Govt finally imposes limit on sulphur content in HSD

Following a one-year delay, the Directorate General of Oil and Gas of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has finally set a regulation requiring all High Speed Diesel (HSD) products distributed for transportation and industrial purposes to have maximum sulfur content of 3,500 part per million (ppm).

Director General of oil and gas of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral resources Luluk Sumiarso said in Jakarta Friday tat the new regulation (on sulfur content in HSD) was aimed to improve the quality of oil fuels distributed at home. Sulfur content is closely related to the emissions released to the environment, he said.

Luluk said that many industries once expressed an objection to the regulation as they use HSD with sulfur content of 5,000 ppm and besides, it was difficult to find HSD products with 3,500 ppm.

Initially, the directorate general of oil and gas was considering to set different figures on the sulfur content in HSD - 5,000 ppm for industries and 3,500 ppm for transportation.

However, state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina as the largest distributor of fuels for both industrial and transportation purposes expressed its objection to the option, saying that if the option was taken into effect, Pertamina had to build additional storage and distribution facilities.

Earlier, Pertamina Processing Director Suroso Atmomartoyo told Petromindo.Com that Pertamina is ready to comply with the sulphur limitation. He, however, warned of the costs consequence. "Production costs will go up and since government still subsidizes most of the HSD sold in retail gas stations, the government must bear additional costs," he said, without giving figure. (*)