Chinese state-owned oil major Sinopec will supply tighter specification motor gasoil adhering to National Phase IV emission standards at all its gas stations across South China's Guangdong province from Friday, the company said last Friday.
National Phase IV emission standards, which are roughly equivalent to Euro IV emission standards, cap the maximum sulfur content of gasoline and gasoil at 50 ppm.
In Guangdong, the company has been supplying Phase IV gasoil at all its gas stations in three cities -- Shenzhen, Dongguan and Shaoguan -- as well as some of stations in Guangzhou since December 11, Sinopec said, adding supply will extend across the entire province by Friday.
The move is a part of Sinopec's efforts to meet the provincial government's target of implementing Phase IV motor gasoil standards across the province by January 2014. National Phase IV gasoline has been supplied across the province since December 1 in line with the government's requirement.
To ensure supplies of Phase IV gasoil, Sinopec's 23.5 million mt/year Maoming refinery will start producing the grade this week, a source from the refinery said Monday.
"We will produce around 470,000 mt of gasoil in December; 90,000 mt of the barrels will be Phase IV gasoil for the Guangdong market, while the rest will be supplied to the markets in Southwest China," the source said.
A source at Sinopec's 13.2 million mt/year Guangzhou refinery said: "We plan to produce around 400,000 mt of gasoil this month, with less than 200,000 mt of the barrels meeting Phase IV standard. The plan is unchanged much from November."
China is tightening emission standards as a part of government efforts to maximize energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions to improve air quality.
The country's central government has set a deadline for the Phase IV standard for gasoline to be adopted nationwide by January 2014, and that for motor gasoil by the end of 2014.
