Assessing different pathways for biofuels
Japan began using ETBE in its biofuel programme in 2009.
Key result
The change
Direct ethanol blending compared with converting ethanol into ETBE before blending.
The result
Japan began using ETBE in its biofuel programme in 2009.
When Japan introduced its biofuels policy, an important question was how renewable content should be incorporated into gasoline.
Options included direct ethanol blending and converting ethanol into ETBE before blending.
ACFA has contributed technical perspectives to discussions in Japan since the mid-2000s, covering fuel performance, environmental and health considerations, infrastructure compatibility and international experience.
This work has included collaboration with international partners on technical exchanges and research concerning fuel handling, storage and implementation requirements.
Japan began using ETBE in its biofuel programme in 2009, and ACFA has continued to follow developments in the country’s fuel policy.
Why it matters
There can be more than one way to achieve the same policy objective.
Japan’s experience demonstrates the importance of comparing different approaches against fuel performance, vehicle compatibility, infrastructure and local market conditions.