Pre-blended E15 an option for many retailers

PHOTO: Stock Image

December 28, 2018

BY Matt Thompson

For retailers looking to add E15 to their product lineup without having to install blender pumps, purchasing pre-blended E15 is a viable option. And more suppliers are willing to offer that option, if demand is there.

One of those suppliers is Flint Hills Resources. Jake Reint, managing director of public affairs for Flint Hills, said the company has offered pre-blended E15 in the past as “a response to the market and the needs of our customers.”

So far, he said, pre-blended E15 hasn’t been widely used by Flint Hills’ customers. “We’ve provided pre-blended E15 to customers who have requested it in the past, but its use has not been widespread,” he said.

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While blender pumps, rather than pre-blended fuels, have been the predominant choice in the industry, Reint says pre-blended E15’s use and rate of adoption depend on several factors. “The use of E15 will likely continue to vary depending on the market conditions and overriding factors such as the price of gasoline and the price of ethanol, including RIN [renewable identification number] values,” he said.

Pre-blended E15’s availability is also dependent on demand for the product, Reint said. “Its use today is largely a function of the marketplace and consumer choice.” With President Donald Trump’s Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver announcement allowing E15 sales, ethanol industry experts, as well as many retailers who are already offering the blend, hope demand for E15 will grow. And when that happens, Flint Hills will help meet that demand, Reint said. “As a supplier of both petroleum fuels and biofuels, we strive to always be responsive to the needs of our customers and create value for consumers. We believe the market is the best arbitrator of the composition of these products.”

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