ECOWAS Director of Energy, Bayaornibe Dabire, has said countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have set a January 2025 deadline for the adoption cleaner fuels and vehicles to reduce air pollution.
He spoke at the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA) 2021 Virtual Workshop Series where he said that the range of fuel specifications in the sub-region currently spans 50 Parts Per Million (PPM) sulphur in some countries to 10, 000 ppm in others.
He said the need for harmonisation led to the issuance of ECOWAS directive C/DIR.2/09/20 last year, which covers exhaust gas and particulate emission limits for two-wheeled, light and heavy vehicles.
Dabire stressed that any improvement in fuel specifications without alignment with vehicle emission limits would not have the desired effect, emphasising that member states should prohibit the import of petrol and diesel which do not comply with the harmonised fuel specifications.
“From January 1, 2025, only gasoline and diesel that meet the harmonised fuel specifications can be marketed within the ECOWAS region. A waiver would be provided for refineries within the region to remain operational while they introduce measures to comply with the directive,” he noted.
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ECOWAS have set a January 2025 deadline for the adoption cleaner fuels and vehicles to reduce air pollution.
