95 Petrol

[Camelot]

We will probably be getting a new Energy Minister this week. He's likely to be Piyasvasti Amranand --- a good choice because he knows the business.

He drives a Mercedes Benz in his present work managing funds at Kasikorn Bank.

How well do Mercs run on E10 gasohol? Hopefully really badly.

[Crossy]

Todays Bangkok Post http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/10Oct2006_biz03.php (link will probably die soon).

Snip:-

The Energy Ministry will reconsider the ousted government's policy of ending the sale of octane 95 gasoline and switching to gasohol, a 10% ethanol-blended gasoline, early next year.

''The necessity of phasing out octane 95 gasoline will be reconsidered due to the fact that some countries still provide various grades of petrol to motorists despite their alternative fuel promotion campaigns,'' newly-appointed Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said yesterday.

Owners of older cars that will be affected by the policy are planning to protest against the phase-out of premium gasoline after finding that gasohol is incompatible with their vehicles. There are more than 500,000 cars that are over 10 years old in the country.

[Jalla]

We will probably be getting a new Energy Minister this week. He's likely to be Piyasvasti Amranand --- a good choice because he knows the business.

He drives a Mercedes Benz in his present work managing funds at Kasikorn Bank.

How well do Mercs run on E10 gasohol? Hopefully really badly.

I guess Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand`s Merc does`nt like Gashol after all according to the article in Bangkok Post.

Great news to us 95 "addicts". I was planning to sell my chip modified Beemer asap, but hey, there is light in the end of the tunnel!

Kudos to Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand!

[teej]

We will probably be getting a new Energy Minister this week. He's likely to be Piyasvasti Amranand --- a good choice because he knows the business.

He drives a Mercedes Benz in his present work managing funds at Kasikorn Bank.

How well do Mercs run on E10 gasohol? Hopefully really badly.

I guess Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand`s Merc does`nt like Gashol after all according to the article in Bangkok Post.

Great news to us 95 "addicts". I was planning to sell my chip modified Beemer asap, but hey, there is light in the end of the tunnel!

Kudos to Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand!

Cheers to that!

[Upcountry]

Cheers, cheers! I've seen hints of this in the last few days, had a feeling it would happen. Nothing guaranteed, of course, but at least the problem is recognized. My gut tells me I won't have to sell my old car either!

[Asaf]

Plan to stop petrol sales still on track Bangkok Post October 12th

Energy policymakers yesterday reaffirmed plans to phase out premium petrol in favour of gasohol starting at the end of the year, despite concerns among motorists about possible engine damage. Metta Banturngsuk, the director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), said that premium petrol (Octane 95) would be gradually phased out starting from January.

Some supplies will remain available to accommodate owners of vehicles that cannot use gasohol, estimated at 500,000.

Premium petrol sales would end completely once auto manufacturers certified that gasohol, which is a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% premium petrol, was safe for new and used cars alike.

Some car manufacturers have refused to certify their cars as fully safe for gasohol, despite claims by the government and local refineries to the contrary.

The Committee on Energy Policy Administration, chaired by the Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand, reasoned that if elimination was postponed, it would do more harm than good.

The policy to phase out the sales of premium petrol at the end of this year was initiated by the previous government, but official enforcement had not yet been announced by the Energy Business Department.

Dr Piyasvasti said that once car companies had assured motorists that their vehicles _ any brand or model _ were compatible with gasohol, sales of premium petrol would be banned immediately.

He added, however, that the local output of ethanol, a crop-derived fuel, was currently insufficient for the large-scale production of gasohol.

''We must be certain that if any types of fuels are banned, it will not cause any problems to motorists,'' he said.

Demand for gasohol is strong currently, indicating that the campaign to promote gasohol usage has been successful.

Mr Metta said the committee had also ruled that the ceiling of levy collected from petrol sales be raised to four baht per litre from the existing 2.50 baht per litre, aimed at financing debts of the state Oil Fund due to the oil-price subsidy policy. The outstanding debt of the fund is 64.8 billion baht.

[Upcountry]

Well, time to sell my car, I guess.

I'd been hoping that recent reconsideration of the policy would result in an enlightened change. Maybe the plan to keep some 95 around is the best we can hope for. But a recent trip across country proved that 95 is already hard to find, so an even more limited supply would not be that much help.

Maybe vested interests have lobbied successfully to maintain the transfer to gasohol. It does not seem like the wisest policy considering the inefficiency of gasohol, especially in the hot climate of Thailand and the shortage of gasohol that we will see (despite the new plants being developed).

I wouldn't want to use gasohol in a new car!