The Republic of Ireland will become the latest country to embrace the more environmentally friendly E10 fuel as its new standard grade of petrol. Originally announced in February, the country is expected to see the forecourt changes take place this April, with the Government hoping it will reduce harmful emissions caused by petrol cars.
E10 is regular petrol but blended with up to 10 percent renewable ethanol, which is made up of low-grade grains, sugars and waste wood.
The current standard grade, E5 petrol, also contains ethanol, with the increased biofuel blend reducing the amount of carbon released.
The Irish Government have confirmed that a public information campaign will accompany the rollout to make drivers aware of the change.
E10 was first rolled out in England, Scotland and Wales in September 2021, with the Government praising the move to lower carbon output from fossil fuels.
The greener fuel was rolled out in Northern Ireland late last year to bring the country in line with the fuels used in the rest of the UK.
The move to E10 is one of several transport measures being introduced to achieve a 51 percent reduction in transport emissions by 2030 in Ireland.
Since 2009, E10 petrol has been commonplace across 15 European countries, as well as the USA and Australia.
Some countries have gone even further and introduced fuel which is made up from up to 85 percent ethanol (E85) including France and Sweden.
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Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport, said: “While there has seen a big uptake in EVs, we need to continue with measures that can have an immediate impact on emission from vehicles that are already on Irish roads.
“Measures such as moving to E10 petrol mean that we can reduce our emissions from transport further, move us closer to reaching our climate targets.
“It also means that we are in step with Northern Ireland, the UK and many other European countries who have already moved in this direction.”
According to the Government, Ireland’s car fleet is predominantly diesel, estimated to be around 63 percent at the end of last year.
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There are approximately one million petrol vehicles, with only round 2.4 percent set to be affected by negative impacts.
As a rule, drivers of cars registered before 2002 are advised to avoid using E10 in their vehicle, as engine problems may occur.
After 2011, almost all petrol vehicles manufactured in the UK and Europe are required to be compatible with E10 petrol.
In a statement, the Irish Government said some older vehicles registered before 2011 were “not manufactured with certification for E10 use”, but it does not mean they cannot use E10.
All vehicle owners are required to maintain their vehicles to ensure they are safe to operate on roads and are in a good operating condition.
According to Independent.ie, it is not expected that any Irish petrol stations will retain E5 petrol as demand would not be worth carrying both fuel blends.
Drivers who are unsure of their car’s E10 compatibility can check the vehicle’s manufacturer’s website, or check inside the fuel cap.
The Government has also set up a vehicle checker website where motorists can check the compatibility of their vehicle with the greener petrol.
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