E10 gasoline first sale: Store sells nearly 1,000 liters in one session

(Dan Tri) - On the first day of the pilot sale of E10 gasoline, a store in Hanoi said it sold nearly 1,000 liters in just the morning. Some people were excited to experience the new gasoline, but many were still hesitant.

On August 1, the two largest petroleum companies in the country, Vietnam National Petroleum Group ( Petrolimex ) and Vietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil), officially started a pilot sale of E10 gasoline (10% ethanol mixed with mineral gasoline) in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong.

Specifically, Petrolimex piloted the sale of E10 gasoline at 36 gas stations in Ho Chi Minh City (before the merger). PV Oil piloted the sale at 4 gas stations in Hanoi and 2 stations in Hai Phong.

E10 gasoline on sale, people experience it

According to Dan Tri reporter, on the morning of August 1, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, 40 gas stations belonging to Petrolimex and PV Oil simultaneously piloted selling E10 RON 95-III gasoline.

At 2 PV Oil gas stations in Nghia Do ward and Dong Da ward (Hanoi), the retail price is listed at 19,600 VND/liter, about 240 VND/liter cheaper than the current price of RON 95-III mineral gasoline (19,840 VND/liter).

At PV Oil Thai Thinh petrol station (Dong Da ward, Hanoi), this unit has installed an information board introducing E10 petrol. The pump nameplate and electronic price list have also been changed accordingly for people to easily recognize.

The retail price of E10 RON 95 gasoline is listed by stores at VND19,600/liter, about VND240/liter lower than the current price of RON 95-III mineral gasoline (Photo: Thanh Thuong).

Mr. Do Quoc Thai - Store Manager of PV Oil Thai Thinh Gas Station - said that the unit has converted 4 pumps from regular RON 95 gasoline to E10 RON 95-III gasoline and started selling from 0:00 on August 1. The store has imported 14,000 liters of E10 gasoline. By nearly 11:00, according to preliminary statistics, the store had sold about 600-700 liters of E10 RON 95-III gasoline. It is expected to sell about 2,000 liters of this gasoline per day.

According to Mr. Thai, because it is the first day of the pilot sale of E10 gasoline, many customers still do not have clear information about this type of gasoline or are still hesitant. However, the store expects consumption to increase sharply in the next few days when the information is more widely spread.

According to the records, the majority of people still prefer to choose RON 95 mineral gasoline because there is not much information about the new fuel. However, when listening to the store staff's introduction, some people expressed their support for testing the new E10 gasoline.

Many people using E5 gasoline said they will switch to using E10 gasoline (Photo: Nhat Quang).

Mr. Minh Phuc (Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi) just filled up 100,000 VND of E10 gasoline at the store, saying that he is using a 2022 Honda SH. "In recent days, I have researched and learned that E10 gasoline is suitable for new generation vehicles and does not affect the engine. Therefore, I do not hesitate to try using this type of gasoline," he shared.

Mr. Quang (Hoa Hung ward, Ho Chi Minh City) also shared that he used E5 gasoline for a long time and now decided to try E10 gasoline because it was introduced as more environmentally friendly and has a lower price than RON 95-V.

At the Petrolimex store on Tran Hung Dao Street (Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), an employee said many customers had asked about E10 gasoline that morning. "Customers who used to use E5 gasoline are now switching to E10 gasoline. Some new customers also want to try it out before using it for a long time," the employee said.

Many people are still hesitant

However, many consumers still expressed concerns about compatibility and the risk of vehicle damage. Ms. Thanh Thao (Dong Da Ward, Hanoi), who drives an old Attila, said she still chooses to fill up with regular RON 95 gasoline.

"I heard that ethanol-mixed gasoline can affect car engines, especially older cars, so I still choose RON 95 gasoline. The car still runs well with RON 95, and when I see my friends or relatives using it well, I will consider it," she said.

People refuel with E10 RON 95 gasoline on the morning of August 1 (Photo: Thanh Thuong).

Mr. Cao Hoai Duong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PV Oil, said that the company has long invested in biofuel blending facilities at warehouses, including both main and transit warehouses. With the Party and State's policy on the use of biofuels, it is expected to completely replace mineral gasoline with E10 gasoline.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Ngoc Nam - Member of the Board of Directors, Deputy General Director of Petrolimex - said that trading E10 gasoline requires serious preparation of infrastructure, technology, specialized tanks for fuel alcohol and close coordination from oil refineries.

This enterprise proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade soon give instructions on the implementation progress, so that key traders can proactively invest and convert the technical system, and at the same time propose to adjust some technical standards of the current TCVN to suit the mineral gasoline sources on the international market and be similar to the technical standard requirements in the region.

In Hanoi, PV Oil has 4 pilot stores selling E10 gasoline (Photo: Thanh Thuong).

Regarding ethanol supply, Mr. Tran Minh - Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion - Ministry of Industry and Trade - said that currently the country has 6 alcohol factories, of which 2 are operating in Dong Nai and Quang Nam, producing about 100,000m3, and if all 6 factories are in operation, the production volume will be 500,000m3.

To ensure supply for demand when the fuel usage roadmap is issued, biofuel supply will need 1-1.5 million m3. The remaining shortage will be imported from abroad, with sources from the US, Argentina, etc.

According to the Government's roadmap, E10 biofuel will gradually replace mineral gasoline on the market, expected to be put into mass use from the beginning of 2026.

E10 gasoline is a finished gasoline product blended from mineral gasoline derived from fossil fuels along with biofuels, in which fuel alcohol is blended in a certain ratio.

According to domestic and international studies, ethanol has a high oxygen content, which helps improve the combustion process of the fuel mixture; therefore, E10 gasoline can help reduce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by up to 20% compared to traditional mineral gasoline.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/xang-e10-lan-dau-mo-ban-cua-hang-ban-gan-1000-lit-trong-mot-buoi-20250801122547750.htm