It is expected that from August 1, 2025, Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) will pilot the business of E10 biofuel (E10 gasoline) at stores in Ho Chi Minh City (before the merger) to assess the market and practical implementation capabilities.
Clean fertilizers, green consumption
Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is consulting to submit to the Government to issue a roadmap for using E10 gasoline to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and implement the commitment to balance net emissions by 2050, expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026.
E10 gasoline is a finished gasoline mixed from mineral gasoline derived from fossil fuels along with biofuel, in which fuel alcohol is mixed at a certain ratio. According to QCVN 01:2022/BKHCN on gasoline, diesel fuel and biofuel, E10 gasoline is biofuel with a fuel alcohol content of 9 - 10% by volume.
Not only contributing to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, E10 gasoline also shows many outstanding advantages in engine operation and environmental protection.
According to domestic and international studies, ethanol has a high oxygen content, helping to improve the combustion process of fuel mixtures; thereby, E10 gasoline can help reduce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydro hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by up to 20% compared to traditional mineral gasoline. Reduced emissions mean reduced air pollution and greenhouse effects - one of the main causes of global climate change.
Not only does it have environmental benefits, E10 gasoline is also considered an engine-friendly fuel. Ethanol has a high Octane value (over 100), when mixed with traditional gasoline, it helps increase the Octane value of E10 gasoline; this creates conditions for the combustion process in the combustion chamber to take place more evenly, thoroughly and stably, increasing the performance of electricity and limiting the phenomenon of premature explosion - a cause of damage to the engine.
Research results from the State-level topic and international organizations such as ACEA (Union of European Automobile Manufacturers) all confirm: E10 gasoline is completely compatible with current gasoline engines, including older-generation engines.
Currently, more than 60 countries have widely used E10 gasoline; many countries and territories, such as the US and Europe, have issued laws requiring the use of combining fuels between gasoline and whole biofuel.
Currently, the alcohol content in biofuel tends to increase, since 2018, countries in the region such as China and the Philippines have 100% switched to trading only 1 type of gasoline, which is E10 biofuel; Mineral gasoline is banned from trading at a retail store of petroleum (CHXD) but is only allowed to be used as an ingredient to make E10 biofuel.
At the recent 6-month conference on the supply of petroleum to the market and the direction and tasks for the last 6 months of 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued strong instructions on increasing the use of biofuel, especially E10 gasoline, to gradually replace mineral gasoline. The transition to using E10 gasoline is an important step in the roadmap for implementing emissions according to the Government's commitment.
Petrolimex: Green transformation roadmap begins with gas stations
To effectively implement the roadmap for mixing and using E10 gasoline as planned, the Ministry of Industry and Trade requires relevant units to build synchronous groups of solutions such as: Supporting domestic ethanol prices to stabilize supply and reduce E5/E10 gasoline prices; Completing the system of standards and technical regulations for E10 gasoline; Strengthening community communication; Encouraging businesses to expand the biofuel distribution system, especially in rural, mountainous, and island areas...
With the strategic goal of Petrolimex by 2035 "To become the leading energy group in Vietnam in green, clean, high-quality, environmentally friendly energy products based on the 4.0 technology platform and comprehensive digital transformation".
Biogasift business is an important part of the energy conversion orientation, Petrolimex is upgrading its retail infrastructure and expanding the Pethanol fuel mixing network. At the same time, strengthen coordination with domestic and foreign ethanol producers to ensure stable supply, serving sustainable biofuel trading activities.
In parallel with the biofuel business, Petrolimex is researching new energy solutions such as hydrogen and some renewable fuels, in line with energy transition trends and emission reduction requirements. Within the framework of strategic cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Group has set a goal of developing an energy conversion roadmap to implement emissions according to the Government's commitment.
Speaking about the development of biofuel, Mr. Tran Ngoc Nam - Member of the Board of Directors, Deputy General Director of Petrolimex expressed absolute support for the policy of implementing E10 gasoline and said: The Group plans to pilot E10 gasoline trading at affiliated gas stations in Ho Chi Minh City before the merger from August 1, 2025. The goal is to assess market reaction, consumer behavior and the level of technical compliance of the distribution system.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Nam said that the business of E10 gasoline requires serious preparation in infrastructure, technology, specialized tanks for fuel and close coordination from refineries. Therefore, Petrolimex proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade soon issue instructions on the implementation progress, so that unit traders can proactively invest and convert the technical system, and at the same time propose adjusting some of the current technical standards of TCVN to suit the mineral gasoline sources in the international market and similar to the requirements of technical standards in the region.
The transition to using biofuel, specifically E10 gasoline, is not only an inevitable step in environmental protection, building a green economy, implementing emissions according to the Government's commitment, but also a strategic solution to ensure energy security, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and promote green consumption.
