The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has once again sounded the alarm over serious deficiencies in Ireland’s fuel quality oversight, calling for urgent regulatory intervention to protect hauliers, motorists, and the environment.
At the heart of the issue is the increasing use of Non Fossil Fuel Components i.e. FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) and HVO (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil) in modern diesel fuel. While biofuels are being integrated at higher rates, as part of the EU Renewable Energy Directive and our own Climate Bill, inconsistencies in fuel quality across the Country are causing mechanical and operational problems for hauliers, with senior industry sources saying that Ireland through an extremely questionable oversight regime is not protecting the consumer.
These operational and mechanical issues, with costs unknown, are on top of the estimated €280 million the transport industry is already paying to the State, per Billion litres consumed, due to the Green Taxes incl. Carbon Tax, Bio Fuel Levy and Better Energy Levy which will be €380 million per year by 2030. All of this is coupled to a forced increase in fuel consumption, due to the Non Fossil component in our Diesel. The State also enjoys the NORA Levy and Excise Duty that is also being applied to our “Fuel of Commerce” which at an additional 44.6 cent/litre adds a further €446 Million per Billion Litres consumed, onto our sector.
“The Irish Transport sector is currently obliged to contribute €726 Million per annum to the State, per Billion litres consumed, which is set to go to €826 Million by 2030, for the privilege of consuming our only energy source to affect our work, without which both our economy and society would cease to function, an energy source that has no State oversight inspite of its functional and monetary value to the State,” commented Ger Hyland, IRHA President.
Lack of Oversight and Rising Costs:
Under the European standard fuel EN 590, the maximum allowable percentage of FAME, which is made up primarily from Used Cooking Oil (UCO) and tallow in diesel is 7% (By Volume). However, independent testing of fuel samples from various Transport Operators has revealed significant inconsistencies, with some batches containing FAME levels well above this limit. This lack of regulatory oversight has led to breakdowns from fuel starvation and mechanical failures, greatly increased emissions, and considerable financial losses for the transport industry. Too much FAME in diesel increases emissions by reducing engine efficiency and increased fuel consumption due to its lower calorific or burn value, while it can also clog filters, degrade rubber/plastics/surface coatings, can introduce microbe growth and potentially may void a vehicle warranty if the fuel being used is not EN 590 compliant.
“The problem is that Diesel fuel quality sampling, testing and oversight, while the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, has been given over by the Dept to the fuel companies themselves, through Fuels for Ireland, thereby making the industry self-regulating, a practise not repeated in any other EU State.” said a IRHA spokesperson. “While fuel suppliers, report compliance, through FFI, to the Department of Environment on a semi-annual basis, there is no real-time 3rd party monitoring to ensure consistency across all tanker loads or batches and with nearly 100,000 fuel tankers per annum delivering across the country, this current oversight, which involves 100 samples annually (Minimum allowed as per ETC Fuel Quality Reporting) all taken at Forecourts only, is totally unacceptable as it equates to a sampling rate of 0.1% of Tanker movements, with some outlets presumably excluded as not members of FFI.”
On the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) website it states : “There is no regulatory body in place in Ireland for the regulation of fuel. If you suspect your petrol or diesel may have been contaminated and want to get your fuel tested, you should consider getting it tested independently.”
A 2022 Consultants report prepared for the Department of Transport and The National Oil Reserves Agency Titled : A Review of Requirements and Constraints on Biofuels in Ireland Arising from RED II and National Targets states:
“Approximately 81% of Ireland’s biodiesel is produced from UCO – the EU average, including the UK, is 23%.
Approximately 18% of Ireland’s biodiesel is produced from category 1 tallow – the EU average, including the UK, is 4%Approximately 6% of Ireland’s biofuel is produced from Annex IX Part A feedstock16 – the EU average, including the UK, is 9%. Thus, while Ireland has an average biofuel blend in its transport fuels, the composition of the biofuel is significantly different from the EU averages with a very low reliance on crop-based feedstock and a very high reliance on UCO and tallow-derived biodiesel. These characteristics put Ireland in a difficult position in the context of the two limits introduced in RED II.”
Comparing Ireland to the EU: A System Failing Its Transport Sector:
The IRHA has compared Ireland’s fuel monitoring practices and those in other European countries through the annual ETC report on EU Fuel Quality. In Belgium, for instance, 2% of all fuel movements (4,067 samples) are tested and analysed by an independent State-run agency called FAPETRO, which was established by Royal Decree.
