Puma Energy to introduce gas-ethanol blend at Puerto Rico stations
Víctor Domínguez, general manager of Puma Energy Caribe, LLC
Puma Energy officials announced Tuesday plans to implement the “Puma-e” initiative, a pilot program through which it will make available an eco-friendly, gasoline-ethanol blend fuel at 56 of its 235 gas stations in Puerto Rico.
The move, which comes less than a week before the “International Environment Month” celebration in June, Puma is reinforcing its commitment to Puerto Rico’s economic development and environmental wellbeing.
“Ethanol is used worldwide as an important element in renewable fuel technologies for its cleaner qualities. We’re proud to be the first wholesaler to offer this fuel in Puerto Rico, as it will help reduce vehicle emissions and air pollution associated with them,” said Víctor Domínguez, general manager of Puma Energy Caribe, LLC. “We anticipate that ‘Puma-e’ will be a success and we hope to expand these efforts in other stations in our Puma network.”
The use of ethanol-blended fuel is common worldwide, with more than 18 countries, including Canada, China, Brazil, Mexico and several countries in Europe, requiring that all fuel containes at least 5 percent of an ethanol blend, Puma executives said Tuesday.
The gas-ethanol blend to be sold at Puma stations will make no difference on the price or vehicle performance, Domínguez said.
The ethanol will be blended into regular 87-octane gas, in a concentration of less than 10 percent, the amount established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“All vehicles manufactured since 1980 are designed to run on gasoline blended with up to 10 percent or less of ethanol,” the executive noted.
“Ethanol is a clean-burning renewable, high octane fuel that reduces emissions and helps keep the engine clean,” Domínguez said. “It’s the only renewable fuel available now and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse effect in the atmosphere.”
