Two new ATEX heavy duty centrifugal pumps for the bulk transfer of gas oil

We recently dispatched two brand new ATEX long-coupled centrifugal gas oil pumps to a client who required high-volume marine diesel transfer from tankers to tanks and storage vessels.

What is gas oil? 

Gas oil is also known as red diesel, tractor diesel and agricultural diesel. It has no connection with what the Americans call ‘gas’, short for gasoline.

Gas oil is a liquid fuel that is made from crude oil. It is exactly the same as ordinary diesel, also called white diesel, which you would find on the forecourt at any UK petrol station. The only difference is it is a low tax version.

So why is it called red diesel?

Even though red and white diesel are the same fuel, they are taxed very differently. In the UK, white diesel is taxed at a standard rate of 52.95 pence per litre – the same as petrol. Whereas red diesel or gas oil has considerably less fuel duty added to it - just 10 per litre.

Driving fraudulently

Obviously, this means that some diesel vehicle owners and businesses using diesel might be tempted to fill up with it instead of normal diesel - and make big savings. However, it is illegal to do this on British public roads which is why red dye was added to the fluid from the 1960s. It helps authorities and Customs & Excise to quickly identify if a vehicle was being run on gas oil.

Which UK industries can use gas oil?

From the 1st April 2022, selected industries, businesses and organisations are allowed to use gas oil for the following applications:

• Electricity generation, back-up power and heating

• Agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fish farming

• Homes and business heating 

• Rail transport

• Amateur sports clubs and golf courses

• Sailing, boating and marine transport (excluding private pleasure boats in Northern Ireland)

• Travelling fairs and circuses

• Off-road equipment such as farm tractors, and stationary diesel engines or generators 

• Road gritters

  
  

How is gas oil produced?

Gas oil is made from crude oil that is pumped out of the ground. Depending on the way this is distilled, a range of fuels can be produced.

First, the crude oil is pumped up from underground as a thick, black liquid. Then it is heated in a distillation tower containing trays at different temperatures. After this it is separated as the various components of the oil rise to different levels in the tower, based on their boiling points. 

Next, the vapours of these substances condense on the trays and are collected. Gas oil is collected from near the bottom of the distillation tower, just above marine fuel oil. 

What is the difference between gasoline or petrol, and gas oil?

Both diesel and gasoline are petroleum products refined from crude oil. However, gasoline or petrol is more refined than gas oil, which makes it thinner in density and more volatile. So petrol burns faster, which enables it to produce more power or horsepower, making it perfect for lighter vehicles that need less torque and more horsepower to go faster.

In contrast, gas oil is thicker, evaporates much more slowly and has a higher energy density. This means that it produces 20% more energy than petrol from the same amount of fluid. This is why diesel like gas oil is more suited to powering big machines because it can generate more energy at lower RPMs and provide more pulling power.

What did we specify for this project? 

As the UK’s largest pump supplier with over 25 years’ experience, we are highly skilled at providing engineered pumps for a wide range of applications. We use this know-how to deliver a tailor-made solution for each client, not a standard product straight off the shelf.

Above all, we choose the best pump for every project – offering the lowest lifetime cost. For this specific job, we chose two of our XHLE long-coupled, end suction, single stage pumps. These are large, heavy duty horizontal centrifugal pumps with both high flow and high-pressure capabilities.

Both gas oil pumps will deliver around 180m³h (3000 L/min) at over 5 bar of pressure, and the client wanted this particular design because it can operate at up to 80% efficiency. They are also fitted with a brass coupling guard, an ATEX motor, and are long-coupled and aligned on a baseplate

Well-engineered pumps with built-in product benefits

Our XHLE long-coupled, single stage pump is standardised to comply with EN 733/DIN 24255, which means that the design is exactly the same size as many other pumps on the market. It can therefore replace most horizontal centrifugal pumps that are already installed, and indeed, is suitable for a wide range of applications in the industrial and marine sectors.

In addition, the long-coupled design is very easy to maintain as the pump head can be reached without having to remove the motor. This centrifugal pump design is also more durable. It is been designed for continuous operation and incorporates extra bearings in the pump head which take a great deal of strain away from the motor during usage.

Independent shafts

The XHLE centrifugal pump and motor have separate shafts which means that if anything breaks, only the pump shaft will need to be replaced. Less well-engineered horizontal centrifugal pumps only use the motor shaft – if this breaks, the whole motor needs to be replaced.  

The long-coupled design of our pump creates a large space between the pump and the motor. This is a clever design feature which protects the motor from fluid getting in if there is a seal failure.

The XHLE long-coupled horizontal centrifugal pumps we supplied have ATEX motors which are mandatory for handling flammable fluids like gas oil.

If you have an application based around the bulk transfer of fuels or other liquids, speak to North Ridge Pumps today to see how we can help.