GUIDANCE ON TANK CLEANING FOR TANKS CONTAINING RED DIESEL THIS GUIDANCE HAS BEEN PREPARED JOINTLY FOR THE OIL CARE CAMPAIGN BY UK AND IRELAND SPILL ASSOCIATION, UK AND IRELAND FUEL DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY. This will mean that some end users and suppliers will need to cease use of red diesel and prepare their tanks to hold other fuels. It is essential to ensure that any evidence of the dye used as a marker in red diesel is removed. This will not be achieved without cleaning the tank and aggressively flushing the fill and delivery lines. This guidance should ensure this can be done safely, with minimal risk of a fuel spillage and ensures that any waste (fuel and washings) is disposed of safely and in accordance with relevant legislation.
1. BACKGROUND The Finance Bill 2021 and subsequent secondary legislation restricts the entitlement to use red diesel (Gas Oil) and rebated biofuels from 1 April 2022 to only the following: For vehicles and machinery used in agriculture, horticulture, fish farming and forestry. This includes allowing vehicles used for agriculture to be used for cutting verges and hedges, snow clearance and gritting roads
lighting of clubhouses, changing rooms etc.) As fuel for all marine craft refuelling and operating in the UK (including fishing and water freight industries), except for propelling private pleasure craft in Northern Ireland For powering the machinery (including caravans) of travelling fairs and circuses
To propel passenger, freight or maintenance vehicles designed to run on rail tracks for heating and electricity generation in non-commercial premises - this includes the heating of homes and buildings such as places of worship, hospitals and townhalls; off-grid power generation; and non-propulsion uses on permanently- moored houseboats For maintaining community amateur sports clubs as well as golf courses (including activities such as ground maintenance, and the heating and
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Registered fuel suppliers that switch a fuel tank from red to white diesel will need to flush out the tank and supply lines until no trace of marked rebated fuel remains. This will help to ensure compliance and minimise the risk that white diesel that has had the full duty rate paid on it is contaminated with the red diesel marker. (https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/reform-of-red-dieselentitlements/reform-of-red-dieseland-other-rebated-fuels-entitlement) Please note that this is NOT the end of red diesel, however its use is severely restricted from 1 April 2022.
However, it is the duty of each tank owner to assess and manage the risks of the work being done, select appropriate, and qualified contractors and ensure that the work is conducted safely on their site and that waste is removed and disposed of in accordance with national and regional regulations.
2. PREPARATION A. FUEL LEVELS This work should be planned to ensure to fuel levels are decreased to minimise waste and that competent specialist contractors are booked and have time to plan and complete the work prior to the 1 April deadline. Fuel levels should be reduced to 10% of tank contents. This should ensure any suction lines remain beneath the residual fuel level but importantly leave any sludge deposits within the tank. The sludges may contain bacteria, rust and other debris that builds up over time between cleaning intervals. Leaving it in the tanks prevent exporting potential fuel issues to a tanker, another tank or to a customer. On the day of the work the contractor should have access to the tank lid, fill lines, delivery lines and vent lines as they will need to isolate the fill and delivery line. With the tank content run down this is
