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Herald Reporter
Green Fuel has introduced a new flexi fuel upgrade kit that allows motor vehicles to use various levels of blended fuel up to 85 percent of ethanol.Green Fuel is the country’s sole ethanol-producing company and is a joint venture project between Macdom Investment and Government.

The new flex fuel upgrade kits give fuel injectors more range to adjust to the fuel being used at a particular moment. Speaking after a tour of the new flexi-fuel fitment centre in Harare on Wednesday last week, Arda chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza said the new kit comes with a number of advantages both to the nation and the motoring public. “Driving with E85 is good for the environment as it reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 percent compared to unleaded petrol,” he said.

“In addition to direct consumer benefits, the widespread use of E85 will also have a huge impact on Zimbabwe’s economy.” Mr Nyabadza said Zimbabwe was spending US$4 million on fuel on a daily basis, but the use of E85 would cut the country’s fuel import bill by a huge margin.

He said E85 was cheaper and it gave motorists freedom to drive on any blend of fuel without further modifications or adjustments.

Mr Nyabadza allayed fears that the use of high level ethanol blends would affect engines of some motor vehicles.

He said E85 actually had high octane rating, which ensured high performance and worked well with compression engines.

Mr Nyabadza said big economies like the United States of America were also turning to ethanol despite being leading purchasers of fossil fuels.

He said the Chisumbanje ethanol project was strategic to the nation as it ensured security of fuel supply.

“Our fuel industry is still controlled by the Swiss and the British and any disturbances at the borders will have a direct effect on us as a landlocked country,” he said.

“This is where the Chisumbanje ethanol project comes in as strategic to the nation and we should also be cognisant of its capacity to enhance the economy.” Mr Nyabadza said they had gathered enough technologies to blend diesel in the near future.

“There is enough technology to blend diesel,” he said. Mr Nyabadza said blending of diesel would have a positive effect to the country as most industries run on diesel.

He said there were several by-products that were already accruing from the Chisumbanje ethanol project.

One such by product was the erection of a 50-kilometre electricity line that feeds into the national grid.