No plan to ditch Euro 4 PMS standard, says NMDPRA

The Euro 4 Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) will continue to be the benchmarked Nigerian standard for PMS, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said.

This comes as the Authority’s Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, has urged staff to work as a team with integrity, diligence and efficiency.

The Euro 4 standard was 2017 domesticated by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and tagged ‘2017 specification’.

The authority revealed that there is no immediate plan to move to a higher standard of PMS, saying the current SON 2017 specification would strictly be adhered to.

“The current SON 2017 specifications are akin to Euro 4 specifications. It should also be noted that the Dangote Refinery is designed and built to meet Euro 5 classification standards, which will meet local, regional and international standards. Also, the output of other modular refineries are expected to meet Euro 4 specifications at the minimum,” it said.

Providing more insight into the domestic specifications for Euro 4 standards, the authority said: “The main parameter that Euro 4 seeks to monitor/address is the Sulphur level, which is pegged at 50ppm. This is the same limit for Sulphur in SON 2017. As earlier mentioned, the current SON 2017 Specifications are akin to the EURO 4 specification.”

On what the authority is doing to improve standards towards curbing air pollution in the country, it stated that emission management can only be fully achieved via a robust and all-around approach.

It explained: “Standardisation of fuels and setting of limits are only one part of the management system. Relevant Government actors must ensure that the quality of fuels produced locally or imported meets the standards. Furthermore, our vehicles and machinery that run on hydrocarbon derivatives must meet certain emission standards (end of pipe approach).”

At its maiden meeting with the staff since the merger of the three defunct regulatory agencies – Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board (PEFMB), the midstream and downstream divisions of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) – with an attendance of over 1,300 staff virtually and physically, the NMDPRA board Chairman, Idaere Gogo Ogan, said the success of the authority was grounded on the collective commitment of all staff.

On his part, the authority’ Chief Executive, Engr Ahmed hinted that the NMDPRA was committed to the highest ethical standards and compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, therefore unethical, dishonest and questionable behavior by any staff will not be tolerated.

He assured Staff that their welfare was of utmost importance to the Board and Management of the NMDPRA, adding that all issues concerned expressed by the staffers will be addressed speedily.