Orlen is not the only one, it is not possible to fill up with gasoline without a higher component of bio-alcohol. And does it matter at all? | Currently.cz

When the company Orlen published information last week that from the New Year it will sell E10 gasoline at its gas stations, which contains up to 10 percent of the component produced from renewable sources instead of the current five, many motorists did not like it.

On Orlen’s Facebook page, many messages from social network users criticizing Orlen for this move soon appeared under the post.

“I can now drive on oil from French fries from Mekáč and it will work out just fine,” writes one of them indignantly. “I’m done with you, I’m going elsewhere,” many others threaten. Few comments are conciliatory. But one of them states: “People are crying here, while everywhere in Europe they already have E10 gasoline and there are no problems.”

E10 fuel has actually been offered at gas stations in European countries for more than ten years. When it was introduced at the time, for example in Germany, motorists were also worried that gasoline with a higher proportion of biocomponents would harm the engine system.

For example, in 2011, the German ADAC car club even conducted a test on a 2.2-liter Opel Signum, which showed damage to the gasoline pump after driving 27,000 kilometers, and blamed it on E10 fuel. However, the aforementioned Opel was not approved for its use.

Many years of foreign experience have shown that most newer cars have no problems with E10 gasoline. And so the same German ADAC this October, on the contrary, he explainswhy motorists should not be afraid of “biofuel” and in the article he refutes the prejudices that appear around fuel with a ten percent ethanol content.

“If your vehicle is E10 compatible, you can have absolute peace of mind. The use of E10 has no effect on functional safety, durability or wear and tear. Neither vehicle manufacturers nor ADAC are aware of any engine damage in vehicles with an E10 recommendation that would be possible to trace as a result of his refueling,” he states on his website.

It also allays concerns that this fuel increases consumption, when the energy content of ethanol is only about two-thirds of the energy content of gasoline. According to ADAC, consumption with E10 only increases by about one percent.

Orlen and everyone else

The company must offer this fuel because European legislation mandates reducing emissions both during the production of the fuel itself and during its distribution. Gasoline is supposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The company Orlen has the misfortune that criticism is primarily directed at it, because it is the first in the Czech Republic to announce the transition to a new fuel. The other companies thus found themselves somewhat in its shadow, at the same time, as some motorists foolishly claim under the post of Orlen’s Facebook page that they will go elsewhere, in reality they will have nowhere to go.

Orlen Unipetrol is the dominant fuel supplier for filling stations in the Czech Republic. Most brands will switch to 95-octane gasoline with a higher proportion of biocomponents at the same time that Unipetrol’s refinery starts production. That is, with January of next year.

“Fuel marked E10 will appear at gas stations in our network from January 1 next year. Basically, at the time when suppliers start supplying fuel with this specification. It will replace MOL EVO 95 gasoline with the current E5 specification,” he tells Aktuálně .cz Tomáš Trč from the press department of MOL.

“The increase in the biocomponent content in BA 95 motor gasoline will take place gradually during 2024. It is a topic that we have been discussing as an industry for a long time and which is in line with our commitment to reduce CO2 emissions in transport,” says Shell spokesperson Lucie Bártová .

The OMV company refused to comment on the topic when asked by the editors.

According to Aneta Turnovská, the press spokesperson of Globus, which operates gas stations near its department stores, the transition of fuel manufacturers to E10 gasoline will of course also affect them.

“In this regard, we are fully dependent on our suppliers and their offer, which we have to adapt to. Our gas stations will gradually switch to gasoline with a higher proportion of biocomponents from the beginning of next year, at the latest by January 10, 2024. The new product always will fully replace the original offer of E5 gasoline, they will not be sold simultaneously.”

Jiří Ondra sent a statement from Tank Ono. “Everything will depend on the manufacturer, i.e. the refinery, what they will produce. We do not have any official information yet. I hope we will know more in December.”

Fuels are produced in the Czech Republic at the Orlen Unipetrol refineries in Kralupy nad Vltavou and Litvínov. So it is more than likely that the new E10 gasoline will appear at the pumps of practically all brands that take PHM, specifically 95 octane gasoline, just with the new year.

In the course of days, information appeared that perhaps only the network of EuroOil gas stations owned by ČEPRO could stay with E5 gasoline when it sells diesel without a bio component. But even in their case, the E5 will probably not be offered.

“In connection with the transition of key suppliers to the production of E10 gasoline, it is necessary for EuroOil gas stations to adapt to this trend,” says Marek Roll, ČEPRO’s communications and marketing specialist.

For which cars E10 is recommended

Orlen states that E10 gasoline can be refueled in almost all gasoline cars manufactured after 2005, when the Euro 4 standard came into force. By the way, there is also a special page for these purposes www.e10info.euwhere it is possible to enter the car make and find out if E10 gasoline is approved for your car.

But in general, cars whose engine meets the Euro 4 standard and above can refuel with BA95 E10 without any worries. Problems could arise with older systems, because the higher component of bio-alcohol can etch seals or pipes, some parts corrode more quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the engines for new, “more ecological” fuel.

The legally guaranteed shelf life of fuel is three months. Then it degrades, building on itself too much moisture in the air. It can be expected that for fuel with a higher proportion of added alcohol, the motorist should strictly observe this time limit and not leave petrol in the tank.

The starting point? Premium fuel

Gas station operators generally have two recommendations. First, they reassure those who fear that gasoline with a higher content of biocomponents could damage their car. According to them, if it is of a younger production year, there is no danger.

For older cars, it is always advisable to contact the service to see if some parts need to be replaced, typically various seals and rubber parts, which can be etched and dried by the bio-alcohol in gasoline.

The second piece of advice is to switch to premium petrol with a higher octane number. “For cars of older production, vintage cars or cars that will be stored for a long time, for example over the winter, we recommend refueling with premium fuel with a proportion of the biocomponent ETBE. Premium fuels also have a positive effect on the cleanliness and operation of the engine,” says Tomáš Trč from MOL, for example.

Although the biocomponent ETBE or ethyl tert-butyl ether is produced from alcohol, it does not bind water. An interesting feature of the market is the fact that Orlen’s Verva 100 has a ten percent ETBE component, so it is an E10 fuel, although other operators usually offer high-octane gasoline from the E5 category.

Unlike ethanol, ETBE is more suitable, for example, even for veterans.

“The vast majority of our members fill their cars with premium fuel. Also because these cars are only driven here and there and sit for a long time out of season. Regular gasoline could significantly damage the fuel system of our cars,” confirms Václav Kafka, president of the Veteran Car club organization Club and at the same time the president of the FKVH (Federation of Historic Vehicle Clubs of the Czech Republic).