Fuel consumption drops due to Omicron fears
The daily consumption of fuel in Thailand fell 4.6 per cent in the first 11 months of the year compared to the same period in 2020.
The Department of Energy Business contributed the drop to reduced air travel amid worries over the spreading Covid-19 Omicron variant, which has caused the usage of Jet A1 fuel for commercial aircraft to plunge nearly 40 per cent year on year.
Department director-general Nantika Thangsupanich said on Tuesday that the daily consumption of Jet A1, diesel, benzene, kerosene and natural gas (NGV) fuels had dropped by 39.9 per cent, 9.3 per cent, 5 per cent, 6.2 per cent and 19.6 per cent year on year, respectively.
“Only stove oil and LPG [liquefied petroleum gas] saw increased usage of 14.7 per cent and 7.7 per cent year on year, respectively,” she said.
“The average daily consumption of benzene from January to November stood at 28.59 million litres per day, down 9.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2020,” she said. “However, consumption in November rose to 30.53 million litres per day from 28.56 million litres in October, thanks to the easing of lockdown measures and reopening of selected tourist provinces from November 1.”
Nantika added that diesel consumption in November also rose, at 3.5 per cent from the previous month to 71.87 million litres per day, thanks to increasing economic activities that prompted many businesses to use diesel to generate electricity.
Meanwhile, the average consumption of LPG rose by 7.7 per cent to 16.5 million kg daily due to increased use of the gas in petrochemical and industrial sectors.
