The Ferrari F10 Formula One cars that dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix last Sunday used an advanced blend of biofuel made by Shell.

Shell announced last Monday that the 2010 season Formula One fuel supplied for Scuderia Ferrari contains an advanced biofuels component derived from cellulosic ethanol, an advanced biofuel made from straw.

This is the first time an advanced biofuel has been used in the Shell V-Power race fuel used by technical partner Ferrari, in Formula One.

Cellulosic ethanol, as an end fuel, is identical to ethanol but it can offer up to 90 percent less lifecycle CO2 emissions than gasoline. It is a key part of Shell’s strategic investment and development program in sustainable biofuels.

The cellulosic ethanol was produced at Iogen Energy’s demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada, using non-food wheat straw and advanced conversion processes. Shell and Iogen are partners in the plant, which produced more than 500,000 liters of cellulosic ethanol last year.

Shell has been working closely together with Scuderia Ferrari since the middle of last year to develop a fuel that meets the new FIA regulations and maximizes performance for the 2010 season.

Shell and Iogen Energy are working towards construction of a full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Saskatchewan, Canada. The proposed project has met a number of significant milestones and the feasibility and design assessment work are well advanced.