Sulphur Content of Fuel Oil

CHANGES TO GAS OIL (RED DIESEL) SULPHUR CONTENT
The Department for Transport has advised that as from 1st January 2011 all gas oil (red diesel) for use in off road machinery and recreational water borne craft will contain no more than 10 milligrams of sulphur per kilogram of fuel(current level 1000 mgs/kg) making gas oil virtually sulphur free. It is expected that from 1st January 2011 many fuel suppliers and distributors will meet the need for low sulphur gas oil by adding the red excise marker dye into the current low sulphur road diesel and supplying this as gas oil for off road machinery and recreational boats. Because of these changes along with the current bio diesel content of road diesel (up to 7%), the Department of Transport are advising gas oil users of the following precautions and "good housekeeping" when storing gas oil or red diesel, particularly for off road and recreational boat use:
• Increased care will be needed in the storage of sulphur free gas oil where this contains bio diesel. The oxidation stability of this fuel will be poorer than that of current gas oil. This can cause solids to form in the gas oil thus potentially blocking filters on diesel transfer pumps or off road engine systems. It is recommended that gas oil turnover be at least every 6 months and no longer than 12 months.
• Remove all water from gas oil tanks as this encourages the bacterial growth which can again block fuel filters and potentially damage engines over time.
• Because sulphur free gas oil has a more solvent characteristic than current gas oil and will potentially remove any deposits within the storage tank, it is advised that fuel tank & equipment filters be replaced/cleaned after 2-3 tank throu puts of sulphur free gas oil. If in doubt change your fuel tank filters.
Most modern off road machinery should have no problems running on the new sulphur free gas oil to be supplied from 1st January 2011 but machinery owners should be aware that fuel seals and pipes in some older machinery may not be compatible with the new sulphur free gas oil and machinery owners and operators should examine pipes, joints and seals for leaks after the switch over.
Gas oil for heating systems, grain driers, etc is not required to operate on the new sulphur free gas oil. However it is expected that gas oil suppliers and distributors will supply the new sulphur free gas oil for these installations as well. In these cases users are advised to heed the above precautions and contact their local fuel oil distributor for more guidance.

Further information and advice can be found on the Department for Transport web site by clicking the following link: www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/fuelqualitydirectivegasoilrequirements.