Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The Indian legislation concerning bioethanol is similar to that of biodiesel by allowing up
to 5% v/v anhydrous ethanol in gasoline. The ethanol should meet the IS 15464:2004 quality
specification,and the final product should meet the IS 2796:2000 specification.
In 2007, India set a 10% v/v target for bioethanol and biodiesel in a national fuel market for
October 2008. This target was not achieved (BiofuelsDigest 2008, Tyagi 2008). As a result, the
modification of national bioethanol quality specifications was also postponed.
9.4.2.2.4 Japan
The Japanese Standards Association (JSA), formed on December 1945 through the merger of the
Dai Nihon Aerial Technology Association and the Japan Management Association, is charged with
the standardization of conventional and alternative fuels in Japan. In general, JSA sets the national
Japanese standards and aims “to educate the public regarding the standardization and unification of
industrial standards, and thereby to contribute to the improvement of technology and the enhance-
ment of production efficiency” (http://www.jsa.or.jp/eng/about/about.asp).
At the same time, the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) sets the company- and
industrial-level standards. The main tasks of the JISC are the “establishment and maintenance
of JIS (abbreviation of Japanese Standards), administration of accreditation and certification,
participation and contribution in international standardization activities, and development of
measurement standards and technical infrastructure for standardization” (http://www.jisc.go.jp/
eng/). As a result, there is a close collaboration between these two bodies; namely, the JSA and
the JISC.
Currently, according to the Law of Quality Control of Gasoline, the diesel used in Japan has
to meet the diesel fuel quality specification JIS 2204:2007. According to this specification, up to
5% m/m content of FAME is allowed in diesel oil as long as the methanol content is less than
0.01% m/m. The standards of the neat biodiesel used in these blends are optional and are described
by JIS K 2390:2008* (Table 9.A2).
Concerning bioethanol automotive use in Japan, the fuel quality specification of gasoline, JIS K
2202:2007, sets the limit of the ethanol content in gasoline to 3% v/v, considering that the oxygen
content is less than 1.3% v/v (Table 9.A3) (Numata 2009).
9.4.2.2.5 South Africa
In South Africa, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) establishes and monitors the stan-
dards for automotive fuels. SABS, founded in 1945, is the national institution of South Africa for
“the promotion and maintenance of standardization and quality in connection with commodities
and the rendering of services” (http://goo.gl/dwgtK).
SABS's fuel quality specifications are adapted to the local conditions of the environment and
market in South Africa. More specifically, South Africa produces synthetic fuels from coal and gas
and as a result the fuel qualities have to take into consideration the synthetic vehicle fuels (e.g., the
sulfur content is set at 500 ppm maximum). Additionally, the use of standardized fuels ensures the
vehicles' operation at high altitudes (>1600 m) on which a large part of the road network in South
Africa runs (Rehnlund 2008, Prins 2009).
Currently, the neat biodiesel should meet the SANS 1935:2004 standards. Moreover, the SANS
342:2006
†
quality specification of diesel allows 5% v/v maximum of biodiesel content (Table 9.A2).
The neat bioethanol should meet the SANS 465:2005 standards, and at the same time the gaso-
line quality traded in South Africa should be aligned with the SANS 1598:2006 quality specifica-
tion. The standard on bioethanol quality concerns the anhydrous denatured ethanol intended to be
blended at up to 10 % v/v gasoline (Table 9.A3).
*
JIS K 2390:2008—Automotive Fuels—Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) As Blend Stock.
†
SANS 342:2006—Automotive Diesel Fuel.
