Bioethanol fuel is an alternative fuel to petrol and diesel with less of a negative environmental impact plus the added bonus of being a renewable fuel source. This is not a new fuel type and has been used in countries such as Brazil for decades, but it has not previously been a popular fuel in the UK. Bioethanol fuel, however, is becoming more widespread along with many other alternative fuels.

Bioethanol fuel is produced by the fermentation, distillation and dehydration of starch plants such as corn and wheat, sugar plants and sometimes trees. The alcohol is then formed (with additives to make it unsuitable for drinking) and can be used within cars in one of two ways. The bioethanol fuel can either be blended with petrol or used as a direct substitute for petrol (and occasionally diesel with suitable modifications to the vehicle). A 5% bioethanol blend can be used in all petrol engines but modifications are often required for higher blends or the sole use of this fuel.

A car designed to run on bioethanol fuel is usually about £500 more expensive than a petrol equivalent with similar running costs. Currently there are not many refuelling stations for bioethanol blends of greater than 5% (which doesn’t have to be declared) but the number of refuelling stations is likely to increase as more manufacturers are beginning to produce cars than can run on blends of up to 85%.

From an environmental point of view, bioethanol fuel is completely biodegradable and from well to wheel shows a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to petrol. There have been concerns, however, about the environmental impact of growing crops for this and other similar fuels with regards to the effect on the food industry and the potential harm caused by intensive farming.