No more D2 in sale

ARMO has been, for all practical reasons, sold to a US-Swiss conglomerate, and now the Albanian government can afford to take the high ground. The government is preparing a new draft law banning the use of diesel D2 in Albania. The draft law is going to completely change the rules of the game for fuel importers and ARMO. Diesel D2 was the main product of ARMO, which had the technological capability to produce higher quality gas. The draft law, prepared by Lefter Xhuveli, the Minister of Environment, is going to impose new and tougher quality criteria for gas and diesel that is imported, produced or sold in Albania. According to the draft law, the sale of D2 is going to be immediately banned.
Ilir Kurti, the head of the Albanian state agency responsible for the quality control of fuels and gas, said the new rules are intended to protect the health of Albanian citizens and the environment. According to the draft law, importers, including ARMO, should sell only diesel D1, commonly known as EuroDiesel. It is estimated that the Albanians use, every year, 250,000 metric tons of imported D2 and another 80,000 metric tons produced by ARMO.
According to the new rules, it has also banned the sale of gas which has more than 0,005 gr per litre of lead. The new draft decrees that diesel sold in Albania during the period January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, should have less than 350 mg per kg of sulphur and, beginning January 1, 2011, should have less than 10 mg per kilogram of sulphur.