December 1 marked a major milestone for the nation's transition to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel -- all on-highway diesel fuel now complies with the landmark 15 parts-per-million sulfur standard. This represents a 97 percent reduction in sulfur content from 2006 levels.


According to EPA's pump survey, the highway transition to ULSD was actually completed a few weeks ago, reports the Diesel Technology Forum.

"It is quite a remarkable feat that refiners have been able to reduce the sulfur content in diesel fuel by 97 percent," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. "In fact, the EPA pump survey indicates that the ULSD has measured in the 6.3 to 7.0 ppm range for the past year, which is significantly lower than the required 15 ppm standard."

This year has included several important environmental landmarks - the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, the 10th anniversary of the National Clean Diesel Campaign, and now the official completion of the new ultra-low sulfur diesel transition, notes the diesel group.

"The new clean diesel fuel will be a major contributor in helping cities and states meet strict new air quality goals set by the federal government," Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer notes that there is still work to be done transitioning off-road vehicles like farm tractors and construction machines to ULSD. Construction and agricultural equipment manufacturers are on their way to launching a new generation of low-emission clean diesel engines that will require this cleaner fuel. Low-sulfur diesel is still available in diminishing quantities to off-road users, and will be until the end of 2011.

More info: Diesel Technology Forum.

Edited 4:20 EST 12/10/2010 to correct factual error in headline and use of ULSD to refer to the previous sulfur level fuel. Corrected 12:45 EST 12/13/2010, removing quote about "the cleanest diesel fuel in the world" and replacing with information about EPA pump survey data on actual sulfur levels.