Executive summary

The Regulations need to be reviewed periodically to ensure they keep up with innovations in the fuel and vehicle technology sectors. The last time that the Regulations were fully reviewed was in 2017. 

To work effectively, our fuel standards and vehicle standards should be aligned. With out-of-date fuel standards, newer vehicles that are designed to run on cleaner fuel risk being damaged.

This document outlines a number of proposals to update our engine fuels specifications. Where possible, we have aligned our proposed amendments to the European fuel standard Euro 6, which is generally considered the global benchmark for fuel standards. Care has been taken to avoid requirements that would be impractical, or costly to implement. In many instances, we seek to lock-in specifications that are already met by fuel importers.

The feedback received from this consultation will inform final advice to update the Regulations.

Petrol

• Reduce the maximum limit for aromatics in fuel from 45% to 35%.
• Introduce a silver strip corrosion test for active sulphur.
• Relax the 10ppm maximum allowable sulphur level for ethanol denaturants.
• Introduce a fuel density specification of 720-775 kg/m³.
• Amend the definition of petrol to reflect a boiling point of 210 oC.
• Amend the silver strip test standard in Schedule 1A to ASTM D7667 or ASTM D7671.
• Change the ethanol range in fuel ethanol by lowering the range starting from ‘70% to 85%’ to ‘51% to 83%’ as in ASTM D5798.

Diesel/biodiesel

• Reduce the allowable density of diesel to 845kg/m³ (from 850kg/m³) and reduce the allowable density of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in a similar fashion.
• Reduce the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) limit from 11% to 8%.
• Reduce filter blocking tendency from 2.5 to 2.0.
• Introduce a renewable diesel specification.
• Replace the maximum limit for diesel’s total contamination of 24 mg/kg with 20 mg/l in Schedule 2.
• Add an appearance test and remove the colour test for both diesel and FAME.
• Revise Regulation 5 to reflect a biodiesel blending limit of up to 7%.
• Clarify the distinction between Regulation 15 (‘Requirements relating to diesel sold by non-retail sale’) and Regulation 17A (‘Requirements relating to marine fuel oil sold by non-retail sale’).

Implementation of the Fuel Quality Monitoring Programme

• Revise Regulation 4 so that it is clear that the Regulations apply to marine fuel oil
• Revise Regulation 5 to clarify that the definition of ‘engine fuel’ includes marine fuel oil.
• Update Regulation 21 so that it does not refer to a specific year of issue for ISO standard 9001, and so that it instead refers to a requirement for accreditation to ISO 9001, ISO17020 or ISO 17025.
• Update regulation 21 so that it refers to accreditation of an organisation or agency, rather than an individual person or employee.
• Review and update Custom’s Excise and Excise Equivalent Duties Table to align with terminologies for fuel products used in the Engine Fuel Specifications Regulations where possible.

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