What is Red Diesel?
Red diesel is a type of fuel used to power off-road vehicles and machinery. Red diesel is essentially the same as white diesel, the only difference is that it contains a red dye. Customs and Excise regulations state that a red dye must be added to the diesel for identification purposes. This is because red diesel is not permitted to be used as an automotive fuel in on-road vehicles. The duty rate on red diesel is 10.18 ppl which makes it cheaper to run than standard diesel which has a duty of 52.95ppl.
Red Diesel Entitlement
In April 2022, the eligibility to use red diesel changed. Only those using it for non commercial heating purposes, the horticultural or agricultural sectors, railway, fish farming and forestry are now able to purchase / use red diesel. This is to encourage users to switch to a more sustainable fuel.
Please see our HVO and GTL brochures for more information.
There are three recognised standards of Gas Oil that are currently in use:
BS2869 Class A2, Class D and EN590.
Class A2 has a maximum sulphur content of 10ppm and is used for off road vehicles and equipment, while Class D has a maximum sulphur content of 1000 ppm and can only be used for heating or static generators. EN590 has a higher cetane value than A2 gas oil which means it has a shorter ignition delay and therefore burns more efficiently and cleanly, leaving fewer deposits in the engine’s fuel injection combustion chamber.
