BP’s advice on long term storage of diesel

IPU isn’t the only company advising that modern diesel has what can best be described as a ‘shelf life’. Even the fuel companies supplying the diesel agree. BP has issued a document detailing best practice for the long term storage of diesel.

BP notes that:

• Under normal storage conditions diesel fuel can be expected to stay in a useable condition for:
  • 12 months or longer at an ambient of 20ºC.
  • 6-12 months at an ambient temperature higher than 30ºC.
• The ageing process can be accelerated by:
  • The presence of water. Water allows the growth of fungus and bacteria. These produce natural by-products such as organic acids which make the fuel unstable.
  • Exposure to dust and dirt which contain trace elements that can destabilise the fuel such as copper and zinc.
  • Fuel composition. Some components in diesel fuel (especially biodiesel) naturally age quickly.

More information

Two short videos illustrate the nature and solution to fuel contamination issues.

All the contamination problems found during the long term storage of diesel can be addressed by implementing a fuel conditioning programme. IPU’s four-part process covers:

• fuel testing
• fuel cleaning
• fuel polishing
• fuel stabilisation

BP’s full report can be downloaded from the bottom of this page or from BP’s own web site.