Widely used in many countries

Implementing Decision No. 3586/QĐ-BCT dated December 8, 2025 issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade on promulgating the plan to disseminate Circular No. 50/2025/TT-BCT dated November 7, 2025 regulating the roadmap for blending biofuels with traditional fuels in Vietnam, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized a conference to disseminate the new roadmap for blending biofuels with conventional fuels.

The event carries significant importance, demonstrating the determination of the industry and trade sector to concretize the Party and State’s policies on green and sustainable energy transition, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and protecting the environment.

This effort comes as climate change grows increasingly complex and urgent global requirements to cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, and fulfill international commitments on carbon neutrality place mounting pressure on countries.

At the same time, amid unpredictable global developments particularly armed conflicts and geopolitical competition that could disrupt energy supply chains each country, including Vietnam, needs to proactively diversify energy sources and develop alternative fuels. In this context, biofuels represent an important solution.

In his opening remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan noted that following the Government’s direction, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Circular No. 50/2025/TT-BCT on November 7, 2025, regulating the application of biofuel blending ratios with conventional fuels in Vietnam, replacing the roadmap previously stipulated in Decision No. 53/2012/QĐ-TTg dated November 22, 2012 of the Prime Minister.

To implement the provisions of Circular No. 50 in a synchronized and effective manner, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 07/CT-TTg on February 26, 2026 to accelerate the production, blending, distribution, and use of biofuels in Vietnam.

“Promoting the use of biofuels such as E5 and E10 gasoline not only helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional fossil gasoline and contributes to environmental protection, but also promotes the development of the biofuel industry, creates stable outlets for agricultural production, generates jobs, and contributes to socio-economic development,” the Deputy Minister emphasized.

At the same time, it also helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels at a time when global energy supplies remain vulnerable to fluctuations caused by armed conflicts and geopolitical competition.

According to the Deputy Minister, biofuels such as E10, E15, E20 and higher blends have been widely used for many years in countries including the United States, Brazil, Europe, China, Thailand and the Philippines.

Vietnam has distributed E5RON92 gasoline nationwide since 2018 and piloted the distribution of E10RON95 gasoline starting from August 1, 2025. In practice, no negative feedback has been recorded from consumers regarding fuel quality or adverse impacts of E5 and E10 gasoline on engine performance or durability.

Contributing to national energy security

To successfully implement the roadmap for producing, blending, distributing, and using biofuels under Circular No. 50 and achieve environmental, economic, social, and energy security objectives, Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan suggested that after a brief presentation of the key contents of Circular No. 50 and Directive No. 07, managers, scientists and enterprise representatives attending the conference should devote more time to discussions.

Participants were encouraged to share knowledge, experience, and propose solutions ranging from developing domestic E100 supply sources to blending, formulating and distributing E5 and E10 gasoline to consumers.

Delegates were also invited to exchange views on related technical issues, make recommendations to relevant authorities if necessary, and assess challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from the implementation of E5 and E10 gasoline over the past years, as well as management tools that may need to be supplemented for implementing the biofuel roadmap.

At the conference, the Deputy Minister also outlined several key orientations.

First, expanding the use of biofuels is an inevitable trend in the global energy transition. For Vietnam, this is not only a solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fulfill international commitments on climate change response, but also an important pathway to ensure national energy security, diversify fuel supply sources and promote green and circular economic development.

Second, Vietnam has considerable potential and favorable conditions for developing the biofuel industry. Abundant agricultural raw materials, ethanol production facilities invested in recent years, and a nationwide fuel distribution network are key factors supporting the growth of the biofuel market.

However, to effectively leverage these advantages, coordinated efforts are required among ministries, sectors, local authorities, scientific research institutions and the business community to develop raw material areas, enhance production capacity, improve technical infrastructure and organize the market.

Third, implementing the biofuel blending roadmap stipulated in Circular No. 50/2025/TT-BCT is a crucial step toward establishing a stable and long-term market for biofuels in Vietnam. This requires careful preparation in terms of ethanol supply, blending and distribution systems, as well as management and quality monitoring mechanisms to ensure transparency, efficiency and compliance with technical standards.

In addition, the Deputy Minister suggested that management agencies, industry associations and enterprises should strengthen communication and information dissemination, providing scientific and objective information about the benefits of biofuels for the environment and socio-economic development, thereby building public consensus and strengthening consumer confidence in biofuels.