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Press
Releases - 2000
ULSD
available in Hong Kong
Ultra
low sulphur diesel (ULSD) is available on the market in Hong
Kong starting today (July 28).
A spokesman
for the Environmental Protection Department said the introduction
of ULSD into Hong Kong was part of the Government's clean
air initiatives announced in May.
ULSD
has a sulphur content of less than 0.005 per cent, 10 times
lower than that of the regular motor diesel now available
in the market.
"The
use of ULSD by a motor vehicle can reduce its respirable suspended
particulate (RSP) emissions by 10 to 30 per cent and nitrogen
oxides (NOx) by five per cent.
"If all
diesel vehicles switch to ULSD, the RSP and NOx emissions
from the whole diesel vehicle fleet would be reduced by about
15 per cent and five per cent respectively," the spokesman
noted.
To encourage
the switch to this environmentally cleaner fuel, a concessionary
duty on ULSD is introduced as a fiscal incentive.
The concessionary
duty is set at $1.11 per litre up to December 31, 2000.
A concessionary
duty of $2 per litre will be imposed from January 1, 2001
when the duty on regular motor diesel is restored from $2
to $2.89 per litre by virtue of Section 2 of the Revenue (No.2)
Ordinance 2000.
The duty
differential of $0.89 per litre, which will offset the higher
price of ULSD, aims to encourage a quick switch to the cleaner
fuel.
Some
oil companies start offering ULSD from today and more oil
companies will provide the cleaner fuel in the near future.
Hong
Kong is the first city in Asia to introduce ULSD on a full
scale for its vehicle fleet.
End/Friday,
July 28, 2000
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