The familiar method of mixing corn-based ethanol biofuel into petrol may not be as environmentally friendly as utilizing directly petrol, a new research study in the us has suggested.
Research published in the Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences states that corn-based ethanol “is not a climate-friendly fuel”. In fact, the research study suggests it’s 24 per cent more carbon-intensive than petrol as a result of the modification in land utilize needed to grow corn to make the ethanol, in addition to the processing and combustion involved.
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The research study contradicts previous research study from the us department of Agriculture. Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels association in the US, top quality the research study “completely fictional and erroneous”, declaring it mentioned “worst-case assumptions” and “cherry-picked data”, Autoblog reported.
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American oil refiners have been needed by legislation since 2005 to mix 15billion gallons (68billion litres) of corn-based ethanol into us petrol each year.
In the UK, E10 petrol – which contains 10 per cent ethanol – replaced E5 petrol (five per cent ethanol) as the basic type of unleaded in September 2021. This, the government claimed, would reduce CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year – equivalent to taking 350,000 petrol-powered vehicles off the road.
Whereas in the us ethanol for petrol is originated from corn, in the UK it comes from materials such as low-grade grains, sugars and squander wood.
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