All Gasoline Stations To
Start Pumping Biofuel
Come October
In just a little over
four months all gasoline
stations in the country
will start selling "biocombustible"
- biofuels - extending
the pilot program since
February 2006 in the
Guanacaste and
Puntarenas provinces.
Julio Matamoros,
viceminister de Energía
(vice-minister of
Energy) said that
beginning in October all
gasoline sold in the
country will be an
ethanol and biodiesel
mix.
In the case of gasoline
- regular or super - it
will contain 7.5%
ethanol or anhydrous
alcohol derived from
sugar cane. Diesel will
have a 2% to 5%
biodiesel mix derived
from oil of palm.
For the time being no
mention was made of any
decision on the price of
the biofuel, the Energy
minister not saying if
the price will be same,
be increased or
decreased once the
biofuel begins to be
pumped.
Matamoros did say,
however, that the price
will depend on
international values,
even though he
recognized that the
national production of
biodiesel is sufficient
for at a least a year.
The move to use biofuels
is the country's attempt
to become less dependent
on fossil fuels and to
promote national
production of raw
materials used in
biofuel production, like
sugar cane.
The executive order for
the change is expected
to be signed in July,
according to Matamoros,
who added that at the
same time an extensive
public campaign will be
launched to explain the
use of biofuels to
consumers.
Matamoros said that the
public will be made
aware of the benefits of
using biofuels and that
it does not damage fuel
pumps and engines do not
lose power.
The move will force the
Refinadora Costarricense
de Petróleo (Recope) -
state monopoly on oil
refining and gasoline
distribution - to invest
more than us$1.1 million
dollars in equipment to
mix the ethanol into the
gasoline.
For more than two years
regular gasoline sold in
Puntarenas and
Guanacaste contained the
ethanol mix and sold at
the same price of
regular gasoline in
stations in the other
provinces. However,
drivers had a choice to
fill their tank with
super if they chose
against the biofuel.
But, come October, that
won't be the case. |
