The European Union has agreed to ban sulphur in petrol as part of its efforts to reduce harmful pollutants from cars.
The European Union has agreed to ban sulphur in petrol as part of its efforts to reduce harmful pollutants from cars.
The union is requiring all member countries to introduce petrol and diesel with much lower sulphur content from January 1, 2005 in order to have a total ban from January 1, 2009. This is likely to lead to sulphur-free diesel becoming mandatory from 2009. The sulphur content in diesel in Europe is currently at 0,035 per cent.
Sulphur increases the wear rate of most engines types and also adds to the emissions from the vehicles.
“This will significantly reduce emissions. In addition, these fuels will… improve the air quality for people throughout the European Union,” European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said in a statement.
The car industry and environmentalists have been calling for a ban for many years.
The oil industry, however, is concerned about the cost of such a ban. The industry said earlier this year that it would cost more than R100 billion over 15 years to upgrade refineries. But the EU feels such a ban will help speed up the introduction of new fuel-efficient technologies.
The sulphur content in diesel in South Africa is higher at 0,55 per cent, but the legal maximum will change to 0,3 per cent from January 1 2002.
