Ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane fuel, which when added to gasolene meets clean-air standards.

By increasing octane levels in gasolene, the petroleum fuel supply is extended and the engine burns cleaner, leaving little carbon residue in the engine; and the increased oxygen in the E10 fuel blend will also decrease harmful carbon dioxide in exhaust emissions. Ethanol keeps valves cool, cleans the fuel-system injectors, loosens contaminants and rust residue in fuel tanks of vehicles and storage tanks that previously stored gasolene.

Pure ethanol has an octane rating of 113, and is currently the highest-performing vehicle fuel on the market. Particularly effective in high-performance, high-com-pression engines, it is the fuel of choice on the motor racing circuit. Most high-powered racing cars are fuelled with 100 per cent ethanol.

Mileage performance

A gasolene-fuelled car with fuel consumption averaging 30 miles per gallon (mpg) on the highway would average 29.4 mpg using E10. This reduction in mileage, performance, virtually undetected by the vehicle owner will also vary further based on ambient tempera-ture and driving conditions.

Conversely, E85 (85 per cent ethanol in 15 per cent gasolene) - a blend of almost pure ethanol - will experience between a 10 per cent and 15 per cent drop in fuel economy. E85 burns clean resulting in almost no carbon dioxide in exhaust emissions. E85 offers full benefits to the environ-ment, removing greenhouse gases from vehicle emissions for a cleaner world.

- Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica

Environmental and health benefits

E10 reduces greenhouse gases from vehicle emissions by 12-19 per cent. It is biodegradable, soluble in water and does not contaminate groundwater.

Ethanol, though denser and heavier than air, dispenses rapidly.

It is less toxic than gasolene and there are no carcinogenic compounds in pure ethanol. However, because ethanol is blended in gasolene, and gasolene is potentially carcinogenic, ethanol blends may contain carcinogenic compounds.