Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex), the country’s largest fuel trader, plans to stop selling RON 92 gasoline and replace it with E5 bio-fuel ahead of its earlier schedule.

In a working session with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai yesterday, Petrolimex chairman Bui Ngoc Bao was cited by Dan Tri news website as saying that the group will distribute E5 bio-fuel nationwide from December 15, half a month ahead of its original schedule.

Therefore, at around 2,400 Petrolimex fuel stations nationwide, customers can only buy E5 bio-fuel and RON 95, a higher-grade type of normal gasoline, from the middle of next month.

Petrolimex general director Pham Duc Thang said around 40% of the group’s gas stations had executed the plan as of last Saturday while others will follow suit prior to December 25.

Petrolimex earlier informed customers of the Government’s policy to replace RON 92, or A92, with E5 from January 1 next year.

Petrolimex intends to develop two more bio-fuel blending stations with the same capacity as five existing stations in Binh Dinh and Nghe An provinces. These stations are expected to turn out around 1.8 million cubic meters of E5 in the first half of next year.

Besides, the group is striving to streamline three other bio-fuel blending stations in Quang Ninh and Phu Yen provinces, and HCMC. Each has a capacity of about 62,000 cubic meters of bio-fuel for every fuel-mixing process.

Petrolimex stressed it would secure the supply of E5 bio-fuel for its direct distribution systems. Even it can offer its fuel-mixing services to fuel wholesalers.

Deputy Minister Hai asked Petrolimex to work out all possible scenarios to make the replacement plan a success.

SGT