Vietnam to switch to bio-fuel nation-wide The plan to replace RON92 petrol with E5 bio-fuel is underway and is estimated to take effect from June next year.   The public are being encouraged to buy bio-fuel The Ministry of Industry and Trade is working to implement the plan on time and deal with possible problems. E5 is a mix of A92 petrol (95%) and bio-fuel ethanol (5%). The E5 quality by wholesale and retailers also meet required standards of the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality under the Ministry of Science and Technology. There has been no complaint from consumers about the quality of E5 fuel. Currently, most of the ethanol is provided by Tung Lam JSC with capacity of 150,000 tonnes per year to mix over three million E5 fuel. The Ministry of Industry and Trade requested to work with the Ministry of Finance to calculate the prices for the E5 and E10 fuel, develop a mechanism to manage the market and how to use the price stabilisation fund. Ministries, departments and local authorities are asked to popularise the use of bio-fuel to the public. PetroVietnam, Petrolimex and retailers are asked to ensure the supply and open more plants in Vietnam. In August, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said E5 had been sold in Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Hanoi, HCM City, Hai Phong, Can Tho and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Hai said the bio-fuel prices were not attractive enough because of the high price of ethanol and declining price of petrol. "Businesses are not keen on bio-fuel because of lower revenues and customers habitually buy RON92," he said. By Phuong Dung, dtinews.vn