THE PRESS SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1980. Production of ethanol

Press, 12 April 1980, Page 14

THE PRESS SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1980. Production of ethanol

By altering the law on distillation to allow ethanol to be produced for personal use without paying the motor spirits duty, the Government is giving the chance to those who want to produce ethanol to do so. Those who believe that they can move towards selfsufficiency in transport fuels will be without one of the financial barriers. Possibly the move will help to keep alive the “do-it-yourself” ideal. The picture of a back-yard still helping to keep the family car going may have some attraction and might appeal to the sense of Kiwi ingenuity. In fact the scene is likely to be different. The annual $5O fee for a still licence and the bond of $5OO are likely to deter those with only a casual interest. These charges will be in addition to the initial cost of the still and other equipment and the feedstock for the process. The limit of 5000 litres a year which would avoid motor-spirits duty is not a large amount and might not be enough to attract groups interested in forming co-operatives to produce ethanol. Undoubtedly a number of individuals and groups will want to experiment; but apart from the few who will stick to distillation as a hobby, others are likely to judge home or communal distillation on the grounds of how much it costs them in money and time.

A home distillation kit may be marketed in New Zealand as it has been marketed elsewhere. Whether the Government, would be justified in encouraging the purchase of these on a large scale is arguable. The amount of ethanol which would substitute for petrol might not nearly equal the cost in overseas funds for importing the parts. The production of alcohol is not a simple process and requires material such as fodder beet high in sugar content. Garden or kitchen wastes are not going to produce ethanol except by a complicated series of steps. Even if fodder beet is used, the whole process may prove difficult and not be the sort of thing which a busy farmer can leave to its own devices in a spare shed. Some form of alcohol may be produced, but it is unlikely to be an efficient process. Hygiene has to be watched carefully. In any event tests already carried

out suggest that small-scale production is not particularly efficient.

The principle of producing ethanol, or- another alcohol, for transport fuels is sound. Spark ignition engines appear to need little or no modification to run on petrol blended with an alcohol. Pure alcohol may also be used, though most engines would need some modification. A technological problem with the synthetic petrol to be produced by the Mobil process may make it complicated to mix methanol or ethanol with that petrol. Just how serious that problem is should be clarified as quickly as possible. If people are inclined to produce their own ethanol and mix it with petrol they will want to know' before investing money that their investment is going to be in continued use. That aspect also needs to be sorted out because the country is investing in a methanol plant, one of the advantages of which is presumed to be the use of methanol as a petrol-extender. Although changing the law on distillation needed to be done, more important decisions lie ahead. The changes affect the small producer, who should not have too many things put in his way if he wants to put the idea to the test. The change does not affect the position of the large producer of ethanol. A whole series of considerations has to be taken into account. Should New Zealand devote land to growing plants to produce alcohol? Could the saving by import substitution from such a use of the land equal the export income from the produce from a different use of the land? How much effluent from the plant should be permitted? Is there a moral problem in that land growing crops for transport fuel cannot grow food when the world needs food? The biggest decision of all is whether New Zealand should aim for an alcohol-based fuel which would be the major fuel of the transport system. Big companies will want the Government’s attitude clarified before they act. Seen in the context of the whole transport system of the country, the changes to the ? law on distillation to produce ethanol are reasonable, but are likely to be trifling in their import.