Leaded petrol to go in weeks

Kenya will stop producing leaded fuel from December.

Energy minister Simeon Nyachae has announced that the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) will shortly stop adding lead to petrol.

"From December 1, 2005, the refinery will produce two grades of unleaded gasoline, a 91 octane premium, and an 87 octane regular grade gasoline without enhancement additives," he said.

Octane rating measures the quality of a petrol, including its volatility.

The minister added in a statement: "For a period after this date, some leaded gasoline will remain in the system, but this will be rapidly diluted as it is displaced by the unleaded petrol."

Kenya is a signatory to a Dakar 2002 pact in which sub-Saharan countries committed to eliminate lead from petrol by the end of 2005.

The Refineries has, however, been lacking the capacity to produce unleaded petrol. But Mr Nyachae said yesterday the plant had been improved and its blending methods modified.

Yesterday, the oil industry welcomed the announcement, with the Petroleum Institute of East Africa general manager George Wachira saying the industry had "anticipated" the move.

The industry, he said, was well prepared to introduce unleaded petrol.

"This is a positive move by the Ministry of Energy and KPRL, as this will eliminate the health and environment hazards associated with lead in fuels," he said in an e-mail to the Nation. 

Cars will not encounter any problems with unleaded petrol, and customers should confidently use the fuel, Mr Wachira said.

Many motorists, he said, were already using unleaded petrol "as the unleaded grade has been in the market for quite some time".

Shell external affairs manager Mwaura Ngari also welcomed the announcement saying: "We have been waiting for him (Mr Nyachae) to make it a policy."

He said Shell has been selling unleaded fuel and that "what we import is lead free." He added: "We are ready for it."

He said the Refineries had written to his firm assuring it that new supplies would be lead-free and free of any other metal.

The change to unleaded fuel, he said, would not have any significant impact on the cost of fuel, which has been rising in the past two years.

Another oil industry boss who asked not to be named cautioned against the use of additives, saying KPRL should also be improved to meet petroleum demand, "otherwise the industry will be put in a state of confusion".

In Mombasa, Refineries deputy general manager John Mruttu said plans to start processing unleaded fuel had been going on for two years "and although we have not carried out major investments in the plant (machinery), we have been able to work out how to mix and blend components to make the unleaded gasoline".

Mr Mruttu allayed fears that the change to unleaded fuel would have effects on the production of liquified petroleum gas.

"We normally process 1.6 million tonnes of crude oil annually, which translate to about 133,000 tonnes monthly, out of which we produce gas. The situation is not going to change," he said.

Asked whether leaded stocks would be sold out by the time the Government phases it out, Mr Mruttu said he could not tell, as this would largely depend on the oil marketing companies.

Seventy per cent

Although more than 70 per cent of Kenyan vehicles are said to run on leaded petrol, the developed world has been gradually phasing it out since the 1970s.

Concern over leaded fuel arises from the dangers it poses to human life and to the environment. 

According to the director-general of National Environment Management Authority Ratemo Michieka, research has established that exposure of expectant women to lead could cross over to the unborn child and lead to retarded intellect later in life.

"Research has also indicated that female workers exposed to high levels of lead may experience miscarriages and still births," Prof Michieka said during a recent workshop in Mombasa.

Exposure to lead may also lead to anaemia, fatigue and damage to the kidneys. The metal also pollutes soils, vegetation, surface waters and air. 

It is believed that lead can remain in the atmosphere for long and find its way to the ground with rain water, further polluting wells and soils.