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What is Clean Diesel?
Is it clean diesel or ‘cleaner diesel’? The market terminology is ULSD or Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel. The basics of clean diesel are this:
- most of the sulphur content has been removed from diesel fuel
- ULSD contains a maximum 15 ppm sulphur content (the old diesel was about 15,000 ppm!)
- Sulphur is a lubricant and therefore petroleum refiners have had to add a lubricity agent (biodiesel can also act as a lubricant and is superior in all respects)
In Canada, all on-road diesel sold retail is ULSD, so if your new diesel vehicle has a decal on the fuel door that reads ‘ULSD only’, don’t fret – the fuel at any diesel retailer in Canada complies with this standard.
The same is not true in the United States and will not be until December 1, 2010, so if you travel south of the border you will have to search out retail ULSD before venturing down the highway.
For a run-down on this new ‘clean diesel fuel’ from the Canadian Petroleum Institute, click right here.
However, to keep things interesting, refer to these two American sites (alternative fuels and fleetowner) and you will quickly realize things south of the border are not quite the same as here in Canada.
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