MR ONG Tiong Meng, in his letter on Tuesday ('Budget fuel'), regarded Shell's withdrawal of 92-octane fuel from the market as an 'anti-green move'.
We wish to reiterate that the lowest-priced grade of fuel does not necessarily mean it is the most economical. By the same token, budget fuel does not equal 'greener' fuel.
We also wish to share with Mr Ong the work of several independent researchers over the years - the Japanese Clean Air Programme study (June 2005) and 'The Impact of Gasoline Octane on Fuel Economy in Modern Vehicles', published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (2006).
These studies have confirmed that switching from lower-octane fuel to higher-octane fuel in modern cars can lead to better engine efficiency.
Shell believes that improved efficiency enables better fuel economy and hence less fuel consumption or fuel burnt. The result is less emission, which is ultimately beneficial for the environment, and a goal that Shell is actively pursuing in all our operations.
Globally, several countries have already phased out 92-octane fuel to better support modern car engines that are designed for fuels of minimum 95-octane level. These include Hong Kong (circa 1990/1991 where the government mandate is for minimum 95-octane fuel) and Germany (last year). The Malaysian government has also recently announced that it will be removing 92-octane fuel from the market.
The benzene content of fuels in Singapore is regulated by the authorities and does not increase with fuel octane levels. Shell's highest-octane fuel, Shell V-Power, actually has the lowest benzene content.
We thank Mr Ong for his feedback and would like to assure him that Shell shares his concern for the environment.
We are focused on managing emissions in our pursuit of sustainable mobility, and are working on many fronts to help meet the energy challenge in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways.
Henry Chu
General Manager, Retail Sales & Operations
Shell Eastern Petroleum
Eric Holthusen
Fuels Technology Manager, Asia Pacific Middle East
Shell Global Solutions
