Vietnam rolled out a nationwide E10 mandate, requiring all gasoline sold to blend 10% ethanol. Domestic production covers only a quarter of the 100,000 cubic metres needed monthly, with imports filling the gap. It lands alongside a broader regional biofuel policy pickup.
Europe’s latest energy package is not a biofuels strategy. In AccelerateEU, the European Commission is responding to a familiar European problem: fossil fuel dependence. The trigger this time is renewed pressure from the Middle East, higher import costs and concern over transport fuel availability.
The promise of waste-based second-generation ethanol has yet to materialize. The only notable bright spot is Brazil, which offers the clearest commercial template for 2G ethanol.
Vietnam’s latest increase in biofuel sales reflects more than short-term demand movement. It marks a stronger execution phase in the country’s transport fuel policy.
Thailand’s latest fuel price increase underscores the limits of the country’s long-used Oil Fuel Fund and highlights the lack of a settled long-term framework for alternative fuels.
