Note on UPDATE: The earlier mentioned statement within this article about Chevron / Caltex currently developing Euro 5 diesel for Malaysia was inaccurate. AF regrets the error and apologises for any inconvenience caused.
For those who’ve craved for better and cleaner diesel, there is good news as Euro 5-grade diesel will be made available in Malaysia! However, the catch is Euro 5-grade diesel will be made available in only in the state of Johor, and will be sold at a subsidised price of RM2.10 per litre at 15 to 20 BHPetrol stations at that state. The Euro 5-grade diesel will be sold at an extra RM0.10 per-litre than the standard Euro 2M diesels sold nationwide.
According to Malaysian Automotive Institute (MAI) chief executive officer Madani Sahari, the introduction of Euro 5-grade diesel will assist lorry operators to comply with Singapore’s latest regulation for smoke opacity. By July this year, Malaysian-registered diesel-powered vehicles in Singapore need to achieve a smoke opacity test result of 40 HSU (Hartridge Smoke Unit) or lower. As for now, diesel sold in Singapore is now at Euro 5-grade standard.
MAI has also noted that there are more than 3,000 Malaysian-registered lorries commute in and out of Singapore, and most of these lorries were fueled by the cheaper but dirty Euro 2M diesels in Malaysia. The ongoing usage of Euro 2M diesels by these lorries beyond July will severely impact the transportation industry between these two nations, which explains why MAI mitigated this by introducing Euro 5 Diesels in limited BHP stations in Johor.
You may be wondering why BHP and not Malaysia’s main petroleum company, Petronas, was chosen instead. Well, it was the fact that BHP made the initiative to assist MAI’s plea on this. Furthermore, BHP imports their fuels from overseas, and presumably the Euro 5 Diesels could be supplied from Singapore since BHP does not have its own refinery, not to mention there is no refinery in Malaysia that can refine Ultra-low-sulfur diesels (ULSD). Until Petronas’ RAPID project in Pengerang that able to produce ULSD is completed earliest by 2017, we would need to wait 3 more years to enjoy Euro 4 fuels; part of the deliverables from the latest NAP that is crucial to the nation’s Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV) plan as well.
However, the Euro 5-grade Diesels won’t be just limited to commercial vehicles as Madani said it is also available to private diesel-powered passenger car owners. For that, owners of passenger cars powered by modern diesel engines (notably BMW 320D owners) should be jumping for joy. This should also encourage manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot and Volkswagen to introduce more modern diesel engines for Malaysian buyers in the near future.
Most importantly, MAI hopes that other petroleum companies will follow BHP’s footsteps in introducing higher grade fuel. However, it seems unlikely for Petronas, Shell and Petron as these players have refineries in Malaysia that are unable to produce ULSD, for the time being that is.
Although the introduction of newer and cleaner fuel may be in a smaller scale, it is a critical catalyst for Malaysia to meet with global fuel standards. As for now, our neighbours have been moving beyond Euro 3 fuel standards while we are stuck with the archaic Euro 2M. It is not only about enjoying the cleaner, more powerful and economical modern diesel cars that have been mainstream in Europe, but it is time to put an end on the polluting lorries and buses – That choking black smoke emitted from the aforementioned vehicles somehow do not reflect well for our nation which has a modern F1 circuit, well-linked highway infrastructure, and good presence from many automotive players.
Note on UPDATE: The earlier mentioned statement within this article about Chevron / Caltex currently developing Euro 5 diesel for Malaysia was inaccurate. AF regrets the error and apologises for any inconvenience caused.
[Source: The Star Motoring]
