Evaluating environmental quality of all domestic oil companies' gasoline and diesel, distributed in the metropolitan area during the latter half of 2010, the Ministry of Environment gave the highest level -- five stars. For diesel, the environmental quality has maintained the five-star grade since the second half of 2006 and that of all oil companies' gasoline was granted five-star grade second after the first half of 2009.
The evaluation aims at releasing environmental quality level of automobile fuels so that consumers can choose environmentally-friendly fuels and induce oil companies to voluntarily improve environmental quality of fuels. Since 2006, when the evaluation system was launched, it has contributed to improvement of air quality of the Seoul metropolitan area
The standards of evaluating gasoline and diesel are six respectively as follows :
- Gasoline : sulfur, aromatic compounds, benzene, steam pressure, olefin and T90
- Diesel : sulfur, lubrication, density, polyaromatic hydrocarbon, aromatic compounds and cetane index
According to the result of evaluation, gasoline and diesel recorded five stars in sulfur. Also, benzene and aromatic compounds in gasoline received five stars and density and cetane index of diesel received five stars, too.
The government, automobile industries and fuel industries plan to begin a joint research project Auto-oil program in 2011 to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutants with the road map for five years and signed a voluntary agreement on January 13th.
source: Ministry of Environment
