Total (Philippines), the Small Philippine Oil player, mentioned their worry on whether the public will warm up to the idea of buying fuel with bioethanol mixed in them. Managing director Anna Whitehouse said to reporters that “The law tells us to do it, but the law doesn’t tell you to buy it.” Under the Philippine Biofuel Law, Oil companies are required to mix a certain percentage of their fuel with biofuels.
The problem now is with the low price of oil, if people will be inclined to put bioethanol mixed gas given that you will have to have your engine adjusted if it is not designed to automatically take in bioethanol. Bioethanol ready cars have electronic ignition systems that can adjust for the quicker burning properties of bioethanol. For cars that don’t have this, they will have to have their car’s timing re-adjusted.
Total spent P60 Million so that their current oil depot would be able to take in bioethanol. Also mentioned was that Total would be purchasing their ethanol from another firm that would be importing it from abroad. She also highlighted the lack of supply of bioethanol in the local market.
Under the Philippine Biofuel Law, the National Biofuels Board can allow oil companies to import bioethanol in order to meet the requirements of the Biofuel Law while local supply ramps up.
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Category: Misc, Bioethanol, Automotive, Biofuel
