Is a 10-ppm sulphur limit on road fuels desirable?

The German government proposal for the introduction of road fuels with less than 10 ppm sulphur issued at the end of last year re-launched the debate on the sulphur issue. In the meantime, the auto industry has been vocal in demanding ‘ultra low sulphur’ (ULS) fuels which it deems essential to meet its commitment on vehicle CO2 emissions. In May of this year, the EU Commission submitted a ‘call for evidence’ to all stakeholders to gather facts and opinions on the various implications of a move to sulphur levels of 30 and 10 ppm in EU road fuels. This article gives an overview of CONCAWE’s response and reiterates the key messages.