EC Proposes Stricter Fuel Standards
February 2, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
The European Commission (EC) proposed new standards for transport fuels that will reduce their contribution to climate change and air pollution, including greater use of biofuels.
The changes underscore the EC's commitment to ensuring that the European Union (EU) effectively combats climate change and air pollution.
The proposed standards will not only make transport fuels themselves cleaner, but will also allow the introduction of vehicles and machinery that pollute less.
To encourage the development of lower-carbon fuels and biofuels, the EC foresees that suppliers will have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by the production, transport and use of their fuels by 10% between 2011 and 2020.
This will cut CO2 emissions by 500 million tonnes by 2020 - equivalent to the total combined emissions of Spain and Sweden today.
A new petrol blend will have to be established, allowing higher content of the biofuel ethanol. In addtion, sulphur levels in diesel and gasoil will have to be cut to reduce emissions of dangerous dust particles.
Stavros Dimas, EC environment commissioner, said, "This is one of the most important measures in the series of new initiatives the Commission needs to take to step up the fight against global climate change. It is a concrete test of our political commitment to leadership on climate policy and our capacity to translate political priorities into concrete measures. It will further underpin Europe's shift towards the low-carbon economy that is essential if we are to prevent climate change from reaching dangerous proportions. These proposals will also help achieve a significant reduction in the noxious pollutants from transport that can harm our citizens' health, as well as opening the way for a major expansion in the use of biofuels, especially second-generation biofuels."
The new standards will achieve:
- A reduction of 500 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
- An improvement in the quality of transport fuels and promotion of "second-generation" biofuels that will bring bigger emission savings.
- Better public health through a reduction in noxious pollutants, in particular due to lower sulphur content of diesel.
Importance of fuel quality specifications
The 1998 fuel quality directive (directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending directive 93/12/EC) sets common EU specifications for petrol, diesel and gasoil used in road vehicles, inland waterway barges and non-road mobile machinery, such as locomotives, earth-moving machinery and tractors. Its aim is to protect human health and the environment and ensure a single market in these fuels.
The EC's proposal to revise the directive reflects developments in fuel and engine technology, the growing importance of biofuels and the need both to meet the air quality goals set out in the 2005 Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution (see IP/05/1170) and to further reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.
Proposed changes
The revised directive will introduce an obligation for fuel suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that their fuels cause over their life cycle - that is, when they are refined, transported and used. Starting in 2011, suppliers will have to reduce emissions per unit of energy by 1% a year from 2010 levels. This will result in a 10% cut by 2020.
This obligation will promote the further development of low-carbon fuels and other measures to reduce emissions from the fuel production chain. It will also help ensure that the fuel sector contributes to achieving the EU's greenhouse gas reduction goals.
To enable a higher volume of biofuels to be used in petrol, a separate petrol blend will be established with a higher permitted content of oxygen-containing additives (so called oxygenates), including up to 10% ethanol. The different petrol blends will be clearly marked to avoid fuelling vehicles with incompatible fuel.
To compensate for an increase in emissions of polluting vapours that will result from greater use of ethanol, the EC will put forward a proposal for the mandatory introduction of vapour recovery equipment at filling stations later this year. These vapours, known as volatile organic compounds, contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone pollution, which can cause premature death in people with breathing difficulties or heart problems.
Starting January 1, 2009, all diesel fuel marketed will have to have an ultra-low sulphur content - no more than 10 parts per million (ppm). This will cut pollutant emissions, primarily of dust particles ("particulate matter"), which is the air pollutant most dangerous for human health. This sulphur reduction will, in particular, facilitate the introduction of new pollution control equipment, such as particle filters on diesel vehicles.
From the same date, the maximum permitted content of another dangerous substance in diesel - polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - will be reduced by one-third. This can reduce emissions not only of PAHs, some of which may cause cancer, but also of particulate matter.
The permitted sulphur content of gasoil for use by non-road machinery and inland waterway barges will also be substantially cut. This, too, will reduce emissions of particulate matter and allow the introduction of more advanced engines and emission control equipment.
The EC feels the costs of the different elements have been assessed and, overall, the changes proposed are justified on a cost-benefit analysis.
Main proposed changes to technical specifications
| Parameter |
Old value |
New value |
| Maximum permitted oxygen content in petrol |
2.7% by mass |
3.7% by mass in "high biofuel petrol" |
| Maximum ethanol content |
5% by volume |
10% by volume in "high biofuel petrol" |
| Other oxygenates |
Varied between 3 and 15% |
All increased by a comparable amount in "high biofuel petrol" except methanol |
| Sulphur content of road transport diesel |
Currently 50 ppm; provisionally 10 ppm from 1/1/2009 |
10 ppm from 12/31/2008 |
| Sulphur content of non-road machinery gas-oil |
1000 ppm from 2008 |
10 ppm from 12/31/2009 |
| Sulphur content of inland waterway gas-oil |
1000 ppm from 2008 |
300 ppm from 12/31/2009
10 ppm from 12/31/2011 |
| Polyaromatic hydrocarbon content of diesel |
11% by mass |
8% by mass |
Further information
Full details of the assessment of the benefits and the technical issues associated with the review of the directive are available at http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/fuel_quality/library.
Source: European Commission.
IHS Information and Insight
This article was published to make you aware of documents available from IHS on the subject.
Top Document Collections (available by subscription)
- SAE Digital Library - includes technical papers addressing emissions, emissions control systems and emissions testing.
- CyberRegs - full-text Federal Register, CFR, state and international regulatory information for environmental, health & safety and transportation industry professionals.
Top Individual Documents (available online from the IHS Store)
- EU 2006/51/EC - COMMISSION DIRECTIVE amending for the purposes of adapting to technical progress Annex I to Directive 2005/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Annexes IV and V to Directive 2005/78/EC as regards requirements for the emission control monitoring system for use in vehicles and exemptions for gas engines.
- ASTM D 4814 - Standard Specification for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel