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Harare Bureau
Green Fuel has introduced a new flex 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, which is owned by Macdom Investments and government through Arda. The new flex fuel upgrade kit gives fuel injectors more range to adjust to the fuel being used at a particular moment.

Speaking after a tour of the new flex fuel fitment centre in Harare yesterday, Arda chairman 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.”
In this regard, Nyabadza said Zimbabwe was currently spending $4 million on fuel on a daily basis.

As such, the use of E85 would cut the country’s fuel import bill by a huge margin.
Nyabadza said E85 was cheaper and gave motorists freedom to drive on any blend of fuel without further modifications or adjustments.

He allayed fears among members of the public that the use of high level ethanol blends would affect engines of some motor vehicles.
Nyabadza said E85 actually had high octane rating, which ensured high performance adding that it worked well with compression engines.

He said biggest economies such as the United States of America were also turning to ethanol despite being leading purchasers of fossil fuels.
Nyabadza 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.”
Nyabadza said they had gathered enough technologies to blend diesel in the near future.

“There is enough technology to blend diesel,” he said.
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.