| 2019-12-10 |    |
Problems with Red Diesel Blocking Filters
The NFU and NFU Scotland have been receiving reports of filter blocking issues in agricultural vehicles and machinery across England and Scotland.
The issues began in August and are suspected to be related to the quality and possible composition of red diesel.
What is happening?
The reports are of fuel filters in farm machinery blocking up unusually quickly, needing to be replaced far more frequently than expected. The substance found to be blocking the filters varies between reports but commonly consists of a black slime or a clear wax. Affected machinery includes a range of makes and models, costing members both time and money.
What is the NFU doing?
The NFU and NFU Scotland have been in discussions with the Department for Transport, as well as a range of industry experts and stakeholders to try to understand the cause of the issue.
Representatives of both fuel producers and distributors acknowledge that agricultural users of diesel are experiencing problems with material becoming trapped in filters causing fuel starvation, however, to date, there has been no definitive answer to the cause.
The NFU is asking both members and non-members to complete its Red Diesel Issues Survey every time they experience a problem.
Information provided through the survey will be used to help gauge the level and geographic spread of the problem. It will help us to understand the causes of problems and what actions can be taken.
We are aware that numerous fuel samples have been tested and the results show that samples are within specification. We have therefore commissioned independent testing from samples collected from members.
We would like to make members aware that, as this is a complex and large-scale problem, it may be some time before causes and solutions to the problem can be fully identified.
