UL Sets Timeline for E85 Certification

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) today issued a public timeline for the certification of E85 dispensing pumps.  According to the UL release:

“UL expects to be prepared to accept products for evaluation and certification.  UL currently expects to finalize research and publish certification requirements by the end of the fourth quarter of 2007 and, immediately thereafter, accept E85 dispensing equipment for investigation to the safety requirements and certification of compliant equipment.”

The RFA welcomed the timetable and underlined the U.S. ethanol’s commitment to public safety. 

“Safety is of the utmost concern to the U.S. ethanol industry and we are committed to ensuring our product can safely be delivered to the public,â€? said Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, the national trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry.  “Through the continued cooperation between our industry, the Department of Energy and UL, we hope to expeditiously bring to a close any questions about the safety of E85.  UL’s certification of E85 dispensing pumps is critical to the growing use of higher ethanol blends.â€?

The completion of this research will allow UL to work with government and industry to create consensus standards, which they note “have a long history of providing both public safety and rapid market access for new technologies such as E85.”