Specifications for EN 590 Diesel (DERV) and EN 590 Gas Oil
At Nationwide Fuels, we’re a leading supplier of high-quality diesel (DERV), also referred to as ultra-low sulphur diesel, and gas oil, which meet EN 590 specifications, a top European standard for diesel fuel. We can also supply gas oil (red diesel), both with and without FAME and for different specifications, including Class D gas oil.
Diesel ULSD specifications
Diesel (DERV) is an essential fuel to power industrial sites, vehicle fleets, generators and more. DERV comes in a variety of grades and specifications, which means that it’s important you secure high-quality diesel that’s suitable for a range of applications. To learn more about diesel and its use cases, you can find more information in our diesel FAQ.
Our ULSD is suitable for all road and off-road applications powered by diesel, and you can view the specifications in the table below.
| Parameter | Unit | Minimum | Maximum | Typical |
| Appearance | – | Clear and bright, pale yellow, free from visible sediment | – | Pass |
| Density at 15°C | kg/m3 | 0.820 | 0.845 | 0.830 |
| Kinematic viscosity at 40°C | mm2/s | 2.0 | 4.5 | 2.90 |
| Carbon residue (Ramsbottom on 10% residue) | % (m/m) | – | 0.30(2) | <0.10 |
| Distillation recovery at 250°C | % (v/v) | – | 65 | 37 |
| Distillation recovery at 350°C | % (v/v) | 85 | – | 93 |
| 95% vol. recovered | °C | 360 | – | 355 |
| Flash point (PMCC) | °C | >55 | – | 64 |
| Water content | mg/kg | – | 200 | 70 |
| Particulate content | mg/kg | – | 24 | <12 |
| Ash content | % (m/m) | – | 0.01 | <0.001 |
| Sulphur content | mg/kg | – | 10 | 9 |
| Copper corrosion (3hrs at 50°C) | Class | – | 1 | 1 |
| Cold filter plugging point(1) – Summer | °C | – | -8 | -5 |
| Cold filter plugging point(1) – Winter | °C | – | -20 | -15 |
| Oxidation stability | g/m3 | – | 25 | 5 |
| Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) | % (v/v) | – | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| Cloud point(1) – Summer | °C | – | -2 | +3 |
| Cloud point(1) – Winter | °C | – | -10 | -5 |
| Lubricity (HFRR) | µm | – | 460 | 390 |
| Cetane number | – | 51 | – | 53 |
| Cetane index | – | 46 | – | 55 |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | % (m/m) | – | 8 | 2.5 |
| Carbon | % (m/m) | – | – | 87 |
| Hydrogen | % (m/m) | – | – | 12.75 |
| Nitrogen | % (m/m) | – | – | 0.01 – 0.05 |
| Gross specific energy | MJ/kg | – | – | 45.4 |
| Gross specific energy | MJ/litre | – | – | 37.7 |
| Mean specific heat capacity over 0 – 100°C | KJ/kg°C | – | – | 2.05 |
*This specification is not a guarantee. We reserve the right to alter the specifications without notice.
Gas oil specifications
EN 590 gas oil is a dyed product that is often referred to as red diesel, marked diesel, 35-second oil or tractor diesel. You can learn more about gas oil in our guide to gas oil.
Gas oil is a rebated fuel that’s no longer available to many sectors, and you can see if your business may access the fuel by using our red diesel FAQ.
Our gas oil meets BS 2869 (2023) and EN 590 standards with 10 ppm (parts per million) sulphur content. You can view all our gas oils’ physical and chemical properties in the table below.
| Parameter | Unit | Minimum | Maximum | Typical |
| Appearance | Clear and bright, cherry red, free from visible sediment | Pass | – | – |
| Density at 15°C | kg/m³ | 0.820 | – | 0.860 |
| Kinematic viscosity at 40°C | mm²/s | 1.5 | 5.5 | 3.0 |
| Carbon residue (Ramsbottom on 10% residue) | % (m/m) | – | 0.30 | 0.10 |
| Distillation recovery at 250°C | % (v/v) | – | 65 | 42 |
| Distillation recovery at 350°C | % (v/v) | 85 | – | 92 |
| Flash point (PMCC) | °C | 56 | – | >62 |
| Water content | mg/kg | – | 200 | <100 |
| Particulate content | mg/kg | – | 24 | <10 |
| Ash content | % (m/m) | – | 0.01 | <0.001 |
| Sulphur content | % (m/m) | – | 0.002 | <0.0015 |
| Copper corrosion (3 hrs at 50°C) | Class | – | 1 | 1a |
| Cold filter plugging point(1) – Summer | °C | – | -4 | -8 |
| Cold filter plugging point(1) – Winter | °C | – | -12 | -14 |
| Cetane number | – | 45 | – | 48 |
| Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) | % (v/v) | – | 7.0 | <0.1 |
| Carbon | % (m/m) | – | – | 87 |
| Hydrogen | % (m/m)- | – | 12.75 | |
| Nitrogen | % (m/m) | – | – | 0.01 – 0.05 |
| Gross specific energy (MJ/kg) | MJ/kg | – | – | 45.4 |
| Gross specific energy (MJ/l) | MJ/litre | – | – | 38.8 |
| Mean specific heat capacity over 0 – 100°C | KJ/kg °C | – | – | 2.05 |
| Volume correction factor | per °C | – | – | 0.00081 |
| Strong acid number | mg KOH/g | – | nil | nil |
| Lubricity (HFRR) | µm | – | 460 | <460 |
| Oxidation stability 0.0 – 7.0% FAME | g/m³ | – | 25 | – |
| Oxidation stability 2.0 – 7.0% FAME | h | 20 | – | – |
*This specification is not a guarantee. We reserve the right to alter the specifications without notice.
EN 590 FAME-free gas oil
We also supply FAME-free gas oil to companies that require fuel with no biodiesel content. Fuel containing bio (FAME) has a tendency to absorb moisture and is therefore more susceptible to microbial attack, which can cause issues such as clogged filters. The specifications are the same as EN590 but state a FAME content of <0.1%.
Diesel and gas oil resources
- EN 590 diesel specifications (PDF format)
- EN 590 DERV FAME-free specifications (PDF format)
- EN 590 gas oil specifications (PDF format)
- EN 590 gas oil FAME-free specifications (PDF format)
