BP Amoco Brings Cleaner Fuels to Tennessee

27 October 2000

BP Amoco Brings Cleaner Fuels to Tennessee, Reducing 4.2 Tons of Harmful Emissions a Month; Partnership with GM, Saturn and TVA Speeding Development of Cleaner Vehicles and a Healthier Environment

    NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Oct. 26, 2000--BP Amoco, GM, Saturn and TVA today announced a joint clean air initiative that will introduce a new low-sulfur fuel to Middle and West Tennessee markets, place solar power in all new BP stations and use the new cleaner fuel for the initial factory fill in all new Saturn S-Series vehicles.
    The announcement was made today at Nashville's Cumberland Science Museum with a group of schoolchildren and TVA Chairman Craven Crowell joining top officials from BP Amoco, GM and Saturn.
    "The cornerstone of this initiative is our new BP Super 93 and Crystal Clear Amoco Ultimate, both of which are being introduced in the Middle and West Tennessee markets for the first time," BP Amoco Senior Vice President Jack Burdett said. "By choosing this fueling option, motorists will be removing 100,000 pounds of Nitrous Oxide (NOx) a year from Tennessee's air. This is the equivalent of selling 3,000 additional new Saturns without impacting Tennessee's air quality."
    Nashville and its surrounding counties, along with Memphis and its neighboring counties, are among the earliest markets nationwide to offer the new low-sulfur fuel. It will replace BP Amoco's current premium fuels and have the same price and high performance.
    "We are only one company, but we are doing what we can to improve air quality in Tennessee and around the world," Burdett said. "By bringing these products to Tennessee, we are well ahead of government mandates to reduce sulfur and help reduce smog, and we are offering consumers a choice so they can make a difference as well."
    Amoco and BP service stations will now be offering premium gasolines with a 30 parts-per-million average sulfur level, considerably lower than the average of 150 parts-per-million that EPA expects will be needed to meet year 2000 reformulated gasoline requirements. These fuels will be offered under the same price structure as before and will be years ahead of EPA's proposed effective date for mandatory sulfur reductions.
    General Motors and Saturn plan to do more than just applaud BP's introduction of low-sulfur gasoline to Tennessee. The automaker will use the fuel as the initial fill in all its S-Series vehicles produced at its Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn.
    "We are committed to delivering safe and affordable vehicles to our customers and at the same time helping to establish a cleaner and healthier environment for ourselves and for our children," said Shari Meghreblian, Saturn manager of environmental affairs. "Although Saturns only require regular grade gasoline, using a higher grade low-sulfur fuel for factory fill is our way of stimulating the market for cleaner fuels in anticipation of the day when they are available in all grades."
    "Partnerships like this are essential to our ability to meet the expectations consumers are placing on the auto, energy and other industries to take better care of our environment," said Dennis Minano, GM vice president, environment and energy and chief environmental officer. "GM can't do it alone; only through productive partnerships like this with BP Amoco can we move forward on cleaner fuels and even better emissions performance from today's very clean vehicles."
    Introduction of these lower sulfur gasolines is part of BP Amoco's plan to introduce cleaner fuels in 40 cities around the world by the end of 2000. Other cities already participating in the clean fuels initiative include Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., London, Paris and Istanbul.
    In its continuing quest for a better environment, BP Amoco is also at the leading edge in the volume production of silicone solar energy cells. In partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, BP Amoco will promote TVA's Green Power Switch Program at BP Amoco service stations throughout Tennessee and is committing the solar electricity powered by the first several new stations in Tennessee equipped with solar panel canopies to the Green Power Switch Program.
    "We're pleased to be a partner with a global corporation like BP Amoco in delivering environmental sustainable solutions that produce clean air for the Tennessee Valley," said TVA Chairman Craven Crowell. "The combination of expertise from all partners involved demonstrates a sound commitment to promoting good stewardship practices and renewable energy sources for the public benefit."