'law needed' to govern use of E85 gasohol

Thipdee Harnprasert, vice chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute of Thailand Foundation and adviser to the Thai Automotive Industry Association, said the country had moved in the right direction in supporting the use of E85 gasohol. He now wants to see a law governing its use.

"If not, once there is a change of government, the policy will also be changed, leaving no substantial support," he said.

Thipdee said the government should begin the promotion of E85 by drumming up public support and giving consumers incentives by offering a retail price Bt15 per litre lower than 95-octane petrol.

He added that carmakers - whether in Japan, the United States or Europe - were ready to support the use of the fuel and had already produced cars with E85 engines.

He said that once the gasohol becomes widely adopted, the government should cancel the use of 91-octane petrol as most vehicles could utilise 91 gasohol.

Dr Samai Jai-in, an expert at the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre, said the Kingdom had the potential to produce E85 gasohol and it was up to the government to strongly support its utilisation and production.

Like Thipdee, he said there must be a law to support the development and use of the fuel.

He said it would cost the government nothing to support the ethanol production industry, while the government has to provide considerable financial support to the auto industry to make Thailand a vehicle production hub. The promotion of alternative fuel will also help the country cut oil imports.

Thailand has 11 ethanol plants with a full production capacity of 1.575 million litres per day, while another 49 plants will gradually begin operations.