South Korea’s ethanol trial shelved due to oil industry not wanting to support imports

In South Korea, the Chosun newspaper reports that pushback from the domestic oil industry has forced the government to suspend its planned ethanol blending trial. Announced more than a year ago that would have seen a select number of pumps supply ethanol-blended fuel to government fleet vehicles and select private sector partners, was officially put on hold on Tuesday. The oil industry is against the move because domestic production isn’t available, requiring imports from the US or Brazil, while biodiesel could be produced locally.