Background

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Advanced Motor Fuels (AMF) Agreement has been running an Information Service called IEA AMF/AFIS (Automotive Fuels Information Service) under two previous annexes, Annex IX and Annex XXIV. Annex IX produced, among other things, five volumes of the “Automotive Fuels Survey” for AMF. In 2000–2004, Annex XXIV produced three yearly newsletters on the subject of automotive fuels and related issues. Both annexes were handled by Innas BV of Holland. Since 1999, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has been maintaining a Web site for AMF.

AFIS was replaced in 2004 by a new information system, AMFI (Advanced Motor Fuels Information, Annex XXVIII), which combines an electronic newsletter service and maintaining the AMF web site. TEC TransEnergy Consulting Ltd. (Finland) was Operating Agent from 2004 to 2009. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland was Operating Agent for 2010. BIOENERGY 2020+ GmbH of Austria was designated as Operating Agent of Annex XXVIII starting in 2011.

Annex XXVIII has two subtasks:

Subtask 1: Fuel Standardization was active in 2007 and is closed.

Subtask 2: Fuel Information System is active since 2010 and is ongoing.

The information service shall provide information on transport fuels and related issues and on the IEA. The AMF implementing agreement is discussed below.

Purpose and Objectives

Sharing and providing information are very important elements in IEA cooperation. The AMFI information system makes use of electronic communication. AMFI activities include production of four yearly electronic newsletters and maintenance of the AMF web site.

AMFI/Annex XXVIII is a low-budget annex, and its costs are shared by all participants in the AMF Implementing Agreement.

Activities

Relevant sources of news regarding advanced motor fuels, vehicles, energy, and environmental issues in general are reviewed. News articles are provided by experts in North America, Asia, and Europe.

 Four electronic newsletters are published yearly (on average) at the AMF Web site using an e-mail alert system to disseminate information on the latest issues.

In 2010, work on the new Alternative Fuels Information System was started. This effort seeks to collate relevant information on alternative fuels and their use for transport. The results of AMF annexes shall be presented and ordered by type of fuel. Efforts are being made in close cooperation with, for example, the United States’Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center, to build a guidebook on advanced motor fuels that will be accessible electronically on the AMF web site.

The AMF web site is updated frequently to provide information on transportation fuel-related issues, especially those related to the work of the Implementing Agreement of Advanced Motor Fuels. In addition to public information, a special password-protected area is provided to distribute and store internal information for delegates, alternates, and operating agents on, for example, strategy, proposals, decisions, and Executive Committee (ExCo) meetings of the AMF Agreement.

Results and Reports/Deliverables

In 2010, four electronic newsletters were published in January, April, July, and October, respectively. The Alternative Fuels Information System, through which users can obtain general fuel information for gasoline replacements and for ethanol use as E10, has been completed.

The AMF Web site has been updated frequently with information from annexes and ExCo meetings.

Time Schedule and Future Plans

In 2011, four more electronic newsletters will be published. The Alternative Fuels Information System is scheduled to be completed by December 2011 and moved to the public area of the AMF Web site.

The AMF Web site will continue to be updated frequently.