Euro-2 gasoline, banned in 2013, may temporarily return to the market until 2027

The government plans to temporarily allow the production and sale of gasoline and diesel fuel of environmental classes Euro-2, Euro-3, and Euro-4. This decision should increase the supply of fuel on the domestic market, where a shortage has emerged and reserves have begun to decline in recent weeks. This was reported by "Kommersant".

The draft resolution stipulates that the relaxed requirements will be in effect until July 2027. At the same time, authorities intend to allow the import of fuels of similar environmental classes without applying the requirements of the EAEU technical regulations.

The return of Euro-2 will be the most significant revision of environmental requirements since the ban of this standard in 2013. While Euro-5 gasoline currently allows a sulfur content of no more than 10 mg per kilogram, for Euro-2, this figure can reach 500 mg.

The need for new measures arose after the deterioration of the situation in the fuel market. Since late May, some regions began to experience interruptions in the supply of gasoline and diesel fuel, and some gas station networks introduced restrictions on the volume of fuel dispensed. According to the Ministry of Energy, gasoline reserves decreased by 4% over the year and amounted to 1.7 million tons.

Previously, authorities had already allowed a number of oil refineries to produce Euro-3 gasoline and diesel fuel for the domestic market. However, according to industry participants, this was not enough to increase the production of high-octane gasoline.

In addition, easing the requirements will reduce the dependence of oil refineries on the operation of individual technological units. This will allow maintaining a higher output volume even during equipment repairs.

At the same time, experts warn that Euro-2 gasoline is not suitable for all cars. Due to significantly higher sulfur content and other impurities, its use can negatively affect modern engines and exhaust gas purification systems. However, a significant portion of cars in the regions are designed for lower quality fuel, so ensuring the market with sufficient volumes of gasoline becomes a priority.