FAQ's About Bioethanol Liquid Fuel

  • What is bioethanol?

    Bioethanol is a plant based, bio renewable alcohol. It is produced from the fermentation of sugars or molasses, originating from agricultural crops such as sugarcane, sugar beet, potatoes and wheat. The bioethanol used in EkoFuel is sustainably produced from the fermentation of molasses, which is a waste product from the production of sugar from sugar beet.

    After distillation, the ethanol is double rectified to produce a 96.6% high purity bioethanol.

    EU regulations do not allow pure ethanol to be sold for purposes other than human consumption. For this reason, EkoFuel is denatured according to commission regulations (EC) No 3199/93 and is not intended for human consumption.

  • Why use EkoFuel bioethanol as a fuel?

    Unlike fossil fuels, bioethanol burns cleanly and the products of combustion are heat, water vapour and carbon dioxide.

    Using bioethanol as a fuel also has the following benefits:

    • CO2 neutral
    • A renewable fuel
    • No smoke, soot or ash
    • Can be used in a room without a chimney or vent
    • Can be used in cities than ban the burning of solid fuels

     

    Because bio ethanol burns so cleanly, it is ideal for use as a fuel for use with indoor and outdoor bioethanol fires and alcohol stoves.

  • Where can EkoFuel be used?

    Ekofuel is designed for use with indoor and outdoor bioethanol fireplaces. Ekofuel can also be used in alcohol camping stoves to replace methylated spirits.

  • What ingredients are in Ekofuel?

    The starting ingredients for EkoFuel is double rectified, 96.6% bioethanol with a small percentage of water. To this is then added denaturants to make the alcohol unpalatable and free from alcohol duty. The finished denatured ethanol is called CDA (completely denatured alcohol). In the UK, the denaturants stipulated by HMRC are 3% vol IPA, 3% vol MEK and bitrex. The UK denaturing recipe prior to Brexit was the same as EU recipe, which is 1% vol IPA, 1% vol MEK and bitrex.

  • Which bioethanol fuels are the best?

    There is currently no EU standard for bioethanol fuel for use with bioethanol fireplaces, and that means they are a range of bioethanol fuel qualities sold on the market. However, all the bioethanol fuels sold for use with bioethanol fires in the UK, have to be denatured to the HMRC protocol and include 3% IPA, 3% MEK and bitrex to avoid paying heavy alcohol duties. It is generally acknowledged by major bioethanol fireplace brands, that the cleanest combustion bioethanol fuels meet the following criteria:

    • Made from plants - better for environment
    • Unscented - cleaner burning
    • 96 - 96.6% ethanol – smokeless, ashless & sootless combustion

    Ekofuel meets all of the above criteria.

  • Why do reputable manufacturers insist of 96-96.6% bioethanol in the fuel?

    Bioethanol fireplace manufacturers require consistent fuel quality, in order for their fireplaces to perform consistently. Because there is currently no EN standard for bioethanol fuels to pass, bioethanol fireplace manufacturers have started to offer guidance on the quality of the bioethanol fuel that should be used with their fireplaces, in order for the fireplace to perform as intended.

     

    Because the bioethanol fuel denaturing recipe differs in the UK and Europe and there is no bioethanol fuel EN standard to meet, bioethanol fireplace manufacturers are looking for simple, clear messaging that indicates that a bioethanol fuel meets an expected quality. One such message, is the % bioethanol in the fuel. Whether a bioethanol fuel is denatured to the UK denaturing protocol or the EU protocol, both fuel recipes start with ethanol. The % ethanol in the starting raw material can vary and it is this % ethanol that bioethanol fireplace manufacturers are referring to. By referring to the % bioethanol in the raw product, the fireplace manufacturer can then assume that the bioethanol fuel manufacturer denatures the product to the minimum required by either UK or EU law and that the denatured bioethanol fuel is not watered down subsequently.

     

    Why 96.6% and not 100% bioethanol?

