THE launch of National IV Standard gasoline could be delayed until the end of the year because of a supply shortage, according to a city government source.
The unnamed official told Thursday s Daily Sunshine that another reason was that the pricing policy of National IV Standard gas was still waiting for National Development and Reform Commission approval.
He said the price was expected to be 0.17 yuan (US$0.026) per liter higher than the National III Standard. This would mean the cost of running a car on 200 liters of gas per month would increase by 400 yuan per year.
The new gasoline will have a much lower sulfur content, only one-third of the National III Standard gas, said the spokesman for Sinopec, Shenzhen, who was not identified.
The new fuel would reduce vehicle emissions by 10 percent and sulfur dioxide emissions by about 80 percent, according to the city s environment commission.
Total emissions would be reduced by 95,000 tons per year.
The introduction of National IV Standard gasoline was approved in June, after which authorities signed supply contracts with Sinopec, CNPC and CNOOC.
Subsidies for taxi and bus companies will be based on the price of the new gas.
The city began to supply National III Standard gasoline in April, 2007 and all new vehicles were required to meet National III emission standard in July that year.
Shenzhen has the highest vehicle density in China with nearly 2 million vehicles on its road. (Tina Chen)
