10-ppm sulfur ULSD limit passes another key Euro Parliament test

Diesel Fuel News, Sept 16, 2002

European Parliament's Environment Committee last week voted 36-10 to approve a key "second reading" of a measure to mandate a 10-ppm sulfur limit on both highway and non-road diesel by 2009, with a 350-ppm sulfur interim limit on non-road diesel in 2005.

Aligning non-road diesel to the tougher highway diesel sulfur standards remains a point of contention with the Council of Ministers. Still, the Environment Committee backed off an earlier plan to require non-road diesel to meet the same highway diesel 50-ppm sulfur limit for 2005, reports Sandrine Dixson-Decleve of Hart Downstream Energy Group/International Fuel Quality Center, in Brussels.

By year-end 2004, the European Commission would have to define what constitutes a "balanced geographic basis" for the initial availability of 10-ppm ULSD alongside the 50-ppm sulfur fuel.

The 10-ppm sulfur fuel is supposed to boost the performance and durability of exhaust catalyst systems, compared to the 50-ppm ULSD (see Diesel Fuel News 7/8/02, p1).

Meantime, Parliament's official "fuels rapporteur" Heidi Hautala is expected to meet with European Council and European Commission next week on the clean-fuels initiatives. Parliament could vote on the "second reading" in full during the week of Sept. 23.

Ultra-low sulfur fuels proponents hope that these Parliament/Council/Commission discussions can reach agreement on the non-road fuels limits/deadlines, "therefore clearing the way for a swift co-decision process by the end of the year," Dixson-Decleve explains.