Philippines to start implementing E10 in August

The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) said it will start partial implementation of a mandate which requires ethanol-blended gasoline to comprise at least 10% of the total amount of gasoline sold in the country starting from August, DOE Undersecretary Jose M. Layug said. Exemptions for three grades of gasoline are included with the partial implementation of the E10 mandate. The first is 81 RON gasoline, which is being used in farm machinery and fishing vessels, the second 87 RON gasoline, which is being used in motorcycles. The third grade is 97 RON gasoline, that is being used in high-end passenger vehicles. Full implementation of the E10 mandate would be enforced in February 2012, a year later than what was expected. In the run up to the impending implementation of the E10 mandate, the Department of Energy will publish a circular defining rules of consumption and blending in two weeks’ time, Layug, who is also a member of the NBB, said. (February 8, 2011)