Gasgoo.com (Shanghai January 29) - Beijing is planning to implement the Fifth National Standards for fuel within the year, xcar.com.cn quoted Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the City's Environmental Protection Bureau, and Li Kunsheng, head of the Bureau's vehicle emissions division, as saying. According to Mr. Du, the new standards are currently in the process of being established. The fuel standards then need to be agreed upon by the management staff of major automobile manufacturers, which will take approximately six months, before being carried out.

Currently, the Beijing EPB is working alongside several research institutes to test the effectiveness of the fuel. According to Fang Maodong, senior engineer at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, the specimens have passed all tests so far. Vehicles from the Third and Fourth National Standard eras can use the new fuel, while Fifth Standard vehicles will be able to safely use Fourth Standard fuel when traveling outside of Beijing.

As Mr. Fang explains, the new fuel has a sulfur content of less than 10 PPM and will be roughly equivalent to the Euro V standards implemented in late 2008. He admits that the new standards will bring put some financial pressure on the oil industry.

Beijing has led the country in the past by being the first to implement the Third and Fourth National Standards. Currently only Fifth Standard classified automobiles are sold in the city. It is expected that nitrogen oxide emissions will drop 10 percent with the implementation of the new standards