Govt Increases Mandatory Ethanol Blending Of Unleaded Petrol
Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi has announced that the government has, with immediate effect, increased the mandatory ethanol blending of unleaded petrol from 10% to 20%.
The increase is expected to simultaneously reduce the import bill and improve fuel availability since ethanol is locally produced.
The Extraordinary Government Gazette published yesterday in terms of the Petroleum Act (Chapter 13:22): (Excepting from Levels of Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous Ethanol with Unleaded Petrol) Notice 2019 read:
It is hereby notified in terms of Section 4(1) of the Petroleum (Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous Ethanol with Unleaded Petrol) Regulations 2013, published in Statutory Instrument 17 of 2013, that the Minister of Energy and Power Development approves the current level of mandatory blending to 20 per centum.
The consequence of this approval is that all licensed operators shall from the date of publication of this notice, be mandated to sell unleaded petrol which is blended at E20.
Fuel was being blended by 15% until January this year when it was reduced to 5% between February and March due to a shortage of ethanol. The level was subsequently raised to 10 percent owing to improved availability of ethanol from Green Fuel in Chisumbanje.
A 2003 research by Journal of KONES Internal Combustion Engines revealed that when ethanol-gasoline blended fuel is used, the engine power and specific fuel consumption of the engine slightly increase; Carbon monoxide emission decreases as a result of the leaning effect caused by the ethanol addition; Hydrocarbon emission decreases in some engine working conditions; and Carbon dioxide emission increases because of the improved combustion.
More: The Herald
