news/updates
Petron to start selling gas with ethanol this year
By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 4, 2008
MANILA, Philippines--INDUSTRY LEADER PETRON CORP. is expected to start offering ethanol-blended gasoline within the year, ahead of the mandated implementation of the 5-percent ethanol blend by 2009.
Petron president Kamal Al-Yahya said the oil firm would start selling gasoline with a 10-percent ethanol blend within 2008, even if it would have to source its ethanol from abroad.
“We're keen on starting the ethanol mix with gasoline. We plan to beat the mandate for the program by meeting it this year,” he said. “As much as possible, we want to source everything locally. But if that's not possible, then we'll just import.”
Right now, he said the company was already working on putting up a blending facility for gasoline, which should be up and running within the year.
The country currently has no commercial ethanol supplier. Oil firms, such as Seaoil Philippines Inc., which already offer ethanol-blended gasoline get their ethanol supply from overseas sources, most notably Brazil.
Petron has signed a memorandum of understanding with San Carlos Bio-Energy Inc. for its ethanol supply.
San Carlos Bio-Energy is currently putting up an integrated facility that will have a cane milling plant with a throughput capacity of 1,500 metric tons of sugarcane daily.
