Starting August 1, 2025, Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrolimex) will pilot the sale of E10 bio-gasoline at 36 fuel stations in HCMC (pre-merger area) to assess market response and practical implementation.

Starting August 1, 2025, Petrolimex will pilot the sale of E10 bio-gasoline at 36 filling stations in HCMC to assess market response and practical implementation.

As of noon on July 29, Petrolimex Saigon, a subsidiary of Petrolimex, began trial sales of E10 at 20 of the designated pilot stations. From August 1, E10 will be available at the remaining 16 stations.

Ngo Ngoc Nga, manager of Petrolimex Saigon’s Fuel Station No1, said that on the evening of July 30, 4,000 liters of E10 from NhaBe Oil Terminal will be delivered to the station. NhaBe Oil Terminal, the largest biofuel blending hub in southern Vietnam, serves both Petrolimex’s network and provides products to external partners.

The fuel will be tested in quality before it is launched into the market. 

“Storing E10 is more challenging than E5 bio-gasoline because E10 absorbs water faster. Thus, we’ve carefully waterproofed the storage tanks,” Nga said, expressing hope that the green fuel consumption will rise when sales officially begin on August 1.

Currently, the station sells an average of 6,000 liters of E5 daily, while RON 95 consumption is five times higher, about 30,000 liters per day.

Meanwhile, Fuel Station No53 (Petrolimex Saigon) began selling E10 on the afternoon of July 27. The station manager reported no customer feedback on fuel quality, but very few people have actively inquired about or purchased E10. By noon on July 29, after two days, the station sold less than 2,000 liters of E10.

“Only those familiar with E5 ask about E10. Despite advertising signs, only a few customers inquired about E10 from morning to noon, even though E10 is priced at VND19,490 per liter, cheaper than RON 95 at VND20,030 per liter,” a station employee said.

An employee at another station said customers are indifferent to the fuel’s environmental benefits. They prioritize using familiar fuel to avoid vehicle issues. “It will take time for the market to accept this new fuel,” she said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has designated PVOil to sell E10 at its retail stations in Hanoi and Hai Phong starting August 1 during the pilot period, while Petrolimex will sell E10 at 36 stations in HCMC.

Petrolimex said that E10 gasoline is a finished gasoline product made from mineral gasoline derived from fossil fuels along with biofuels, in which fuel alcohol is mixed at a certain ratio. 

Tran Chung