Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has described the recently introduced Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel as a ???great step forward for Barbados???.

He expressed this view today during a press launch at Government Headquarters. Mr. Stuart said: ???In whatever area of national life we operate we need a sound and healthy environment and this initiative is intended to achieve that objective.???

Acknowledging that Barbados had committed itself to being the most advanced green economy in this region and in the Americas, the Prime Minister stressed that the use of High Sulphur Diesel was inconsistent with Government???s objective of creating a sound environment.

The Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel was on the market from late last month and Mr. Stuart said that if Government had yielded to the suggestion of experimenting with the low and high sulphur diesels, then the Barbados National Terminal Company Limited would have had to embark on massive expenditure to accommodate the exercise.

???We did not think that any two diesel options made sense because of the retrofitting that would have had to take place at the National Terminal and at service stations. We are confident that all of the necessary precautions have been taken to guarantee a smooth transition from High Sulphur to Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel,??? he stated.

Standard diesel carries a maximum sulphur content of 5,000 parts per million, while ultra-low sulphur diesel carries a maximum content of 15 parts per million. Many vehicles and engines are now manufactured to operate more efficiently with ultra-low sulphur fuels.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

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