Regulators to allow more time for ethanol blend increase

Philippine regulators have decided to increase the ethanol content in gasoline to 10%, from 5%, but will give oil firms and ethanol producers six months to prepare for the change. The reprieve was granted by the National Biofuels Board amid concerns that the lack of local supply would lead to larger ethanol imports and push pump prices up. The DoE will release a circular mandating the 10% increase in ethanol blend six months after the circular’s effectivity, around July 16. A longer one-year exemption, meanwhile, will be given for low and high octane gasoline products to allow vehicle owners time to upgrade their engines, Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug, Jr., said. (February 4, 2011)