Refuelling in the UK and Ireland with Red Deisel

If you have refuelled in the UK, you will have marked (red) diesel in your tanks. Keep receipts, as the purchase of red diesel for marine pleasure use is illegal in many EU countries.

There have been reports of a small number of yachtsmen fined in Belgian waters for having red diesel in their fuel tanks and one incident in Holland where the yachtsman was unable to provide a receipt to show his fuel was purchased in the UK.

There are two principal elements to the issue of red diesel and EU law: firstly, whether the continued availability of marked diesel in the UK for use in private pleasure craft complies with the EU Energy Products Directive and the EU Marking Directive and, secondly, whether it is lawful for member states to penalise individual yachtsmen for having marked diesel in their yachts’ fuel tanks.