From IBT PrimeMOVER
Explaining Ethanol
By Staff
Jun 1, 2006 - 2:17:09 PM
From The White House to Main Street, ethanol as a solution to America's petroleum habit is in the news, on people's minds and at the forefront of the energy agenda. But, one might wonder, what is ethanol? And why is it important?
As a supplier of MRO components and other items to the ethanol industry, IBT is a participant in the marketplace. And, as an organization with an emphasis on training and information, IBT is doing its part to help build the knowledge base of industry and the community.
One way that IBT is doing this is through the creation of a video ETHANOL: From the Field to the Fuel Pump. The work is being undertaken in connection with BBI International, a biofuels advocacy and consulting organization that is involved with engineering, publishing, recruiting, training and industrial conferences and trade shows.
Designed to provide a single-source, comprehensive and thoroughly understandable answer to the request "tell me about ethanol," the ten-minute production looks at the production, distribution, technology, economics, and related issues in ethanol as an alternative fuel.
The production will make its world premiere at the BBI International Fuel Ethanol Workshop held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June.
Copies of the video, ETHANOL: From the Field to the Fuel Pump will be available for purchase from IBT. For more information, contact Gary Hense.
Ethanol Fact File
The United States fuel ethanol industry is based largely on corn. One bushel of corn yields about 2.8 gallons of ethanol. One acre of corn can produce enough ethanol to run a car for some 72,000 miles on E-10 (10% ethanol, 90% conventional unleaded gas.)
In 2005, the US ethanol production industry had just under 4 billion gallons (15 billion liters) capacity annually. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires U.S. fuel ethanol production to increase to 7.5 billion gallons (28 billion liters) by 2012.
Several automakers produce flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run on any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to E85. There are some 5 million vehicles in the U.S. that can run on E85-and the number of E85 fueling stations across the nation is growing dramatically.
When 10% alcohol fuel is mixed into gasoline, the result is known as gasohol or E10. A mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline is known as E85.
Ethanol is also increasingly used as an oxygenate for gasoline, as a replacement for MTBE, the latter chemical being responsible for considerable groundwater and soil contamination.
By 2010, U.S. ethanol production could displace the equivalent of 311,000 barrels of imported crude oil per day-more than one large oil tanker per week.
A typical 40 million gallon ethanol plant creates 32 full-time jobs and generates an additional $1.2 million in tax revenue for a community.
All mainstream manufacturers of power equipment, motorcycles, snowmobiles and outboard motors permit the use of ethanol blends in their products.
© Copyright 2006 by IBT PrimeMOVER
