OCHO RIOS, St Ann: Petrojam, the Government's oil-import agency, is making the necessary infrastructural adjustments to its refinery to improve the production and delivery of the low-cost fuel E10 to satisfy growing demand.

Laurence Broderick, state minister for energy and mining, who was addressing the annual business meeting of Chevron Caribbean SRL held recently at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, said four ethanol skids will be installed - one per loading bay - to facilitate the blending of E10 in both 87 and 90 octanes.

The process, he said, will be carried out in two phases, with Phase One "to constitute the blending of E10 87 on the four existing regular 87 loading arms, while supplying regular 87 on the two loading arms that are now being used for E10 87. This will result in more loading capacity for E10 87, which is in greater demand than regular 87.' This phase, he said, will be completed by mid-June.

Phase Two will entail the loading of E10 87 and E10 90 on all four loading bays, in tandem with the completion of modifications at the Montego Bay Loading Terminal, which is estimated to be completed in October. Broderick expressed confidence that work being undertaken will facilitate the full roll-out of E10 87 and E10 90 in both Kingston and Montego Bay.