Experimental Evaluation & Analysis for the Biogenic Content of Ethanol-blended Gasoline using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

As India endeavors to achieve its ambitious carbon-neutral targets, it becomes important to assess renewable biogenic energy sources. Biogenic refers to the substances, materials, or processes that are derived from biological origins. India has set ambitious targets to achieve carbon neutrality, with a pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this commitment at the COP 26 climate summit held in Glasgow in 2021. Reducing the carbon intensity of the economy by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030. In this journey of de-carbonization, it is expected that CAFÉ targets will also get more stringent over the years for passenger vehicles. So, this testing focuses on the application of Carbon-isotope assessment to determine the biogenic content of ethanol-blended petrol. Ethanol, derived from biomass, is considered a renewable resource that can reduce the carbon footprint of transportation fuels. To quantify the extent of biogenic carbon in ethanol-blended fuels, 1414C dating techniques were employed. This testing highlights the importance of accurately quantifying biogenic content in fuel to support India's policy decisions and sustainability goals. The increasing use of ethanol-blended petrol as a means to reduce GHG emissions necessitates accurate measurement of its biogenic carbon content. This is the first time that experimental analysis of bio-fuels for bio-genic carbon was conducted in India for tailpipe emissions assessment. Although Global standards exist however the experiment was carried out for 1st time in India and the challenges were identified that will help to achieve accurate and repeatable results of bio-genic content in Biofuels. We sampled various blends of ethanol and gasoline, E0, E10, E20, and E100 (Anhydrous Ethanol), and analyzed them using 14C testing methods to quantify the percentage of biogenic carbon present. The methodology involved preparing the samples through combustion to convert the sample into CO2, then graphitizing to obtain graphite, followed by loading and bombarding using cesium ions in AMS to measure the 14C/12C isotope ratios. Our results indicate a clear correlation between the known proportions of ethanol in the blends and the 14C-derived biogenic content. The implication of this testing helps in setting up a policy framework for accounting the bio-genic carbon transparently and experimentally, as well as the potential for this technique to be applied to other bio-derived components in mixed fuels. The accuracy and precision of the 14C method suggest that it could serve as a standard for verifying the biogenic carbon content of ethanol-blended gasoline, thus supporting environmental accountability and the integrity of renewable fuels in regulatory compliance and overall, India’s carbon emissions reduction. Keywords: Ethanol, Biogenic factor, Mass Spectrography, GASOLINE, carbon neutrality, GHG emissions, AMS