May 26, 2015
Top 100 Ranks Leaders in Reducing Gasoline Sulfur
Stratas Advisors
This is an excerpt of a recent report from our Global Fuel Specifications service. Members have access to the complete report, which includes the full Top 100 ranking and our global
outlook for reduction of gasoline sulfur limits.
Across the globe, many countries have significantly reduced the sulfur content in gasoline, while others have ambitious plans to do so soon to improve fuel quality.
Maximum Gasoline Sulfur Limits (2015)
EU countries continue to dominate Stratas Advisors’ annual Top 100 gasoline sulfur ranking. They were required to implement 100% market penetration of sulfur-free (less than 10 parts per
million) fuels starting in January 2009. Germany, which was the first to achieve full market penetration in 2003, maintains its hold on the No. 1 spot.
Ten countries moved up or were newly added to the 2015 ranking: Uruguay, Mayotte, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Rwanda, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Sudan and Philippines. Many of the
countries that dropped in the rankings — including top gasoline markets such as Brazil, China and the U.S. — did not alter their gasoline specifications but were simply passed by others
that implemented stricter sulfur limits.
The biggest mover in the ranking was Kenya, which jumped 74 places to break into the Top 100 at No. 72 after significantly reducing its gasoline sulfur limit from 1,500 ppm to 150 ppm in
October 2014. Uruguay also moved up a lot, climbing 64 places to No. 44; it implemented 30 ppm sulfur gasoline in May 2014 after several delays.
Interestingly, Uruguay, Mayotte, Belarus, Georgia and Russia entered the Top 50 even though they did not enforce a national sulfur limit of 10 ppm. Their rankings are likely to change in the
future if they are superseded by another country implementing a 10 ppm sulfur limit.
French Polynesia, Malaysia, Panama and Syria ranked together at No. 100 with a national sulfur limit of 500 ppm – the same limit as in the 2014 ranking.
Several countries plan to further tighten their gasoline sulfur limits in the short term, which would likely affect their position in our next ranking. Here is a sampling of planned reductions:
Philippines: From 500 ppm to 50 ppm in 2016;
U.A.E.: From 100 ppm to 10 ppm in 2015;
Belarus: From 50 ppm to 10 ppm in 2016;
Bosnia & Herzegovina: From 50 ppm to 10 ppm in 2016; and Mexico: From 500 ppm to 80 ppm nationwide in 2015. Several countries are proposing or have confirmed plans to further reduce their gasoline sulfur limits to 10 ppm or 50 ppm before 2021. Many of the changes will take place between 2016
and 2017 in Latin America, Russia & CIS, the Middle East and Asia.
Some larger countries such as China, India and Iran plan to require 10 ppm or 50 ppm sulfur gasoline in major cities ahead of the rest of the country. Generally, plans to reduce sulfur will
only proceed if refinery upgrades of desulfurization units or distribution of the lower-sulfur gasoline product happen on schedule.
To rank the countries, we take into account maximum allowable limits in national standards and legislation, as well as the year of implementation for sulfur limits as required by legislation
and year of voluntary implementation (if any). We also consider limits in local or regional standards and market sulfur levels.
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