Introduction
EU Directive 2009/30/EC introduced a requirement that, from 1st January 2011, all gas oil (commonly known in the UK as ‘red diesel’) marketed for use in “non-road mobile machinery (NRMM)” i.e.” off-road equipment”, tractors and recreational craft must contain no more than 10 milligrams of sulphur per kilogram of fuel (virtually ‘sulphur free’). NRMM includes some agricultural equipment, forestry equipment, construction equipment, forklifts, portable generators, railway engines, and inland waterway vessels. In the case of gas oil for use in railway vehicles the introduction of sulphur free gas oil will be one year later (1st January 2012).