Inauguration of the first bioethanol suppliers in the Basque Country

2007/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Energia berriztagarriak

At the initiative of the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), bioethanol dispensers have been installed at three gas stations in Álava and Gipuzkoa.

Bioethanol is a liquid vegetable fuel obtained from products rich in sugars or starches such as beet, sugar cane and cereals. The chemical characteristics of bioethanol allow its mixture with fossil gasoline to reduce the consumption of petroleum products.

Bioethanol is not distributed in pure form, but mixed with 95 octane gasoline. Bioethanol mixtures marketed in different percentages are identified with the letter e and the number representing the percentage of bioethanol. Thus, in these service stations there are three mixtures of bioethanol e5 (5% bioethanol mixture), e10 (10% bioethanol) and e85 (85% bioethanol and 15% gasoline). These are the first three filling stations that separate mixtures greater than e5 across Europe.