December 2, 2019
By Matt Thompson
A recently released report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service says that while Thailand has relied on domestic ethanol production, the country could benefit from importing ethanol and other biofuels.
While the country allows imports of ethanol for industrial use, the country does not import ethanol for use as a transportation fuel. Traders of ethanol in Thailand are required to receive a permit from the country’s Ministry of Energy; however, “to date, the MOE has never approved any imports of fuel ethanol due to sufficient supplies of locally produced ethanol,” the report says.
But the report says the country could benefit from allowing fuel ethanol imports. Feedstocks for domestic ethanol production in Thailand are sugar cane, molasses and cassava. Because of shortages of those feedstocks, Thailand “will be forced to temporarily lower biofuel use targets or price surges when weather-related feedstock shortages occur,” and the country’s lack of ethanol imports will prevent it from meeting higher ethanol-use targets. It is also likely to see higher greenhouse gas emissions from land use change, the report said. “Permitting some role for imports unlocks the full positive potential contribution biofuels can make.”
And the country is set to lower it’s consumption goals for 2037. The report says a new 20-year Alternative Energy Development Plan was approved in April, and “the government is in the process of reviewing ethanol and biodiesel consumption targets.” Those targets are expected to be lower than the targets set out in the 2015 plan, due the concerns over feedstock supply. The new targets are expected to lower the consumption target in 2037 to 2.4 billion liters. That’s 41 percent below the target set out in 2015.
According to the report, the country’s ethanol and production rates are expected to increase in 2019, but not as quickly as they once had. In 2017, the country saw its highest ethanol consumption growth rate in 2017 at 12 percent. In 2019, ethanol consumption is expected to increase by 6 percent over 2018 levels. The reduced rate of ethanol production and use in the country, the report says, is “due to the delay in the cessation of Octane 91 E10 sales.” That cessation was scheduled for Jan. 1, 2018.
Despite the delay, the report says ethanol-blend levels in the country have reached 13.5 percent in this year as a result of strong E20 sales.
Read the original article: Report: Thailand Could Benefit From Ethanol Imports