Ultra low sulphur diesel fuel impacts on availability of other fuels

Abstract Legislation for ultra low sulphur (ULS) diesel fuel, with a greatly reduced allowable sulphur content and a new limit on aromatics content, is expected to be in place in the USA by 1995. The ULS diesel fuel has been specified to satisfy US standards for particulate emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines. The Navy Mobility Fuels Forecasting System has been used to study the impacts of ULS diesel fuel production on other refined petroleum products. The study predicts that to produce ULS diesel fuel, US Gulf and west coast refiners will have to invest about $4.4 billion in new processing capacity. Refiners will shift aromatics from No 2 diesel fuel to jet fuel and to No 2 fuel oil. Therefore, particulate emissions could be transferred from highways to airways and to communities which use No 2 fuel oil for residential and commercial heating. The study also predicts that there will be an increase in the aromatics content of Navy JP-5 jet fuel and F-76 marine diesel fuel produced in the USA. The gum-forming tendencies of F-76 and F-77 burner fuel oil will increase in most cases. The freezing point of JP-5 will improve. There will be minor changes in the cost of JP-5, but sizable reductions in the cost of F-76 and F-77.