1st July 2024 | 2 min read
Colas Rail UK, an infrastructure services provider, wanted a fuel pick-up solution that would reduce the maintenance of machinery, ensure filters remain clear, and extend the life of assets.
The solution needed to be sustainable, cost-effective, and easy to fit.
Unipart Rail is the exclusive route to market for the FuelActive solution, which is a unique fuel pick-up pipe that can be installed in any type of fuel tank, across all types of on- and off-highway machinery.
Whereas a conventional pick-up will take fuel from the bottom of the tank, to ensure it continues to work as the fuel level drops, the FuelActive system uses a floating pick-up that ensures only the cleanest fuel is passed to the engine’s fuel injection system.
The 92% cleaner fuel results in a cleaner burn, reducing fuel consumption and cutting engine emissions.
Daniel Bird, Maintenance Manager, Rail Profile Treatment Fleet at Colas Rail UK, said: “FuelActive was presented to us and we were very impressed by how simple it was. It is a very low cost to fit and the team at FuelActive are incredibly flexible. From scoping the engines to initial fitment was about a month.”
The system is reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 7% for Colas Rail UK, and looks set to save the equivalent of up to 365 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Daniel Bird said: “We have trialled the FuelActive system for six months, on eight of our engines. We regularly monitor fuel delivery data, and we are seeing 4-7% on average fuel savings. We’re also seeing increased reliability in the engines, with a reduction in injector issues and four times the typical fuel filter life.
“It reduces the maintenance of our machinery, the filters remain clear, and it extends the life of our assets. We estimate that return on investment will be about a year. Overall, it’s a great invention.
“For anybody that is running diesel out of a tank, I couldn’t recommend FuelActive enough. It is the perfect buffer between the fuel container and the fuel quality that is delivered to the engine.”
"We have trialled the FuelActive system for six months, on eight of our engines. We regularly monitor fuel delivery data, and we are seeing 4-7% on average fuel savings. We’re also seeing increased reliability in the engines, with a reduction in injector issues and four times the typical fuel filter life. “It reduces the maintenance of our machinery, the filters remain clear, and it extends the life of our assets. We estimate that return on investment will be about a year. Overall, it’s a great invention."
