Selling or using fuels

When selling or using fuels, you must prevent emissions from these fuels into the air. You can find these rules in the Activities Decree (Activiteitenbesluit). Special rules apply to the storage, trans-shipment and distribution of petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (lpg).

Biofuels

If your business is licensed to supply road transport fuels, you are obliged to supply a certain percentage of biofuels. Petrol stations are obliged to supply E10 petrol from at least half of their petrol pumps. The other half can be used for other fuels. This regulation applies to petrol stations with one or more petrol pumps. Owners of petrol stations with just one petrol pump can choose which type of petrol they sell.

E10 petrol

Do you own a petrol station with 2 or more filling installations (pumps)? At least half of the nozzles should supply E10 petrol. E10 is a blend of 90% regular unleaded and 10% ethanol. For the other half of the nozzles you may choose which fuel to supply. If your pump infrastructure allows you to only offer 1 type of fuel, you may choose yourself which type of fuel you supply.

Stickers

All petrol stations should have stickers on their pumps stating the type of fuel. This way customers will know which type of fuel is available. New vehicles also bear stickers stating the type of fuel the vehicle requires.

Fuel price comparison

Do you own or operate a petrol station? From 7 December 2020 a European requirement applies to show a fuel price comparison (in Dutch). The comparison shows the average price per 100 km of 6 types of fuel:

• electricity
• green gas
• hydrogen
• LPG
• diesel
• petrol (gasoline)

Biofuels such as biodiesel, bio-ethanol of biogas will not be shown in the comparison as the consumption of these fuels is not determined.

Organic halogen compounds in fuels

Fuels and raw materials for fuels may only contain certain levels of organic halogen compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Please note: The technical requirements that apply in the Netherlands to the organic halogen content of the raw materials of fuels/fuels differ from those of other EU Member States. If a raw material of fuels/fuel is already permitted in another EU Member State, the Dutch government may only prohibit its sale in the Netherlands in exceptional cases.