Rio de Janeiro – This Friday (9th) in Rio de Janeiro, Petrobras completed vehicle performance tests using its B20 biodiesel, a fuel containing a 20% biodiesel mix into regular diesel. The tests were meant to assess the efficiency and engine impact of increasing biodiesel content from 5% to 20%, and were carried out in an Army area in Barra de Guaratiba, in the west side of Rio.
Currently, the diesel oil sold in Brazil has an obligatory addition of 5% biodiesel (B5).
In a press statement, Petrobras explains that the fleet comprises eight vehicles, of which four ran on B20 and four ran on B5, and has covered 100,000 kilometres of ground since last year, crossing the states of Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná, including city and highway stretches, and submitted to various weather conditions. Next week, the engines will start undergoing evaluation from their manufacturers.
“The next phase will consist of assessing emissions and engine performance at a test bench, followed by analysis of parts and components behaviour. All results will be compared with those of similar vehicles submitted to the same conditions, but running on B5,” according to the press release.
The project is conducted by the Petrobras Research Centre (Cenpes) in partnership with Petrobras Biocombustível, Petrobras Distribuidora, and the University of Salvador, and started in September 2010. The company did not disclose when the new mix will start being sold.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
