Ultra-low-sulphur diesel is pure diesel fuel with very low sulfur content. Since 2021, most of the oil-based diesel that's currently available in North America and Europe has been on a ULSD sort. When oil prices rise, demand for diesel rises. As a result, producers begin adding sulfur to diesel to increase the sulfur content and thereby reduce their cost of production. But are there any health or environmental impacts of using ultra-low sulfur diesel?
It is the fuel that is diesel and contains no other ingredients. It runs through a diesel engine, just like it would through an internal combustion engine. While there are no emissions from a diesel engine, diesel engines are much cleaner than gasoline engines because they burn cleaner. It also requires less fuel compared to comparable gasoline engines.
The EPA estimates that green diesel engines account for approximately 18% of all vehicle emissions. Since diesel engines produce some air pollution during operation and absorption by the atmosphere, there are more vehicles on the road today with diesel engines than those with gasoline models. It is becoming popular for diesel vehicle owners to install high-efficiency particulate air (HAP) filters in their diesel engines. One of the benefits of HAP filters is that they help to significantly reduce the emission of nitrogen oxide, which is a highly toxic gas that contributes to air pollution. High-efficiency particulate air filter systems for diesel engines can also significantly improve fuel economy and reduce engine wear and tear. Diesel engines running on green diesel can also avoid harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide, which is a very dangerous chemical compound produced by incomplete combustion within an engine. These emissions cause a wide range of health problems including liver and kidney diseases.
In addition, clean diesel engines run much cooler than standard engines. A further benefit of clean diesel technology is that it has a long service life, which means that fewer repairs are necessary over the lifetime of the vehicle. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel is motor fuel with significantly reduced sulfur content. Since 2021, most of the oil-based diesel fuel currently available in North America and Europe has been of a ULSD kind. The term "ultra-low sulfur diesel" (ULSD) is actually used to refer to several distinct types of diesel that have reduced sulfur contents, which have higher boiling points than traditional diesel, but with significantly less sulfur and hydrocarbon vapor emissions. Many countries, including the European Union, have banned the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel products altogether, except in very few circumstances. Most other countries still allow the sale of these vehicles, but only to those who are involved in serious business applications or on some other specialized list.
Green diesel has several advantages over traditional fuels in that it is cleaner burning, less sulfur producing, and causes less carbon monoxide to be emitted. It is believed that future advances in battery technology will allow vehicles to run on Clean Diesel with no fuel input, eliminating the need for standard gasoline or conventional engine combustion. Although there are no current plans to sell cars that are pure Clean Diesel, future all-electric cars may be sold that include this technology, eliminating the need for traditional gasoline.
