Quebec premier feels bound by Labrador energy deal despite expiration date

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://globalnews.ca/news/11826222/quebec-premier-energy-deal/

The federal #energyminister, #ChrisBowen, has just #announced a temporary #downgrade in #Australia’s #fuelquality #standards, a move designed to put an extra 100m litres per month enter the system.

Bowen has told parliament that in order to assist with getting more supply into the system and to try and put downward pressure on prices, the government will allow a 60-day change to #allow #highersulfurlevels in #fuel.

The petrol supply will be prioritised for regional areas. It would otherwise have been exported to countries overseas.

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#Sulphur is not about wear and tear - it’s about #pollution, and that means #airquality.

Sulphur is a chemical composition of #crudeoil; there’s no escaping it. During the #refining process, sulphur needs to be removed.

The nasty little bi-product of the combustion process in question here is SOx (oxides of sulphur), which are not unlike oxides of nitrogen (made infamous thanks to Volkswagen) found in diesel. Oxides of sulphur need removing by the catalytic converter, with the help of platinum (expensive, rare).

Euro 5 is the current emissions standard, but our fuel is #below the #benchmark that would allow vehicles to achieve that. So Euro 6 standards have zero chance of being adopted for the foreseeable future.

It might mean the fumes will make people sick & the lower quality fuel will fuck your engine… but hey! They’ve got a plan. 🤬

#auspol