Step on the gas in Sri Lanka
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The Global Fuel Economy Initiative is supporting Sri Lanka to assess the fuel economy of its vehicle fleet numbering around 4.5 million and develop new policy measures. The country should harness maximum benefits from this initiative by implementing a clean air action plan which will contain proposals for vehicle fuel economy labelling and fiscal incentives. The roadmap is essential for air quality management in the country with specific objectives, strategies, actions, timeframes and key performance indicators. In order to control air pollutants from the country’s vehicle fleet, there is an urgent need of traffic management measures, new emission standards, effective vehicle inspection and maintenance programmes encouraging public transport, and cleaner fuel as well as road user charges, etc.
Even though some of the above measures have been implemented in Sri Lanka, proper fuel standard, vehicle emission standards or effective management programme are still to be enforced. Sri Lanka has to take a big step towards implementing the current world fuel standard to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve public health as the use of cars in the country is on the rise along with the average engine capacity.
According to latest statistics, the active vehicle fleet in the country is 4.5 million, annual fuel consumption 2.7 million tons and average fuel economy 0.025 litre/passenger-km. The data shows that there is an urgent need to implement world fuel standards to control air pollution in Sri Lanka.
Use of hybrid vehicles has improved the fuel economy by 15 per cent. But the Government should take measures to implement world fuel standards as it is essential to import cleaner fuel. It is not a difficult task under the present set up of declining fuel prices in the world market. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) completely phased out leaded petrol in mid June 2002 and it is now marketing only low sulphur “unleaded petrol” of grades 95 Octane, 92 Octane and 90 Octane. While unleaded petrol of 95 Octane grade is imported and is meeting “Euro-2″ standards, unleaded petrol of 90 Octane grade is produced locally at the CPC Refinery with the sulphur content in the range of 5-10 ppm. The current world fuel standard is”Euro”-4 and Sri Lanka is still using
“Euro”-2 quality petrol introduced to the country almost 14 years ago. 92 Octane and 90 Octane petrol are below the “Euro”-2 standard. The standards set by the developed nations should be introduced to control vehicle emissions in Sri Lanka. It is not costly according to current global prices of fuel. Sri Lanka should import “Euro”-3 or “Euro”-4 standard petrol on par with the standards set by the developed countries. There are two grades of diesel marketed by CPC in Sri Lanka. The “Super diesel” is having a maximum sulphur content of 0.25 per cent by weight and “Auto diesel” has a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per cent by weight. Around 60 per cent of the total consumption of auto diesel is imported and the refinery is capable of producing only 40 per cent of the present demand.
The total quantity of super diesel consumed in the country is imported. Although the requirement by specification is 0.5 per cent sulphur (maximum). The average sulphur content of auto diesel is around 0.38 per cent by wt. Standards regulating Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other exhaust emissions from passenger cars in the EU have become more stringent over time. The permissible limit for emissions of NOx from diesel cars declined from 500 milligrams per km (mg/km) under”‘Euro” 3 to 80 mg/km under “Euro” 6. Therefore Sri Lanka should go for at least “Euro” 6 diesel to control NOx emissions which is also an air pollutant. The government is compelled to improve the quality of diesel since it contributes a lot towards the reduction of harmful diesel exhaust emissions causing environmental pollution and serious health hazards which cost both economically and socially on the society at large.
The sulphur content of super diesel Four Star has only 10 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur whereas the normal diesel has 500 units ppm sulphur. The Euro 6 diesel is environmental friendly as it reduces the emission of toxic fumes such as sulphur, oxides of nitrogen and black smoke. No institution has been officially named to check the quality of fuel while the services of the Department of Measurement Units, Standards and Services have been obtained from time to time. CPC-sold fuel is randomly checked at their filling stations around three to four times a month by a special investigation unit, the regional managers, three officers appointed by the minister and the internal audit division upon receipt of complaints. It is essential to designate a state institution such as the Department of Measurement Units, Standards and Services to carry out constant checks on fuel quality selling at petrol sheds to maintain proper standards.
(The writer is the Chairman – Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA).
He is also the Director-Sales
and Marketing of Senok Trade Combine (Pvt) Ltd)