Red Diesel Changeover to White HVO: A Large Construction Company
The problem
In February, we supported a large construction company to ensure a seamless transition to white HVO fuel as it was losing its red diesel entitlement. Given the high demands on the sector, minimising downtime was crucial.
As of the 1st of April 2022, a large number of sectors have lost their red diesel duty entitlement and instead have had to switch to non-rebated fuels (white diesel, white HVO, GTL or IHO). The new rules are a consequence of the UK’s environmental commitments to improve air quality and encourage the use of cleaner fuels to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
One of the sectors most affected by the new rules is construction. Heavy construction equipment of all kinds, as well as power generators and commercial heaters on construction sites, are no longer able to use red diesel. In turn, this will have a huge financial impact on the industry.
Our solution
To start, our engineers visited the site and inspected their storage system. Following this, we took samples from the top, middle and bottom of their fuel tanks to gather an accurate view of the fuel across their entire tank. We then tested their red diesel in our onsite laboratory to check its quality.
Our fuel testing service is extremely efficient and we can often get the results the same day, depending on the quantity of the sames that require testing. The site’s stored fuel had a moderate amount of contamination but was able to be polished and recycled back into the market, allowing us to pay the customer for their unusable stocks.
We then uplifted 10,000 litres of their red diesel via our articulated tanker and flushed the lines. This is essential to ensure that any remnants of the red dye are removed from the tanks to avoid it contaminating the fresh supply of non-rebated fuel.
Our trained engineers were then able to carry out a man-entry tank inspection, followed by an integrity test to check the tanks’ condition. The tanks had a substantial amount of sludge on the base, our engineers sucked out the matter and residue using a vacuum unit and cleaned the surfaces at high pressure.
Once the tanks were clean, one of our HVO tankers was onsite and ready to deliver white HVO, ensuring a quick and seamless transition to a 100% renewable fuel, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.
The end result?
The construction company was prepared well in advance of the upcoming changes in red diesel regulations and on track to significantly reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions with a cleaner-burning, more sustainable and renewable fuel.
Is your business no longer eligible to use red diesel? Call 0330 123 1444 to speak to a fuel specialist right away.
