Features / 14 September 2021 / Albert du Toit

Diesel 50ppm being banned – Here are 5 cars suited for 10ppm

According to a government notice on petroleum product regulations dated 31 August, South Africa aims to ban the sale of diesel grades exceeding “10 parts per million” (ppm).

The new rules will come into effect in September 2023.

The notice cites climate change regulations as the main reason for the shift away from this fuel grade.

Due to the upcoming ban on diesel grades exceeding 10ppm, many of South Africa’s oil refineries will need to upgrade equipment to stay competitive – while others are converting to terminals capable of importing cleaner fuels.

What 10ppm is

Sulphur is a natural element found in crude oil, which is the main ingredient in producing diesel.

As a result, unrefined diesel has a sulphur content ranging anywhere between 100ppm and 33,000ppm.

Out of the three best-known diesel grades – 500ppm, 50ppm, and 10ppm – the 10ppm grade has the lowest sulphur content, containing 10mg of sulphur for every litre of fuel produced.

This grading is important, as fuels with fewer parts per million will effectively burn “cleaner” by releasing less harmful exhaust gases into the atmosphere.

Low-sulphur fuels also have less of a detrimental effect on your vehicle’s diesel particulate filter – the component tasked with removing particle matter or soot from the exhaust gas.

The cars

A diesel engine running on low-sulphur fuel – between 10ppm and 50ppm – will also operate smoother than with high-sulphur diesel.

These refined fuels will cause less wear and tear on your engine, too, but provide less lubrication than with high-sulphur diesel grades.

Sasol, one of the largest producers of 10ppm diesel, therefore developed a special additive to combat these negative effects of the progressive fuel type.

As a result, modern diesel cars are produced to run well with 10ppm diesel – and we have listed several examples below.