PRESS RELEASE August 19, 2016

One more step towards the minimizing of use of oil for transportation and
for environmental protection: The Standards Institution of Israel issued a new Standard
for gasoline – a methanol/gasoline mixture

The Technical Committee 310 ("Oil and its Products") of The Standards Institution of Israel has recently
approved a new Israeli Standard, SI 90-4 Automotive gasoline: Methanol-gasoline (petrol) fuel blend
composed of 85 % unleaded gasoline (petrol) and 15 % methanol (M15).
Israeli Standard SI 90 Part 4 was prepared under the initiative of the Ministry of National Infrastructures,
Energy and Water Resources, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of
Environmental Protection and the Prime Minister's Office. This is an original Israeli Standard, the first of
its kind in the world (except for a Chinese District Standard, there is no relevant Standardization in the
world for M15).
Methanol is a promising candidate in the alternative fuels industry, especially since it can be produced by
a simple and efficient process from natural gas, and thereby contribute to energy independence and
diversity of the fuel sources for transportation that rely today on close to 100% imported oil.
This motivates its penetration into the Israeli market and its promotion within the framework of the
national strategy of the Prime Minister's Office to promote technologies for the development of oil
alternatives for use in transportation in Israel.
The Oil Replacement Directorate in the Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources
has conducted a pioneering trial together with the "Dor Chemical Co." within the framework of a
pioneering and demonstration project in the field of oil replacements promoted by the Ministry, and
examined the use of a methanol-gasoline mixture in personal vehicles. The experiment was closely
followed by the Oil Replacement Directorate, the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Transportation,
the Ministry of Environmental Protection, The Standards Institution of Israel and researchers from the
academic world.
The successful trial stimulated much interest that led to representatives of the FCA (Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles) company coming to Israel to create a joint work program with the Government of Israel.
According to the program, FCA will provide personal vehicles for the Israeli market, adapted for the use
and refueling with M15.
As the M15 mixture is produced by inclusion of methanol in conventional gasoline, the chemical and
physical properties of M15 are similar to those of gasoline. Accordingly, the standard for M15 is based on
the Israeli Standard for the conventional gasoline (SI 90 part 2), with modifications of the chemical and
physical properties due to the creation of the mixture.

42 Chaim Levanon st. Tel-Aviv 99977 Israel, Tel: 972-3-6465180 Fax: 972-3-6412762 www.sii.org.il
SI 90 Part 4 covers the M15 mixture intended for use in dedicated vehicles designed in advance for the
use of methanol and are so declared by the vehicle manufacturer, and specifies the requirements and test
methods for M15. According to the Standard, warnings for the sake of the consumer that the fuel is not
suitable for every vehicle are required to be marked on the fuel pumps delivering M15.
Helen Atarot, the Standardization Division Director at The Standards Institution of Israel said that "the
Israeli Standard for M15 is an important step forward in the reduction of the use of oil products and in the
utilization of the natural gas reservoirs that Israel was blessed with".
SI 90 Part 4 constitutes the technical basis to support the use of gasoline containing 15 % methanol.
The objective is to encourage the use of the Standard so that in the future, the use of gasoline with higher
percentages of methanol (M70-M85) can be introduced and thereby better exploit the inherent advantages
of methanol.

For addition details, please contact Dr. Michal Philosoph, Energy Standardization project manager, The
Standards Institution of Israel, Tel. +972-3-6465278, Email: michal_ph@sii.org.il
For information regarding purchasing of the Standard, please contact Tammy Dinari, Information
specialist, The Standards Institution of Israel, Tel. +972-3-6465191, Email: dinari@sii.org.il

42 Chaim Levanon st. Tel-Aviv 99977 Israel, Tel: 972-3-6465180 Fax: 972-3-6412762 www.sii.org.il