Speaking with VietNamNet on the sidelines of the workshop "Green Energy Transition - A Driver for Sustainable Growth" on the afternoon of April 21, Dao Duy Anh, Deputy Director of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition, and Industrial Promotion (Ministry of Industry and Trade - MOIT), stated that biofuel is also a form of fuel and its price needs to follow market supply and demand laws.

However, the government’s objective is to ensure that E10 is offered at a reasonable price so that its widespread adoption does not put additional pressure on consumers’ living expenses.

Under the MOIT’s Circular 50, from June 1, 2026, unleaded gasoline must be blended into E10 for use in gasoline engines nationwide.

Recently, in the draft circular amending Circular 50 on the roadmap for blending biofuels, MOIT stated that E5 biofuel once accounted for about 40 percent of the market share but has now decreased to 15-20 percent. The main reason is that the price difference between biofuel and traditional gasoline remains low, combined with consumer hesitation.

Therefore, according to the ministry, to encourage the consumption of biofuel, policies must be strong enough to create a clear price differential. Additionally, communication plays a vital role in the implementation process.

Explaining the trend of decreasing E5 consumption in the market, Duy Anh said this phenomenon is not because citizens are "turning their backs" on biofuel, but because the choice of base gasoline for blending has not kept pace with the requirements of newer engine models.

In the initial stage, Vietnam chose RON92 as the base gasoline for E5 blending. At that time, this choice was suitable for the majority of vehicles. However, over time, newer vehicle models all require the use of RON95 to achieve optimal performance. Consumers choose gasoline based on manufacturers' recommendations, leading to less interest in E5 (RON92 base).

Learning from this, in the upcoming transition roadmap, MOIT will regularly update the technical requirements of new engine models to adjust the base gasoline for blending accordingly.

Ha Quang Anh from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment stressed that using E10 gasoline is a solution contributing to emission reductions in the transport sector, one of the largest emission sectors today.

Also, using E10 gasoline opens opportunities for businesses to participate in the production and distribution chain of biofuels, and even access the carbon market under new regulations. However, the development of biofuels needs to be accompanied by stable planning for raw material sources.

Tam An