The interchangeable collequial use of the terms distillate (boiling range) and "diesel fuel" (distiliate meeting legislated fuel specifications), led to misleading perceptions about the suitability of Fischer-Tropsch syncrude for diesel fuel production, Two questions are addressed: Can Fiseher-Tropsch syncrude be refined to diesel fuel, and which Fischer-Tropsch technology is best for maximizing distillate and ultimately diesel fuel production? The distillate yield that can be obtained from Fischer-Tropsch syncrude in an uncomplicated refinery employing only hydrocracking and/or oligomerization follows the order; Fe-LTFT > Co-LTFT > Fe-HTFT. Conversely, producing diesel fuel (not distillate) from Fe-HTFT syncrude is easier. On a molecular level, Fischer-Tropsch syncrude was found to be unsuitable for the. production of EN 590-2004 diesel fuel in high yield. There is a trade-off between distillate density, cetane number, and yield, which is called the Fischer-Tropseh density-cetane-yield triangle. It is possible to meet any two of these three requirements without too much refining effort,. but meeting all three with Fischer-Tropsch syncrude as feed material, is difficult, Strategies have been suggested to overcome the Fischer-Tropsch density-cetane-yield triangle and to improve the yield of on-specification diesel fuel. Some industrial implications for the standalone Fischer-Tropsch-based production of diesel fuel are discussed. High-temperature Fischer-Tropsch (HTFT) and low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) fuels refinery designs based on current refining technology to maximize EN 590:21004 diesel fuel are provided.