Petron launches new gasoline product

Oil industry leader Petron Corp. launched yesterday a new product that would complement the implementation of the Biofuels Act starting May 6.

The new product, called XCS Complete Combustion System, is a breakthrough technology customized exclusively for Philippine driving conditions, company officials said.

"The new Petron XCS is designed for the 21st century.  The organic additive used in the new XCS is a proprietary formulation developed exclusively for Petron and we believe that the new XCS will once again set a benchmark for local gasoline products," Petron president Khalid Al-Faddagh said.

Comprehensive research and elaborate tests went into the formulation of the new Petron XCS, the first gasoline powered by premium organic combustion enhancers to give engines a cleaner burn and optimized power.

Al-Faddagh said the introduction of new technologies related to biofuels indicates the readiness and willingness of the oil companies to adopt to the new law.

"It’s very relevant. While there will be logistic issues that you have to sort out, we see biofuels as an opportunity for product development," he said.

"There will be more product development and more product that will use the bio-components, which Petron will be able to differentiate from the others," he added.

He said the launch of the XCS sort of breaks-in their gasoline products for the implementation of the Biofuels Act of 2007.

While the biodiesel component of the Biofuels Act will have to be implemented next month, he said there is also a need to prepare for the implementation of the ethanol blend by 2009 or two years after the effectivity of the law.

"Our priority for ethanol is really to secure ethanol domestically. We have two years. Hopefully, when that applies, our expectation is that there will be at that time a steady supply of ethanol or an industry that can support the introduction of ethanol that will come from the domestic market, which is similar to what we’re doing now with CME (coco methyl ester)," he said.

He said they are optimistic that the supply of ethanol will be as stable as CME.

"The reason CME is viable now is because it has a supply chain that can cover the whole Philippines – that’s really the idea," he said.

 He said the issues on CME have been resolved. "We have a clear position on it, and the whole issue about the Biofuels Act is really to create an industry that will be self-sufficient. We have no issue with CME anymore. Consumers can be rest assured that we will not introduce a fuel without really having the proper testing, validating it, and knowing exactly what kind of additives we can add to it, because you add CME it’s like a chain of things, so you put additives that will neutralize the effects of certain components of that."