Eivind Håland’s workshop at Randaberg has in a short time filled up with lawnmowers of several types, with the common feature that they run on petrol. The lawnmowers supplied by customers simply will not start. Håland pulls out a relatively new mower that has been delivered with starting difficulties. The engine looks nice, but the new type of 95 octane unleaded petrol has broken the carburettor, Håland believes. The part needs to be replaced, and it won’t be cheap. – There is too much ethanol in the new petrol, which attracts more moisture. This means that the machines do not start so easily, says Håland, who is the incoming general manager of the company Machine and tool supplier. A number of mowers await cleaning and repair at Eivind Håland’s workshop. Photo: Johan Mihle Laugaland More environmentally friendly Since this spring, more bioethanol has been mixed into the petrol. The proportion has increased from five per cent to ten per cent, which is why the new petrol is called “E10”. It’s better for the environment, but not for small engines. The workshop at Randaberg has “always” had customers come in who have poured petrol from an old can on the mower with accompanying moisture problems. But this year he has a completely new group of customers: people who have bought the new petrol mixture and who have problems with the lawnmower shortly afterwards. – It has really picked up, and then it is the E10 petrol that has been the decisive factor, says Håland. Håland and his colleagues have to remove the moisture, clean the machine and sometimes replace entire parts. The new petrol is the cheapest at the pumps, but can quickly become the most expensive if the mower has to be repaired. – It costs a few kroner, depending on how many times we have to clean. If we’re lucky, it works the first time. But sometimes we have to clean several times or change parts. Increased mixing of ethanol causes the petrol to attract moisture and water, which can make it difficult to start the lawnmower and other small engines. Photo: Johan Mihle Laugaland Desire from the companies themselves Håland now recommends consumers of small petrol-powered lawnmowers to go back to 98 petrol or to use alkylate petrol instead of E10 petrol. – Now a number of petrol mowers are disappearing as more and more are running on batteries. But there are many people who still have petrol lawnmowers, and many are still dependent on them, says Håland. It is the fuel companies themselves that have decided to sell the E10 petrol, and there is no requirement from the authorities. – The companies have a desire to get more renewables into the fossil fuel in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They want to make fossil fuel more climate-friendly, quite simply, says Kjartan Berland, head of the trade association Drivkraft Norge. Kjartan Berland, specialist manager at Drivkraft Norge. Photo: Moment Studio news meets Terje Hjemgård Torkelsen, who normally uses 95 octane petrol in the lawnmower both at the cabin and at home. So far he has had no problems with the mower. – It has gone well so far, but now I may have to reconsider, says Torkelsen. While many others have replaced their petrol mowers with battery-powered versions, Terje Hjemgård Torkelsen is faithful to his petrol-powered lawnmower. Photo: Tom Edvindsen – I couldn’t get life in it For boat owners too, the E10 petrol has proven to be a problem. Jostein Opsal has experienced that. When he had to start the outboard motor at the cabin outside Stavanger, things went badly. – I didn’t get any life in it, he says. Jostein Opsal has switched back to 98 octane after the unpleasant encounter with E10 petrol. Photo: Private Boating Association Norboat warned earlier this year against E10 petrol, and recommended that everyone with a petrol engine switch to filling with 98 octane. Opsal blames the new petrol for the starting difficulties he experienced. – The problem is when the engine is standing for a long time. The ethanol attracts water, which means that crap gets into the carburettor and the engine stops, he says. When Opsal found this out, he just as well transferred the petrol from the outboard to the lawnmower. – It probably took five minutes before it stopped it too. Only uses 98 octane Opsal had to shell out a few thousand pounds for repairs. Now he only uses 98 octane on the outboard motor and lawnmower. Specialist Berland at Drivkraft Norge believes that the individual consumer must make sure that the engine can run on E10. – And if you are in doubt, you must check the instruction book or contact a dealer, he says. – But isn’t it a paradox that the problems make people switch to the more climate- and environmentally hostile 98 octane petrol? – The 98 octane petrol is a very small product in volume. It makes up 2–3 per cent of petrol sales in Norway. The vast majority of petrol cars after 2001, and all cars after 2011, can run on the product 95 E10. Consequently, it will certainly be positive for the climate account that the renewal of petrol increases from 5 to 10 percent by volume, says Berland. FRP wants more ethanol-free petrol The Progress Party and Storting politician Morten Stordalen is concerned that the E10 petrol will create more structural problems. In the Storting in May, Stordalen advocated that the state should make 98 octane more available. – There are currently only 404 petrol stations that offer ethanol-free petrol, out of a total of 1,000 outlets. The use of ethanol petrol on engines that are not adapted poses a risk of downtime, engine breakdown and engine fire, Stordalen said in the parliamentary hall. Storting representative Morten Stordalen (Frp) is advocating for more ethanol-free petrol on the market. Photo: Screen dump / Stortinget Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Sp) rejected Stordalen’s request. – Unfortunately, I now see no good solution for introducing a government scheme that ensures access to ethanol-free petrol, but I have of course taken note of the views that we have received from car enthusiast circles, replied Nygård. Stordalen says to news that it is a shame if hundreds of thousands of products and vehicles can no longer be used and have to be scrapped. – If it is not possible to obtain fuel that can be used on older cars, boats and, for example, lawnmowers, this will have major consequences for society both practically and environmentally, says the FRP politician.
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Here, broken lawnmowers flow into the workshop – new environmentally friendly petrol is to blame – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
