Over the past two decades, the growingawareness of the role that emissions play in human healthand environmental degradation had led to a general movementin many parts of the world to control emissions to reducethe impacts. This movement has mainly taken two forms: 1)the development and subsequent required use of controldevices for stationary sources and vehicle sources and, 2)changes in the specifications of transportation fuels toreduce emissions of the major pollutants. These trendsoriginated in the industrialized countries and are nowspreading, at different rates, throughout the world. As inother world regions, the first improvement in thespecifications of transportation fuels in Sub-Saharan Africawas the elimination of lead. The phase out of lead is nowcomplete and the World Bank and its partners are looking atthe next step the reduction of sulfur in transportationfuels. The growing complexity of the vehicle emissioncontrol technologies for both personal vehicles andcommercial trucks and the concomitant need for cleanfuels.In addition to the growing awareness of the humanhealth and environmental impact of vehicle source emissions,have placed increasing requirements on refineries. Sulfur isnot an additive but a natural part of crude oil. Its removalprocesses presents both technological and economicchallenges to refiners. However, by coming later thanOrganization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) regions to ultra-low sulfur fuels, SSA refineries arein a position to benefit from the operating experience andprocess improvements obtained elsewhere in the refining industry.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
