesel, i.e. the limits for sulphur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are environmental parameters.
29. In addition, it is considered prudent to have requirements for the resultant blend because combining two on-specification fuels does not guarantee the fuel quality of the blend. It is recommended that non-retail biodiesel blends are required to meet the specifications for cetane number, colour, lubricity, sulphur, viscosity, total contamination and flash point provided in Schedule 3 of the PPSR and that all biodiesel blends that are not intended for retail sale must meet:
- An acid value of 0.1 + 100*X / 250 mg KOH/g maximum when measured by ASTM D664, where X is the percentage by volume of biodiesel in the blend; and
- A water content limit of 200+300*X mg/kg maximum when measured by IP 438, where X is the percentage by volume of biodiesel in the blend.
30. These recommended specifications are a combination of operability, safety and environmental parameters to ensure that all biodiesel blends supplied in New Zealand are of a reasonable quality, which will help protect the integrity of the industry as a whole. The vast majority of submitters support these specifications for non-retail biodiesel blends.
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