HQ – If you hadn’t noticed, the fuels you put into your vehicle’s gas tank have distinctive colors. And starting today, Monday, and according to the new Central American technical regulations (RTCA) that establish the characteristics of gasoline at the regional level, regular or “plus” gasoline will change from orange to red, and super will change from red to colorless.
Why is this change being made?
According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the objective of the color change is to strengthen traceability and facilitate the identification of products, since it allows detecting if there is a mixture between products and thus protect consumers.
For the implementation of the provisions and with the purpose that the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (RECOPE) can carry out the rotation of inventories, until reaching the indicated coloration, a period of two months has been established, from February 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021.
Rolando Castro, Vice Minister of Energy and Environmental Quality of MINAE explained that, “this change in color does not affect the other characteristics or the quality of gasoline, nor will it affect vehicle performance. The regulations adjust the dyes used to differentiate fuels, with the aim that the user has a more agile and effective tool to identify the type of fuel used or possible adulterations in it”.
Similarly, an additional implementation period of two months is required, after the completion of the process required by Recope, from April 1, 2021, to May 31, 2021, so that service stations and carriers can remove any traces of different colored fuel from their tanks and pipes by rotating the product.
The process of changing the color of the gasoline that reaches the consumer will be gradual, to be completed by June 1.
“From this Monday we began the variation of the colors, eliminating the red from the Super gasoline and adding red to the Plus 91 instead of the previous orange and, based on the measurements of our laboratories, we project that within the established period, the change in its entirety. We are also adding greater verification controls in the loading and unloading of tanker trucks, in coordination with the carriers,” said Max Umaña, General Manager of RECOPE.
The Regulatory Authority of Public Services (Aresep) will continue with its work of oversight of public service providers, to guarantee that fuels comply with the corresponding technical and quality regulations.
