The "Euro-3" fuel standard will become available at petrol stations (PS) in the second half of August, closer to the end of the month, taking delivery times into account. Importantly, all petrol stations must indicate the environmental class of the fuel at the point of sale.
Earlier, the government issued a decree allowing the production, import, and trade of gasoline and diesel fuel that meet the "Euro-2", "Euro-3", and "Euro-4" environmental standards (classified as K2, K3, and K4 in Russia) in Russia until July 1, 2027. Since July 2016, there had been a ban on the circulation of fuel classified below "Euro-5".
As emphasized in the government's announcement, the adopted measure is temporary and aimed at saturating the domestic market with the necessary fuel volumes. Vice-Premier Alexander Novak particularly stressed that information regarding the fuel's class must be presented in an accessible form for consumers at petrol stations.
This easing of requirements is associated with a reduction in gasoline and diesel production due to unscheduled repairs at oil refineries (OR) following drone attacks. The production of "Euro-3" is technologically simpler and does not require installations involved in producing low-sulfur fuel and aromatic compounds. Therefore, some affected ORs (if this specific equipment was halted) can continue to produce fuel.
Furthermore, scheduled repairs for certain ORs planned for late spring and early summer have been postponed, which may also affect market saturation. Oil refineries are complex enterprises and cannot operate efficiently without periodic maintenance shutdowns. Allowing the production and trading of "Euro-3" will help sustain production volumes.
In a conversation with "RG", Dmitry Gusev, Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board of the "Reliable Partner" Association and a member of the Expert Council of the "Russia's Petrol Station" competition, explained that the lower the environmental class of gasoline, the more can be produced. This does not indicate a rejection of "Euro-5"; rather, in cases of shortage, fuel of a lower environmental class may be used, he clarified.
According to Sergey Tereshkin, General Director of Open Oil Market, when fuel imports from Belarus hit production capacity limits and imports from India are complicated due to high logistics costs, easing fuel property requirements becomes the primary means of mitigating risks of shortages in the domestic market.
The majority share of "Euro-3" petroleum product production will most likely come from small refineries with low processing depth (there are about 20 in Russia with a total processing volume of 12 million tons per year), believes Sergey Frolov, managing partner of NEFT Research. However, the government has not disclosed an official list of refineries authorized to supply such fuel. It is unlikely that it will be found at petrol stations of large oil companies. Nevertheless, petroleum products at PS must be labeled, and consumers should be warned that they are purchasing fuel classified below "Euro-5".
On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, the production of "Euro-3" is technologically simpler, so its production cost is lower, resulting in a lower price. This will not only help keep prices stable in the domestic market but will also make the import of "Euro-3" into Russia more profitable than "Euro-5". At the same time, Gusev noted, it will be significantly more challenging for importers to find surplus "Euro-3" volumes for supplies to our country than "Euro-5".
This is not a rejection of "Euro-5" but rather a compensation for the lacking fuel volumes in the market through "Euro-3".
It remains to address the impact of "Euro-3" on the environment and on vehicle "health". Regarding the first, as Tereshkin explains, if the maximum sulfur content in "Euro-5" gasoline is 10 mg per kg of fuel, then in "Euro-3" it is 150 mg per kg of fuel, and the maximum concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons is 35% and 42%, respectively.
Regarding the effects on vehicles, it is known that "Euro-3" should not be used in modern vehicles classified as "Euro-5" and "Euro-6". According to Tereshkin, using fuel with a high sulfur content risks damaging oxygen sensors, reducing the effectiveness of engine oil, and degrading the active layer of the catalyst used for exhaust gas cleaning.
Frolov notes that "Euro-3" may adversely affect vehicle components associated with exhaust control (catalysts, particulate filters, lambda sensors) and negatively affect engines due to a higher risk of corrosion and carbon build-up.
Additionally, Tereshkin points out that the potential damage to the vehicle depends on the duration of using such fuel. If it concerns one or two weeks, a cleaning of the engine injectors at a car service may suffice. More serious issues arise after several months. It is somewhat analogous to fast food: it's one thing if you snack on a hamburger and fries at lunch and entirely another if you consume fast food daily for six months.
Source: RG.RU