     

    A 96.6% bioethanol fuel contains a small amount of water, and through experience, the bioethanol fireplace industry prefer this over 100% bioethanol, because it runs a little cooler. Running a 100% bioethanol fuel in a fireplace designed for 96.6% bioethanol fuel, will make the fireplace run hotter than intended, potentially leading to performance issues. By quoting the starting bioethanol % of the fuel on the bottle, the user can have some confidence that the bioethanol fuel meets these minimum requirements, regardless whether the fuel is purchased in the UK or the EU.

     

    Is this why Ekofuel states 96.6% bioethanol on the bottle?

     

    Yes. Although through simple maths, it is easy to calculate that even if the starting point of any UK denatured bioethanol fuel is 100% bioethanol, after the addition of the HMRC required denaturing agents, 3% vol IPA and 3% vol MEK, the bioethanol content would be 94%. Stating this % bioethanol on the bottle would be unhelpful, since the bioethanol fuel mixture would contain no water and would therefore run hotter than intended. It is for this reason that it is the starting mixture % bioethanol that is quoted on the Ekofuel bottle, to which is added the minimum denaturants required by UK or EU law and no water is subsequently added. The resulting product, whether its is denatured to the UK or EU recipe performs similarly and is acceptable to bioethanol fireplace manufacturers.

  • Why do you label Ekofuel, Premium Bioethanol 96.6%??

    The starting product for Ekofuel is a 96.6%, double rectified bioethanol. The double rectification process removes more of the unwanted alcohols, leaving only the ethanol and thereby purifying the fuel. This is an expensive process and it is why we state Ekofuel is a Premium product. Not all companies double rectify their fuel, but many still claim their product is Premium. To this 96.6% ethanol/water mixture, is then added denaturants to make the alcohol unpalatable and free from alcohol duty.

  • My current bioethanol fireplace fuel supplier's bottle says E100, what does that mean?

    The honest answer is we don't know, its most likely a marketing ploy. What we can say with absolute confidence, is that unless the fuel is more than £28.74/litre then it is not 100% ethanol. Pure ethanol attracts a HMRC excise duty of £28.74 per litre. If the product is sold as a bioethanol fuel for fireplaces and you do not require a license from HMRC to receive it, then it will be CDA (completely denatured alcohol) and for the UK it will have been denatured with 3% vol IPA and 3% Vol MEK. The resulting product is not 100% ethanol. As outlined in our FAQ "Why do reputable manufacturers insist of 96-96.6% bioethanol in the fuel?" we also do not recommend fuels stating 100% Ethanol for good reason.

  • Why is EkoFuel only available in 1Lt bottles for home delivery?

    Due to shipping restrictions, Ekofuel bioethanol fuel is only available in 1lt bottles for courier delivery.

  • Is EkoFuel available in 5Lt containers?

    Yes it is, but due to courier restrictions, it cannot be delivered through the courier network. It is however available from some Ekofuel stockists

  • Why buy from us?

    Ekofuel has been sold since 2012 and is used annually by thousands of consumers, hotels and restaurants. Ekofuel has over 5,400 reviews on Amazon UK and 16,500 on EBay UK. Ekofuel is Made in the EU.

  • Where can I buy EkoFuel bioethanol fuel?

    EkoFuel is available to purchase online from Amazon, eBay and OnBuy. However, you can find the best prices for EkoFuel bottles right here on our site.

    Click the link below to go to our shop.

    Shop Now
  • Is this the same as bioethanol gel fuel?

    EkoFuel 96.6% Bioethanol liquid fuel should NOT be confused with bioethanol gel. EkoFuel bioethanol liquid fuel burns much hotter than bioethanol gel fuels because bioethanol gels contain a higher % of water and thickening agents. Ekofuel bioethanol 96.6% bioethanol liquid fuel is not suitable for gel burners.

  • Can Ekofuel bottles be recycled?

    All Ekofuel bottles and tops are made from recyclable PET and can be disposed of in your household recycling bin. Remove the lid from each bottle and ensure it is completely empty.


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