Cleaner fuels will allow intro of high-tech vehicles to SA

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) has welcomed the Department of Energy announcement (published in Government Notice R421 of May 31) of the introduction of clean fuels in SA from July 1, 2017. The gazetted fuel parameters provide long-term direction and certainty as well as a clear roadmap for the SA oil industry to plan their future production, operations and investments with confidence, Naamsa said. It anticipates that individual oil companies will now be able to pull ahead production of cleaner fuels and/or importation of the cleaner fuels, on a niche basis, to meet the requirements of the market. The early introduction of Euro V equivalent fuels in SA, Naamsa added, is important from an environmental health and air quality improvement perspective. Once the fuels become generally available, there will be a significant reduction in harmful vehicle emissions in SA in respect of the entire vehicle population. It will also enable vehicle manufacturers to market high technology, highly fuel-efficient and low-emission new motor vehicles in SA, and the automotive industry will continue to press oil companies for the earliest possible introduction of the cleaner fuels.