What are the remaining steps to commercial introduction of hydrous ethanol?
Changes to current ethanol fuel specifications to allow for the higher water percentage of hydrous ethanol are the key step necessary to allow the commercial introduction of hydrous ethanol as a substitute for anhydrous ethanol for gasoline blending. In reality, such revisions of prevailing fuel standards will require the understanding and acceptance of hydrous ethanol on the part of major stakeholders, including automakers, fuel suppliers, and regulatory bodies. This should prove easier and faster in some markets where hydrous ethanol is already a familiar commodity and where all gasoline contains a minimum percentage of ethanol. Other markets will require a longer transition prior to hydrous ethanol becoming the worldwide standard for ethanol production and use.
