Article from Truck & Driver magazine...
Apparently, lorry drivers have been expressing concern at the quality and effect of the fuel they have been running their vehicles on, now that up to 5% of all diesel contains biofuel.
Despite the insistance of the fuel companies that all fuel sold in the Uk meets quality standards, there is growing unrest among vehicle manufacturers and trade associations that diesel fuel could have an adverse effect on truck engines and fuel systems.
To meet the government's renewable transport fuel obligation, refineries are currently adding upto 5% biodiesel to diesel fuel and they are not obligated to advertise this.
However, even at this level drivers have reported problems with filters becoming clogged. There is evidense of algae growth in the fuel and the finger of blame is being pointed at its biodiesel content.
One driver says their fuel filters and pumps began clogging up after they filled up at a service station. The driver was unaware that biodiesel had been added and said,"If a lorry runs on biofuel it normally needs more frequent oil changes and more frequent filter changes. How can this happen if you do not know that you are using dodgy fuel? Biofuel also increses running costs, something none of us need at the moment."
Diesel fuel sold in the UK must reach European benchmarks adopted by BSI British Standard - BS EN590 - which allows it to contain anything between 0% and 5% biodiesel. Fuel leaving refineries is meeting this standard, but manufacturers think problems are arising in the storage and distribution process.
Biodiesel is Hydroscopic, meaning it attracts water from the atmosphere. Water in diesel fuel can lead to growth of algae, which impairs the fuel quality.
Not only that but biodiesel also acts as a solvent, cleaning sludge from the fuel system's pipes and eventually blocking the filters. Although fuel companies argue that 5% is too low for this to be a major problem, truck manufacturer MAN are recommending customers halve the period between filter changes if they are unsure of the quality of the fuel.
But it is Biodiesels' capacity to degrade over time that is causing the most alarm. As the fuel leaves the refinery people are reasonable confident that the fuel meets the BS EN590 spec. The problem is in the storage and distribution process where it's not handled properly. It sits in bulk too long and degrades fairly quickly.
Daf Trucks says it also has concerns about biodiesel, but thinks the adverse effects are more likely to become apparent at 10% rather than 5%. However, a spokesman from the BSI confirmed that the spec for EN590 will change in a few months and the biodiesel limit will rise to 7% volume.
Bunkering network Keyfuels says it buys its fuel from a supplier and adds the biodiesel itself. A spokesman adds,'We can't dictate the fuel mix the way it's supplied. What we can guarentee is the fuel in our network is within the British quality standard dictated by the BSI.'
The UK's fuel companies' trade association, the Petrol Industry Association (PIA), says it is not any great secret that biodiesel has been used in diesel for more than a year. A spokesman says there were some housekeeping issues at some service stations during the early days of biodiesels introduction. But, he adds, 'We are not aware of any specific problems relating to biodiesel introduction so far as users are concerned, other than some reports last winter with vehicle filter clogging problems among a few fleets experimenting with blends higher than B5 (5% biodiesel). Filter blocking and biofuel falling out of solution are potential issues but should be addressed by adherence to the applicable fuel specification standards.'
End of report.
