Since 1st Sep 2021 E10 petrol has replaced E5 at regular unleaded pumps throughout the UK What is E10?
E10 stands for 10% Ethanol (E5 is 5% ethanol). In other words, the fuel is 90% petrol and 10% bio-ethanol. Bio-ethanol is ethanol which has been produced from plant matter
Why do we have to have it?Governments around the world see the addition of bio-ethanol to car fuel as a ‘green’ move because when ethanol burns it produces few harmful emissions, and the CO2 it produces is offset by the CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere when the plants, such as sugar beet, are growing. Optimists regard this as a carbon neutral process, though many arguments exist about the ethics of clearing forest and growing crops for fuel instead of food.
As a fuel what are ethanol’s problems?Ethanol absorbs water from the atmosphere and effectively dilutes the fuel if left for a long time.
