US ethanol hurdle emotional, not technical - RFA

26 February 2008 21:02  [Source: ICIS news]

ORLANDO, Florida (ICIS news)--Technical work done so far has not put up any hurdles to raising ethanol blends in vehicles and small engines, but the US biofuels industry needs to work hard to counter public resistance, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said on Tuesday.

The RFA contends ethanol will break out of its current market base as a 10% blend in gasoline, but - as with biodiesel - perceptions of issues with quality and engine warranties have kept the brakes on higher blends.

"Weed whackers cannot dictate America's energy security - the stakes are too high," RFA President Bob Dinneen told the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando.

Dinneen said the ethanol industry needs to go on the attack to win the battle for public opinion, rather than allowing small engine makers and others to "raise new canards" to scare consumers.

The biofuels industry is already close to saturating the 10% blend market, he noted.

While technical work done so far on 20% blends has not shown any significant problems with engine components, more empirical evidence is needed, Dinneen said.

The Big Three US automakers drew praise from the RFA official for their long-term plans to have by 2012 at least 50% of their output as flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can run on the 85% ethanol blend know as E-85.

FFVs are already a feature of the fuel market in Brazil, where ethanol has the deepest penetration of any country. FFVs account for more than 85% of vehicle sales in Brazil.

Dinneen acknowledged that there are differences in automotive technologies between the US and Brazil that mean local solutions need to be found.

General Motors in particular should be applauded for its media campaign to win acceptance of FFVs in the US, he added.

Bookmark Simon Robinson’s Big Biofuels Blog for some independent thinking on biofuels

For more on ethanol visit ICIS chemical intelligence

 

By: Stephen Burns
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