Efforts afoot to start importing Euro-IV and V standard fuel in current year.

ISLAMABAD -- Cognizant of the modern time needs and environmental issues, the government has started working on a strategy to import Euro-IV and V standard fuel conforming the latest vehicles and tackle environmental issues like smog and air pollution.

'Currently, Euro-II and III standard petrol is available in the country, while we are making efforts to start importing Euro-IV and V standard fuel in the year 2020 to meet needs of the latest vehicles and tackle environmental issues,' a senior official of the Petroleum Division informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy during a recent meeting.

The official said the Sulphur content in fuel was being reduced to minimum level, besides ensuring recommended level of manganese additive in petroleum.

She said a car manufacturing company, which had filed a complaint of higher-than-recommended level of manganese additive in fuel, had appreciated the government for taking remedial measures and resolving the issue.

Meanwhile, a senior official privy to petroleum sector developments told reporter that the government was making all-out efforts to upgrade existing oil refineries and establish new deep conversion facilities for meeting the country's fuel requirements in a smooth manner.

The official said an unprecedented incentive package was in place for setting up new deep conservation of oil refineries, enabling them to import machinery, vehicles, plants and equipment and other materials.

Elaborating the government efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in oil refining sector, he said, Byco Oil Pakistan Limited (Byco) had established an Oil Refinery at Hub, Balochistan, having capacity to purify 120,000 Barrel Per Day (5 million tons/annum) at a cost of $ 400 million.

Byco has also installed Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) facilities for transportation of imported Crude Oil and petroleum products from ships to the storages tanks. The capacity of said facility is 12 M. tons per annum.

Similarly, Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) has started producing Euro-II (0.05 % Sulphur HSD), besides it installed isomerization plant and enhanced the production of Motor Gasoline.

While, Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) has installed isomerization plant in 2016 and...