The outlook is rather bleak, especially given the decline in household incomes. And while the price of diesel keeps rising, its quality in recent years has been fairly stable. This was due to the supply of "heavy" fuel predominantly from abroad, but now even the state-owned Shebelinka refinery has switched to producing Euro-5 standard fuel. It seemed nothing foreshadowed trouble, but a third of the fuel checked by specialists from the Institute of Consumer Expertise turned out to be substandard.
Test control
This time, the experts decided to focus not only on major players but also to pay attention to medium and small networks. Samples were taken from 8 networks: BRSM-Nafta (DT Euro), ANP (Energy), KLO (DT Euro), AMIC (DT Euro), TNK (DT Euro), LUXWEN (DP EURO), Shell (DT Euro), and SunOil (DT Euro). The highlight of the test was the participation of an illegal gas station, the so-called "barrel," which have been appearing en masse recently. The price there is usually 3-4 hryvnias lower than at the chains, but what they dispense there, no one knows. In the laboratory, all samples were checked for many parameters: cetane index, fractional composition, flash point in a closed crucible, sulfur content, density. And, of course, the main "winter" indicators – cold filter plugging point (freezing) and water content. Let's say right away: all tested samples turned out to be "winter" grades, but not all passed the test completely.
Cetane index
First, specialists calculated the cetane index of the tested samples. The cetane index is the cetane number of the fuel before applying cetane-enhancing additives. The general principle is the more, the better. All test participants met the standard, with the largest margin demonstrated by BRSM-Nafta (DT Euro) – 52.6 units, and KLO (DT Euro) – 51.7 units. On such diesel, it will be easier to start in winter and fuel consumption will be lower.
Flash point
The second significant indicator is the flash point in a closed crucible. It characterizes the ignition temperature of the fuel. Indirectly, this indicator can show whether foreign components have entered the diesel. No violations were found among the participants.
Sulfur
Sulfur combustion products hit hard not only the environment but also the engine. Sulfur is deadly for catalytic converters and particulate filters, but with a sulfur concentration in fuel of less than 10 mg/kg, a "mileage" of more than a hundred thousand kilometers for the converter is a reality. This time, the results for this parameter were excellent. With the exception of one sample, all samples met the Euro-5 level! The record holder was the BRSM-Nafta (DT Euro) sample (only 3 mg/kg!). But at the illegal gas station, the sulfur in the "diesel" turned out to be very high by today's standards – 339 mg/kg.
Water
There should be no water in diesel fuel – this is regulated by the standard, and all diesel drivers know this. In frost, ice crystals will clog pipelines and filters – and goodbye, movement! But this seems to be unknown in the ANP and AMIC networks, because it was in the samples from these gas stations (and the illegal "barrel") that traces of water were found. How it got there remains a mystery (the other parameters are in order). Most likely, one can assume gaps in logistics and storage.
Cold resistance
Tests to determine the cold filter plugging point showed that absolutely all purchased samples are "winter" fuel. In severe cold, BRSM-Nafta diesel will not freeze, withstanding up to minus 26 degrees Celsius; KLO (-23), LUXWEN (-23), and TNK (-20) will hold up well. For more extreme frosts, KLO and Shell offer branded grades (Ventus and V-power), which are arctic but noticeably more expensive.
Summary
Overall, the quality of diesel fuel is at an acceptable level, if not for traces of water in some samples (although this is unlikely to be a systemic process, rather shortcomings of individual gas stations). The results of the BRSM-Nafta network were also pleasing, as it is currently going through hard times, fighting off a raider attack, but the quality has not suffered so far. As for illegal gas stations, it is better to forget the way there, since in case of trouble there is simply no one to file claims against.
