The Viet Nam National Petroleum Corporation (Petrolimex) and PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PVOil) on Friday officially began the supply of E5 RON92 bio-fuel for sale nationwide.

The biofuel will replace RON 92 petrol, 15 days before the Government’s stipulated deadline. Petrolimex said the firm has operated E5 fuel mixers at repositories in Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, HCM City and Can Tho to prepare for the move.

In 2018, the company will invest in two more mixers in Binh Dinh and Nghe An, lifting its total capacity to 1.8million cu.m per year.

PVOil General Director, Cao Hoai Duong, said the company had upgraded and expanded its storage system and operated 11 mixing stations nationwide. According to a statement released by the Government, the ban on RON 92 grade was in line with its effort to boost the consumption of the environmentally friendly E5.

The shift will also help ensure energy security, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and implement commitments made by the Vietnamese Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The decision is expected to facilitate petrol dealers in the trading of E5 bio-fuel, as consumers will no longer have access to RON 92 petrol.

Previously, many plans on the wide use of E5 bio-fuel were set but missed their deadline. The Government, last year, confirmed that plans to start compulsory sales of E5 in eight provinces and cities had been delayed because domestic consumers had shown little interest in switching from RON 92 petroleum.

In the latest move, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said on its online portal that it “may completely replace all RON 92 with E5 by mid-2017.” However, this timeline was moved to the beginning of 2018. — VNS