VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will start popularising the use of bio-fuel E5 for road vehicles in seven localities from December 1, 2014.



Bio-fuel E5 use remains very modest compared to traditional fuels.


The localities include Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Can Tho, Quang Ngai, HCM City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

This will be part of the roadmap on bio-fuel use just completed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Bio-fuel E5 use remains very modest compared to traditional fuels. E5 is a mixture of unleaded gasoline and ethanol.
Currently, only three out of more than 10 petroleum wholesalers trade bio-fuel E5, including PV Oil, Petec and SaigonPetro. In the first nine months of this year, consumption of bio-fuel E5 was estimated at 15,000 cubic metres, equal to 750 cubic metres of ethanol, just two and half days of an average ethanol plant’s output.

To ensure stable operation and avoid greater inventories, ethanol plants export bio-fuel to the Philippines, South Korea and China.

From December 1, 2015, the use of bio-fuel E5 will be compulsory for all road vehicles nationwide.

According to the ministry’s roadmap, bio-fuel E10 with ethanol content accounting for 9-10% will be used in the seven mentioned-above localities from December 1, 2016. After that, the use of E10 will also be compulsory nationwide from December 1, 2017.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade forecast that Vietnam will need around 6.88 billion litres of bio-fuel by 2015, and the figure will climb to 8.313 billion by 2020.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Duong Quang said bio-fuel development will be inevitable to meet the increasing demand for fuel.

VNN/DTriNews