<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><ns2:project xmlns:ns1="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api" xmlns:ns2="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project" xmlns:ns3="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/fund" xmlns:ns4="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/person" xmlns:ns5="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project/outcome" xmlns:ns6="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/organisation" ns1:created="2026-06-03T15:52:43Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/projects/E5560FE4-6CCA-4CF9-96A2-A7FC3C6EE67D" ns1:id="E5560FE4-6CCA-4CF9-96A2-A7FC3C6EE67D"><ns1:links><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/persons/0084B435-6DC9-4266-8EF6-AD8DFD368A99" ns1:rel="PM_PER"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/04B3F282-E4F6-499E-9169-8086E82D005D" ns1:rel="LEAD_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/04B3F282-E4F6-499E-9169-8086E82D005D" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:end="2023-12-31T00:00:00Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/funds/CA729AD6-C866-407F-99FC-8C61D1349F13" ns1:rel="FUND" ns1:start="2023-01-01T00:00:00Z"/></ns1:links><ns2:identifiers><ns2:identifier ns2:type="RCUK">10047152</ns2:identifier></ns2:identifiers><ns2:title>Wahanu: Helping operators of large fuel storage tanks eliminate fuel contamination within the supply chain, through the use of an in-tank cyclonic separator, sensors and IoT devices, to improve engine fuel efficiency and reduce emissions</ns2:title><ns2:status>Closed</ns2:status><ns2:grantCategory>Collaborative R&amp;D</ns2:grantCategory><ns2:leadFunder>Innovate UK</ns2:leadFunder><ns2:abstractText>Fuel becomes contaminated over time as it's handled and stored, with the contamination consisting of water, bacteria and particulates settling to the bottom of a tank and then being extracted by standard fuel pipes. Water in diesel is the leading cause of contamination. Contaminated fuel is endemic, with 26% of UK-retailers failing EN590 particle tests. There's currently no universal solution for prevention. Downstream, fuel contamination can lead to engine damage, resulting in machine/vehicle downtime and reduced productivity in many sectors (especially transportation and construction).

FuelActive is an award-winning UK-SME, achieving demonstrable success through developing innovative retrofitted fuel delivery and monitoring systems that ensures the cleanest fuel is delivered to diesel engines. This prevents premature vehicle maintenance costs and breakdowns/downtime from contaminated fuel.

Research in the industry and from FuelActive's customers indicates that there's an unmet need for the cleaning and monitoring of contamination levels of the fuel within large fuel storage tanks (fuel farms, oil refineries, forecourts).

In this project, FuelActive will develop **Wahanu** (separator in Welsh), a pioneering technology that will be directly installed inside fuel storage tanks. Wahanu will fundamentally improve cleanliness throughout the fuel supply-chain by removing contaminants in primary storage (fuel farms and oil refineries). This will provide higher quality fuel to secondary storage (forecourts) and end-user engines. Subsequently, leading to significant positive UK economic impacts through improved fuel-efficiency and CO2 reductions of ~5% (end-user MVP testing).

Wahanu will increase tank-farm storage capacity through reduced downtime, whilst simultaneously cleaning the tank and reducing regular maintenance needs. This will eliminate current industry hazards, where tanks are physically scrubbed clean (dangerous for humans).

FuelActive will penetrate multiple use-cases including refining facilities, transportation, short-term storage facilities (underground/overground), feedstocks, terminals and point-of-sale hubs (airports, fuel stations (forecourts), trucking, shipping), delivering significant benefits for the UK and global fuel supply-chain.</ns2:abstractText></ns2:project>