Methanol as an Alternative Automotive Fuel: CMC's Approach and Experience

This paper highlights experiences of Canadian Methanol Canadien (CMC) in demonstration of both methanol fuel and methanol-gasoline blends in Winnipeg since 1980 and describes CMC's commercial and technical approach to development of methanol as an alternative automotive fuel. CMC's marketing approach is to equip existing retail service station outlets with the capability to dispense a full slate of fuels (methanol, methanol containing gasolines, as well as conventional fuels) with fuel blending occurring at the service station location. In this way, the fuel distribution infrastructure can be put in place to service simultaneously both existing vehicles (with a range of methyl gasoline blends) and new methanol fuelled vehicles while assuming a high degree of blended fuel quality in a cost-effective manner.

It is concluded that methanol and methanol containing gasolines are excellent transportation fuels for Canada and elsewhere, and can be readily integrated into existing transport fuel retail infrastructure.