Oil giants run greener with ultraillow-suiptur diesel
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• Both Esso and Shell have announced that ultra-lowsulphur (US) diesel will replace conventional diesel at most of their sites. The companies aim to have new products on sale at the majority of their sites nationwide by the end of March, following successful marketing trials in the London area over the past few months. Where available, Esso Diesel 2000 ULS and Shell Pura Diesel will directly replace existing standard diesels. Although currently more expensive to refine, Government duty incentives mean the new fuels will sell for the same price as their conventional predecessors.
The main benefit of ULS diesel is to reduce exhaust particulate emissions and visible smoke levels. The Esso and Shell products are both claimed to possess high levels of engine cleaning ability, as well as anti-foam and low-odour properties. Early fears that the clean fuels produced accelerated wear of injection systems are now believed to have been overcome. There were apparently some problems with the first ultra-low-sulphur fuels, but the use of lubricity additives by the main manufacturers has resolved the problem to the satisfaction of the fuel-injection system manufacturers.
• In another push. Lex Transileet has announced that its bunker sites will only dispense ultra-low-sulphur diesel in future. It calculates that this move will reduce UK sulphur emissions by five tonnes a year.