The Minister of Energy and Mines, Erwin Barrios, stated that The supply of ethanol for mixing with gasoline is guaranteed in the country for the beginning of the implementation of the program during the rest of 2026, while the president of the Congressional Energy Commission considers it necessary to issue a national biofuels policy.
Ernesto Bran, president of the Energy Commission of the Legislative Body, said during a meeting of that room that the implementation of the 10% ethanol mixture in gasoline is becoming a delicate issue, since part of the population and some sectors do not agree and, according to the country’s experience, with each change of authorities, projects are suspended or modified.
For this reason, it is considered necessary to establish a national biofuels policy. Furthermore, at the meeting, other parliamentarians raised doubts about the effect that ethanol will have in the vehicles.
The minister, accompanied by MEM officials, explained that a national energy policy is being built in which the issues of energy, bioenergy and biofuels are contained. Bran asked when it will be completed and, although a specific date was not provided, the MEM authorities indicated that it is already 70% complete.
Bran added that, now that the bioethanol program is coming in, why not also think about biodiesel.
Given the doubts about the effect on vehicles, Gamaliel Zambrano, director of the Center for Industrial Processes (CPI) of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), indicated that in the tests carried out in the country there are no findings of effects and that one of the tests is still in development. Meanwhile, Barrios said that the vehicles will function the same at this time as they did starting August 21, if they are properly maintained.
Ethanol supply
The ethanol will be supplied by national producers or imported, as was already observed with the arrival of the first shipment of that product to the Santo Tomás port, Barrios indicated.
Between last week and the current one, the MEM issued three regulations, both to guarantee the security of supply and to set the procedure and the percentage of ethanol in the mixture for the periods of 2026 and 2027, which was confirmed at 10%, and the necessary volume.
Derived from the provisions and figures established in these ministerial agreements, it is observed that for the period from June 30 to December 31, 2026, the country will need around 44 million gallons of ethanol to mix with gasoline.
And, for all of 2027, it was estimated that 94 million 698 thousand 002 gallons will be required.