Kazakhstan has begun industrial production of Bi-95 automotive fuel with the addition of bioethanol made from grain processing waste, the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry's press service said.
The project has been implemented by the KazFoodProducts holding and represents a full cycle of deep processing of agricultural raw materials - from bioethanol production to the output of finished motor fuel.
Bioethanol is produced from grain processing products at the BioOperations enterprise (part of the holding) in the North Kazakhstan region, after which the final product - Bi-95 gasoline - is formed at another KazFoodProducts enterprise, BioPetrolCompany, and according to the ministry, has already gone on retail sale.
The fuel contains 5%-10% bioethanol and can be used in standard gasoline engines without modification. According to the developers, the addition of bioethanol does not affect the main operational characteristics.
"For us, the launch of Bi-95 is primarily an environmental step. We are talking not just about a new type of fuel, but about reducing the real burden on the environment," project leader Laura Bergibayeva was quoted was saying.
The use of bioethanol can reduce emissions of fine particulate matter by more than 70%, nitrogen oxides by 25% and greenhouse gases by 60%-70% compared to traditional gasoline, the Agriculture Ministry said.
The project is creating a new processing model that unites agriculture, industry and energy, it said.
KazFoodProducts is one of the largest agricultural holdings in Kazakhstan, founded in 1998. The company is a vertically integrated group uniting more than 20 enterprises.
