By Alena Mae S. Flores

Bangkok?Thailand is aiming to be the ethanol hub in the Asia-Pacific region, officials of PTT Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand told reporters here.

Thawansak Krapong, PTT Public vice president for aviation and marine marketing, said Brazil is known as the biggest supplier of ethanol but he expects Thailand to become the supplier of choice in the region.

Thailand is offering up to 85 percent ethanol mixed with gasoline (E85). Most of its retail stations are offering E20 compared with the Philippines, which is just starting its ethanol mandate by offering E5 starting Feb. 6.

?Our key direction is to try to make PTT the ethanol hub of the region,? he said.

Thailand is pursuing ethanol, also called gasohol, despite government?s decision to push back the mandatory selling of ethanol to ensure adequate supply.

PTT Public is nearing completion of its $60-million ethanol plant in Maesod, Tak, which will supply about 200,000 liters of ethanol per day.

PTTPublic is 70 percent-owned by the government of Thailand and 30 percent by the investing public. It is the largest energy company with investments in oil refining, petrochemicals and in both the upstream and downstream oil and gas industry.