The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has upgraded the standard for gasoline, commonly known as petrol or super used in the country.
This follows the review of the Ghana Standard for gasoline (GS140:20220) to align with the requirements of regular grade gasoline with EURO IV and ECOWAS standards for gasoline.
The new standard also requires that premium grade gasoline requirements comply with EURO V standard.
The regulator of the downstream petroleum sector has, therefore, directed that effective January 2024, all gasoline [petrol] imported into Ghana must meet EURO IV & EURO V for regular and premium grades respectively.
“The standard has become higher, particularly in terms of Manganese which is now maximum of six milligrams per litre (mg/L) for regular petrol and 2mg/L maximum for premium petrol,” the Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has said.
The upgraded standard Graphic Online understands should not affect prices.
It is compulsory for all oil marketing companies (OMCs) and that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is capable of meeting the Standard particularly the regular petrol.
Previous standard
The previous standard, the NPA said, was 18mg/L for both regular and premium petrol.
The review was undertaken in collaboration with Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and other relevant stakeholders.
It is compulsory for all oil marketing companies (OMCs) to comply with the new standard by January 1, next year.
Complaints
The NPA explained that it had received reports and customer complaints in relation to the quality of petrol on the Ghanaian market.
Graphic Online understands, the current standard has become higher particularly in terms of Manganese which is now maximum of 6mg/L for regular petrol and 2mg/L maximum for premium petrol.
The previous standard was 18mg/L for both regular petrol and premium petrol.
Review
The rationale for the review include changes in engine technology as well adoption of the new improved standards for the sub-region.
“A significant number of spark ignition vehicles in Ghana are designed to run on gasoline that conforms with EURO IV and EURO V requirements,” the NPA said, adding that such vehicles were equipped with advanced technologies that required lower or no metal additives in gasoline to ensure optimal engine performance.
ECOWAS
Again, the NPA said ECOWAS had also directed that all member states must adopt harmonised specifications for both gasoline and diesel.
However, Ghana being the first country in ECOWAS to adopt Ultra-Low Sulfur content of 0,005 per cent or 50 parts or particles per million (50ppm) sulphur levels in both gasoline and diesel is already compliant with most of the key parameters in the ECOWAS specifications for gasoline except for trace metals.
It explained that adhering to international standards ensured that the country was aligned with global norms.
“This fosters international collaboration, trade and promote the use of more efficient and eco-friendly vehicles which run on good quality fuels,” the NPA added.