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.

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% etha nol and 80% premium petrol, as well as B5 (5% biofuel) and B100 (100% biofuel) diesel.

President Dr. Anusorn Sangnimnuan said that only a few Bangchak pumps still had regular or premium fuel available for cars made before 1995 that could not use any green fuels.

Bangchak stopped selling premium gasoline last year and replaced it with gasohol 95. Sales of its regular gasoline, meanwhile, have declined to 20% of total fuel sales from 40% in January. The company's overall oil product sales volume last month was 200 million litres, up from 170 million six months earlier.

Demand has been rising especially fast for E20 but the company has just 33 stations. It expects to have 60 by year-end when it forecasts demand of 500,000 litres per month. It also plans to replace all high-speed diesel with B5 by the end of this year, two years ahead of the government's 2011 deadline.

As well, it is developing facilities for gasohol E85, a blend of 85% ethanol blended in 15% petrol, at 15 stations in Greater Bangkok once flexible-fuel vehicles (FFV) become available.

Bangkok Post, 04.06.2008

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