Repeat After Me: High Octane, Low Carbon

by David VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/ICM/Governors' Biofuel Coalition) The signs are everywhere highlighting our product and how it can find its true value as an octane enhancer while lowering carbon emissions.

Using our research at the Urban Air Initiative and in conjunction with our industry trade groups, we have been banging on the U.S. EPA’s door for years for recognition that octane matters. It matters in terms of emissions, performance, fuel economy and cost. And now, with a global emphasis on lowering CO2 and greenhouse gases, octane matters even more when it comes to reducing carbon. This is not an incidental value, or a throw-in to ethanol’s portfolio. It needs to be a core component of our value proposition going forward.

The auto industry is facing a double-edged sword in meeting tough new mileage and carbon standards. But, the good news is that help could be on the way in the form of higher ethanol blends.

Higher octane fuels allow automakers to make small-bore, high-compression engines that can achieve impressive efficiency gains. The challenge is to do so while also reducing carbon tailpipe emissions. If that octane comes from the oil barrel, there will be problems.

On the other hand, ethanol blends in the 25 to 30 percent range can provide a premium fuel with a significantly lower carbon footprint and reduced emissions. A 92 to 94 octane at the pump opens a world of possibilities; achieving that level should be among our industry’s top priorities. A recent U.S. DOE report indicated more than 80 percent of new cars by 2020 will be turbocharged to allow for downsizing while maintaining performance and emissions. Again, that only works with a high-octane, low-carbon fuel.

OK, so let’s go make high-octane fuel, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple, although it should be. As usual, the shadow falling over us is cast by our friends at the EPA. The EPA’s regulatory roadblocks such as the RVP restriction, MOVES model and certification fuels, to name just a few, are making it difficult for higher ethanol blends to enter the market. Plus, what makes no sense is the failure of the EPA to consider octane and ethanol in order to meet mileage and carbon reduction rules. READ MORE