Chile introducing ultra low sulfur diesel

28 September 2011

ENAP, the Chilean state-owned petroleum company, started commercial production of ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) in August. Chilean Grade A1 diesel of maximum 15 ppm sulfur is required in Santiago from September 2011.

Grade A1 is the only on-road diesel fuel legally available to the public in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. Since July 2004, grade A1 diesel had had a maximum sulfur limit of 50 ppm.

The rest of the country is using Grade B diesel, which has had a sulfur limit of 50 ppm since January 2010.

Historically, the Grade B sulfur limit was lowered in a number of steps, from 3,000 ppm in 2003, to 2,000 ppm in 2004, 500 ppm in 2005 and 350 ppm in 2006.

Source: ENAP (Archive announcement—50 ppm diesel)