CEC grants USD 1.35m to Pearson Fuels to boost E85 retail sales

Jan 15, 2013 - US biofuels distributor Pearson Fuels said Monday it had received a USD-1.35-million (EUR 1m) grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to help fund the addition of E85 fuel to Pearson’s retail filling network.

Pearson Fuels plans to use the funds to equip 19 of its retail filling stations in California with installations to sell E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline. The company estimates that the project will help reduce gasoline consumption by some 2,754,218 gallons (10.4m litres) per year and cut greenhouse gas emissions by some 25,082 tonnes annually.

The grant was made through CEC's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.

The E85 blend in the US is produced primarily from corn, but the use of agricultural waste products and other non-food sources as feedstock for ethanol production has been gathering momentum thanks to the development of new technological solutions.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.748)

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