Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil – popularly known by its acronym HVO – is a sustainable fuel that reduces net CO2 greenhouse gases by up to 90%. It is a renewable diesel that offers an alternative to fossil fuels and promises to revolutionize the world of transportation. But what are the advantages of HVO and why should we opt for this energy? In this post we give you three reasons that will convince you why you should opt for HVO.
HVO: Focus on renewable and biodegradable
The first and most important benefit of switching to HVO has already been mentioned: it is cleaner and therefore more environmentally friendly. Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is a renewable diesel obtained from vegetable oils and animal fats through a hydrotreating process. This process eliminates impurities such as oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen from these renewable raw materials. Choosing HVO therefore improves air quality and protects the environment.
On the one hand, it is a high-quality diesel with an extremely low sulfur content, which means that it reduces sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions. And it can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to other traditional fuels. This reduction is due to the fact that the CO2 released during HVO combustion has already been absorbed by the biomass during its growth.
As a result, it helps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduces the carbon footprint and even promotes the circular economy. Because it is produced from organic waste, waste can be given a second life.
Focusing on a fuel compatible with diesel technology
Another clear advantage of HVO is that it is chemically analogous to diesel, the most widely used fossil fuel in commercial transportation. That means it can be replaced without making any changes to the vehicle’s diesel engine or system, making it easy to adopt in any fleet.
Thus, integrating HVO into professional transport operations requires no costly modifications for the transport company, and no downtime during the transition from one fuel to another. The changeover can be done gradually, without a large upfront investment, and replace fossil diesel with HVO in some of the existing fleet vehicles. In addition, engines running on HVO can experience higher efficiency and lower wear and tear, resulting in optimal performance and longer life.
This flexibility is a key benefit of HVO, allowing it to be adapted according to specific company needs and the availability of renewable diesel in different regions. A more efficient way to contribute to a more sustainable professional transport without large investments, hence the importance of why to go for HVO.
HVO supply expanding in Europe
What is the current and future availability of HVO? It is true that its use is still in the process of expansion, but its presence has increased considerably in recent years, especially in Europe. And the trend is continuing.
On the one hand, when asking the question of why to bet on HVO, one must know that HVO production globally is growing and there is more and more investment in the construction of new refineries to meet a growing demand. Currently, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands are the three countries with the largest production capacity and where there is an increasing supply of bulk supply. Demand for HVO is increasing, as environmental awareness and the willingness of transport companies to reduce their carbon footprint grows.
An international network of HVO fueling stations
At OnTurtle, true to our commitment to promote and encourage the transition to cleaner freight mobility, we have been committed to HVO as an alternative technology since 2023. This commitment has led us to create our international HVO network in the Netherlands and Austria, which has recently been expanded so that our customers can also refuel HVO in Spain.
All service stations are strategically located in key areas for professional transport. In total, we offer more than 20 HVO filling points in Europe. We expect this number to continue to grow in the coming years to make the technology more accessible.
