Master's Thesis: Development of an E20 Gasoline Specification

Master's Thesis: Development of an E20 Gasoline Specification

What will gasoline look like in a future shaped by increasingly ambitious sustainability requirements?

The transportation sector is undergoing a major transformation, creating a need for new fuel solutions that combine high performance, reduced climate impact, and compliance with future regulations. One of the key challenges is increasing the share of renewable components in gasoline without compromising quality, stability, or functionality.

As a thesis student at VAROPreem, you will have the opportunity to contribute to this development by investigating the potential of a gasoline blend containing up to 20 vol% ethanol and 80 vol% hydrocarbons. By combining literature studies, laboratory experiments, and data analysis, you will explore how different hydrocarbon compositions influence fuel properties and the ability to meet future quality requirements.

This is a unique opportunity for students in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related disciplines who are interested in working on a real industrial challenge at the intersection of organic chemistry, fuel technology, and mathematical modelling. The results may contribute to the development of future gasoline products for the European market and support Europe's transition towards more sustainable transportation in line with the Fit for 55 initiative.

Field of study/Subject

Gasoline sold on the Swedish and European markets must comply with both national legislation and European fuel standards. Increasing the ethanol content in gasoline can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it also introduces significant technical challenges.

Ethanol affects several key fuel properties, including vapour pressure, energy content, distillation characteristics, and material compatibility. One particularly important question is how higher ethanol concentrations influence gasoline vapour pressure and how these changes affect vehicle start-up and driving performance under different climate conditions.

At the same time, the fuel must continue to meet octane rating requirements. Although ethanol has excellent octane-boosting properties, increasing the ethanol content changes the need for different hydrocarbon components in the gasoline blend. Developing a future E20 gasoline therefore requires a deep understanding of the interplay between ethanol, hydrocarbons, vapour pressure, and octane number, as well as how refinery blending components can be optimized to meet future specification requirements.

Purpose

The purpose of this thesis project is to increase knowledge of how a future E20 gasoline can be formulated and produced to meet quality, performance, and sustainability requirements.

The results will support VAROPreem's long-term development of future gasoline products for the European market. By improving our understanding of the relationship between ethanol content, hydrocarbon composition, vapour pressure, and octane number, the project can contribute to the development of fuels that combine high performance with a reduced climate impact.

Thesis Goals

The goals of the thesis are to:

• Conduct a literature review of previous research and experience related to gasoline with higher ethanol content.

• Identify the fuel properties that are critical for an E20 gasoline blend.

• Design and carry out laboratory experiments based on data and guidance provided by VAROPreem.

• Develop a proposal for an E20 gasoline specification with the potential to meet relevant quality and regulatory requirements.

• Identify blending and optimization strategies that could enable the introduction of a future E20 gasoline product.

Scope

30 ECTS credits

Location

Gothenburg. The project will primarily be based at the Gothenburg refinery. VAROPreem does not reimburse travel expenses to and from the refinery.

Start Date

January or early February 2027, or as agreed.