A blend of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol mixed with ethanol will soon be in circulation, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) hinted yesterday.
The corporation declared that it had already begun moves to rejig partnership with the Benue State Government (BNSG) on the multimillion dollars venture. The collaboration on the ethanol project, the corporation said, was geared towards the production of biofuels for energy sufficiency.
Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikaniti Baru, according to a statement by the corporation, made this known while receiving a delegation from the Benue State Government at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
The most common use of Ethanol fuel is by blending it with gasoline. Doing so creates a mix that releases fewer emissions into the environment and is considered cleaner in nature. It also keeps the car in a better shape by increasing the octane rating of the fuel. All in all, it is accepted by the people, governments, and car companies for the many benefits it provides.
In case you were wondering, Ethanol does not occur naturally in any eco-system. It is produced through the processes of fermentation and distillation. While the energy based use of Ethanol fuel is new, it has been part of our lives for a very long time. Fermenting sugar creates Ethanol – knowledge used by our forefathers. These days, it comes from crops and plants that are rich in sugar or have the ability to be converted into cellulose and starch. Sugarcane, barley, sugar beets, wheat and corn are commonly used for production.
The process starts by grinding up the crops or plants meant for production. After this, the ground up substance is refined to get sugar, cellulose or starch. This is then allowed to ferment, thanks to which carbon dioxide and ethanol are produced. Once the ethanol is distilled and purified, it is ready for use. Having a four-step process like this allows the production to be comparatively cost-effective, which is one big reason for the use of Ethanol fuel in our current economy.
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