Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) fuels including diesel, petrol would upgrade to Bharat Stage (BS) VI from the current BS-IV stage by 2020, which could reduce the emissions substantially, said D L Pramod, executive director, Indian Oil, Karnataka.
The oil major also aims to achieve a blending of ethanol with petrol to 10 per cent that will result in better fuel combustion, thereby reducing the emission, as mandated by the government.
The IOC plans to comply with the guidelines laid down by the National Green Tribunal on the installation of the vapour recovery systems (VRS). The oil firm said that VRS would be installed at its Bengaluru terminal and all retail outlets in the city selling more than 300 kilolitres of petrol per month.
“The vapours released from the nozzle/underground tanks or coming out during truck filling/unloading would be taken back into storage tanks for a safer and cleaner environment,” Pramod added.
Last year, the Supreme Court passed a directive barring the oil companies from selling BS-IV fuels from April 1, 2020. According to the government norms that were laid down in 2000, the BS are standard stages to be adopted by the oil firms and automakers involved in selling and purchase of fuels.
BS-IV and BS-VI fuels are mainly distinguished on the basis of their sulfur concentration. Upgradation from BS-IV to BS-VI fuels stage would reduce the sulfur proportion from 50 parts per million (ppm) to 10 ppm.
This can bring down the particulate matter/solid pollutants (PM) emissions from diesel combustion by 80 per cent as well as contain the release of nitrous oxide release from diesel/petrol use by 70 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. The firm said it is already blending ethanol to the extent of 10 per cent to petrol, which helps in better combustion.
