OFFICIALS AT the national oil refinery, Petrojam, are assuring motorists that its ethanol-based products - E-10 87 and 90 octane - are safe for use in all vehicles.

The assurance came after the recent islandwide roll-out of the fuel. According to the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica's website, the national refinery will no longer use the environ-mentally harmful methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in its gasolene products as of November 2.

"E-10 gasolene goes through a battery of tests to ensure post-refinery fuel quality," said project coordinator Nicole Smith in an interview with Automotives.

"Petrojam has a state-of-the-art petroleum laboratory ... the only one of its kind in Jamaica where we test all our products to meet the specifications of the Petroleum Quality Control Act," she continued.

Smith said the Ministry of Mining and Energy has always had a petroleum inspectorate division but was beefed up in anticipation of the roll-out. She said the quality checks included inspection of gas stations and increased vigilance by the Bureau of Standards.

"We have also instituted, at the loading rack, a manual system of checking the level of ethanol that is in the gasolene, and when it goes to the gas stations, there are still further checks from the ministry and the Bureau of Standards," she said.

all gasolene E-10 blended

Concerns were raised last week as motorists were advised by service-station attendants that all gasolene was now E-10 blended.

The composition of internationally branded fuels, such as Shell's V-Power and Texaco's TECHRON have been aletered to include ethanol.

However, marketing companies of both fuels - Cool Petroleum Ltd and Chevron Caribbean SRL, respectively - have both affirmed their offerings would not be compromised by the inclusion of ethanol.

Since November last year, E-10 87 blend has been available in Kingston as well as several east and central parishes. And, it accounts for 46 per cent of gasolene sales from the refinery.

General manager at the refinery, Winston Watson, said with the completion of the refinery in St James by the US-based contractors, CB&I Steel Plate Structures, the company could produce and supply E-10 to the island.

"In preparation for the full roll-out of E10, we put in two additional tanks in Montego Bay. One for ethanol, with a storage capacity of 10,000 barrels, and one for gasolene, with a storage capacity of 20,000 barrels," the GM said.

"We have also installed additional loading bays, so we should be able to adequately supply the market," he continued.

pilot project

Effective November 1, Petrojam started producing all its 87 and 90 octane gasolene with the E10 blend.

A pilot project to validate the compatibility of the blended fuel was conducted in 2006 and 70 vehicles of various age ranges and types were tested. Petrojam declared the project to be a success.

mario.james@gleanerjm.com