The Head of Quality Control at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ubeidalah Saeed, has officially announced the implementation of pump labeling based on octane grades
These measures taken by the Authority are to address recent apprehensions about the quality of petrol in the Ghanaian market.
Mr. Saeed reveals that the NPA has approved the implementation of pump labeling based on octane grades to enhance transparency and consumer awareness.
In response to a surge in social media posts featuring damaged spark plugs, supposedly caused by substandard petrol, Saeed addressed the issue on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show.
There are a lot of things that causes a car to jerk; one critical thing is octane level. So when a car vehicle starts to jerk, your first option is to look at the octane level of the fuel.
It costs about 500 dollars to test for octane so we started testing for octane and realised that all the petrol we’re testing were meeting the octane levels and each of these vehicles have a minimum octane level that the fuel should meet to enable optimal performance.
And another important point is that every particular car is designed for a certain grade of fuel so in fact the NPA at our last management meeting has sanctioned that next year we’re going to label the pumps for petrol to grade them on octane levels.
So Ghana we have two grades of petrol, RON 91 which is the red one and the new one which is green. So a lot of people will buy it and think that it’s diesel but that’s a high grade petrol called premium petrol which is RON 95 for high performing vehicles, he explained.
Drawing from personal experience as a victim, he emphasized the NPA’s dedicated efforts to resolve the concerns surrounding petrol quality.
Contrary to claims of tainted petrol circulating in the market, Saeed clarified that the real issue might be vehicle owners unknowingly purchasing incompatible fuel for their cars. With a firm stance, he asserted that there is no contaminated petrol in circulation, urging consumers to consider the octane level as a crucial factor when troubleshooting jerking vehicles.
Elaborating on the matter, Saeed highlighted various factors contributing to car malfunctions, pinpointing the octane level as a critical aspect. He emphasized that, in cases of vehicle jerking, the initial step should be to inspect the octane level of the fuel.
The NPA’s proactive approach to label pumps based on octane grades aims to empower consumers with the necessary information to make informed decisions about their fuel choices.
