Launch of Bharat Stage-IV Fuels in Delhi
New Delhi 25-Mar-2010
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As part of the petroleum sector’s endeavour to provide clean and green fuels to the nation and its people, transportation fuels (petrol & diesel) conforming to Bharat Stage-IV norms was formally launched in Delhi and the National Capital Region on March 24, 2010.
The National Auto Fuel Policy, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2003, had laid down the roadmap for phase-wise implementation of Bharat Stage-II, III and IV vehicular emission & fuel standards across the country by the year 2010.
Accordingly, Bharat Stage-II norms, equivalent to Euro-II norms, came into effect in the entire country from 1st April, 2005, while 13 cities, with Delhi in the lead, were upgraded to the higher Bharat Stage-III norms from the same date. The other cities were: Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur, Agra, Lucknow and Solapur.
To further improve fuel standard norms, it was decided to upgrade the 13 specified cities as above to Bharat Stage-IV norms by April 01, 2010. Accordingly, arrangements are now in place to ensure availability of products of Bharat Stage-IV norms in all the 13 cities specified in the road map by the given date.
Similarly, upgradation of petrol and diesel supplied in the rest of the country from BS-II to BS-III norms will commence in phases from April 01, 2010 and will be completed by October 2010.
In order to produce fuels compliant with Bharat Stage III and IV norms, Indian refineries have made massive investments in quality improvement projects like FCC gasoline de-sulphurisation and isomerisation for petrol and diesel hydro-treater for diesel. While most refineries have completed and commissioned the fuel upgradation projects for both petrol and diesel, a few are in the final stages of completion. Import of deficit products of the required quality and specifications is being initiated, wherever necessary, to ensure that there is no shortfall.
