HVO Fuel: What You Need to Know
Political pressure is mounting on the fuel sector to develop low-carbon liquid alternatives to traditional diesel, gas oil, and kerosene. Decarbonisation of the transportation industry both on and off the road and the home heating oil sector will have a significant influence when it comes to addressing climate change and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
HVO provides an instant and fungible alternative to fossil fuels without requiring any vehicle modifications or adjustments to supply infrastructure.
The current downside to this is availability. While the world has become aware of the benefits of HVO and demand is growing, supply is currently limited and does not meet that demand. New manufacturing units are not expected to be operational for some time. As a result, HVO must be transported over large distances.
As a result, costs will remain higher than conventional diesel, gas oil, and kerosene in the immediate future, with a ballpark value of around 20 pence per litre.
Biofuels are expected to play a role, albeit relatively minor at present, in meeting the world’s long-term energy needs. HVO is a decent short-term option. However, the current lack of instant availability makes the HVO price per ton impractical for many.
However, when used in a well-maintained engine, well-sourced normal gasoline, stored properly, and dosed with additives that keep the injectors clean and optimise the combustion process, HVOs can cut carbon emissions and fuel consumption by up to 4%.
Biofuel Benefits Go Beyond Environment
Climate change and energy security goals have produced a regulatory environment that will quickly increase the biofuels sector despite marginal economics. Ethanol and biodiesel are the two types of biofuel currently available.
Fuel requirements are being tightened in both emerging and developed countries. Furthermore, governments are establishing explicit objectives for the usage of biofuels. These are becoming increasingly mandatory. Biofuel generation is also promoted and subsidised in developing economies. Biofuel is cost-competitive compared to imported or locally processed petroleum fuels in tropical regions. On the other hand, other nations rely heavily on subsidies and tax breaks.
Biofuels pit energy and agricultural markets against one another. While this may help keep biofuel production costs high, policy trade-offs between agriculture subsidies and biofuel incentives may be necessary.
Necessarily at present, HVO fuel costs affect how the world sees and benefits from this renewable energy source. However, at HVO Fuel UK, we can help you achieve your carbon reduction goals environmentally in a financially sustainable way. Visit our homepage to learn more.
Frequently asked questions
The distribution of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)fuel in the UK is limited. Because of this, one of the drawbacks is the HVO price, which is around 10% to 15% higher than regular diesel. However, the reduction in carbon emissions makes this fuel well worth using.
HVO renewable diesel is a high-performance, zero-emissions diesel fuel made entirely of renewable raw materials that produce no new carbon dioxide when used. Although the hydrotreated vegetable oil for biodieselprices are relatively high, HVO has superior combustion, filterability, and cold temperature tolerance compared to other diesel fuels.
HVO fuel can be used as an alternative to diesel. This means that it is applicable to all vehicles and machinery that can run on diesel. HVO can be used for industrial trucks and tankers, boilers, portable generators, and automobiles. Besides being an alternative to diesel, it is also being studied to be a viable alternative to kerosene heating oil.
HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a completely biodegradable diesel made from vegetable oils, grease waste, or residue from the food industry and agriculture. HVO is a renewable diesel because its raw materials are readily available to be manufactured again and again. Compared with ordinary diesel, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 90% when refilling HVO fuel.
HVO is created using a recent technique for generating high-quality diesel fuels from entirely renewable resources that can be regrown when required. The crops used to make HVO fuel are non-toxic and carbon-neutral, and thus do not cause any harm to the environment.
HVO is a form of vegetable oil or animal fat that has been hydrogenated or hydrotreated. In the hydrotreatment and isomerisation process, vegetable or other oils react to hydrogen at high temperatures and pressures. HVO meets the bio content standards without including any FAME, reducing harmful emissions when used in diesel vehicles and machinery through much-improved burning efficiency
There are advantages and disadvantages to using these newer forms of diesel-like HVO. Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks in detail.
- The Pros
- Reduces emissions – In general, compared to traditional diesel, using HVO reduces NOx, PM, and CO2 emissions.
- Drop-in fuel – Unlike other eco-friendly alternatives, there is no need to change your system’s infrastructure.
- Longer shelf life – The main advantage of HVO over regular biodiesel is its enhanced shelf life.
- The Cons
- More expensive – Hydrotreated vegetable oil rates are more costly than regular diesel, but it’s not as pricey as upgrading your infrastructure for other sustainable alternatives.
- Limited availability – In comparison to the rest of Europe, the UK’s HVO manufacturing capacity is limited.
As the cost of gas rises and global warming advances, more people are turning to biofuels as a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels. The following are some of the benefits of utilising biofuels.
- Reduce greenhouse gases. People throughout the world are employing biofuels to power their houses, automobiles, and factories in order to restrict the emission of greenhouse gases. Experts say these biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 87%.
- Sustainability. Since they are made from plants, people can grow and replant their raw ingredients. Thus, biofuel has an abundant, renewable stock.
- High-quality engine performance. The good thing about biodiesel is that it can be used in existing diesel engines with little to no modification to the engine or fuel system, creating the same or better performance.
- Fuel Economy. Biodiesel-powered vehicles get 30% better fuel efficiency than gasoline cars, which saves drivers money at the pump every time they fill up, even though the HVO price per litre in the UK is higher compared to regular diesel.