The right burner fuel is the one you can buy reliably all year, at the lowest cost per unit of heat, within your emission limit. This guide compares the five common options and shows how regional availability shapes the choice.

The five fuels at a glance

Fuel Cost per unit of heat Handling Burner maintenance Emissions Best for
Natural gas Often lowest where piped No storage; pipeline and regulator Lowest Cleanest Stationary plants with a gas connection
LPG Medium to high Pressurized tanks; regular deliveries Low Clean Sites without pipeline gas, near distributors
Diesel Highest in many markets Simple tanks Low Moderate Mobile plants, small outputs, start-up fuel
Heavy fuel oil Lower than diesel Heated tanks and lines, filtering Higher (nozzle cleaning) Higher sulfur and soot Stationary plants with steady output
Coal powder Can be lowest where coal is cheap Pulverized coal storage and feeding; fire and dust safety Higher Ash; needs good dust control Long-term sites near coal supply

Fuel consumption

Roadmixa batch plant parameter tables list about 5.5–7 kg of fuel oil per ton of mix, or about 10 kg of coal per ton, under typical conditions. The biggest factor you control is aggregate moisture: wet stone needs more heat. See aggregate stockpile management.

Compare cost per unit of heat, not per liter

Different fuels release different amounts of heat per kilogram or liter. To compare fairly:

cost per unit of heat = fuel price ÷ heating value of that fuel

Use the heating values on your fuel supplier’s data sheet, in the same units for every fuel. Then multiply by your expected consumption to compare cost per ton of mix — or use the cost per ton calculator.

Regional availability

Region Common practical choices
Southeast Asia Diesel; heavy fuel oil near ports; LPG; coal in Indonesia; gas in some areas
West Africa Diesel; low pour fuel oil (LPFO) — see Nigeria
East Africa Diesel; heavy fuel oil
Central Asia Natural gas widely used — see Uzbekistan
Andean South America Diesel; gas near some coastal cities — see Peru

Dual-fuel burners

A dual-fuel burner — for example diesel and heavy oil, or gas and diesel — lets you:

  • Start on the cleaner, easier fuel and switch once the burner is hot
  • Switch when prices change or a delivery is late
  • Move the plant to a region with a different fuel without changing the burner

For export plants that may move between countries, dual fuel is often worth the extra cost.

Heavy fuel oil: what it needs

  • Heated storage tank and heat-traced lines to keep the right viscosity
  • Filters and a heater before the burner
  • More frequent nozzle cleaning
  • Correct atomization — see burner tuning

Coal powder: what it needs

  • Pulverized coal supply or an on-site grinding system
  • Closed storage, feeding and metering system
  • Fire and explosion safety measures for coal dust
  • Good dust collection for ash
  • Stable, long-term site — not a good fit for plants that move often

How to decide

  1. List the fuels you can buy every month of the year at your site
  2. Get delivered prices and heating values
  3. Calculate cost per ton of mix for each
  4. Check your emission limit
  5. Consider moves: will the plant go to a region with different fuels?

Tell us your site and fuel options and we will recommend a burner configuration.