The use of ethanol as a transport fuel is gradually increasing throughout the world, and now Thailand is hoping to double its ethanol use by 2011.
The country is already using E10 on a wide scale and beginning in 2008 it began selling E20 before several E85 flexible fuel vehicles were introduced in the country, even though there were only two stations selling the fuel blend.
Now, Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul has stated that the Government hopes to increase ethanol content to two million litres per day in 2010 – that’s up from an existing average of 1.5million. It then hopes to increase the figure to three million in 2011.
The director-general of the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Krairit Nilkuha said the department will focus its promotions on E20 – a blend of 80 per cent petrol and 20 per cent ethanol – as sales of E20 cars are increasing rapidly. It will also draw up incentives for car manufacturers to invest in producing more E85 compatible vehicles.
