What Is Hvo Fuel And What Are The Benefits?

What is HVO fuel?

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, more commonly known as HVO, is a sustainable fuel source with a significantly lower carbon footprint than diesel, reducing CO2 emissions by a minimum of 85%.

It is a biofuel made from certified waste such as vegetable oils and animal fats. HVO is one of the cleanest fuels on the market and is sometimes known as Renewable Diesel.

Can HVO be used instead of diesel?

One of the major benefits of using HVO fuel is that there are no modifications needed to the vehicle – it is a drop in replacement for diesel. This means that almost any engine, vehicle or piece of equipment that can run on diesel, can also run on HVO fuel.

Some common examples where HVO is used include:

·       Trucks & tankers

·       Agricultural tractors and machinery

·       Portable generators

·       Commercial boilers

·       Boats and vessels

What are the benefits of using HVO fuel?

HVO fuel reduces CO2 emissions by a minimum of 85% which is just one of the ways to bring us a step closer to our sustainability goals.

As mentioned earlier in the article, a key benefit of using hydrotreated vegetable oil as an alternative fuel is that it is fully compatible with diesel engines with no modifications needed. You can start filling the engine with HVO fuel straightaway.

HVO fuel is a 100% sustainable, renewable hydrocarbon which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% and has zero FAME, fossil and sulphur content.

Why are businesses looking to source more sustainable fuel options?

As a society we have a huge responsibility to tackle the growing climate change crisis, and as businesses, we have a corporate responsibility to make small changes that can amount to big differences.

At Suttons we are passionate about providing sustainable alternatives to our customers to reduce our environmental impact. The most obvious starting point for this is our fuel choice, so using HVO fuel is a great way for us to reduce our carbon emissions. We want to protect the environment for future generations so looking at ways in which we can be more sustainable is at the heart of our strategy.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel is significantly better for the environmental than other fuels such as diesel and is key in helping the UK reach its net-zero carbon target.

How long can HVO fuel be stored for?

Hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel can be stored for up to 10 years thanks to the way it is made. In comparison, mineral diesel can only be stored for up to 1 year, so the difference is substantial.

How quickly can you transition to using HVO fuel?

The transition to using HVO as an alternative fuel requires no downtime. Hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel can be safely blended with diesel, which gives users flexibility in terms of HVO fuel cost and CO2 reduction.

Running on pure HVO fuel does, of course, improve the sustainability benefits, however, there is not a requirement to drain a fuel tank from diesel to start filling it up with HVO. Because mineral diesel contains FAME, blending the two does mean that many of the benefits of HVO fuels are lost.

Conclusion

At Suttons Tankers we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and providing our customers with the most efficient and sustainable services. With a robust ESG strategy, we are trialling HVO so that we can fully understand the emissions reductions, costs and practicalities of this product.

To find out more about our ESG strategy, the HVO trial or how we can support your business, please get in touch with us.

Sources include:

• https://www.valero.com/renewables/renewable-diesel
• https://watsonfuels.co.uk/for-business/lower-carbon-solutions/hvo-renewable-diesel
• https://www.crownoil.co.uk/faq/hvo-fuel-faq/
• https://hvofueluk.co.uk/blog/what-is-hvo/