With the move towards net zero and the need to tackle the causes of climate change, businesses are under pressure to reduce their environmental impact. One of the best ways to reduce your impact on the environment is by cutting the use of fossil fuels.
HVO is a paraffinic fuel – a high quality, synthetic clean liquid fuel. It is an advanced second-generation fuel, sometimes known as an advanced renewable fuel.
Recent government guidelines state that the UK should be diesel-free by 2030. Previously, the only real alternatives have been electric vehicles or first-generation biofuel. But HVO is the next generation of sustainable fuels - a replacement for both red and white diesel, which is one of the cleanest fuels on the market, for vehicles and machinery alike.
HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) is made from 100% renewable raw materials, such as vegetable oils and animal fats. It is made from waste streams from food and animal matter. Plants are grown and the oils are taken away and used for their main purpose, with waste collected and converted to the fuel.
It is virtually the same fuel as diesel, but with a number of environmental benefits. HVO reduces CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%. Importantly for businesses, it can be used as an alternative to diesel without the need to modify, empty or clean out tanks.
Because HVO is made from sustainable, renewable materials, it can easily be regrown when more stock is needed. The crops that are used to produce HVO do not damage the environment or contribute to global deforestation.
In addition to the environmental advantages, HVO also has a number of operational and performance advantages over conventional fuels:
- Doesn’t react with water and won’t be ‘eaten’ by bugs
- Excellent cold weather performance down to -32C
- Meets or exceeds the lubricity requirements of major diesel performance specifications EN 590 and ASTM D975
- OEM approval from a wide range of vehicle manufacturers, meaning HVO won’t void the warranty of a vehicle
- Completely biodegradable, non-toxic and odourless
- Non-carcinogenic
HVO is a much more sustainable product than traditional (mineral) diesel, with a reduced risk of degradation when in storage. While diesel has a shelf life of just one year in storage, HVO has a shelf like of up to 10 years, providing good storage and maintenance practices are followed.
To store HVO oil all that is needed is a simple bunded oil tank. There are a lot of different types of bunded oil tanks avaliable, so you are sure to find one to fit you needs.
Earlier biofuels, or FAME diesel, had some problems. They produce harmful emissions which aren’t good for either the environment or public health. This type of fuel is also prone to cold weather issues and can develop water and biological attacks, such as cold filter plugging much quicker than other diesels.
By contrast, HVO fuel is suitable for a wide range of industries as an alternative to diesel, including construction, public transport and events.
It can be used in:
- Commercial boilers
- Construction equipment and machinery
- Portable generators
- Agricultural vehicles and machinery
- Boats using inland waterways
Glastonbury Festival is one of the UK events which has already moved to HVO fuel to power its portable generators and transport. It is also used by the Eurovision Song Contest.
Sweden is leading the way in HVO use, having made the fuel tax exempt in 2017. This saw an increase in use of 127% on the previous year. In 2017 in Sweden, green diesel alternatives already made up 28% of the market, with HVO fuel making up the vast majority of that.
HVO for business
Businesses have a legal duty to reduce their environmental impact. And increasingly, companies are looking to do business with other companies with good environmental credentials – whether as customers or when they are looking for suppliers or contractors to work with.
Whatever your industry or line of business, using HVO can help improve your corporate social responsibility and will help you to win business from companies that want their suppliers to have superior green credentials.
The construction sector is one industry which is increasingly working to greener principles. The green agenda is becoming more visible in contract and tender requirements. Powering your vehicles and machinery with HVO will help you tender to stand out from the crowd.
Can you put HVO in a car?
HVO can be used as a replacement fuel for any diesel car, van or off-road vehicle. You don’t even need to completely drain the vehicle’s tank of diesel before adding HVO. The two fuels can be mixed, although most of the environmental benefits of HVO will be lost if it is mixed with diesel.
A number of manufacturers have specifically approved the use of HVO, with no risk of invalidating the vehicle’s warranty, including:
- Cars – Citroen, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo
- Heavy duty road vehicles – Mercedes-Benz, DAF, Iveco, Renault, Scania, Volvo
- Non-road vehicles – Caterpillar, John Deere, Scania
HVO should also be compatible with all other diesel vehicles, as it is a direct replacement for diesel. However, it is always advisable to check with the manufacturer first. Alternatively, get in touch with your HVO supplier, who may have more information from vehicle manufacturers.
Electric vehicles versus HVO
The government is having a big push on electric vehicles (EV) right now. While they have many advantages over petrol and diesel vehicles, there are also a number of disadvantages of EVs.
Replacing an electric or diesel car (or an entire fleet of vehicles) with electric is expensive. Simply switching to using HVO in a diesel vehicle will prove cheaper and it has several advantages.
While electric vehicles undoubtedly reduce harmful emissions, the entire lifespan of an electric vehicle still produces greenhouse gases from production through to disposal, which isn’t something the government takes into account.
The infrastructure needed to build power points and lay cables to charge EVs isn’t considered when looking at the environmental impact of EVs, but it is likely that the entire process is fuelled by fossil fuels.
According to research by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, there are over 300 million passenger vehicles on Europe’s roads and 99% of them are fuelled by petrol or diesel. The climate crisis doesn’t have time for millions of people to make the move to EVs. Switching a diesel vehicle to HVO is an easy and immediate solution.
HVO and heating
The government has proposed a ban on the installation of new fossil fuel oil boilers from 2026 and phasing out kerosene in the late 2030s.
While HVO is designed and used as an alternative to diesel, it also makes a viable alternative to kerosene for the 1.5 million off-grid homes in the UK which rely on heating oil.
The government is supporting air source heat pumps, ground/ water source heat pumps and biomass boilers as a sustainable form of heating for these homes. While a good idea for new builds, these don’t work so well for older homes with poor insulation. The cost to convert to these alternatives ranges from around £9,000 to £19,000, with significant changes needed to a person’s home and heating system. That sort of investment is out of the question for many people.
But HVO runs just as efficiently as heating oil in an existing system and trials have shown it is possible to convert a heating system to run on HVO for just £500.
It is very early days, but the first few homes have been converted to run on HVO and it is likely that this will gain momentum in the coming years.
If you are looking for a way to make your business greener, HVO offers an easy solution. It is available from a number of UK suppliers, with many offering delivery within 24 hours. While HVO does currently cost more than traditional diesel, its superior environmental benefits make it a wise choice for businesses serious about improving their carbon footprint.
