Governments in West Africa are taking action to stop the import of fuel with dangerously high levels of sulfur and other toxins. Much of the so-called "dirty diesel" originates in Europe, according to a report published by Public Eye, a Swiss NGO, last year.

The report exposed what Public Eye calls the "illegitimate business" of European oil companies and commodities traders selling low quality fuel to Africa. While European standards prohibit the use of diesel with a sulfur content higher than 10 parts per million (ppm), diesel with as much as 3,000 ppm is regularly exported to Africa.

From July 1, diesel being sold at the pumps in Ghana and Nigeria will have to meet a maximum 50 ppm standard.

"We're very happy to see this change in policy," Public Eye's Oliver Classen told DW. "We are still hoping that other West African countries will follow suit, such as the Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo or Mali."

Health risks of dirty diesel

During an investigation spanning three years, Public Eye tested the fuel for sale at gas stations in eight African countries, five of which were in West Africa. They found that more than two thirds of the samples taken had a sulfur level 150 times the European limit.

Africa's cities are growing quickly. Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has a population of 21 million, and estimates suggest this number could almost double by the year 2050. Bigger cities mean a much greater risk from air pollution. While rapid urbanization and the poor quality of the largely second-hand car fleet in the region are partly responsible for the high levels of air pollution, low quality diesel also has a significant impact.

Fuel pollutants have been linked to the development of asthma, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The Public Eye report claimed that switching to low sulfur fuel in Africa, as well as introducing cars with modern emissions control technologies, could prevent 25,000 premature deaths in 2030 and 100,000 in 2050.

"Double standards"

Classen explains that Public Eye has been driving a "two-fold campaign" in order to force change in the fuel industry.

"Our partner organizations in West Africa made sure that this strong message from the people who are suffering from these sulfurous emissions on the ground is heard by their governments," he says. "In Switzerland we put pressure on the companies that take advantage of these double standards - shamelessly, ruthlessly, systematically."

The report focuses on Swiss trading companies that use a process known as "blending" to combine low and high specification fuel, creating a mixture that complies with weak African regulations. As the report explains, "the closer to the specification boundary the product lies, the larger the potential margin for the trader."

This sub-standard product, known in the industry as "African Quality," could not be sold in Europe, but it is not illegal for it to be sold elsewhere. The blending process - which takes place either in European ports or en route to Africa, via a "ship-to-ship" transfer - complicates the matter, because fuel from various suppliers can be mixed into one product.

According to Public Eye, Swiss companies also own, or are major stakeholders in companies that own, a great deal of the "downstream" infrastructure used for blending, transporting and distributing fuel - such as ships, storage tanks, petrol stations and pipelines.

Despite having significant oil reserves, West Africa lacks sufficient refinery resource to process its own higher quality oil and has therefore welcomed cheaper imports from abroad.

Whose responsibility?

Following the report, governments in five West African countries were quick to pledge an overhaul of fuel regulations. Ghana and Nigeria are the first to follow through on this promise. But what about the commodities traders in Europe?

"They actually didn't respond at all," Classen says. "We brought up a petition here in Switzerland, and 20,000 people signed that petition asking those commodities giants to stop selling dirty diesel to Africa. But nothing happened. Zero."

The two main commodities companies implicated in the report were Trafigura and Vitol. Both told DW that, while they accepted that the problem of high sulfur fuel needed to be dealt with, the onus was on the governments in Africa to ensure the quality of diesel being sold at the pumps.

Vitol added that, under current regulations, European companies cannot be certain that what they supply to importers from a certain country will then be sold in that country. "If Vitol, or any other supplier, were to supply EU-specification (at a financial loss) to an importer, there is nothing to stop the importer from reselling the cargo, at a profit, and sourcing a cargo with a cheaper specification for local use."

Pressure on the middle men

Around 50 percent of the European oil that ends up in West Africa flows through the ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, known as the ARA region. Public Eye called on these "export hubs" to ban the export of fuel that does not meet European standards.

"There's a huge public debate going on in the Netherlands and Belgium," Classen explains. "There have been parliamentary motions and a whole lot of media coverage on the issue, and there's pressure on their governments there. We are hoping to see some change of mind which would put Swiss commodity traders under sever pressure to change their business practices."

In response to concerns about tougher regulations pushing up fuel prices, Public Eye points out that five East African countries adopted low sulfur fuels in January 2015 "with no impact on prices at the pump."

Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, said that the introduction of the new regulations would see Ghana "moving to be at the same level as the western countries or the East African countries."

He added that the changes "will reduce respiratory diseases triggered by fuel toxins with higher sulfur content."

Nigeria has also announced plans for all domestically produced fuel to meet the 50 ppm standards by 2020. At a meeting of African fuel producers in February, Ndu Ughamadu, the spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, said that the installation of equipment to cut sulfur emissions was already underway or planned at three of Nigeria's four refineries.

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/africa-rejects-europes-dirty-diesel/a-38627434

Ok

I don't blame the European oil companies for their actions. It makes perfect business sense, it's legal and not unique at all the oil industry. We saw the same thing with asbestos exports from Canada. It's ilegal for asbestos to be sold but not to be exported out. Everyone that's lived in USA knows how deadly it is if the watchest commercial.

If African countries don't change regulations businesses won't change practices Businesses have competition and profits to worry about, so virtue signaling not their concern. Look at regulations African nations are passing the only reduced sulfur to 5 times European standard. Lastly African countries would not have to worry about this if they Refined their own vast somes of oil with higher regulations.

From July 1, diesel being sold at the pumps in Ghana and Nigeria will have to meet a maximum 50 ppm standard.

European standards prohibit the use of diesel with a sulfur content higher than 10 parts per million (ppm), diesel with as much as 3,000 ppm is regularly exported to Africa.

