Change regarding the use of red diesel will come into effect in April 2022.

The government will no longer allow BS2869 red diesel to be used in stationary or emergency diesel engines that are used for fire pumps. The reason given is to ensure that polluting businesses are taxed accordingly.

There has been much debate and consultation as, in the instance of fire pumps, it is used for life safety. However, there has been no change to the incoming legislation. This means all fuel refills after 1st April 2022 will need to be made using white diesel which will be fully taxed.

Any fuel purchased prior to 1st April 2022 can be used but evidence of the purchase date must be provided.

Alpine Fire Engineers has over 30 years of experience supporting fire suppression systems and we are therefore positioned to advise you correctly on how to proceed.

The government advice is to run the red diesel as low as possible before refilling with white diesel – this is not advisable as engines should be maintained at 75% fuel capacity to ensure they can deliver the required run time for the sprinkler system in the event of an activation.

What you need to do:

· Ensure by end of March 2022 you are no longer ordering red diesel

· Find a suitable alternative as per your engine manufacturers specification

· Prior to filling with white diesel, consider if your tanks will need to be drained and flushed before replacing the fuel

The government information on the legislation is available here.

Please do contact Alpine at [email protected] or call 0161 791 4500 should you have any questions or would like a free no-obligation quotation for the draining and flushing of your fuel tanks.