New fuel helps farmers to meet emissions standards

An advanced new fuel designed to ensure farmers meet the latest off-road engine emissions standards has been launched by a leading fuel supplier, which has a depot in Alnwick.
Duncan Lambert, director of Rix Petroleum, alongside the modern diesel tractor that would benefit from Gas Oil Plus.Duncan Lambert, director of Rix Petroleum, alongside the modern diesel tractor that would benefit from Gas Oil Plus.
Duncan Lambert, director of Rix Petroleum, alongside the modern diesel tractor that would benefit from Gas Oil Plus.

Unveiled by Rix Petroleum Ltd, Gas Oil Plus has a number of advantages over regular gas oil to meet the demands of modern tractor diesel engines, while also improving performance.

Benefits of using the new fuel include smoother power delivery, reduced black smoke and nitrous oxides (NOx) emissions, and reduced engine noise. Gas Oil Plus also prolongs the life of fuel injectors by helping to keep them clean, and contains a demulsifier and corrosion inhibitor to help protect fuel systems.

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Tim Claxton, manager of Rix Petroleum’s Alnwick depot on Willowburn Trading Estate, said: “The Tier 4 and 4I emissions standards introduced significantly reduced NOx levels compared with Tiers 2 and 3, as well as more stringent HC levels.

“As a result we needed to formulate a new gas oil product that compliments modern tractor diesel engines, enabling farmers to ensure they meet the stricter criteria without causing damage to their expensive plant and machinery.

“The higher cetane number of Gas Oil Plus means it ignites more quickly, particularly on cold, frosty mornings, and that reduces NOx and hydrocarbon emissions, and can reduce engine noise and increase fuel economy.

“But the reduction in sulphur concentration, which successive tiers have demanded, can reduce the lubricating properties of the fuel and cause issues around injector function, so we have formulated Gas Oil Plus to ensure these problems don’t arise, making the fuel entirely compatible with modern, diesel tractor engines.”

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The tier system was devised by the Environmental Protection Agency in the US and has been adopted across Europe as a standard to reduce emissions from non-road diesel vehicles.

Tier 1 was introduced in 1994 and each successive tier has seen reductions in environmental pollutants such as smoke, hydrocarbons, NOx and sulphur.

Duncan Lambert, director of Rix Petroleum – which is an independent family-owned business – said the fuel is available from the Alnwick depot to farmers across Northumberland in time for harvest.