Thailand may halt sale of 91 RON gasoline

Thailand’s Energy Ministry is studying the possibility of ending the sale of 91 RON (Research Octane Number) gasoline at retail outlets nationwide in a bid to lift ethanol consumption by shifting consumers to gasohol, Energy Minister Wannarat Charnukul said. The interest in boosting ethanol consumption is due to unexpected increase in ethanol manufacturing capacity as new plants come on stream, he said. Four to five ethanol with a combined installed capacity of 1.5 million liters/day of ethanol, although production is only around 900,000-1 million liters/day, due to an oversupply ethanol. “We can’t cancel sales of premium gasoline 95 or gasohol”, he said. (June 15, 2009)