E10 launch as a key step towards immediately reducing
Date: 24.02.2012In light of the current all-time highs in terms of crude oil and petroleum prices in response to recent political, currency-based and economic developments, AGRANA again emphasises the need to rapidly launch E10 in Austria and highlights that this achievable without delay from a production point of view. An increase in the proportion of bioethanol in petrol would not only immediately reduce Austria's dependence on oil imports from politically instable countries, but also play a key role in protecting the environment as well as stabilising petrol prices,” says AGRANA CEO, Johann Marihart. For this reason, AGRANA supports the demands of the Austrian Traffic Association (VCÖ) for rapid action to reduce Austria's dependence on oil in the transport sector.
Austrian ethanol production already sufficient to cover E10 requirements
At the AGRANA bioethanol facility in Pischelsdorf | Lower Austria, around 500,000 tonnes of cereals are processed annually to produce approximately 210,000 m³ of bioethanol, certified according to sustainable standards. Of this, around 50 % is exported. As a result, the introduction of E10 in Austria would not require additional production capacity or more farming land for agricultural commodities; AGRANA would simply export less bioethanol.
Potential reduction in CO2 emissions of bioethanol versus petrol
The fact that the transport sector is the second largest emitter of CO2 in Austria also argues in favour of a timely introduction of E10. Given that Austrian bioethanol causes 50 % fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petrol, the use of E10 could prevent around 190,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which the state currently covers through the purchase of emission certificates on the global market.
Price gap between ethanol and petrol closes
A glance at the ethanol and petrol quotation in recent years highlights that the rising prices of oil and petrol have closed the previous price gap between petrol and bioethanol (see chart).