DUSHANBE, May 4, 2009, Asia-Plus — The International Fuel Quality Center (IFQC) has ranked Tajikistan 90th among 100 countries in terms of quality of gasoline.
It is to be noted that Tajikistan shares the 90th place along with two other Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, as well as Sri Lanka. Another Central Asia’s nation, Uzbekistan, has been ranked 88th.
Compared to last year’s report, Tajikistan fell by 24 places in the rankings.
The IFQC has ranked the top 100 countries based on sulfur limits in gasoline. The countries were ranked based on the order of the following criteria: maximum sulfur limits in national standards, maximum sulfur limits in local/regional standards (such as specifications for cities/states) and by year of implementation.
Germany and Japan remained first and second, respectively, with the lowest limits. All EU countries placed within the top 50 now that 100% market penetration of “sulfur-free” (less than 10ppm) fuels is required in the EU as of January 2009, furthering the region’s role as a leader in clean fuels. This has bumped quite a few countries down (such as the U.S., which ranked 44th). Oil-rich nations Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were again placed within the top 50 for low sulfur limits in gasoline (Qatar 50th and UAE 47th). The Russian Federation was ranked 84th.
According to the IFQC, updates to these rankings will be conducted every six months.
The International Fuel Quality Center (IFQC) brings together the world’s leading refining, automotive and engine manufacturers, technology and government stakeholders, facilitating and improving their understanding of fuel quality issues. Established in 1998, IFQC is a high-value service of Hart Energy Publishing LLP, one of the world”s largest energy industry publishers. IFQC is a globally recognized multi-client service specializing in transportation fuel quality-related issues, with a diverse array of informational products.
