Fuel thieves face Venom
21 April 2022
The removal of the red diesel rebate for construction users on 1 April means that hirers and site managers must now run machines on white diesel, obviously the same fuel used in cars and vehicles.
The removal of the red dye means that unauthorised use of the fuel cannot be traced as easily, making a tempting target for thieves – and all the more so given the eye-watering rises in diesel prices.
Some years ago, Datatag ID developed Venom, a dye indicator that includes a synthetic DNA identity. This can be added to diesel so that its ownership can be verified.
The company promoted the product at the recent Futureworx event. Business development director Jon Parsell told me that interest has “really gone ballistic” since the red diesel change.
100ml of Venom treats 2000 litres of diesel and its green colouration makes the fuel easy to distinguish, deterring thieves.
Moreover, the inclusion of the synthetic DNA identifies the fuel’s true owner, so thieves can’t evade detection by sneakily adding green dye themselves.
