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Australia's Ampol to focus on EV charging: Correction

  • Market: Biofuels
  • 20/05/25

Corrects sale details in paragraph 4

Australian fuel retailer and refiner Ampol is shifting its focus to electric vehicle (EV) charging and renewable fuels by selling its electricity retail businesses in Australia and New Zealand, it said today.

But Ampol will continue to refine oil at its 109,000 b/d Lytton refinery and import oil products.

Ampol plans to sell all its shares in Ampol Energy Retail, excluding its EV charging business, to Australian energy retailer AGL Sales, the firm announced in an Australian Securities Exchange statement on 13 May.

Ampol is also selling the energy retailing portion of its wholly-owned subsidiary Z Energy, known as Flick Energy, to New Zealand power company Meridian Energy.

The firm is simplifying its approach to energy by focusing on the EV charging and renewable fuels sectors, it said. Further details on Ampol's divestment will be provided in its half-yearly results on 18 August 2025, the firm said.

Ampol launched its decarbonisation and future energy strategy in May 2021. It has since made plans to complete the Lytton Ultra Low Sulphur Fuels project at the end of 2025 to produce gasoline specifications compliant with the new fuel standard by the Australian Federal Government.

The firm has previously expressed the need for long-term policies to support the uptake of renewable fuels and remains committed to progressing its Brisbane renewable fuels study.

Ampol plans to reach delivery of 500 EV charging bays in Australia by 2027. Ampol missed its target of 450 charging bays in Australia and New Zealand in 2024, delivering only 315, mainly because of complexities around grid connection and sluggish EV sales.


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20/06/25

Pakistan loses EU GSP+ ethanol status

Pakistan loses EU GSP+ ethanol status

London, 20 June (Argus) — The European Commission today suspended Pakistan's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status for imports of ethanol. The removal is effective from today, 20 June. A request was lodged in May last year by France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Poland, who sought to activate Article 30 of the GSP Regulation, arguing that ethanol coming from Pakistan since 2022 has "caused a serious disturbance to the Union ethanol market". Under Article 30, the commission can "adopt an implementing act in order to suspend the preferential arrangement in respect of the products concerned". Pakistan was granted GSP+ status in 2014, and this expired at the end of 2023. The status was temporarily extended until 2027. The GSP+ grants reduced-tariff or tariff-free access to the EU for vulnerable low- and lower- to middle-income countries that, according to the EU, "implement 27 international conventions related to human rights, labour rights, protection of the environment and good governance". It fully removes custom duties on two-thirds of the bloc's tariff lines in Pakistan's case, including ethanol. Pakistan is a major supplier of industrial-grade ethanol to Europe, but it does not export fuel-grade ethanol. According to market participants, this is because production facilities in the country lack sustainability certifications such as the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) that are required for biofuels to qualify under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) targets. Fuel-grade ethanol was not included in the bloc's measures. Several Pakistani market participants were hopeful the GSP+ status will remain in place, which has continued to support ethanol exports from the country to the EU ( see table ). But uncertainty has weighed on demand from Europe recently, suppliers said. A participant told Argus that Pakistani sellers may look to offer more into Africa to soften the drop in demand. Some European suppliers anticipated this outcome, and have already stopped importing from Pakistan. European renewable ethanol association ePure expressed concern about the decision to exclude fuel ethanol from the scope of the measures, noting this could open the door to unintended loopholes and weaken the overall effect of the safeguard efforts. By Evelina Lungu and Deborah Sun European ethanol imports from Pakistan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Indonesia turns down UK biodiesel subsidy review


17/06/25
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17/06/25

Indonesia turns down UK biodiesel subsidy review

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16/06/25
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US biofuel feed prices jump on blending plan


16/06/25
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16/06/25

US biofuel feed prices jump on blending plan

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UK's Ensus warns of biofuels plant closure threat


16/06/25
News
16/06/25

UK's Ensus warns of biofuels plant closure threat

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