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Bio diesel fuel - a growing concern

Bio diesel fuel - a growing concern

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KEN BISHOP, Marketing Manager from Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions reflects on the impact and cost of Environmental Legislation on our Business World

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The impact of Bio-Diesel Fuel Legislation on UK industry and commerce – This is likely to put lives and livelihoods at risk.

Using Bio-Diesel to fuel emergency fire pumps can cause them to fail when they are most needed.

In 2007, The Government under the title of the RTFO (Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation) set a mandate to ensure that all diesel fuel has a minimum of 2.5% Bio Content (B2.5). This will rise to 5% (B5) by 2010. This is because Bio Diesel is classified as Carbon Neutral.

Bio Diesel is inherently biodegradable but unfortunately has the propensity to support microbial growth. In fact, under certain conditions, Bio Diesel is a perfect ‘growth media’ for micro-organisms. This threat comes from the fact that Microbial Growth in Diesel Engine fuel will reduce the fuel quality, block the fuel system and cause biologically induced metal corrosion within the fuel system.

Without a clean and adequate fuel supply an engines ability to perform is compromised. Engines will exhibit symptoms such as poor starting, failure to start, low RPM’s, hunting and excessive exhaust fumes. This scenario will lead to increased non-planned maintenance (to rectify faults), increased planned maintenance (extra replacement fuel filters etc.) and major overhauls/replacements of key components.

Following extensive Bio Diesel fuel research by Jason Cooper MCA 4 eng, the Chief Engineer of Powerpro Fuel Technology, Jason discovered that Diesel Engine Fuel systems designed and installed for automatic sprinkler fire protection systems create a perfect environment for microbes to thrive.

This discovery has inspired Jason to write a ‘White Paper’ to highlight the real threat to the reliability and functionality of Diesel Engine Driven Fire Pumps in a ‘real fire’ situation. Fortunately, for our customers, Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions are working in partnership with Powerpro Fuel Technology to install a patented device to Diesel Engine Driven Fire Pumps to control Bio Diesel Fuel Contamination and safeguard the ‘Business Continuity’ of our customers.

As with all Government Legislation that is introduced, it will once again be the ‘hard pressed’ business world that will ultimately have to pay the price for ‘insufficient investigation of the consequences’ before applying headline seeking Environmental mandates.

To view a brochure detailing more information regarding this subject please follow this link - Bio Diesel, a growing concern

4 Comments

The Problem just got worse!
BS2869 covers Fuel for non road use, Gasoil (Red Diesel).
There is a Draft specification being released on November 2nd raising Red Diesel Bio content to 7% (B7).
Stored fuel can no longer be left for periods of time and be relied on without a plan of testing and treating.

Jason Cooper
25 October 2009

The suggestion that the normal efficient operation of many (if not all) diesel driven fire pumps and stand-by generators could be impaired is frightening. Tyco FIS are to be congratulated for bringing this to the notice of the fire community.

Government should think very carefully before approving any extension of the scheme to adulterate diesel fuel - the 'benefits' of using ethanol or other fuel sourced from crops (illusory and mere PR gestures imho) need to be balanced against the possible consequences of a major fire in a building whose sprinklers are disabled or for a hospital where patients die during a power outage as a result of the impairment of a stand-by generator.
Stewart Kidd, Loss Prevention Consultancy Ltd
21 October 2009

The situation is about to get worse. In several cases it has reported that bus and truck companies have been receiving diesel containing up to 7% FAME, B7. This will apply to all off road red diesel as well as it is lifted from the same depots.

While microbial contamination may take time to build-up and may experience limited growth in long term storage tanks because they are limited by their environment, the addition of bio fuel will raise these growth rates substantially. This became very clear when B5 was added. What will aggravate this position further is that B7 contains 40% more FAME than a B5. This can be translated in simple terms as a 40% higher chance of microbes multiplying. While this does not mean that the every engine will suffer in the near future it does give good odds that it might happen and making it difficult to predict where it will happen.
Ian Roos, PureFuel Technologies Ltd
21 October 2009

This is another example of a poorly thought out environmental impact analysis having the opposite affect on what it is meant to achieve.
Rather than contaminating fuel with Bio Diesel, the Goverment should concentrate on the growing problem of food production which is being affected by the growing trend towards producing bio fuels which is affecting the worlds eco enviromnet in a much more adverse way than the supposed environmental carbon saving made by the use of such fuels.

Les Fielding
21 October 2009

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