Update on ethanol in auto fuel

From the COPA non-members page there is an update on ethanol in mogas for Ontario:

Since the 1st of January 2007, new rules requiring ethanol in auto fuel have commenced in Ontario. Does this mean that aviation use of auto fuel is at an end? Not at all.

The new Ontario regulations require that fuel suppliers must sell their gasoline with an average of 5% ethanol in it. That leaves the door open for some companies to sell some gasoline with 10% ethanol and other products with none.

This is exactly what Shell Canada has decided to do. Information from the company indicates that they will be selling their lower grades of automotive gasoline with ethanol included but that their premium grade gasoline “Shell V-Power” will remain ethanol free.

Other gasoline companies may also provide ethanol-free gasoline around the province at certain times and locations.

With the availability of ethanol-free Shell premium all STC holders will continue to have a source of auto fuel in Ontario.

However, we urge everyone who uses mogas for aviation to carefully check their fuel source to ensure that it does not contain ethanol.

The reason being, under the Ontario province’s new regulation, there is no requirement for fuel companies to post that their fuel contains ethanol if the percentage is 5% or less, so members should be testing every batch they use.

For more information about the Ethanol in Gasoline regulation visit the Ministry of the Environment’s website, http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/ethanol/index.htm.