Storage of fuel for emergency power systems
According to new scientific and empirical findings, only low-sulphur heating oil with special additives should be used to refuel emergency power systems (EPS). If the motor manufacturer has not given its approval for pure heating oil operation for an existing emergency power system, this approval should be obtained from the manufacturer.
The question of how long diesel fuel can be stored in tanks for emergency power systems before it becomes unusable, and how much the addition of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME, also called biodiesel), as required by the legislator, contributes to problems with long-term storage, brought about the investigations. The term "diesel bug" has become established in this context.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior initiated a study by the Institut für Wärme und Oeltechnik e.V. (IWO) in Hamburg into the fuel quality in emergency power systems, which is summarised in the document provided for download.
The fuel in 74 of the estimated 9,000 or more emergency power systems in Germany was sampled between spring and autumn 2014. The analyses have led to an urgent recommendation that emergency power systems should be refuelled and operated exclusively with low-sulphur heating oil, and not diesel.
The summary of the study can be downloaded below:
Neue Erkenntnisse zur Lagerfähigkeit von Brennstoffen für Netzersatzanlagen
The detailed results of the study and the practical recommendations can be requested by e-mail from TEC4FUELS GmbH:
Based on the results of the study, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) has reformulated its "Leitfaden für die Planung, Einrichtung und den Betrieb einer Notstromversorgung in Unternehmen und Behörden" [Guideline for the planning, setup and operation of an emergency power supply in companies and public authorities]. This has been published on the following web page of the BBK:
