Hindustan Petroleum's Euro-IV fuel facility goes on stream

HPCL has launched upgraded petrol production units at its 5.5-million tonnes per annum refinery, which will produce petrol with low-sulphur content. The total cost of the upgradation project is Rs1,731 crore.

In a sign that the union government is serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, petroleum and gas minister Murli Deora and environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday jointly stressed the need for cleaner fuels.

Inaugurating the Euro-IV grade petrol producing facilities at Hindustan Petroleum Corp's Mumbai refinery on Sunday, Deora said, ''We dedicate this project to the nation; fulfilling our commitment towards supplying cleaner fuel as envisaged in the government's auto fuel policy.''

The auto fuel policy of 2003 requires the three state-run oil marketing companies – HPCL, Indian Oil Corp, and Bharat Petroleum Corp – to sell only petrol and diesel that meets Euro-IV specifications in 13 major cities and Euro-III specifications across India from 1 April.

Accordingly, the oil PSUs have undertaken major upgrading of petrol and diesel producing units at their respective refineries, entailing investments of about Rs40,000 crore.

While Euro IV petrol contains 50 parts per million of environment-polluting sulphur, Euro III petrol has sulphur content of 150 ppm, much lower than the Euro II grade fuel sold in most parts of the country.