Woodcutter wrote:And where are hypermarkets and independents currently supplied?
Well in Shell's refineries, Total ... (not dear if BP has them in France)
Woodcutter wrote:How could refiners (Total or others) differentiate between the sale for a pump and the sale for the mixture?
Uh, you still believe that it is the pump attendant who will do the mixture .... the E85 will come out of the refinery in a regulated manner ... exactly as with "supermarket" or branded gasoline (the dosage of additives is doing, supposedly, just before filling the tanker)
Woodcutter wrote:And even if they had the opportunity to find out, could they not sell to distributors?
If so, would they not have done so for a long time?
Well the situation is not the same ... with the E85 it is the State which imposes on them a shortfall (an oil tanker would prefer to sell 100% than 15% of petrol since it will not make any difference on the ethanol part ... unless ... it's ETBE ... hihihihi) ... with petrol distributors they are customers for oil tankers ... Nobody spits on a customer ...
Woodcutter wrote:He's probably only talking about the "distribution" part I guess?
No doubt but it is nonetheless dependent on REAL oil ... so compare themselves to them as a competitor ... it's just believable for the 60-year-old housewife ...