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Minnesota's focused on biofuels future Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Agri News staff writer
DES MOINES -- Ralph Groschen, senior marketing specialist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, gave a snapshot of the research and testing the EPA will require to certify E20 as gasoline at last week's Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines.
Groschen said that Minnesota has 17 ethanol plants with four more under construction.
The industry is generating $2.7 billion in economic development.
Minnesota requires gasoline contain 10 percent ethanol and diesel fuel contain 2 percent biodiesel.
In 2005 Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed legislation requiring all of the state's gasoline to be blended with 20 percent ethanol.
The E20 requirement will take effect in 2013 unless ethanol has already replaced 20 percent of the state's motor vehicle fuel use by 2010 or the EPA fails to approve a 211 (f)(4) waiver of the federal Clean Air Act to certify E20 as gasoline.
To build ethanol usage to 20 percent through E85, the state would have to sell 460 million gallons of E85 by the end of 2010, Groschen said.
By the end of 2006, the state sold 18.2 million gallons.
Growth will have to more than double each year until 2010.
Minnesota is pursuing the EPA waiver while it continues promoting E85 sales, Groschen said.
Under the EPA waiver route, E20 will be considered a new additive and will have to be certified. If approved, it will apply on a national level.
The state is working with the national Renewable Fuels Association in an automotive-focused research program to study fuel system materials compatibility, vehicle drivability performance and vehicle emissions.
Groschen said the plan is to do preliminary testing to identify any so called "show stoppers" for automotive applications.
Preliminary data will be used to determine the next step and how to fund any further work.
Additional tests and fund raising efforts will be required if a full EPA application is pursued.
To certify E20, the EPA must receive documentation that shows materials compatibility of fuel system components with E20, drivability with E20, and exhaust and evaporative emissions with E20.
Tests are under way at Minnesota State University, the University of Minnesota and Automotive Testing Laboratories in Mesa, Ariz. in these areas.
EPA must also receive health effects testing on E20 fuel and durability testing.
Groschen said Minnesota isn't doing these tests at this time.
EPA has indicated it may extrapolate the results of health effects testing on E10 for E20.
The time and financial commitment required to prepare data suitable for a full waiver application will be considerable, Groschen said.
The Minnesota Legislature, the Renewable Fuels Association, the Minnesota Corn Growers and the Great Lakes Governors Council have funded the preliminary studies.
"So far, no obvious show stoppers have been found in the test data, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods," Groschen said. "There's still a lot of testing to do, and time will tell on that." |
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