How to Read an EN 590 10 ppm Specification Sheet

EN 590 is the European standard for automotive diesel fuel. Every cargo offered as "EN 590 10 ppm" should come with a specification sheet or certificate of quality (COQ) that lists the standard's parameters, the limits, the test methods and the measured results. Reading that sheet properly is the first filter an institutional buyer applies before a single bank message is sent.

What the sheet must contain

A usable specification sheet has four columns: the property, the unit, the limit (minimum or maximum) and the result. It names the test method for each line, the sampling point (tank number, shore tank or vessel), the sample date, the laboratory and the edition of EN 590 used. A sheet that shows only "typical values" without results from a named sample is a marketing document, not evidence that a specific parcel meets the standard.

Rule: a specification sheet describes what the product should be. Only a certificate of quality issued by an independent inspector on a sealed sample describes what the product is.

The parameters that matter most

Sulphur

The defining line of a 10 ppm diesel is sulphur, maximum 10.0 mg/kg, measured by EN ISO 20846 or EN ISO 20884. Results of 5 to 9 mg/kg are normal for hydrotreated European product. A result stated as "<10" without a number or method is a warning sign, as is a result in percent, which indicates a sheet written for a different product grade.

Cetane number and cetane index

EN 590 requires a cetane number of at least 51.0 (EN ISO 5165 or EN 15195) and a cetane index of at least 46.0 (EN ISO 4264). The index is calculated from density and distillation, so it is a plausibility check: if the sheet shows a cetane number of 55 with an index of 44, one of the values has been edited.

Density and viscosity

Density at 15 °C must be between 820 and 845 kg/m³ (EN ISO 3675 or EN ISO 12185). Kinematic viscosity at 40 °C must be 2.00 to 4.50 mm²/s (EN ISO 3104). Density is also the figure that converts volume in cubic metres to metric tonnes on the bill of lading, so a wrong density changes the invoice.

Distillation

Three distillation points are specified (EN ISO 3405): less than 65 % v/v recovered at 250 °C, at least 85 % v/v recovered at 350 °C and 95 % v/v recovered at no more than 360 °C. A product that is really a kerosene cut or a heavy gasoil blend shows up here.

Flash point

Flash point must be above 55 °C (EN ISO 2719). This affects transport classification and tank-farm acceptance as much as engine performance.

Cold flow: CFPP and climate classes

EN 590 does not have one cold filter plugging point. It defines temperate climate grades A to F (CFPP from +5 °C down to -20 °C, EN 116) and arctic classes 0 to 4 with additional cloud point and density limits. A sheet must state which grade is being delivered; a parcel sold into northern Europe in January as "grade A" is contractually EN 590 but commercially unusable.

Lubricity, FAME and stability

Lubricity is a maximum wear scar diameter of 460 µm at 60 °C (EN ISO 12156-1). FAME content is limited to 7.0 % v/v (EN 14078), which is why the European grade is sometimes called B7. Oxidation stability for FAME-containing fuel is at least 20 hours (EN 15751); for fuel without FAME, a maximum of 25 g/m³ (EN ISO 12205). Water is limited to 200 mg/kg (EN ISO 12937) and total contamination to 24 mg/kg (EN 12662).

Other lines

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: maximum 8.0 % m/m (EN 12916)
• Carbon residue on the 10 % distillation residue: maximum 0.30 % m/m (EN ISO 10370)
• Ash: maximum 0.01 % m/m (EN ISO 6245)
• Copper strip corrosion: class 1 (EN ISO 2160)
• Manganese content: maximum 2.0 mg/l (EN 16576)

Summary table

Property	Limit	Method
Sulphur	max 10.0 mg/kg	EN ISO 20846 / 20884
Cetane number	min 51.0	EN ISO 5165
Density at 15 °C	820 – 845 kg/m³	EN ISO 12185
Flash point	> 55 °C	EN ISO 2719
95 % recovered	max 360 °C	EN ISO 3405
FAME	max 7.0 % v/v	EN 14078
Lubricity (WSD)	max 460 µm	EN ISO 12156-1

How to detect an unreliable sheet

1. Compare the parameter list against the standard. Missing CFPP, lubricity or PAH lines usually mean the sheet was copied from another grade.
2. Check internal consistency: cetane index against density and distillation, flash point against the 250 °C recovery.
3. Verify the laboratory and report number directly with the inspection company (SGS, Intertek, Bureau Veritas or a CIQ-accepted laboratory), using contact details obtained independently, never from the PDF.
4. Insist on a certificate of quality issued at loading, drawn under the Incoterms 2020 delivery point agreed in the contract, and make this certificate a required document in the letter of credit.

A refinery or a terminal operator will not object to any of these steps. A counterparty who does object has told you what you need to know.