Unleaded fuel: Luxury or necessity?

By Ghassan Joha, Star Staff Writer Ismael Shabanah is a pro-environment activist who uses lead-free petrol for his modern car. He is still a university student but hopes for a career in one of the environmental organizations in Jordan or abroad. Shabanah is sacrificing financially every time he fills his fuel tank with unleaded grade petrol, as the cost is much higher than the other three types of fuel, regular, special and diesel. "It costs me around JD 15 a week to fill my car with unleaded petrol," said the 22-year-old student, adding that still it would not deter him. "My car was designed to consume unleaded fuel only, and I can't take the risk by using any other kind since that would cost me a lot in maintenance charges," he explained. According to the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co (JPRC), the Kingdom is consuming unleaded fuel at a minimum, "although the company is now producing substantial quantities of this grade, at a rate far exceeding public consumption". The company noted that 46 gas stations around Jordan were chosen to sell the unleaded fuel, to meet public demands.Most car engines built after 1972 were designed to run on either low-lead fuel or unleaded. Individual engine manufacturers, however, have different rules to how their engines should be treated to handle the new generation of fuels. Most of the unleaded fuel is produced locally by refining the raw oil, imported from Saudi Arabia, and produced through a special process. However, the company did not elaborate on the quantity of the imported unleaded fuel, but said that it often imports quantities of this fuel to mix it with the other types of fuel to increase their octane ratings, which makes them friendlier to the environment than leaded fuel.A brief visit to those gas stations selling the unleaded fuel would provide a clear idea on how much people are interested in using this type of fuel. One of the gas stations, located near the University of Jordan on the road to Sweileh , is considered among the most active gas stations that sell the unleaded fuel, since its management affirms that it sells between JD 700-1000 a day worth of this grade. "This figure could be dreamlike, but it is true," said Laith, one of the gas-fillers at the station. "Motorists often ask for the unleaded grade and they come to the station more than once a day," he added. Laith, who spent seven years working in the station, indicated that the average filling of unleaded fuel per motorist reaches up to JD 15. "Many motorists who ask for unleaded fuel are young and own modern cars, since they are aware of the high cost of maintenance if they used other types of fuel."Sheikh Awni Eshaqat is a famous auto mechanic who spent more than 20 years in the business and knows very well what leaded fuel could do to a car designed to run on unleaded only. "The frequent use of leaded fuel in lead-free designed vehicles would expose the car to different negative effects, particularly in the engine's catalyzer that enhance its exhaust-gas cleaning performance," said Eshaqat, who owns a car mechanics shop in Wadi El Seir area, southeast of Amman. He said that the main objective of the catalyzer is to censor the rates of oxygen in the engine during the compression, since the carbon dioxide gas is highly produced during the engine's combustion. Eshaqat warns motorists that once the catalyzer is damaged, their cars would be subject to further impairment. He noted that spare catalyzers are expensive. "When a catalyzer is ruined, the only way is to replace it with a new one, which costs a lot. World's car manufacturers design catalyzers to survive the car, and they believe that motorists should use unleaded fuel only for their specially designed cars," he said. Car mechanics agree that fuels with higher octane ratings burn less easily, yet they recommend them highly since these fuels are generally considered more powerful. Using a fuel with a higher octane content allows the engine to be run at higher compressions, and not have problems with knock. And as compression is directly linked to power, engines using higher octane would deliver more power. Some high-performance engines are designed to operate at higher compression levels associated with high octane ratings, and thus demand high-octane fuel.With the recognition of the environmental damage caused by lead and the incompatibility of lead with catalytic converters, most countries are in the process of phasing out the sale of leaded fuel. In Jordan, such process seems out of reach at the time being.Shabanah said that he is working with other environmentalists in Jordan to promote the use of unleaded fuel among Jordanian motorists. "The majority of cars running in local streets are modern and are compatible with unleaded fuel," he pointed out. "While the government is trying to enhance the environmental aspects of our country, it often ignores the significant effect of awareness on that regard. And I believe the Ministry of Environment can't do anything since it lacks mechanisms and proposals to enlighten people or even educate them on this issue," added Shabanah, who is an associate member of the Friends of the Environment Society. Samir Shuraiqi, the ministry's secretary-general, made it clear that the ministry is working closely with the JPRC to enhance the use of unleaded fuel in Jordan. "It is clear that lead is widely recognized as a major air pollutant, and its removal from fuel is justifiable to reduce the social costs of air pollution on people," Shuraiqi told The Star. He said that Prime Minister Faisal El Fayez is giving this issue a high priority through frequent coordination with the concerned parties."The ministry has set guidelines and procedures in cooperation with the JPRC to reduce the use of leaded fuels in Jordan. These guidelines are currently implemented through our supervision," Shuraiqi explained. Meanwhile, the JPRC noted that it would produce larger quantities of unleaded fuel once public demand increases. Shabanah noted, however, that people would not use unleaded fuel at its current prices, which is costlier than other types of fuels. "It depends on the way the government and the JPRC deal with this issue," he said.

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