Mutual accusations heat up debate on pollutant emissions


Who is responsible for the non-compliance with National Council of Environment (Conama) Resolution no.315, published in 2002, aimed at turning the air cleaner in large Brazilian cities?

This question heated up the debate during the roundtable “Intersectoral Challenge for Sustainable Emissions Management”, held at the 2008 Ethos International Conference, with Frederico Kremer, product development manager of Petrobras, Eduardo Jorge, São Paulo City Environment Secretary, Henry Joseph Jr., president of the Energy and Environment Committee of Anfavea (National Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers Association), Guilherme Wilson da Conceição, operations manager of the Rio de Janeiro Federation of Passenger Transportation Companies (Fetranspor), and Carlos Eduardo Prado, representing the Association of São Paulo State  Gas Stations. The roundtable was chaired by journalist Milton Jung, anchor of CBN Brasil.

 

Law vs. reality

Conama resolution sets forth the maximum limits for pollutant emissions by heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses. Resolving the current impasse requires that the diesel sold at gas stations as of January 2009 has maximum sulfur concentration of 50 ppm (parts per million). In order to have this diesel available, the Brazilian National Oil Agency (ANP) should set the technical specifications, Petrobras should produce it and diesel vehicle manufacturers should develop compatible engines.

However, when these three actors decided to appear on stage at the end of last year, it was already too late. In January 2009, buses and trucks will most probably continue consuming the old diesel with sulfur content of 500 ppm, in metropolitan areas, or of 2,000 ppm, in the countryside.

 

Pointing fingers

Eduardo Jorge opened the debate accusing ANP, Petrobras and Anfavea of “conspiring” against the public health and the environment. “The public power’s neglect of this issue is absurd, for there is no greater risk to a metropolitan area than air pollution that reduces life expectancy of young people by 6 months and of aged people by three years”, he said, mentioning studies on the impact of urban pollution on human health.

The Conama resolution was published in 2002, but five long years passed by until ANP set the technical specifications for diesel with sulfur content of up to 50 ppm in October, 2007. Meanwhile, neither Petrobras developed the cleaner diesel nor bus and truck manufacturers adapted the vehicles to run on this fuel. They all kept waiting for someone else to start moving, and now there is only blame to be assigned.

Frederico Kremer, Petrobras representative, blamed on ANP for the delay in clean diesel production, explaining that the company needed the specifications to produce it, which did not occur until October, 2007. Still, he assured that even without such information, the company invested in the product development and intends to supply it early next year, but the amount available will only meet 8% of the demand of new vehicles, whose engines are already compatible with the new diesel.

Anfavea’s representative, Henry Joseph Jr., also admitted manufacturers are behind schedule in adjusting the engines to the new fuel. This time the blame was on Petrobras, who until recently had not yet sent the fuel for tests. According to Joseph Jr., companies need at least four and a half years to develop components for vehicles running on clean diesel.

However, Joseph Jr. assured that since 2007, when Petrobras started supplying the new diesel for tests, manufacturers have been working on the new engines, which will be launched in the second half of 2008, in 2009 models.

Another constraint the clean diesel will face when reaching the market is distribution. According to Carlos Eduardo Prado, representative of gas stations, 90% of the stations – those located in urban areas – have only one tank for diesel storage. The two types of diesel cannot be mixed. Therefore, most stations will only be able to supply the cleaner diesel when the supply allows for a full replacement of the old diesel.

As far as the end user is concerned, Guilherme Wilson da Conceição, operations manager of Fetranspor, believes there will be no problem. According to him, transport companies are ready to start adjusting their fleets as soon as the clean diesel models reach the market.

At least one of the sectors involved neither complains nor tries to change the law to adapt to the actual circumstances instead of complying with it. In an attempt to explain the inexcusable five-year delay to supply the cleaner diesel that will help reduce pollution in large cities, the secretary Eduardo Jorge used a soccer metaphor: “How can a team with such powerful attack – ANP, Petrobras and Anfavea – not score even one goal? The trio took time to make money”.

Although no consensus was reached, at least the participants had the courage to face each other at the debate.

Source: Ethos Institute

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