Bangkok Post
B20 expansion targets energy security boost
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Thailand is accelerating efforts to reduce reliance on imported oil by expanding sales of biodiesel B20, aiming to make the fuel available at 1,000 filling stations within a month.
Key facts
- Thailand is accelerating efforts to reduce reliance on imported oil by expanding sales of biodiesel B20, aiming to make the fuel available at 1,000 filling stations within a month.
- B20, a blend of diesel and 20% methyl ester derived from palm oil, is currently sold at 600 stations nationwide.
- Authorities first introduced the fuel on a pilot scale in March but have now shifted to long-term commercial sales, offering it at a retail price of seven baht per litre lower than diesel B7, subsidised by the state Oil Fuel Fund.
- Sarawut Keawtathip, director-general of the Department of Energy Business, said 17 car assemblers and manufacturers from Japan, South Korea, China, Europe and the US have certified that B20 does not affect engine performance in many car models.
- Thailand previously promoted B20 in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which sent oil prices soaring. Authorities used a surplus of palm oil to produce the fuel, but B20 disappeared from the market once global crude prices stabilised.
Summary
B20, a blend of diesel and 20% methyl ester derived from palm oil, is currently sold at 600 stations nationwide.
Authorities first introduced the fuel on a pilot scale in March but have now shifted to long-term commercial sales, offering it at a retail price of seven baht per litre lower than diesel B7, subsidised by the state Oil Fuel Fund.