Ultra-low sulfur diesel

Ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) is diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur content. Since 2006, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in Europe and North America has been of a ULSD type. There is not a single standard set of specifications and as the government required standard becomes progressively more strict so does the definition.

The move to lower sulfur content is expected to allow the application of newer emissions control technologies that should substantially lower emissions of particulate matter from diesel engines. This change occurred first in the European Union and is now happening in North America. New emissions standards, dependent on the cleaner fuel, have been in effect for automobiles in the United States since model year 2007.

ULSD has a lower energy content due to the heavy processing required to remove large amounts of sulfur from oil, leading to (1 to 2%) lower fuel economy. Using it requires more costly crude oil.

Some filling stations in Kenya started offering 50 ppm diesel as of December 2010.

As of June 2012, 50 ppm diesel is now standard across all filling stations, in a bid to reduce pollution.

50 ppm was first legislated by the South African Department of Minerals and Energy in early 2006, and has been widely available since then.

South Africa's Clean Fuels 2 standard, expected to begin in 2017, will reduce the allowable sulfur content to 10 ppm. Sasol has already launched 10 ppm diesel at selected filling stations as of 2013.

Morocco has started to introduce 50 ppm diesel to filling stations as of 2009.

Since 2011, the 10 ppm diesel has been available in some filling stations. A generalization to all filling stations with the 10 ppm diesel is available since December 2015.

China has limited sulfur in diesel fuel to 150 ppm (which is equivalent to the Euro III standard). The limits of 10 ppm (Which is equivalent to the Euro V standard), only applied for certain cities such as Beijing.

From 2014 to 2017, China will limit sulfur in diesel fuel to 50ppm. After 2017, the sulfur content in diesel fuel will be limited to 10ppm.

In July 2000, Hong Kong became the first city in Asia to introduce ULSD, with sulfur content of 50 parts per million (ppm). In addition, new petrol private cars were asked to meet Euro III standards from 2001.

Since the introduction of the law, all fuel station started supplying ULSD since August 2000.

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Wikipedia