Most of the world’s road transportation vehicles are mostly dependent on two petroleum-based fuels (gasoline and diesel fuel). The world’s petroleum reserves are limited and road transportation is a major drain on petroleum reserves. Also petroleum fuels are the leading contributor to air pollution and even global warming. Due to these concerns we need to look at other fuels. The alternatives to petroleum-based fuels need to meet several criteria. They must be economically competitive as well as technically and environmentally acceptable. They must also be easily available and accessible. Currently, none of the alternative fuels meet these criteria. Numerous alternatives have been suggested as candidates to replace petroleum-based fuels in the transportation sector. The most practical of these alternatives are M85 (85% methanol and 15% gasoline) and CNG (compressed natural gas). In Trinidad and Tobago CNG is being used and we are now considering M85.
Interest in methanol as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines started in the early 1970s due to considerable increase in petroleum fuel prices in the world markets. Methanol, however, had been recognised earlier as a high-performance fuel for racing cars, as a result of its high resistance to knocking . In the 1980s the interest in alternative fuels fell due to a surplus of petroleum fuels, but it is now rising again mainly due to ecological reasons: it burns cleaner, that is the emission of solid particulate as well as toxic components are lower in methanol in comparison with petroleum fuels.
The introduction of methanol fuel to the market will be impossible if the costs of methanol production are too high. Mass production will reduce the costs because the higher the production rate, the lower the cost. To cut costs, companies would not need to manufacture chemical grade methanol. They can manufacture fuel methanol i.e. methanol containing small amounts of impurities such as higher alcohols. This would eliminate the need for some refining. In fact, for many of the applications being considered for fuel methanol, the presence of small quantities of higher alcohols could be an advantage .