European Commission confirms important role of higher ethanol blends

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed to MEPs that the EU should consider allowing higher ethanol blending in petrol in order to de-fossilise Europe’s car fleet more effectively.
Von der Leyen specifically mentioned E20, a petrol blend with up to 20% renewable ethanol, as a viable alternative to fossil fuel with lesser amounts of biofuel, and suggested the Commission would look at updating the EU’s Fuel Quality Directive to authorise its use.
Across most of the EU, the current maximum ethanol blend in petrol is E10, with up to 10% renewable ethanol produced from multipurpose crops, waste and residues. Production and use of European renewable ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 79% on average compared to fossil petrol.
“The Commission confirms the role that higher biofuel blending can play in decarbonising existing vehicle fleets,” Von der Leyen wrote in a letter to three German MEPs, according to the Bild newspaper. “As part of the revision of the policy framework for fuels, the Commission will consider authorising higher ethanol contents (E20), taking into account in particular any problems related to the suitability of engines in existing vehicles for this fuel, as well as the need to incentivise investment in advanced biofuels.”
This comes just as the Commission released its AccelerateEU communication aimed at assuring European energy security and reducing dependence on foreign oil, in which it also calls for increased domestic EU production of sustainable biofuels.
These are welcome signs that the Commission recognises the strategic importance of EU renewable ethanol biorefineries producing food, feed, fuel and biogenic CO₂ to help achieve Europe’s goals for transport decarbonisation, energy independence, food security and industrial and agricultural autonomy.