In Ireland, that figure is just 0.1% tested, as the minimum allowed of 100 diesel tests per annum is applied by the fuel company’s very own representative body FFI, a fraction of what is necessary to ensure compliance and protection for the consumer. The tests in Belgium revealed 31 non-compliant tests in over 7 billion litres usage, whilst Irish Diesel tests (in the UK) through the fuels for Ireland body, claimed to have found zero non-compliant tests across 3.6bn litres. The IRHA can but question the value of such a weak in-house process in attempting to protect any end user.
As a result of poor fuel quality, the transport industry is facing increased maintenance costs, breakdowns, and worrying warranty disputes with manufacturers. In one recent case, an Irish truck, with a fuel system problem, had its fuel tested by the dealer, which proved positive for non-compliance to EN590 diesel. This could lead to a potential refusal of warranty coverage. ALL HGV’s are required by the manufacturer to run on Fuel quality that meets EN590. This is very difficult to comply with in Ireland.
Environmental and Economic Consequences:
Aside from the direct mechanical/operational impacts, the rising proportion of non-fossil fuels in Irish diesel has led to inefficiencies in fuel consumption. Because biofuels have a lower energy content than traditional diesel, hauliers are being forced to burn more fuel, leading to higher emissions and increased costs. One Manufacturer stated “Based on the present status of our engine development, the fuel (compositions) used must meet certain international standards to be assured of the required engine performance, durability and emission goals. Therefore we prescribe for all our engines that: Any diesel or alternative fuel mixture must fully comply with European Fuel Standard EN 590.”
Moreover, Ireland has the highest proportion of Tallow-derived FAME in Europe—over four times the EU average. This excessive reliance on animal by-products in diesel has exacerbated fuel system contamination and reduced the lubricity of fuel, increasing wear and tear on modern engines. “This singular pursuit of reduced Non Fossil Fuels in our Diesel, with particular use of animal by products to meet our emissions targets, is being done in a manner that is compromising the supply chain and its equipment, an entity not given any consideration thus far.” says the IRHA.
Calls for Urgent Action:
The IRHA is calling on the Irish government and EU authorities to take immediate steps to address these fuel quality concerns, including:
To Transpose the EU Directive on Fuel Quality into Irish Law: Thereby making EN 590 an Obligatory standard for ALL Diesel by Irish Law.
- Establishing an Independent Regulatory Body: Similar to Belgium’s Fapetro agency, Ireland needs a State-run entity to oversee fuel sampling, laboratory testing, and compliance auditing.
- Increasing Fuel Sampling Rates: The current of 100 Samples p.a or 0.1% sampling rate is inadequate. A standardized EU-wide sampling/testing regime should be implemented to ensure consistency across EU member states.
- Greater Transparency in Fuel Supply Chains: More stringent tracking of fuel blending processes is required to prevent excessive FAME (Above 7% by Volume) and to set a MAX limit on tallow content in diesel.
- Clearer Regulations on Non-Fossil Fuel Taxation: The government must ensure that carbon taxes are applied correctly, as current practices may be leading to unlawful taxation of non-fossil fuel components.
EU Involvement and Industry Implications:
The IRHA is bringing these concerns to Brussels this week by first meeting with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) Technical Group in Brussels, advocating for an EU-wide imposition on Diesel fuel quality standards and oversight. Transport is an international industry, and fuel inconsistencies across different EU jurisdictions create both an uneven playing field for hauliers, while also exposing the supply chain to an unnecessary and unacceptable risk.
“Diesel is and will continue for a long time yet to be the fuel of commerce, so its quality and usability needs to be protected” the IRHA emphasised. “If foreign hauliers knew the extent of the problem here, they would avoid purchasing fuel in Ireland altogether, as they are potentially exposing their equipment to a fuel oversight standard that does not protect them.”
In Contrast (From 2024 ETC Report) : “Belgium controls a lot more parameters than imposed by the European Commission to ensure the quality of the sold fuel and to protect the customer.”
The IRHA urges the government to recognize the severity of the issue and take immediate action to prevent further harm to the transport sector, which Ireland is dependent upon to get 98% of its goods to market, while also protecting the wider economy and air quality from the increased fuel/exhaust emissions.