Russia Prepares to Drop Fuel Quality to Fight Crisis

(MOSCOW) – Russia is preparing to bring back a low grade motor fuel standard that was banned more than a decade ago, as it battles a worsening fuel crisis.

The government is considering allowing the production and sale of petrol and diesel meeting only Euro 2 environmental rules for one year, until July 2027.

The Euro 2 standard was prohibited in Russia in 2013. The main difference between fuel grades is the sulphur content and the complexity of the refining process, explained Dmytro Prokofiev, Communications Director at NEFT Research.

Euro 2 permits the use of oil without deep processing and makes production simpler. Mr Prokofiev said this move could release hundreds of thousands of tonnes of petrol onto the market each month.

Despite this, the expert warned that even such a step was unlikely to fully replace the volumes of fuel lost because of strikes on Russian oil refineries. He also cautioned that using Euro 2 standard fuel could be dangerous for a significant portion of modern cars.

The proposed return to the lower standard follows a separate report that public transport stopped in Sevastopol because of fuel shortages and power cuts.

President Vladimir Putin has also acknowledged fuel shortages at filling stations and announced a possible ban on diesel exports.