Bhubaneswar: India’s public sector oil major IndianOil is making all-out efforts to meet the deadline set by the Centre to switch over to BS-VI norms of auto emissions and auto fuels of commensurate quality (motor spirit and high speed diesel), directly from BS-IV norms with effect from April, 2020.
“Keeping in view the environmental impact, rising pollution levels and consequent health hazards due to vehicular pollution, the Centre has decided to advance the date of implementation of EURO-VI standards,” Director (Refineries), IndianOil, Sanjiv Singh informed at a press briefing here on Tuesday.
“Oil PSUs are expected to invest about Rs. 28,750 crore for switching over to BS-VI auto fuels. The Indian petroleum industry, led by IndianOil, is gearing up for full compliance on this direction,” he added.
Singh said BS-IV and BS-VI auto fuels are far lower in sulphur content compared to BS-III levels. In diesel (HSD), ‘‘S’ spec gets reduced from 350 ppm in BS-III to 50 ppm in BS-IV, and finally to only 10 ppm in BS-VI. In Gasoline (MS), ‘S’ spec. gets reduced from 150 ppm in BS-III to 50 ppm in BS-IV and finally to only 10 ppm in BS VI.
“Such levels of drastic sulphur reduction in BS-VI auto fuels would call for revamp or additional facilities in almost all the refineries. Modifications are likely to include hydro-processing unit capacity de-bottlenecking and/or addition of new units, sulphur recovery blocks, catalyst replacement in hydro-treating units, associated modifications in off sites and utilities,” he pointed out.
Informing that the refineries, with help from their respective consultants, are firming up the project proposals required for BS-VI quality compliance. It will take about four years to implement these projects depending on the nature and scope of the particular project, Singh said adding IndianOil refineries are confident to meet the deadline of April 2020 set by the Centre for supplying BS-VI quality fuel in the market.