Hurdles remain despite E15 blend approval in the US

Final approval on E15 petrol blends has been granted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but it may still be some time before consumers can begin selecting it at the pumps.

The approval means US companies will be able to sell fuel consisting 85% petrol and 15% ethanol, up-scaling from the current E10 model allowed throughout the country. The EPA, who first set the wheels in motion for E15 in January 2011, has now completed a series of steps to ensure the new blend will be properly marked and sold.

The E15 blend has been approved for use in light trucks and cars that have been manufactured in 2001 onwards, but it is banned from being put into older vehicles and light equipment.

The EPA has stated that other federal, state and local requirements will still need to be addressed before E15 will be able to be introduced nationwide however. For example, dispenser and tank compatibility with E15 must be considered by marketers of the fuels. Also, several states do restrict the sale of some petrol-ethanol blends so changes to those laws will be required.

But US department of agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack was quoted as saying: ‘I think there are a number of stations, particularly in the Midwest, that will be very interested in introducing E15, and there will certainly be encouragement from the renewable fuel industry for it to be done as quickly as possible.‘