§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the cost of producing(a) low sulphur fuels and (b) non-low sulphur fuels; and if he will make a statement. [140251]
§ Dr. HowellsI have been asked to reply
The cost of reducing the sulphur content of fuels will depend on many factors such as refinery configuration and sulphur content of feedstock (in general crude oil) which will differ for each location. Estimates made during the development of the fuel quality directive 98/70/EC, suggested that, for the UK as a whole to achieve the Ultra Low Sulphur Petrol sulphur specification, the combination of capital and running costs, taken over a 15 year period starting from 2005, would amount to less than 1p per litre for gasoline. For Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel, over the same time period, costs in the region of 2p per litre were identified. Earlier introduction of the specification may result in additional costs for individual manufacturers or importers.