Biofuel is a type of fuel derived from biomass: organic materials like wheat, sugar cane, or sorghum that contain energy from the sun stored in chemical form. This chemical energy is converted into liquid fuels known as biofuels, such as bioethanol or biodiesel. The production of bioethanol involves fermenting the starches and sugars extracted from feedstock crops.

When blended with conventional fossil fuels, biofuels can offer considerable environmental advantages. Not only do they help in reducing CO2 emissions, as the crops used to produce bioethanol naturally absorb CO2 during their growth, but they also contribute to the reduction of harmful particulate matter emissions. This decrease in particulate emissions results from more efficient fuel combustion, making biofuels a cleaner burning alternative.

Bioethanol will be blended with petrol and made available at most filling stations across South Africa. Fuel quality standards dictate the maximum biofuel content in road transport fuels to ensure compatibility with the fuel performance, engine components, and fuel systems of standard vehicles. In the EU, for instance, the current fuel quality standard permits up to 5% bioethanol in standard gasoline. However, higher blends are permissible for specific applications in vehicles that are specially designed or modified to use them, such as Flex Fuel vehicles.

Biofuels are not the primary cause behind increases in food prices. The biofuel industry primarily utilises non-staple food feedstocks and under-utilised agricultural land for production, which minimises competition with food crop cultivation. By sourcing from crops that are not central to the food supply and employing land that is not otherwise used for active food production, the biofuel sector ensures that its growth does not broadly impact the availability of food or drive up food prices. This approach helps maintain a balance between advancing renewable energy initiatives and safeguarding food security and affordability.

Biofuels are unlikely to result in more people going hungry, particularly when their production is carefully managed. The biofuel industry often uses non-food crops or agricultural residues that do not compete with food crops for prime agricultural land. Moreover, in South Africa, the use of maize for biofuel production is prohibited by government regulation.

Additionally, by cultivating biofuel feedstocks on underutilised or marginal lands, the industry avoids displacing food production. These practices ensure that the expansion of biofuels does not impede food availability. Moreover, the development of biofuels can stimulate economic growth in rural areas, potentially increasing food security by improving the economic conditions under which people can purchase food.

The petrol pump price in South Africa consists of various components, split into international and domestic elements. The international component, known as the Basic Fuel Price (BFP), follows the import parity principle. This reflects the cost a South African importer would incur to purchase petrol from an international refinery, including transportation, insurance against losses during sea transit, and landing the product on South African shores.

On top of the BFP, the domestic retail price of fuel includes several additional charges and levies. These include fuel levies, which are taxes imposed by the government. There are also distribution and transport costs, which cover the expenses of getting the fuel from ports to depots and then to filling stations. Retail margins are included to compensate service stations for operating costs and profit. Together, these elements determine the retail price of fuel that consumers pay at the pump in South Africa, reflecting both the global oil market influences and local economic conditions.

The octane rating, also known as the octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel’s ability to resist knocking or pinging during combustion, due to premature detonation in the engine. This rating indicates how much compression a fuel can endure before it detonates. Generally, a higher octane rating means the fuel can withstand greater compression, making it suitable for high-performance, high-compression engines. Fuels with higher octane ratings are typically used in engines designed for higher efficiency and power, where they help in maintaining smooth engine operation and preventing damage from knocking.

In the U.S., ethanol is primarily transported by truck, train, and barge, rather than through pipelines, which are commonly used for oil transport. This same method applies in South Africa. The reason for this difference lies in ethanol’s chemical properties; unlike oil, ethanol can mix with water. Since water accumulation in pipelines is common, using these for ethanol transport without extensive modifications to ensure they are watertight and clean could lead to contamination. This contamination risks rendering the ethanol unusable as a fuel.

MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) is a chemical compound that is used as a fuel additive in gasoline to increase octane and reduce engine knocking. Introduced in the 1970s, MTBE helps in achieving more complete combustion of the fuel, thus reducing emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles. However, due to its water-soluble nature, MTBE has been found to contaminate water supplies when it leaks from underground storage tanks or is spilled. This has led to environmental concerns and health risks, prompting many countries to reduce or phase out its use in fuel blends, replacing it with other additives like ethanol that are considered safer for the environment.