The E10 fuel is soon to become the standard grade of petrol at filling stations in Ireland.
In early March the Irish government published draft regulations for the switch to E10, which contains up to 10% bioethanol, from the E5 blend that is currently sold in Ireland. The regulations are set to be made by April 1.
The change is part of measures to achieve a 51% emissions reduction in the transport sector by 2030. It will also bring Ireland in line with Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which have already moved to E10. This ethanol blend is also used in 15 European countries and other countries around the world such as the US and Australia, the government notes.
Ireland has about 1 million petrol vehicles, which can all operate on E10. For a small percentage of older vehicles, sustained use of the E10 petrol blend may lead to more frequent maintenance.
“While there has seen a big uptake in EVs, we need to continue with measures that can have an immediate impact on emission from vehicles that are already on Irish roads,” Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan commented in February.
