ALTON, Ill. -- E15 will soon be available preblended to fuel retailers in the Midwest.
HWRT Oil Co. LLC, which has 18 terminals on three pipeline systems, will reportedly be the first fuel terminal operator in the United States to offer preblended E15. It will start selling the 15% ethanol blend from four terminals in Illinois, Indiana and Arkansas beginning in mid-September.
HWRT, based in Alton, Ill., made the announcement this week as Midwest fuel retailers such as Thorntons, Family Express and Kum & Go add E15 to their sites across the region. Because E15 had not been available at the terminal, retailers have been diluting higher ethanol blends such as E85 with regular unleaded, which requires added storage and other equipment.
“As more and more retailers have the equipment to handle E15, we want to be able to supply them,” Matt Schrimpf, president of HWRT, told Reuters. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved E15 for use in 2001 and newer vehicle models, or about 80% of vehicles on the road today.
E15 will be available at HWRT’s terminals in Hartford and Norris City, Ill., as well as North Little Rock, Ark., and Seymour, Ind., starting on Sept. 16. The Hartford terminal offers reformulated gasoline with low volatility for the St. Louis market, meaning it should have E15 that meets volatility requirements year-round. This is notable because previously only flex-fuel vehicles (FFV), which run on a full range of ethanol blends, have been able to use E15 from June 1 to Sept. 15 because of summer fuel volatility regulations.
HWRT was one of the first in the country to offer automated ethanol blending at the rack back in the late 1970s. It has been selling E85, the 85% ethanol blend, for several years, and has offered biodiesel since 2004.
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) had assisted HWRT on introducing E15, working through regulatory compliance and other issues related to the fuel. RFA will assist retailers who are customers at the four HWRT terminals in transitioning to E15.
HWRT plans to roll out E15 to 17 more terminals where it holds positions, meaning the fuel blend would be available at terminals in seven states.
In a press release, Robert White, vice president of industry relations at the RFA, described HWRT’s plans as “a game changer that can help expand the market for E15 almost overnight.”
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