The Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations implement Council Directive 1999/32/EC relating to the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels.

The Regulations—

(a) make it an offence to use heavy fuel oil on or after 1st January 2003 with a sulphur content exceeding 1 per cent, subject to certain exceptions (regulation 3);

(b) make it an offence to use gas oil or marine gas oil on or after 11th March 2002 with a sulphur content exceeding 0.2 per cent by mass and to use such oil on or after 1st January 2008 with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1 per cent by mass (regulation 4);

(c) require the Department to check by sampling that the sulphur content of fuels used complies with these requirements (regulation 5);

(d) revoke the Marketing of Gas Oil (Sulphur Content) Regulations 1994 in so far as they extend to Northern Ireland, which are superseded by these Regulations;

(e) provide for the granting of permits to enable an operator of a combustion plant who would not otherwise require a permit to operate the plant to apply for a permit so that he can take advantage of the exemptions to the restriction on the use of heavy fuel oil (Schedule 1); and

(f) set out technical requirements for the analysis of samples taken under regulation 5 (Schedule 2).

Copies of the British Standards publications referred to in these Regulations may be obtained from any of the outlets operated by the British Standards Institution, or by post from the British Standards Institution at Standards House, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL. The Integrated Customs Tariff of the United Kingdom, which sets out the CN codes used in the definitions of “gas oil” and “heavy fuel oil”, are published by HMSO and available from HMSO Bookshops. The 1999 Annual Book of ASTM Standards is available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, USA.

Copies of the Directive can be obtained from the Stationery Office Bookshop, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast, BT1 4GD.