Thaioil shelves ethanol projects

Thailand’s largest refiner Thaioil has decided to postpone indefinitely its plans for two ethanol projects due to surplus supply in the kingdom, a senior company official said on September 27. The plants were to use cassava as feedstock and were scheduled to come on stream in 2008. Separately, Thaioil had also tied up with two local companies, Padaeng Industry and Petrogreen, to set up a 100,000 liter per day sugar-based ethanol plant in western Thailand. Several Thai ethanol producers cut operating rates and even suspended operations as stocks surged earlier this year after the government backtracked on its plan to switch all 95 RON gasoline to 10% ethanol-blended gasoline, also known as gasohol 95. (October 1, 2007)