News / National
12 fuel station now selling blend fuel
09 Nov 2011 at 06:05hrs | Views
Motorists on Monday began filling up their fuel tanks with ethanol-blended petrol following distribution of the commodity at selected points in the city by Green Fuel. The company announced this week that about 12 fuel stations in Harare are already selling blend fuel, a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent petroleum.
It is hoped that the ethanol component will replace imports in equal measure, saving the country foreign currency and cushioning it from global price shocks.
Petrol blending will also enable dealers to cut significantly on the costs of transportation and reduce constraints associated with importation of petrol.
Before GreenFuel's ethanol came on the scene, petrol prices averaged US$1,42 per litre, but prices have come down to US$1,36 per litre at filling stations that are blending petrol.
"What has also been a point of motivation towards our product has been the lower price on our blend and the desire by most motorists to use clean local, environmentally friendly fuel," the company said in a statement.
Blend is now available at BP Fourth Street, Shell Belgravia, Shell Chase Motors (Mt Pleasant, BP Enterprise Road, Newlands, BP Groombridge, Shell Haddon Motors, BP Helensvale Service Station and BP Kentucky Service Station (Hatfield).
The product is also available at BP Lorraine, Bluff Hill, BP Marimba, BP Matlock, Southerton and Shell Pomona. Discussions with other dealers are in progress.
Blending of petrol had stopped in 1992 due to drought, which meant there was little raw material to process into ethanol.
GreenFuel, following partnership with Government, resumed production at its Chisumbanje plant, using the latest technology acquired from Brazil.
GreenFuel last week said its Chisumbanje plant was currently processing 2 500 tonnes of cane into daily ethanol output with volumes reaching 180 000 litres per day.
With further investment in capacity, GreenFuel expects to produce 1,5 billion litres of ethanol annually.
It is hoped that the ethanol component will replace imports in equal measure, saving the country foreign currency and cushioning it from global price shocks.
Petrol blending will also enable dealers to cut significantly on the costs of transportation and reduce constraints associated with importation of petrol.
Before GreenFuel's ethanol came on the scene, petrol prices averaged US$1,42 per litre, but prices have come down to US$1,36 per litre at filling stations that are blending petrol.
"What has also been a point of motivation towards our product has been the lower price on our blend and the desire by most motorists to use clean local, environmentally friendly fuel," the company said in a statement.
The product is also available at BP Lorraine, Bluff Hill, BP Marimba, BP Matlock, Southerton and Shell Pomona. Discussions with other dealers are in progress.
Blending of petrol had stopped in 1992 due to drought, which meant there was little raw material to process into ethanol.
GreenFuel, following partnership with Government, resumed production at its Chisumbanje plant, using the latest technology acquired from Brazil.
GreenFuel last week said its Chisumbanje plant was currently processing 2 500 tonnes of cane into daily ethanol output with volumes reaching 180 000 litres per day.
With further investment in capacity, GreenFuel expects to produce 1,5 billion litres of ethanol annually.
Source - TH
