by Recently, an important event took place in the country’s fuel market – the government has returned the Euro 5 standards to the legal field. In fact, this is very important because now the circulation of fuel below this standard is prohibited again, and trading it is a serious violation. Up to this point, even Euro 3 was allowed to be sold. Gasoline ‘Euro 5’ has become law again. Has the fuel become truly European? The difference in quality between standards is huge, and various small refineries and small ‘vendors’ have fully exploited this. The main sufferers, especially financially, are motorists, as repairs after poor quality fuel are not a cheap pleasure. So, has the ‘golden time’ for counterfeiters come to an end? Experts from the Institute of Consumer Expertise experimentally determined whether the quality of A-95 gasoline at Ukrainian gas stations has improved. The check took place across the country, in large cities and on highways. Researchers found that overall, the quality of fuel has sharply increased, but at the same time, ‘vendors’ are still not giving up their ‘weapons’. Samples of A-95 gasoline were purchased from the largest nationwide networks (WOG, SOCAR, UKRNAFTA, AMIC, ANP, MARSHALL, SHELL, UPG, BRSN-Nafta, U.GO), as well as from serious regional players (powerful capital network KLO, PARALLEL, fueling network in southeastern Ukraine, FACTOR, Kharkiv’s SVR and OVIS). Experts traditionally divided the laboratory results into zones – ‘green’, ‘blue’, and ‘red’. The ‘green’ zone included networks whose results met Euro 5 standards, ‘blue’ – samples without violations, but ‘without strength reserve’, i.e., on the verge of permitted values. And finally, the ‘red’ zone – networks whose fuel did not meet the standards of the relevant DSTU. Samples were tested for key parameters – octane number, sulfur content, and volume fraction of aromatic hydrocarbons and benzene. Additionally, experts checked the content of bioethanol and methanol. ‘Green Zone’: The Institute’s experts note that for the first time in recent years, the ‘green’ zone has become numerically larger than the ‘red’ zone. At the same time, changes have occurred in the qualitative composition of participants. In addition to large private networks (WOG, SOCAR, AMIC, UPG), for the first time, state companies – UKRNAFTA and U.GO – entered the leadership category. This once again confirms the thesis that state companies, if desired, can be transparent, efficient, and profitable. Two networks from the front-line regions also entered the ‘green’ zone – the fueling network in southeastern Ukraine PARALLEL and the newly created (!) SVR network in Kharkiv. Doing business under such conditions already commands respect, and being honest with their customers is truly incredible. Overall, the indicators in gasoline purchased from the above-mentioned networks were significantly better than the DSTU requirements. Initially, the most important engine parameter was checked – the octane number. The standard is set at no less than 95 units. The most substantial reserve was found in SOCAR with practically 97. Excellent results were also observed in AMIC (96.6) and KLO (96.5). With such octane number indicators, the engine works smoothly and delivers full power, with fuel consumption being more economical. The next parameter checked was the amount of the most harmful substance to the engine and the environment – sulfur. The more sulfur in the fuel, the less will be the engine’s lifespan and its trouble-free operation. This is also important for people in cities, as sulfur oxides emitted by car exhaust can lead to serious health problems. Euro 5 standard allows no more than 10 mg/kg. Almost no sulfur was found in A-95 gasoline purchased at UKRNAFTA network (3 mg/kg). SOCAR, AMIC, PARALLEL – significantly below the standard. As for the content of aromatic hydrocarbons, all participants in this group had values within the normal range, with the lowest amount in SOCAR – only 25%. Another important indicator checked was the amount of benzene. This toxic substance in gasoline should be as low as possible because increasing its quantity ‘kills’ the catalyst and can reduce the engine’s lifespan by up to ten times. The cleanest gasoline was found in AMIC (0.20% with a standard not exceeding 1%), low values were also detected in UKRNAFTA and KLO. The experts’ conclusion is unequivocal – this is European fuel from foreign plants that was transported and stored in accordance with regulations. ‘Blue Zone’: The ‘blue’ zone primarily included regional networks, with SHELL being the only exception. A-95 gasoline at FACTOR, OVIS, VST, and LUXWEN gas stations met the Euro 5 standard, but with indicators that closely approached the maximum norms. For small networks with not too ‘prominent’ brands, these results are quite acceptable. ‘Red Zone’: Despite all the positive trends and increased accountability for trading with substandard fuel, a third of all samples tested in the laboratory had significant quality violations. Big networks BRSN-Nafta, ANP, MARSHALL, and regional players DNIPRO OIL GROUP, BARREL, NPG, ENERGO-EXPORT ended up in the ‘red’ zone. Almost all samples had violations concerning sulfur harmful to the engine and the environment, which cannot be removed from the fuel in non-factory conditions. And if in most samples, the violations were substantial but not ‘fatal’ – from one and a half to two times the exceedance, then in the ‘fuel’ from the ENERGO-EXPORT network, the sulfur content was at a staggering level. The amount of this substance was 380 times higher than the norm! It is not difficult to guess that problems with the fuel system and the engine will inevitably start soon and very quickly after refueling with such a substance. The share of the toxic benzene in the samples was also disastrous. ENERGO-EXPORT, once again, set records – this fuel consists of almost 40% benzene! In the gasoline from the DNIPRO OIL GROUP gas station – a tenfold exceedance, from BARREL – a fourfold one. Recall, this is a dangerous compound that forms deposits and causes the engine to overheat. How will the engine of your car ‘digest’ this ‘fuel’ with such a huge amount of benzene – is more of a rhetorical question. Additionally, experts checked the samples for the content of oxygen-containing compounds, including the content of bioethanol and methanol. It turned out that the ‘ninety-fifth’ sample from the BARREL station in Zaporizhzhia consists of 40% alcohols. This is at the limit of no more than 8% combined. Exceedances in alcohol content four times and more were also found in samples from DNIPRO OIL GROUP, ANP, NPG. Experts predict positive changes in fuel quality on the Ukrainian market at the Institute of Consumer Expertise. Firstly, with the return of standards, counterfeiting and trading with substandard fuel will become much more challenging. Secondly, state networks are starting to set the tone, usually operating in the domain of discounters, and competition in the lower price segment will become tougher, potentially pushing small networks to improve their quality.
