Yesterday’s round table meeting on biofuel held by the Ministers of Agriculture and Industry was an opportunity to report on bioethanol achievements in France over the past year.  Satisfaction can be expressed on many points, e.g. approvals for new processing plants, advances with direct blending in fuels and the emergence of E85 Super Ethanol business and related activities.
 

The round table meeting did, however, show that direct blending developments are still minor.  The increase to a 10% blend, instead of the current 5% limit, has been postponed;  yet this is essential for implementing the French government plan on biofuels and, through that, for an effective campaign on greenhouse gases in the transport sector.
 
Basically, it is a matter of making optimal use of bioethanol starting in 2007.
 
It should be noted that any increase in the use of E85 Super Ethanol will only be minor, in line with makeshift installations of pump facilities in service stations and with the vehicle fleet changing over to new generation vehicles.  In addition, if the direct blend percentage for bioethanol stayed at a maximum of 5%, there would be no outlet option other than ETBE* for new volumes produced.
 
However, there is no guarantee of any steady financial return from ETBE outlets for bioethanol producers who may have to reduce their current levels of investment.  Unlike bioethanol, the energy gain with ETBE in relation to the energy required to produce it is insignificant – 4% instead of 100% – and CO2 emissions from ETBE are three times the amount produced when using bioethanol.

 Contacts :
AGPB - Pascal HURBAULT, 01 44 31 16 25
AGPM - Béatrice GUENEBEAUD, 01 47 23 48 32
CGB - Cécile DUVAL,  01 44 69 41 36

* an additive which is half bioethanol and half isobutylene, a crude oil by-product.