Pipeline operators have been reluctant to batch ethanol in pipelines because it absorbs debris, corrosion products, and water, can damage seals and taint petroleum fuels that share the lines. They have similar concerns about biodiesel because of uneven quality and a residue that can damage jet fuel if it follows biodiesel through a pipeline.
Kinder Morgan spent 18 months on the ethanol pipeline test in Florida and made more than $10 million in upgrades to a segment that connects Tampa and Orlando, said Jim Lelio, director of business development and national biofuels manager for the pipeline firm. The segment was ideal for the study because it was fairly new, situated on flat land and carried only one product, gasoline, Mr Lelio said. To upgrade it, KM had to replace a number of components, including seals and gaskets. Then, it cleaned the pipeline both by pigging, and by chemicals. Finally, Kinder Morgan ran a 5,000-brl batch of ethanol through the pipeline with good results.
The company is still modifying the pipeline but expects to be transporting ethanol for customers by mid-November. Mr Lelio said the company will consider upgrades to other pipelines in its portfolio, depending upon customer demand and the ability to maintain the operational integrity of the pipelines.
New US energy legislation calls for blending 36 billion gallons of biofuels a year into the nation’s fuel supply by 2022, five times the current level, to help reduce dependence on oil. While most of that will be ethanol, the law also requires blending of 500 million gallons of biodiesel a year by 2009. Biodiesel is chiefly made from vegetable oil in the US and is often blended at low levels with petroleum diesel. US ethanol, usually made from corn, typically is blended with petrol to enhance fuel supplies and help curb vehicle emissions in cities.
The ethanol industry’s leading trade group, the Renewable Fuels Association, praised Kinder Morgan for demonstrating that “any technical challenges that may exist with the transport of ethanol through pipelines can be overcome”. As the ethanol industry grows, it may need to ship ethanol via pipelines, group spokesman Matt Hartwig said, and “Kinder Morgan’s success goes a long way in proving that can be done”. Elsewhere, Kinder Morgan is testing biodiesel transportation in its Plantation pipeline, and it is preparing for tests in Oregon, where a new biodiesel mandate will take effect soon.