Indian refineries on track to meet BS-VI fuel supply deadline

New Delhi: Indian refineries are on track to meet the strict timeline for supplying superior quality and less polluting petrol and diesel confirming to Euro-VI norms by April 2020, IOC Director (Refineries) Sanjiv Singh said.

India follows fuel and emission norms in line with the European standards, known as Euro norms. It specifies fuel standards to meet emission norms corresponding to Euro norms. So, Bharat Stage IV corresponds to Euro-VI and BS-VI to Euro-VI.

The country will be switching over to 100 per cent BS-IV or Euro-VI emission norms by April, 2017. From thereon, it will leapfrog to BS-VI or Euro-VI norm within a span of three years.

"Such quantum jump within a span of three years is being attempted perhaps for the first time by any country in the world," an IOC statement quoted Singh as saying. "Oil refineries are on track to meet that."

To meet BS VI emission norms, oil companies will be required to supply petrol and diesel confirming to specifications notified through a Gazette notification.

For petrol engines, one of the most critical specification is Research Octane Number (RON), which has improved from 88 in BS-II to 91, which is at par with regular 91 octane gasoline required for Euro VI emission norms, IOC said.

Other critical specifications such as benzene and aromatics have also undergone considerable improvement from earlier limits specified in BS-II.

For Benzene, these limits have been brought down to a maximum of 1 per cent by volume and for aromatics to maximum of 35 per cent by volume, which are in line with Euro VI fuel specifications.

The sulphur specification for petrol is also being reduced 50 times - from 500 parts per million (ppm) in BS II fuel to 10 ppm in BS VI, which is same as Euro VI specification.

"Almost all other specifications for petrol being proposed for BS VI fuel are aligned to Euro VI gasoline specification," IOC said.

Similarly for diesel, the major specification for sulphur and cetane number are exactly in line with Euro VI specification.

The sulphur level in diesel is proposed to be brought down to 10 ppm from a level of 500 ppm in BS-II and cetane number in BS IV and BS VI 51 as against 48 in BS II.

"The minor change proposed in BS VI diesel in comparison to Euro VI is density which is proposed to be in the range of 820-860 kg per cubic meter as against 820-845 kg per cubic meter in Euro VI. Various states have indicated almost negligible impact of this density on engine emissions," IOC said.

IOC said marginally higher density will result in more quantity of fuel per litre. "Directionally this should improve the fuel economy with no negative impact on emission."

Developing countries have also kept similar variation. For example, Japan has similar limit of 860 while USA has no such limit in their diesel specification.