7 Countries Move Up in Top 100 Ranking for Diesel Sulfur Limits

For decades, policymakers and industry leaders have placed emphasis on reducing sulfur limits in fuels to prevent environmental and health effects caused by fuel combustion. Since January 2009, the European Union required 100% market penetration of sulfur-free fuels (less than 10 ppm), which has positioned these countries as the top 40 leaders in sulfur reduction. Sweden, which led the way with full market penetration in 1990, continues to reign at No. 1.

As countries in the European Union continue to take the lead, this year's ranking highlights seven countries that implemented stricter sulfur limits or supplied lower sulfur diesel. The seven include:

• Bahrain
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• China
• Lebanon
• Macau
• Morocco
• Myanmar

Countries, such as Brazil and India, maintained similar standards as last year but dropped in ranking due to other countries' advancements in sulfur reduction and improved policies. Four Central American countries - El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua - dropped out of the 2017 ranking, because Myanmar jumped 53 places to enter the Top 100 for the first time. Myanmar is followed by Lebanon, which moved up 52 places to enter at 76^th place, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, which jumped 14 places to share the 61^st place with Ukraine.

To establish the rankings, four primary criteria were used (in order of importance):

1. Maximum approved limits in national standards and legislation
2. Year of implementation for sulfur limits as required by legislation, and year of voluntary implementation ─ if any
3. Limits in local or regional standards (such as specifications for cities or states)
4. Market levels are used where necessary to help rank countries sharing the same legislated limit

To read a recent commentary on this report, visit StratasAdvisors.com/Insights. The full report is available to members of Stratas Advisors' Global Fuels Specifications service, which holds the complete list of rankings and other key information about sulfur content in diesel.

About Stratas Advisors
Stratas Advisors, a Hart Energy company, is a leading global consulting and analytics provider for upstream, midstream and downstream energy markets and related sectors, such as automotive; transportation; power; petrochemicals and heavy industries. Stratas Advisors' team of experts provides data and strategic insights to companies seeking to understand key drivers shaping development. Stratas Advisors' consultants and analysts offer forward-looking perspectives to help energy decision makers leverage opportunities, mitigate risk and implement strategies. Stratas Advisors is headquartered in Houston with offices in Brussels and Singapore. To learn more about their offerings, visit StratasAdvisors.com.

SOURCE Stratas Advisors

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