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Mauritius
Mauritius plans to move to 50ppm in 2011
Mauritius has announced plans to move to 50 ppm sulphur diesel in 2011. The announcement was made by the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Hon. Devanand Virahsawmy during a two-day national sensitisation workshop and exhibition that took place on 22-23 November 2010 in Mauritius. This will make Mauritius the first country in Sub-Sahara Africa to switch to ultra low sulphur diesel. Only Morocco has implemented ultra low sulphur fuels nationally in Africa. The main aim to the workshop and exhibition was to highlight to stakeholders the switch by Mauritius to low sulphur diesel (500ppm sulphur) in August 2010 and the need to address vehicular emissions through implementation of cleaner fuels and vehicles programs.
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Kenya
 Kenya Marks Move to Cleaner Fuels
The adoption of low sulphur diesel - at 500 parts per million (ppm) sulphur - by Kenya and Tanzania is set to result in cleaner diesel for the Eastern Africa region.
To mark this move, the USEPA Assistant Administrator Ms Michelle DePass, the United Nations Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Mr. Achim Steiner, Kenyan Assistant Minister for Petroleum Energy Hon. Magerer Lang’at, and the Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources Hon. Ramadhan Kajembe participated in an event on 18 Feb 2011 at the UN Petrol Station at Gigiri.
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Low Sulphur Diesel Awareness in Kenya
 The UNEP based Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) in collaboration with the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) have just completed an awareness campaign to promote low sulphur diesel among public transporters in the country. The activities are supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The PCFV and PIEA are also in discussion with the Kenyan Government to segregate and market the low sulphur diesel in the two largest cities - Nairobi and Mombasa - that have close to 80% of the country’s vehicle population. All imports of diesel fuel into Kenya and for the export market are now low sulphur – at 500ppm, but fuels produced by the Kenya Petroleum Refinery Limited (KPRL) still have high sulphur levels.
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UNEP initiates drive to clean up Kenyan skies (2009/10)
 UNEP, through the PCFV, has rolled out an initiative aimed at reducing sulphur levels in diesel to cut down pollution caused by vehicles in Kenya. The National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) and the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) are backing the initiative for Kenya to meet a 2010 East African deadline of using low sulphur diesel. Imported diesel contains 5,000 ppm of sulphur with the Mombasa-based refinery producing diesel with 10,000 ppm. Kenya's continued use of diesel of 10,000 parts per million is associated with high emission of sulphur dioxide that have negative health, vehicle and environmental impacts. 11 Eastern African countries committed in October 2008 to reduce sulphur in imported motor fuels to 500ppm by end of 2010 with further reductions to 50ppm from 2012 onwards.
The Motor Vehicle Inspection Unit (MVIU) in Kenya is also part of this low sulphur drive, as use of low sulphur will reduce vehicular emissions.
Several national level workshops have been held in the major cities in Kenya to promote low sulphur diesel and cleaner vehicles, as well as the need for regular vehicle inspection and maintenance. A public media campaign is underway. The summary report of the workshops and newspaper article are attached. Public media campaign is planned to start in July 2010.
• Summary of National Workshops
• Newspaper Article
Tanzania
Media Sensitization and National Stakeholders’ Workshop on Cleaner Buses, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - 15 April and 12 August 2009
 A one-day media campaign to raise awareness of stakeholders on the benefit of clean public transportation took place on 15 April 2009 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The campaign was coordinated by the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) and was attended by the Hon. William Ngeleje, Minister for Energy and Minerals of Tanzania and the Chief Executive of DART Mr. Cosmas Takule.
At the event, the Government of Tanzania committed to lowering of sulphur levels in diesel fuels to 500ppm. This fuel quality would be required to run the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses that will meet Euro 3 standards. The use of alternative fuels, particularly natural gas was discussed as Tanzania has adequate reserves of natural gas.
A follow up national stakeholders’ workshop was held on 12 August 2009. Reports of both events and presentations are attached.
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Second Sensitization Workshop to Promote Cleaner Buses and Fuels, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - 12 August 2009
A second Stakeholders’ Workshop to promote cleaner public transport in Dar es Salaam was held on 12 August 2009. The workshop was also coordinated by the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) and was a follow up to the media launch that took place in April 2009. The workshop brought together stakeholders from government, private sector such as the oil industry and public transport operators, the civil society and the media houses. The Workshop was chaired by Mr. Cosmas Takule, Chief Executive of the DART. The workshop recommended an integrated approach to addressing air pollution management in Dar es Salaam and noted that vehicle emissions remained the highest source of air pollution in Dar, hence the significance of the workshop. The workshop proposed a continuation of public sensitisation on vehicle emission reduction measures.
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Africa ARCHIVES
National stakeholders Workshop for Ethiopia, July 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
National Workshop on Sulphur Reduction in Vehicle Fuels, June 2008, Lome, Togo
Southern Africa Sub-regional Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution, March 2008, Lusaka, Zambia
Meetings and Events |
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