India: Fuels: Diesel and Gasoline

Overview

 * Standard type: Fuel quality
 * Regulating bodies: Further detail regarding India's regulatory bodies can be found on the India Regulatory Background page
 * Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
 * Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG)
 * Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF)
 * Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
 * Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
 * Applicability: All gasoline and diesel (diesel standards differentiated by transportation mode)

History
In India, fuel quality standards have been designed and implemented in conjunction with complimentary vehicle emissions standards. India’s fuel quality standards have been gradually tightened since the mid 1990s. Low lead gasoline was introduced in 1994 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. On Feb 1, 2000, unleaded gasoline was mandated nationwide. India has adopted the European template for vehicle emissions and fuel quality standards, creating parallel "Bharat" standards (i.e. Bharat III standards are equivalent to Euro 3 standards).

After lead, sulfur content is the most important determiner of fuel quality. Sulfur inhibits the proper functioning of aftertreatment systems designed to reduce tailpipe emissions, and corrodes engines and pipes. The effect of fuel sulfur content is particularly damaging to three types of aftertreatment systems: diesel particulate filters (DPFs), lean NOx traps (LNTs), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR).

India currently has two fuel quality standards: one that applies to advanced cities and one that applies to the rest of the country. Advanced cities require under 50 ppm sulfur gasoline and diesel. The rest of the country allows up to 150 ppm sulfur gasoline and 350 ppm sulfur diesel. As of January 2013, the following advanced cities had 50ppm sulfur fuel: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur, Agra, Solapur, Lucknow, Ankleshwar, Hisar, Bharatpur, Unnao, Raebareli, Aligarh, Jamnagar, Vapi, Puducherry, and Mathura.

Legislative background

In India, the legal foundation for enforcing automotive fuel standards is based on several laws:
 * The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 gives state governments the right to ensure that all essential commodities, including petroleum products, are easily available to the public and meet government standards. It also calls for fines, imprisonment up to one year, and forfeiture of the right to do business for those who violate the act.
 * The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 gives State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) the right to prohibit the production or burning of any fuel that is determined to lead to air pollution.
 * The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not specifically mention fuels, but does authorize the central and the state governments to regulate activities that can harm the environment, under which the burning of fossil fuels could be included.
 * The Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules (PNGR), 2002 list specific guidelines to be followed for the importation and/or refinement of fuel in India, and the transport of fuel within the country.
 * The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006 created the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), under MoPNG, and is responsible for ensuring fuel quality standards, from import or production through retail sales. PNGRB is charged with ensuring that the PNGR are followed. The PNGRB is also authorized to resolve all disputes that may arise among producers, transporters, retailers, and consumers over fuel related issues and has legal authority to enforce fuel quality standards at retail outlets.

Fuel Sulfur Content
The sulfur content of fuel is of interest in India particularly due to diesel fuel subsidies and the ever-increasing number of diesel vehicles on the road. The timeline of sulfur reduction in India has been as follows:

Diesel
India has been adopting European regulations for both fuels and vehicle emissions. The Euro requirements are first introduced in Delhi and other major cities, followed by nationwide implementation. The evolution of diesel fuel quality is summarized below. India has reduced its diesel sulfur content from 10,000 ppm in most of the country in 1999 to a maximum content of 350 ppm in 2012. In thirteen major metropolitan areas the level has fallen from 2500 ppm to 50 ppm in the same time period. Another factor that has improved over the same period is the cetane number, which went from 45 to 51 nationwide. An additional seven cities are set to sell 50 ppm sulfur fuel in 2012, and a total of 63 cities (including those already receiving 50 ppm sulfur fuel) are planned to receive 50 ppm sulfur diesel by 2015.

More details on European fuel specifications can be found on the EU light-duty emissions page.

Non-road diesel

India currently doesn’t have separate standards for commercial non-road diesel. Because most diesel for non-road vehicles and equipment is obtained from on-road vehicle fuel stations, consumers in the thirteen Bharat IV cities presumably use 50 ppm sulfur diesel for construction equipment, and those in Bharat III areas use 350 ppm sulfur diesel. Agricultural tractors, most of which are in rural areas, also use the 350 ppm sulfur diesel commercially available.

Gasoline
India’s current gasoline standards took effect on April 1, 2010. The new standards are marked improvements from pre-2010 levels. Benzene limits were reduced from 3% in previously Bharat III cities and 5% elsewhere to 1% nationwide. The aromatic content limit, which was unregulated under Bharat II, stands at 42% under Bharat III norms and 35% under Bharat IV. Olefins, which were also unregulated under Bharat II, now stand at 21% and 18% for regular unleaded and premium unleaded, respectively, under Bharat III and Bharat IV regulations. Higher olefin content, along with higher Reid vapor pressure (RVP), in fuels creates more evaporative emissions, which leads to the formation of O3 and other toxics in the atmosphere. Sulfur content was lowered to 150 ppm nationwide and 50 ppm in Bharat IV compliant cities in 2010. Under Bharat II, octane number was increased to 88 and 93 for regular and premium, respectively. It was further increased to 91 and 95 for regular and premium, respectively, under Bharat III and beyond.

In terms of gasoline sulfur content, India still lags behind international best practices. At the start of 2013, 23 cities required no more than 50 ppm sulfur in gasoline, while in the rest of the country up to 150 ppm sulfur is allowed. By 2015, the number of cities with a maximum gasoline sulfur content of 50 ppm is planned to be expanded to about 60.

Regulatory Documents

 * Essential Commodities Act, 1955
 * Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
 * Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
 * Motor Vehicles Act, 1989
 * Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules (PNGR), 2002
 * Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006