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SA's 'damaging' fuel - latest

John Oxley

That's according to Nico Vermeulen, director of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA).

Vermeulen was responding to a report which appeared in today's Cape Times newspaper, and which inferred that an additive based on the heavy metal manganese, and which is added to unleaded fuel in SA as an octane booster, was clogging the catalytic converters, resulting in expensive replacements and loss of performance.

The newspaper report leaned heavily on a confidential report which had been prepared by NAAMSA.

"The newspaper report over-exaggerates the problem in that most of the country is free of this additive," says Vermeulen.

"Not all fuel is tainted, since at the moment the additive only occurs on the Highveld and parts of the Eastern and Western Cape.

"We are angry that the Cape Times has seen fit to publish the report - which is a confidential internal document - since this could jeopardise a quiet strategy NAAMSA has in place to persuade the various petrol companies to give the customer the option of using a 'fit-for-purpose' virgin fuel."

Vermeulen pointed out that one company has already launched a heavy metal-free petrol.

Called BP Cleaner Unleaded, it was introduced in Gauteng last week (see below).

"The Cape Times report plays down this point, too, but it is important because it means motorists immediately have an alternative to fuel which contains the additive," he said.

Earlier this week NAAMSA issued a statement in which it applauded the decision by BP to introduce the new fuel.

The statement said: "Today's high technology vehicles employ sophisticated emission control equipment such as three-way catalytic converters and exhaust gas sensors to provide precise closed-loop control.

"These systems must be kept in optimal condition to maintain low emissions over the lifetime of the vehicle.

"Ash-forming metal-containing additives can adversely affect the operation of catalytic converters and other components in an irreversible way that negatively impacts on vehicle performance and emissions.

"Modern technology catalyst-equipped vehicles perform optimally in the long term with the use of high-quality petrol, free of metal additives."

The newspaper report claimed BMW, Nissan, SAAB, Volkswagen/Audi and Delta Motor Corporation had contributed to the NAAMSA report.

Richard Carter, general manager for group communications and public affairs at BMW South Africa, told Wheels24: "When this issue first surfaced about a year or so ago a number of manufacturers were approached, including BMW, and at that time confirmed that we were monitoring catalytic converter failures and that manganese deposits had been found to be the cause of a number of cat failures."

He added that BMW endorses the availability of heavy metal-free fuels.

"We believe heavy metal emissions are damaging to the environment, and along World Fuel Charter guidelines we support the use of fuels which do not contain lead or any other heavy metals," he said.

BP Cleaner Unleaded has been produced after a R20-million upgrading of BP's refining process to bring its South African operations in line with its global cleaner fuels agenda.

Richard Fienberg, BP's retail director for Africa said introduction of the new petrol was in response to consumer demand.

"We want to be able to give consumers an alternative option, hence the launch of BP Cleaner Unleaded", said Fienberg.

BP Cleaner Unleaded will be available at selected BP service stations along the coast and at major distribution points in Gauteng, and will soon be distributed throughout the remainder of South Africa.

According to the Cape Times, both petrol-from-coal manufacturer Sasol, and Ethyl Corporation, manufacturers of the heavy metal additive MMT, claim the additive does no harm either to vehicles or the environment.

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