Euro 5 fuel standards should be introduced in Ukraine from 2012, says energy and coal ministry

Kyiv, January 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian Energy and Coal Ministry plans to propose to the state committee for technical regulation and consumer policy to introduce Euro 5 fuel standards from January 1, 2012.

"We'll propose to the committee to introduce the Euro 5 fuel standard from January 1, 2012, but we will not cancel the Euro 3 and Euro 4 standards," the director of the oil, gas and oil processing industry at the ministry, Kostiantyn Borodin, said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

He said that the said approach would allow the needs of all categories of fuel consumers to be met, including those that consume fuel of Euro 3 and higher fuel standards.

As reported, from January 1, 2011 Ukrainian oil refineries were to switch to the DSTU 4839:2007 and DSTU 4840:2007 standards, which are in line with the Euro 4 and Euro 5 fuel standards.

The switch was postponed as several oil refineries were not ready for it, and there are still many vehicles that consume fuel of lower standards being used in Ukraine.

Shell, Orlen Lietuva (Lithuania), Lviv-based Galnaftogaz Concern, Parallel (Donetsk) and some sector experts oppose the postponement of the switch to the Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards.