With the presence of the Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mr. Jose Icaza, the Petroecuador Public Company and the companies Consorcio Artesanal Cado, Producargo SA, Codana SA and Soderal SA, signed a USD 95 million contract for the supply of anhydrous alcohol, Which will guarantee the supply of gasoline Ecopais, in the eight provinces in which this fuel is currently marketed.
Currently, Ecopais is distributed in the provinces of Guayas, Santa Elena, Los Rios, El Oro, Manabi, Esmeraldas, Loja and Zamora Chinchipe, with a dispatch of approximately one million gallons per day. Due to the demand for this fuel, EP Petroecuador has made investments in the infrastructure of Pascuales, Loja, Manta terminals and in the refineries of La Libertad and Esmeraldas, in order to guarantee a safe and timely supply.
EP Petroecuador works jointly with the agro-industry and contributes to the change of the productive matrix and encourages the Ecuadorian agriculture, therefore, producers of anhydrous alcohol incorporated 3% of production of alcohol craft, which is equivalent to 3.3 million Liters in this contract. Gustavo Heinert, President of the Association of Alcoholists, said that this benefits approximately 1,260 families that are engaged in the production of alcohol.
The Ecuadorian agribusiness made investments, increasing the production capacity from 33.6 million liters in 2015 to 75 million liters in the current year, which includes the Consorcio Artesanal Cado initiative, which groups more than 40 craft associations And that can offer about one million liters of ethanol a year.
The Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mr. Jose Icaza, stressed that the change in the production matrix has led to broader horizons for the benefit of the productive, environmental and hydrocarbon sector of Ecuador, with the constant search for mechanisms that enable industries to be amicably with the environment.
The consumption of Ecopais gasoline helps to reduce CO2 emissions to the environment and benefits the sugar cane and ethanol producers. In addition, the use of this fuel generates a reduction in the outflow of foreign exchange, as it reduces imports of High Octane Naphtha (NAO), used for the production of gasolines. Ecopais gasoline is a mixture of 95% NAO and 5% ethanol; Complies with the standard NTE INEN 935, which regulates the quality of the gasolines, that is to say meets the quality standards of Extra Gasoline, with the advantage that it has a renewable component in its composition.
The Ecopais project began its dispatch in 2010, with the pilot plan that started in the province of Guayas, in 19 service stations in the canton Guayaquil, and is currently marketed in 372 gas stations.
In closing, the Secretary of State emphasized that efforts have been focused on seeking inclusive initiatives that provide cleaner energy for vehicles, but also generate employment and multiply opportunities for all alcohol producers.
