Last week for the sale of 90, 95 and 97 gasoline in Peru

This week ends the 60-day period granted by the Peruvian Government, through DS 018-2022, so that wholesale fuel distributors in Peru adapt their offer to only two types of gasoholes and gasoline: regular and premium.

Not counting the 84 octane variety, which will continue to be sold until December 2023 (June 2024 in some regions), It means that those of 90, 95 and 97 will begin to disappear, gradually, from the dashboards of the taps, once they run out of stock. This, because the Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem) reported that it granted a white march so that the taps can buy, for example, regular gasoline and offer it to the public as 90. The Republic spoke with Petroperu and Repsol, the two largest wholesale suppliers.

The state oil company confirmed a set of technical and logistical activities to prepare the change and disseminate it at a general level, such as cleaning ground tanks and lines in all sales and distribution plants.

In this way, Petroperú said it was implementing the coloring system in plants and terminals. For example, red dye was purchased for regular gasoline, and a gradual renewal of the inventory began, which, nationwide, will replace 97 gasoline/gasohol with premium gasoline/gasohol, which will be yellow.

“The import volumes of high octane gasoline (minimum 97.5) by sea are being reduced due to the non-commercialization of 97, and imports of fuel alcohol continue to maintain the mixture at the time of dispatch of gasoholes to the truck tanker,” he reported.

Meanwhile, Repsol guaranteed the necessary steps to “comply with the deadlines established” by Minem and offer the new gasoholes on the agreed dates.

In this line, he stressed that the obligation to market low-sulfur gasoholes will produce “a major benefit for the health of Peruvians and for the environment,” since it will reduce the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere.

taps get ready

But when will the sale to the public begin at the taps and service stations? The rule gives retailers up to 60 additional days to comply; that is, until April 2023. Thus, the obligation should begin, then, in May.

The energy specialist Gustavo Navarro explains that the stock in the taps does not exceed 2 or 3 days since their last recharge, for which reason the new gasoline could already appear in some stations starting next weekend, assuming that they recharge the last day of wholesale availability of 90, 95 and 97, which is February 28. This would allow them to break through in a new system of competition.

“Osinergmin will verify if a faucet did not comply. Although it may represent a small increase at the beginning due to the costs of modifying dispensers, this will translate, in the long term, into an improvement and savings for the public, since logistics costs are reduced ”, he pointed out.

Agesp: Many faucets have already adapted

The Association of Taps and Service Stations of Peru (Agesp) informed The Republic that the simplification change “is not complicated”, for which many associates have already adapted. Instead, the institution stressed that the measure “does not mean an increase in prices for the driver”, but rather provides predictability for the user and a reduction in distribution costs.

With the New Talara Refinery, Petroperú will be able to locally refine high-octane gasoline that today it can only import, unlike Repsol, which does prepare it in La Pampilla.

figures

• 50,000 barrels of gasoline are consumed daily in our country.

• 48% of the gasohol consumed in Peru is 90 octane. The 95 gasohol reaches 28%.

The word

Gustavo Navarro, energy specialist

“In fact, some taps in the south of Lima they already made changes to offer only gasoholes of 90 and 95, which are equivalent to regular and premium, respectively. It is a positive change for everyone.”