{"id":"F2024L00477","name":"Fuel Quality Standards (Ethanol E85) Determination 2024","slug":"fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442368,"registerId":"F2024L00477-fast-fetch-1775957391628","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Fuel Quality Standards (Ethanol E85) Determination 2024","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n\n\n \n\nFuel Quality Standards (Ethanol E85) Determination 2024\n\nI, Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, make the following determination.\n\nDated: 12 April 2024 \n\nChris Bowen\n\nMinister for Climate Change and Energy\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Definitions\n\n5 Fuel standard for E85\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n1 Name\n\n This instrument is the Fuel Quality Standards (Ethanol E85) Determination 2024.\n\n2 Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3 Authority\n\n This instrument is made under section 21 of the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000.\n\n4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in section 4 of the Act, including the following:\n\n(a) fuel\n\n(b) supply\n\n(c) inspector\n\n In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000.\n\nASTM followed by an alphanumeric code means the testing method developed under that code by the standards development organisation called ASTM International.\n\nCEN/TS followed by a numeric code means the testing method developed under that code by the European Committee for Standardization.\n\nDVPE means dry vapour pressure equivalent.\n\nE85 means a mixture of petrol and ethanol that is supplied or represented as E85 fuel.\n\nNote: Section 5 requires the fuel to be 70–85% v/v ethanol.\n\nEN followed by a numeric code means the testing method developed under that code by the European Committee for Standardization.\n\nmg/kg means milligrams per kilogram, and is equivalent to ‘parts per million’ or ‘ppm’ by mass.\n\npetrol has the same meaning as in the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024. \n\n% v/v means per cent volume by volume, and is equivalent to ‘volume %’, ‘vol %’ and ‘% vol’.\n\n% m/m means per cent mass by mass, and is equivalent to ‘mass %’, ‘% mass’ and ‘weight %’.\n\n5 Fuel standard for E85\n\n (1) In relation to a parameter specified in column 1 of an item of the following table, E85 must comply with the specification for that parameter specified in column 2 of that item.\n\n|
Item | Column 1
Parameter | Column 2
Specification | Column 3
Testing Method |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | Acidity—as acetic acid | 0.006% m/m maximum | ASTM D7795 |\n| 2 | Benzene | 0.35% v/v maximum | ASTM D5580 |\n| 3 | Copper | 0.10 mg/kg maximum | EN 15837 (as modified in CEN/TS 15293) |\n| 4 | Distillation—final boiling point | 210°C maximum | ASTM D86 |\n| 5 | Ethanol | 70–85% v/v | ASTM D6839 |\n| 6 | Ethers—5 or more C atoms | 1.0% v/v maximum | ASTM D6839 |\n| 7 | Inorganic chloride | 10 mg/kg maximum | ASTM D7328 |\n| 8 | Lead | 5 mg/L maximum | ASTM D3237 |\n| 9 | Methanol | 0.5% v/v maximum | ASTM D5501 |\n| 10 | Motor octane number (MON) | 87 minimum | (See note) |\n| 11 | Oxidation stability | 360 minutes minimum | ASTM D525 |\n| 12 | pHe | 6.5–9.0 | ASTM D6423 |\n| 13 | Phosphorus | 1.3 mg/L maximum | ASTM D3231 |\n| 14 | Research octane number (RON) | 100 minimum | (See note) |\n| 15 | Solvent washed gum | 5.0 mg/100 mL maximum | ASTM D381 |\n| 16 | Sulfate | 4.0 mg/kg maximum | ASTM D7328 |\n| 17 | Sulfur | From commencement 52 mg/kg maximum
From 15 December 2025 10 mg/kg maximum | ASTM D5453 |\n| 18 | Vapour pressure (DVPE) at 37.8°C | 38–63 kPa | ASTM D5191 |\n| 19 | Water | 1.0% m/m maximum | ASTM E1064 |\n\n\nNote : Testing methods for determining the MON and RON of E85 are not yet available. The minimum targets specified in the table are interim targets until a testing method is available. These minimum targets allow for engine calibration.\n\n (2) For subsection (1), compliance with the specification for a parameter is determined by using the testing method for that parameter specified in column 3 of that item of the table.\n\nNote: The testing methods listed in the table are the methods that will be used by inspectors and other persons authorised to conduct tests on fuel under the Act to determine whether the fuel complies with the relevant fuel standard. Subsection (2) does not prevent other persons (including persons supplying fuel) from using other test methods to ensure that the fuel complies with the relevant fuel standard.\n\n (3) Any petrol component of E85 must meet the requirements of the fuel quality standard for petrol set out in the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024.\n\n (4) Any ethanol component of E85 must meet the requirements of the fuel quality standard for ethanol set out in the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument remains tightly focused on its original purpose: establishing fuel quality parameters for E85. It does not expand beyond technical fuel specifications into broader policy areas."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument: only 5 substantive sections plus definitions","Straightforward structure: single table with 19 parameters, each with clear numeric limits","Minimal cross-referencing: only references to the parent Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 and the Petrol Determination 2024 for component standards","Limited defined terms: 10 definitions in section 4, mostly technical measurement units and testing method citations","Single conditional element: phased sulfur limit with a specific future date (15 December 2025)","One temporary provision: interim octane rating targets pending development of testing methods"],"plain_english_summary":"This law sets mandatory quality and testing rules for E85 fuel in Australia — petrol blended with 70–85% ethanol — so sold E85 meets specified ethanol content, contaminant and performance limits and is tested by recognised methods. \n\nIt binds fuel suppliers and importers, protects vehicle owners from engine damage or poor performance, and gives regulators clear testing standards; it also tightens sulfur limits (from 52 to 10 mg/kg from Dec 2025) to cut emissions."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument adds a distinct, E85-specific fuel standard under the Fuel Quality Standards Act by specifying numeric limits and test methods for E85 and by linking its petrol and ethanol components to existing petrol/ethanol standards (s.5(1)–(4)). It therefore expands the Act’s operational scope to regulate blended ethanol fuels with staged tightening (sulfur) and interim octane targets pending standardized test methods."},"complexity_factors":["Number of parameters: 19 distinct chemical/physical limits to monitor (s.5(1) table).","Multiple, specific laboratory test methods referenced (ASTM, EN/CEN) for each parameter (s.5(1)–(2)).","Staged standard: sulfur limit changes from 52 mg/kg at commencement to 10 mg/kg from 15 Dec 2025 (s.5(1) item 17).","Interim targets for MON and RON because testing methods are not yet available (note to table).","Cross-references: petrol and ethanol components must also meet existing Fuel Quality Standards (s.5(3)–(4)), creating dependency on other instruments.","Technical measurements in mixed units (% v/v, % m/m, mg/kg, mg/L, kPa) increasing lab and compliance complexity (Definitions; s.5 table).","Enforcement depends on inspectors using prescribed methods; suppliers may use other methods for internal assurance (s.5(2)), creating potential evidentiary discrepancies."],"plain_english_summary":"This determination creates mandatory fuel-quality limits for E85 (ethanol 70–85% v/v), listing 19 chemical and physical specifications and the test methods inspectors must use. It requires suppliers to meet numeric limits (eg ethanol content, water, sulfur—52 mg/kg from commencement, 10 mg/kg from 15 Dec 2025—and minimum octane targets) and ties petrol/ethanol components to existing petrol and ethanol standards. Suppliers bear the compliance and testing costs; inspectors decide non-compliance using the listed methods (s.5(1)–(4))."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024","history":"/api/acts/fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024/history","analysis":"/api/acts/fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/fuel-quality-standards-ethanol-e85-determination-2024/documents"}}