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Labelling Requirements
| Property |
Proposed requirements in Discussion Document |
Submissions |
Ministry comment |
Final Recommendation |
| Ethanol blends up to E10 |
"Contains up to X% (bio- or non-renewable) ethanol. May not be suitable for all vehicles/engines. Check with the manufacturer" |
The differentiation between bioethanol and non-renewable ethanol was not supported by several submitters.
Two submitters support the labelling reflecting as close to the percentage of ethanol as possible (rather than 'up to'). This is to address the differing compatibility levels of vehicles (e.g. E3, E5, E10).
Two submitters do not support the wording 'May not be suitable for all vehicles/engines. Check with the manufacturer'. One view is that this will potentially undermine consumer confidence, and that incompatibility has not been proven with New Zealand ethanol blends (using corrosion inhibitor). |
Differentiating bioethanol and non-renewable ethanol is not necessary from a fuel performance and vehicle compatibility point of view.
It is in the interests of the fuel suppliers to label as close to the exact amount as possible to capture more of the market given varying levels of compatibility. Ethanol levels will vary, so it is not practical to require exact labelling. From a vehicle compatibility point of view, the maximum percentage of ethanol is the most important piece of information.
It is considered necessary to take a cautious approach with labelling to reduce the risk of unsuitable use of petrol/ethanol blends leading to vehicle operability problems, which would significantly affect public confidence in biofuels. |
- Maximum percentage of ethanol by volume must be clearly displayed; and
- The words "May not be suitable for all vehicles/engines. Check with the manufacturer before use" must be displayed.
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| Non-retail biodiesel and ethanol blends |
No labelling requirements |
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No labelling requirements. |
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