BANGKOK, 11 July 2012 – Bangchak Petroleum Plc has admitted that the government’s planned cancellation of Benzene 91 sales by the month of October is impractical, given a longer transition period is required.
During the “Ethanol: The Future of Renewable Energy” seminar, President of Bangchak Petroleum Dr. Anusorn Saengnimnuan commented on the government’s plan to discontinue the sale of Benzene 91 by October this year, saying it is unfeasible. He elaborated that Bangchak will not be able to accomplish the task in time because it will take the company approximately 6 months to adjust itself, whereas there are now only 2 months left.
Moreover, the Bangchak President pointed out that there have not been any back-up plans for motorists who have been using Benzene 91. The consumption rate of Benzene 91 stands at approximately 8-9 million liters per day at present. He also added that after the cancellation, ethanol usage will rise by 800,000 liters per day from the current 1.3 million liters.
Mr. Anusorn went on to say that the intervention of the government in ethanol price is not a sustainable solution to the problem, and if Thailand wants to be the hub of ethanol export in the ASEAN region, the government needs to cooperate with the exporters to encourage more use of ethanol in the country and establish a single reference price for the product.
