Hanoi (VNA) - Holding nearly 70% of Vietnam’s fuel market, the Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) and the Petrovietnam Oil Corporation (PVOIL), have proactively taken measures to enable the sale of E10 RON95 biofuel nationwide ahead of schedule, easing pressure on gasoline imports and strengthening national energy security.
With their dominant market share and extensive distribution networks, Petrolimex and PVOIL, a subsidiary of Vietnam National Industry–Energy Group (Petrovietnam), are in a strong position to accelerate the transition toward cleaner fuels. These companies have been actively preparing infrastructure, upgrading blending systems, and coordinating supply chains to ensure the availability of E10 RON95 across their nationwide retail systems.
Under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s roadmap, Vietnam will replace mineral gasoline with E10 RON95 biofuel nationwide from June 1, 2026. However, amid global energy market volatility and in line with Directive 09/CT-TTg on energy saving and transition, and electric transport development, Petrolimex and PVOIL have moved ahead of schedule.
Petrolimex said it is rolling out synchronous measures to expand E10 RON95 sale in April, aiming for a full switch before the deadline. The group is upgrading storage and blending systems, securing ethanol supply, planning base fuel sourcing and logistics. With ethanol demand of 45,000–50,000 cu.m per month, only partly met domestically, Petrolimex has proactively negotiated import contracts with partners in the US, the Republic of Korea and Singapore. Supply is expected to be sufficient, though costs may rise.
A full transition will cut Petrolimex’s mineral gasoline consumption by nearly 10%, or 35,000–40,000 cu.m per month, easing import pressure. Current the firm's E10 RON95 sale averages 95 cu.m per day, up 40% from the levels in the pilot periods. E10 RON95 is now sold at 60 spetrol tations in Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ngai province.
Meanwhile, PVOIL has upgraded blending and storage systems at 13 depots nationwide and enhanced technology and capacity to meet standards for E10 RON95. With a network of nearly 900 petrol stations, a system of depots and terminals across the country, and more than a decade of experience in biofuel blending, PVOIL is ready to supply its network and provide toll blending for others.
Amid increasingly complicated developments in the global oil market, PVOIL has proactively developed response scenarios and swiftly implemented solutions, flexibly adjusting its strategies in line with market fluctuations and practical conditions.
The firm is also diversifying supply sources, boosting condensate-based blending, and accelerating rollout of E10 RON95 biofuel across all facilities from April 2026, while strengthening market forecasting, financial arrangements and coordination with domestic refineries.
Across the Petrovietnam system, units are ramping up production and infrastructure. According to Nguyen Viet Thang, General Director of Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC (BSR) - another subsidiary of Petrovietnam, BSR is ready to produce 60,000 tonnes of ethanol for blending, supported by the restart of a biofuel plant in Dung Quat, though imports will still be needed as domestic supply meets only about 40% of the roughly 1.1 million cu.m annual demand./.
