Ethanol and Petrol/Ethanol Blends
43. Petrol/ethanol blends for retail sale are already provided for in the PPSR. No regulated requirements exist, however, for the ethanol (E100) component of petrol/ethanol blends. It is recommended that the regulated ethanol specifications be based on the ASTM Standard for fuel ethanol, with several minor variations considered necessary for New Zealand's circumstances. Annex 2 contains the proposed ethanol specifications, which would apply to bioethanol and non-renewable ethanol.
44. The ASTM Standard for fuel ethanol applies in the United States and has been updated a number of times since first developed in 1988. It is the basis of the existing voluntary standard for ethanol developed by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, the draft Australian specification, and standards in other jurisdictions such as Canada and China. It is considered to have the most relevance for New Zealand as it is suitable for ethanol to be blended with petrol at up to 10% by volume ethanol, and New Zealand's fuel suppliers and testing laboratories have significant experience with ASTM test methods.
45. Most submitters supported the majority of parameters in the proposed ethanol specification. Two of the more important characteristics of the ethanol specifications are discussed below, these being the type of denaturant allowed and the requirement for corrosion inhibitor.
Back to Top