A fruitful and engaging breakfast debate on the proposed regulation to set new CO2 standards for passenger cars took place on 20 June 2018 in the European Parliament. Key stakeholders from the European Parliament, the European Commission and industry gathered in a high-level setting to discuss CO2 standards as well as solutions for low carbon transport.
All speakers agreed that further solutions to decarbonise liquid fuel and increase engine efficiency need to be considered and equally supported.
Sustainable Fuels Chair Willemien Terpstra underlined that high quality, high octane fuels can play a key role in reducing emissions from European transport, and called on the European institutions to recognise this under the proposed CO2 standards regulation.
Under today’s official test cycle it is not possible to see the actual CO2 savings that can be achieved with improved engines running on higher (102) octane petrol. Ms Terpstra noted that high octane fuels enable the use of higher compression engines, which can go farther and emit less with the same amount of fuel. Currently, cars are often tested on fuels with regular octane fuels, and thus do not show the greenhouse gases emission and air pollution reductions. Sustainable Fuels therefore urges the co-legislators to specifically take into account the CO2 reduction brought about by vehicles with higher compression engines and encourage a European-wide switch towards more efficient engines and high octane fuels .
Sustainable Fuels, along with other speakers also insisted on the importance of a technology neutral approach to CO2 reductions. Policymakers should set the targets but leave the value chain operators the opportunity to innovate and deliver the results. There are many solutions to decarbonisation and all of them combined will bring Europe towards reaching the GHG goals set in the Paris Agreement. Significant savings have been made already through the use of cleaner fuels and more efficient engines, and more progress still can be made if the right legislative framework is put in place to encourage this positive change.
ABOUT FUEL ETHERS
Fuel ethers (bio-MTBE, bio-ETBE, bio-TAME and bio-TAEE) are among the most efficient blending components of petrol. They enhance vehicles’ engine performance while reducing toxic exhaust emissions and improving air quality.
ABOUT Sustainable Fuels
Created in 1985, Sustainable Fuels represents the voice of European producers of blending components of petrol called fuel ethers. Sustainable Fuels is recognised by the European institutions as a valuable stakeholder on fuel quality and automotive emission reduction issues. It actively promotes constructive co-operation with all stakeholders including regulators, industry, NGOs etc.
Sustainable Fuels position on this can be found here.