Updated - Adds Enemed reaction - Petrol station owners are planning legal action against Enemed, the State-owned fuel importation company, claiming it abused its monopoly position when it chose only 10 of them to sell a new “super unleaded” type of petrol.

There are some 80 fuel stations scattered around Malta and Gozo. Those that have not been selected say Enemed’s move amounts to discrimination and lack of a level playing field.

[attach id=485164 size="medium"]Petrol station owners are planning legal action against Enemed.[/attach]

Represented by the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU, they are ready to ask the courts to issue an injunction against the company to stop it from distributing the new fuel to the 10 other stations from Monday.

The chosen stations so far are: Gaffarena Petrol Station in Qormi; Pit Stop Service Station in Attard; Falzon Service Station, Birkirkara; France Motor Service in Fgura; VC Service Station in Għargħur; J. Micallef Service Stations in Rabat and Żejtun; Wembley Service Station in Swieqi; Lourdes Service Station in Żabbar and Arry Hompesch Service Station, also in Żabbar.

An Enemed spokeswoman said the stations were chosen on the basis of compliance to the 2020 requirements and on the highest
sales volumes.

She said Enemed had been approached by other station owners expressing a wish to provide the special fuel too and discussions were now underway to widen the “pilot project” and make it available from more stations

Super Unleaded Petrol RON98 is a high octane fuel which, it is claimed, improves a car’s performance and helps protect the engine while cutting fuel consumption.

The higher octane rating of super unleaded should make it burn more efficiently, thus delivering more power for less fuel. It suits high-performance engines where pressures and temperatures are great, but carries less benefit for ordinary cars.

The new fuel is expected to cost some 15c more than the standard unleaded petrol.