One standard, written for engines
EN 590 is the European specification for automotive diesel, maintained by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). It sets the limits a fuel must meet to run safely in modern diesel engines with particulate filters and catalytic converters. A cargo is EN 590 only if a laboratory has tested it against those limits. The name on an offer proves nothing on its own.
The limits that matter most
- Sulphur: no more than 10 mg/kg. This is where "10 ppm" comes from.
- Cetane number: at least 51, so the fuel ignites cleanly under compression.
- Density at 15 °C: between 820 and 845 kg/m³ for the standard climate grades.
- Flash point: above 55 °C, which keeps the fuel safe to store and handle.
- FAME (biodiesel) content: up to 7% by volume. A cargo sold as B0 contains none.
- Water: no more than 200 mg/kg.
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: no more than 8% by mass.
Summer, winter and arctic diesel
EN 590 does not fix a single cold-weather limit. It defines climate grades A to F for temperate regions and arctic classes 0 to 4, each with its own cold filter plugging point (CFPP). Each country chooses which grades apply in which season. A summer grade that suits the Mediterranean can wax up and block filters in a northern winter, so the grade belongs in the contract, not in a footnote.
What to check before you sign
Ask for the certificate of quality issued for the actual cargo, and read it against the limits above. Three questions catch most problems:
- Does every tested value sit inside the EN 590 limits, or are some lines simply left out?
- Which climate grade and which FAME content does the certificate show, and do they match your market?
- Who issued the certificate, and can that office confirm it directly?
A seller with real product answers these questions without hesitation. At Portline, the certificate of quality from an independent inspector is one of the documents presented for payment, so the buyer pays against a tested cargo.