Methanol fuel companies call for breaking the deadlock

Sinochem New Network News “From January to October, the company sold 35,000 tons of methanol gasoline, which was only 12% of the annual plan. The resistance and difficulties in the promotion of methanol gasoline was greater than expected.” November 3, Shaanxi extended its new neutral Wang Yu, deputy general manager of Energy Corporation, told reporters reluctantly.

Not only the Neutral company, Yang Geping, General Manager of Guizhou Longhe Energy Co., Ltd., Qi Jingtang, chief engineer of Henan Blue Sky Group Co., Ltd., and Yantai Guohong Chemical Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Coking Co., Ltd., etc., also reported to the reporter that the cost advantages of low-proportion methanol gasoline It is not obvious that it is difficult to promote, and high-proportion methanol gasoline cannot be promoted due to “no car available”. The lack of gas stations is even more of a hindrance to the promotion of methanol gasoline.

As a representative of low-ratio methanol gasoline, the M15 has undergone numerous rig tests, vehicle tests, and road tests. It is recognized as the most promising clean energy in the industry, and there is no need to make any changes to the engine. However, the high cost of M15 has made it difficult to make profits, and it has been seriously plagued by its widespread application.

According to the current spot price of 93# gasoline and methanol, compared with pure gasoline, M15 has a gross profit of 0.36 yuan per liter. However, deducting more than RMB 0.15/liter for gas stations, the remaining margin of less than RMB 0.2/liter has to be shared with end consumers. This puts the company in a dilemma: if it is too profit-making, it is not profitable for itself. It is not only difficult to recover early-stage investments, it may even cause losses; if too little profit is made, products cannot be sold, and it is difficult to maintain them.

Compared with low-proportion methanol gasoline, high-proportion methanol gasoline has a higher cost advantage due to its higher proportion of methanol, and the national standard “methanol gasoline (M85) for vehicles” provides technical and legal support. However, if the car wants to use the M85, it must be equipped with flexible fuel converters that change the air-to-oil ratio, or specialize in the production of M85 gasoline vehicles.

“At present, the new car for the M85 is not yet on the market. Adding flexible fuel converters that change the air-fuel ratio to at least 2,000 yuan per vehicle, who will bear the burden? The country does not have a subsidy policy, and users are not motivated to refit.” Deputy Secretary-General of the Special Committee for Ethanol Fuels and Alcohol Ether Autonomous Region, Falling Lian said.

The latest statistics show that PetroChina and Sinopec control more than 55% of gas stations in the country. In Shanxi, Guizhou, Shanghai, Shaanxi, Henan, Sichuan, and Chongqing, the gas stations of the two major oil groups account for as high as 90%. As the two major groups are not active in the promotion of methanol gasoline, methanol gasoline cannot enter the main channels of refined oil sales. The distribution of scattered methanol gasoline refueling stations is neither convenient for consumers nor increases the operating cost of methanol gasoline. As time goes by, consumers of unknown circumstances have doubts: Methanol Gasoline is economical and practical, but the two major groups do not sell. There is still a problem. Once the doubts of consumers are formed, the promotion of methanol gasoline will lose its mass base and it is more difficult to change it later.

“Actually, as long as the country’s attitude is clear and substantial support is given, all difficulties in the promotion of methanol gasoline can be easily solved.” Xie Zhenhua, Secretary-General of the Economic and Technical Committee of Shanghai Coking Co., Ltd., expressed his own opinion. “For example, if the M15 has a high cost, if the national policy Support, the two major oil groups to participate in the promotion of methanol gasoline, then, can save methanol gasoline production enterprises to purchase refined oil, reconciliation, sales of various aspects of the transport and handling costs, but also does not need to specifically give profit gas station, the cost of its natural decline. As for the M85, if the country follows the successful practice of Shanxi Province, the owners of vehicles using high percentages of methanol gasoline will be given vehicle subsidies and road toll reductions. How can a high percentage of methanol-gasoline be used without a car?

Wu Jiayou, chairman of Nanjing Giants New Technology Development Corporation, believes that at this stage, the biggest attraction of methanol gasoline to consumers is low prices. From this perspective, M5 and M15 are not competitive on their own, and their effectiveness in conserving petroleum resources is not obvious. Instead, M25, M35, M40, M50 and other proportions of methanol gasoline are more favored by consumers. Giant Co., Ltd. has successfully promoted M35 and M40 in Daqing and Jilin. Related companies may try to promote medium-sized methanol gasoline.

The Shaanxi Provincial Decision-making Advisory Committee recently organized leaders and experts of the 9 departments of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, environmental protection, and quality inspections to carry out on-the-spot investigations into the promotion of methanol-gasoline work in Shanxi Province, and later submitted a report to the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government saying: The National Development and Reform Commission’s “Special Report on the Development of Alcohol and Ether Fuel and Alcohol Ether Clean Vehicles in China (Draft for Soliciting Opinions)” determined that methanol fuel is the transitional vehicle alternative fuel for China in the next 20-30 years. Years of practice and tests have shown that alcohol ether fuels are the most realistic and feasible alternatives to petroleum. Promoting alcohol ether fuels can not only reduce oil consumption and foreign dependence, but also significantly reduce the emission of harmful substances in automobile exhaust and alleviate the excess production capacity of methanol in China. Contradictions have better economic, environmental and social benefits. The report recommended that the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government draw on the practices of Shanxi Province and introduce policies to promote the full acceleration of the promotion of methanol gasoline in Shaanxi.