Which red diesel?

[JamesM]

My new Valtra specifies EN590 fuel, will any red diesel from the usual suppliers meet this? As far as I can see EN590 is white road diesel. Some suppliers just add a dye. On phoning around most suppliers can't tell me what exactly is in their red diesel!

Is A2 sufficient. Handbook says 0-8% FAME and a max of 10 mg/kg sulphur.

Thanks in advance.

 

[betweenthelines]

Just ring whoever you bought it off

 

[HarryB97]

I’ve had normal red diesel in my one year old Valtra from 3-4 suppliers with no issues

 

[Simon Chiles]

My new Valtra specifies EN590 fuel, will any red diesel from the usual suppliers meet this? As far as I can see EN590 is white road diesel. Some suppliers just add a dye. On phoning around most suppliers can't tell me what exactly is in their red diesel!

Is A2 sufficient. Handbook says 0-8% FAME and a max of 10 mg/kg sulphur.

Thanks in advance.

Just stick in Stanadyne fuel conditioner at 2 l per 1000 litres or John Deere fuel protect at 1 l per 1000. They’re both about the same money, obviously at half the rate the JD stuff works out cheaper. I personally wouldn’t run any modern diesel without one or the other.

 

[snipe]

we use standard diesel and use Exocet anti bug and Exocet gas oil extra. No problems yet.

 

[powerontheland]

Location is the biggest key here. Nothing other than en590 in the east

 

[Moors Lad]

On phoning around most suppliers can't tell me what exactly is in their red diesel!

Yes, the fuel "experts" around here are like that too - very reassuring!!!!
I bought a "premium" product gas oil from a new (to me) supplier purely because they had this product...... anyway the driver just poured some additive in my tank prior to putting in the fuel!! I think I could have done that!! They won`t be coming here again...

 

[Cowabunga]

I believe that all diesel for sale in the UK by reputable suppliers must meet EN590. This includes all red diesel [strictly 'gasoil'] and has been current for at least the last two years, probably longer the way time flies, since red diesel had, basically, to be ultra low sulphur.

This is from memory and I have not checked for accuracy.

What is in it? It's diesel mate, innit! The only difference today between road and off-road diesel is the colour and tax.

 

[pgilliat]

Its definitely not all En590, when I ring around for prices, one supplier cant supply, one claims it is but on the delivery note it never says it is, and my main supplier will supply but sometimes its very slightly more expensive but the ticket always states it is. Talking to the drivers it sounds as though it's not available at all the refineries. It should be the standard really instead of us all taking the lower grade given the complexity and expense in the modern injection systems.

 

[Cowabunga]

Why are EN 590 specs and A2 grade gas oil specs the same?
Since 2011, it’s been a legal requirement for off-road fuel in mobile machinery to comply with the EU’s ULSD regulations – meaning fuel can contain no more than 10ppm of sulphur. DERV already complied with this at the time, the only difference between A2 Grade red diesel and white diesel was the option for different cetane and bio (FAME) content.

This is important as there have been times where modern off-highway machinery designed for use with EN590 was being operated with A2 Grade gas oil, resulting in poor performance.

As a result, and because nearly all gas oil is used for agricultural and commercial use, where modern equipment relies on EN 590 grade diesel, UK refiners focus on producing gas oil that meets the highest specs possible. Gas oil that meets this specification is known as EN 590 gas oil.

When this diesel is designated for on-road or off-road use it becomes marked with a red dye to reflect its lower duty rate.

Basically nearly all gasoil that comes from a UK refinery meets EN590, which is DERV [road diesel] with a red dye added. However some considerable amount of gasoil is imported, already refined, to places like Murco storage depot Milford Haven, which used to be a refinery but no longer is This may be A2 grade with a lower cetane level which means, probably, a less efficient combustion with more soot produced. Which is why I insist that any delivery from Certas that I get comes from the North, not the South. The Northern supply comes out of Stanlow refinery in Cheshire, which used to be a Shell refinery but has long been owned by Essar [not Esso]. There is every possibility that the Southern option comes out of Milford which gets it ready-made transported from who-knows-where in the belly of a ship.

 

[vantage]

Basically nearly all gasoil that comes from a UK refinery meets EN590, which is DERV [road diesel] with a red dye added. However some considerable amount of gasoil is imported, already refined, to places like Murco storage depot Milford Haven, which used to be a refinery but no longer is This may be A2 grade with a lower cetane level which means, probably, a less efficient combustion with more soot produced. Which is why I insist that any delivery from Certas that I get comes from the North, not the South. The Northern supply comes out of Stanlow refinery in Cheshire, which used to be a Shell refinery but has long been owned by Essar [not Esso]. There is every possibility that the Southern option comes out of Milford which gets it ready-made transported from who-knows-where in the belly of a ship.

I can see @7610 super q from 20 miles away because of this! Got to love a smoky old Ford!

 

[Qman]

When I've asked local suppliers, including Certas, they always say it is A2 which is not as good as EN590. I can't get EN590 and I think Cowabunga could maybe possibly for once wrong on this occasion.

 

[Cowabunga]

When I've asked local suppliers, including Certas, they always say it is A2 which is not as good as EN590. I can't get EN590 and I think Cowabunga could maybe possibly for once wrong on this occasion.

They say that because they certainly can't guarantee it, because Certas sources their fuel from multiple sources. As I said, here bang in the middle of two big Certas distributors I can pretty much specify which depot gets to deliver for me. Even if I order from the old O J Williams sales area at Llandysul 18 miles away, I can get my fuel delivered from Humphreys in Porthmadog, 60 miles away, who source from Stanlow. I believe that Stanlow Gasoil is DERV dyed red. DERV is all EN590.

What happens in your area may obviously vary but the vast majority, if not all UK refined Gasoil is now EN590 even if they don't bother officially certifying it as such. The cost of refining and storing a different fuel in far lower volumes is just not economic in the UK. They just add a dye to DERV to reduce the taxation class and make it Gasoil.
Imported refined diesel is a different matter and although some may meet EN590, I doubt that can be guaranteed because different grades of diesel fuel are internationally traded and off-road Gasoil does not legally have to meet EN590. However, it does now need to be ultra low sulphur in the EU and UK, and has been for a few years, ten according to the orange text. So the only difference between A2 and EN590 Gasoil should be the cetane rating, or its ability to burn cleanly.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Buy GTL and be done with it.

 

[Banana Bar]

Buy GTL and be done with it.

What he said.

Been using it for 18 months, very rarely change fuel filters now.

 

[deleted user 837354]

What he said.

Been using it for 18 months, very rarely change fuel filters now.

Is the cost difference sizeable? I heard in a pub-talk type conversation it was 10ppl or so?

Any other bonus besides super pure fuel?

 

[thorpe]

?do i add gas oil extra or not?

 

[db9go]

Use GTL or nothing it cost a bit more but it saves on filters

 

[JamesM]

I've asked Certas for GTL but its not available up here yet.

 

[Banana Bar]

Is the cost difference sizeable? I heard in a pub-talk type conversation it was 10ppl or so?

Any other bonus besides super pure fuel?

4-5 ppl. The 2 benefits I see from changing fuel is less downtime and much less filter changing ( at £100 a go ).