Bangchak to switch to alternative fuels

Bangchak Petroleum Plc, the majority state-owned oil refinery, will gradually phase out mainstream petrol products in its service stations by the end of this year to strengthen its position as a market leader in alternative fuels, the Bangkok Post reports. Bangchak over the past five years has been ahead of its peers in marketing fuels including gasohol 91 and 95, each of which contains 10% ethanol, along with gasohol E20, a mixture of 20% ethanol and 80% premium petrol, as well as B5 (5% biofuel blend) and B100 (100% biofuel blend) diesel. The company’s overall oil product sales volume last month was 200 million liters, up from 170 million liters six months earlier. President Anusorn Sangnimnuan said the marketing margin for E85 should be around 2.50 baht (US$0.07) per liter to give companies an incentive to sell the fuel, since E85 facilities cost two million baht (US$59,772) per station. (July 4, 2008)