The power and energy ministry has decided to reduce the sulphur content level to 500ppm (parts per million) in diesel by 2013 from its present level of 2500ppm.
The decision was made at a meeting with the state minister for power and energy, Mohammad Enamul Haque, in the chair, following a request from the environment and forests ministry.
At present, the highest sulphur content is 2500ppm in both imported diesel and the diesel produced at the state-owned Eastern Refinery.
Recently, the environment and forests ministry laid out a plan to reduce the sulphur level to 50 ppm in line with the United Nations Environment Programme.
With the financial support of the UNEP, the environment and forests ministry is now implementing a project — 'Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles for Bangladesh' — as part of its plan.
Following a decision at an inter-ministerial meeting, the environment and forests ministry requested the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute to set the sulphur content level at 500 ppm.
The request was later forwarded to the power and energy ministry which imports a total of 4 million tonnes of diesel.
According to the power and energy ministry, it would need to spend an additional amount of about Tk 250 crore to implement the decision to reduce the sulphur content level in diesel.
'Because, the lower level 500 ppm sulphur containing diesel will cost $1.10 more per barrel compared to the present cost of diesel containing 2500 ppm sulphur,' said an official at the power and energy ministry.
'But, we can't go for importing 500 ppm sulphur containing diesel before December 2012 as the present import agreements allows 2500 ppm,' he said, adding that after the new decision, a move will start to discuss the new level of sulphur content with the diesel supplying countries.
Source : New Age
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