Ps: I think all of Canada Abestos mines are shut down now. We still have a few countries that export that carcinogen.

South Africa banned asbestos but still exports.

We sell them crude oil they sell us toxins.

slimfit1:
We sell the crude oil they sell us toxins.

Gbam. Same way Coca-Cola has been selling cancers in their sprite and fanta

And we are busy fighting ipob, afonja, wailers, zombies and pastors on NL while oyinbos are busy fighting our battles.

MakeADifference:
And we are busy fighting ipob, afonja, wailers, zombies and pastors on NL while oyinbos are busy fighting our battles.

Most of these guys you refer too are anti intellectual. It's the same way the animal activist helped block construction of super highway in Cross River. The foolishness governor too lazy to correctly do EIA 3 times. They write post arguing with eachother but wnot be bothered writing to politicans who matter.

The only remedy to this is to refine theses fuels in Africa ourselves if not I dont see any African country turning back a ship load of diesel because of sulphur content

SalamRushdie:
The only remedy to this is to refine theses fuels in Africa ourselves if not I dont see any African country turning back a ship load of diesel because of sulphur content

A starting point is to institute a legal action in court

All I see is foolishness.

Instead of asking themselves why the heck they (the producers) are importing diesel from Europe where there is no oil(except Norway & the North Sea), they are busy talking of rejecting dirty diesel.

The leaders of Africa are just terribly disappointing. Is Europe suppose to sell you thier best oil. Mstweeeeew!!

In not less than 2 sentences summary the above comprehension passage....


I'm waiting ....Thanks

Vicolan:
In not less than 2 sentences summary the above comprehension passage....



I'm waiting ....Thanks

Europe was selling 'poisonous' diesel to African countries. African countries don vex say them no want again.

From July 1, diesel being sold at the pumps in Ghana and Nigeria will have to meet a maximum 50 ppm standard.

Nigeria has also announced plans for all domestically produced fuel to meet the 50 ppm standards by 2020.

Some one with better understanding should clarify these two quotes, if the implementation of the new regulation is July , 2017 does it mean that domestically produced fuel can remained off specification till 2020?

Its all capitalist,business has no morality these days,so far it is "not illegal".
African countries should ramp up domestic refining capacity,that is the only way out.

sasview:





Some one with better understanding should clarify these two quotes, if the implementation of the new regulation is July , 2017 does it mean that domestically produced fuel can remained off specification till 2020?

No all the new oil refined has to have 50 ppm standard by July 2017. It's confusing but that's what I think it means. Unless they want increase regulations for import fuel and let domestic producers make garbage till 2020.

Vicolan:
In not less than 2 sentences summary the above comprehension passage....



I'm waiting ....Thanks

European countries explointing weak African regulations to make extra profit on diesel sales. Africans are complaining even though it's not illegal in their country because their politicians were too lazy to update laws. This means domestic oil can be just as dirty and nothing would happen.

3 sentence summary.

There is more to this news than meets the eye

Good move, Africa no be dumping ground

Africa is waking up!


Asians re next!

It's ironical how you have fuel in commercial quantity and still turn around to import that same fuel..... Our leaders are doom.... No functional refinery working to optimal capacity....

I just dey imagine wetin oyinbo pple go do when dangote refinery takes their african market in refinery fuel.

SalamRushdie:
The only remedy to this is to refine theses fuels in Africa ourselves if not I dont see any African country turning back a ship load of diesel because of sulphur content

that has always been the dilema.. we send our best to study abroad and when they return, they turn to illiterate backward leaders enmeshed in dirty politics and selfish ends.. 3rd largest proven oil and gas reserves and we still import the shit

Blue3k:


Source: http://www.dw.com/en/africa-rejects-europes-dirty-diesel/a-38627434

You make excess profits plus population control.

Perfect business. Africans are to blame. Period

we really have bad leadership problems in Africa (West Africa most especially)
Can you imagine the double standard, it was this same Europe that banned Nigeria's beans from being exported to their continent because it did not meet the purity level standard for European countries mean while they export the worse kind of fuel that even they can't use in their own countries, and our leaders accept it with open arms and smile on their faces just so they can make a little profit at the expense of the life of Nigerian citizens. it sucks to be an African. i don't care what anyone says, but i'm sure that worse trades than this happen everyday between both continent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1jYiG7kM4I

Africa under threat of highly polluted fuel from Europe

European companies are exporting highly polluted, high-sulphur diesel to African countries according to a report published by a Swiss non-governmental organisation, Public Eye.

If you have the capacity to lift fuel directly from Niger Republic refinery, DM me pls.

why didthis go on for so long?

The African nations are very myopic and lack good reasoning faculty!! What a shame to be an African and to be led by all these scallywags called leaders!!

NubiLove:
why did this go on for so long?

My speculation is why bother mentality. It would only increase fuel prices. They politicians didn't care and people didn't care enough to complain. Lastly African needed the fuel because the refuses to develop their own refining capacity.


Please note the people blaming the business men when they bought their product out of their own free will. Note they didn't know about regulations on books.

Wither thou DPR !When they export low quality &toxic petroleum products into the country.The CHANGE MANTRA should reflect in the activities of NSO ,NAFDAC etc

why wont they sell diesel of substandard quality to Africans when africans are known for doing nothing for themselves and waiting on the white man to produce basic products they require. its in human nature to cheat on those who cant fend for themselves. if only africans had their own refineries, we wont be bothered about importing oil from the west or europe.
The way the world sees us as Africans is how they treat us. they (europeans) wouldnt sell dangerous substances to other countries because of enforcable strict laws and regulations. but down here in Africa, anything goes because they know africans are poor & corrupt couple with the fact that if Africans see money, they will loose their sanity and morals