The Methanol Institute (MI) of Singapore said that the Philippines should issue new standards and policies for the effective use of the blending products in gasoline to protect motorists.
This follows the recent crackdown on the over-blending of methanol in gasoline products, where 46 out of 924 gas stations scrutinized were found to have a one to 16 percent methanol blend per volume.
Read: DOE warns public of adulterated petroleum products in gas stations
MI said that it supports the efforts of the Energy Department’s Oil Industry Management Bureau in ensuring high-quality, safe petroleum products.
“MI believes methanol use in the Philippines can benefit consumers through development of higher-quality, lower-cost, and environmentally-beneficial fuel solutions. Methanol is a liquid chemical that can be derived from natural gas, coal, sustainable biomass, municipal solid waste, and captured carbon dioxide (CO2),” it said.
The institute urges the government to develop new fuel standards and related policies for a safer and more effective use of methanol in gasoline blends.
“MI and the methanol industry look forward to working with DOE-OIMB and related stakeholders, to develop opportunities for the local production of renewable methanol, and for methanol to be used safely and effectively in transportation fuels and related chemical and energy applications throughout the Philippines,” it said.
MI said that methanol must be used and handled with care as it is being safely used as transportation fuel in a few countries where stakeholders develop methanol – gasoline blends under approved government standards.
The Philippines currently imports around 130,000 tons of methanol a year primarily used in the production of biodiesel fuel where methanol accounts 10 to 15 percent of its content.