Beckett Corp. announces B20 certification for oil burners, tank accessories

Leading oilheat equipment manufacturer R.W. Beckett Corp. announced Sept. 22 that all of its AF and AFG burners produced after Sept. 8 are certified to use biodiesel blends of up to 20 percent (B20).

Photo: R.W. Beckett Corp.

"We are excited to offer dealers and their customers an important step in their carbon reduction efforts while retaining the great benefits of liquid fuels," said Fred Hunt, director of sales and marketing.

The announcement was made Sept. 22, on the first day of the virtual Heating & Energizing America Trade Show (the HEAT Show), an event owned and operated by the National Energy & Fuels Institute, the organization formerly known as the New England Fuels Institute. Beckett's B20 certification is particularly important for the oilheat industry as it moves to realize the initiative announced at last year's HEAT Show, known as the Providence Resolution.

The Providence Resolution is an industrywide commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from heating oil 15 percent by 2023 (B20), 40 percent by 2030 (B50), and to become net-zero by 2050 (B100).

Check back with Biobased Diesel Daily for updates on achieving the Providence Resolution's goals, as discussed at the virtual HEAT Show in late September.

Beckett says its recent certifications position the company as the leader in carbon neutral solutions for the industry.

"We are extremely happy to see equipment companies stepping up to the table to support higher biodiesel blends in home heating oil after the years of research conducted to make that move possible," said Scott Fenwick, technical director for the National Biodiesel Board. "Last year's Providence Resolution has served as a catalyst and we are pleased to see all segments of the industry continuing to pull toward those extremely important carbon reduction goals."

In addition to Beckett's AF and AFG oil burners being certified for B20 biodiesel blends, the company offers more than a dozen tank accessories that are rated for biodiesel blends up to 20 percent. Some of the tank accessories include valves, gauges, fittings, bushings, filters and more.

In September 2019, Beckett announced that in 2020 its AFG burner would be rated for R95 fuel, a blend that mostly consists of renewable diesel and 5 percent petroleum-based heating oil. The company said initial adoption is anticipated for the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, and select areas in the Northeast.

"We are excited this new line of oxygen-free renewable diesel (R95) burners will only require a modest upgrade to the existing installed base and be supported with current warranty coverage," Hunt said last year. "We see renewable diesel as the breakthrough that creates a bright and sustainable future for liquid fuels within the heating industry."

Beckett also offers a B20 biodiesel retrofit kit for AF and AFG burners produced before Sept. 8, which can help address issues such as contact with yellow metals, pump reliability and cut-off concerns. The company points out that the kit only addresses the burner, and other fuel supply components may be affected and need to be addressed.