Participating in the dedication ceremony were U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee and officials from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The station is the first of its kind in Tennessee. ORNL employees use 32 DOE vehicles for business purposes that are "fuel flexible" in that they can be powered by gasoline, E-85 or any mixture of the two. Another nine vehicles are on order for ORNL employee use and are expected to be in the fleet by the end of 2001.
"Our goal is to purchase 100-percent-alternative-fuel-vehicles in the future, where feasible," said ORNL Director Bill Madia. "Part of our responsibility to DOE and the nation is to lead by example and encourage the use of alternative fuels to meet our energy challenges."
A biofuel, E-85 is a mixture composed of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E-85 is made from plant-based materials such as corn, grasses and wood chips.
The new E-85 tank at the ORNL station holds 8,000 gallons. It replaces a 500-gallon tank that has been in use since 1999, when ORNL began using flexible-fuel vehicles.
The E-85 used at ORNL is manufactured and supplied by A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co., of Loudon.
ORNL has conducted biofuels research for more than 20 years in collaborative efforts with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.
ORNL is a DOE multiprogram facility operated by UT-Battelle.