Ultra-low-sulfur diesel

Ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) is diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur content. Since 2006, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in Europe and North America has been of a ULSD type.

The move to lower sulfur content allows for the application of advanced emissions control technologies that substantially lower the harmful emissions from diesel combustion.[1] Testing by engine manufacturers and regulatory bodies have found the use of emissions control devices in conjunction with ULSD can reduce the exhaust output of ozone precursors and particulate matter to near-zero levels.[2]

In 1993 the European Union began mandating the reduction of diesel sulfur content and implementing modern ULSD specifications in 1999.[3][4] The United States started phasing in ULSD requirements for highway vehicles in 2006, with implementation for off-highway applications, such as locomotive and marine fuel, beginning in 2007.[5]

  1. ^ Omidvarborna; et al. (2014). "Characterization of particulate matter emitted from transit buses fueled with B20 in idle modes". Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2 (4): 2335–2342. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2014.09.020.
  2. ^ "ULSD Fact Sheet" (PDF). Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017. EPA, the California Air Resources Board, engine manufacturers and others have completed tests and demonstration programs showing that using the advanced emissions control devices enabled by the use of ULSD fuel reduces emissions of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen (precursors of ozone), as well as particulate matter to near-zero levels.
  3. ^ "Council Directive 93/12/EEC of 23 March 1993 relating to the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels". EUR-Lex. 23 March 1993. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Council Directive 1999/32/EC of 26 April 1999 relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels and amending Directive 93/12/EEC". EUR-Lex. 26 April 1999. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Diesel Fuel Standards & Rulemakings". US Environmental Protection Agency. 2015-04-10. Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017. Beginning in 2006, EPA began to phase-in more stringent regulations to lower the amount of sulfur in diesel fuel to 15 ppm. [...] From 2007 to 2014, low sulfur diesel fuel (specified at 500 ppm) and ULSD fuel was phased in for nonroad, locomotive, and marine (NRLM) diesel fuel.