The official approval for the sale of the biogenic fuel, HVO100, has been available in Germany since the end of May. The Duvenbeck Group has been one of the first logistics companies to secure its quota of the fuel in order to switch parts of its truck fleet to normal operations with HVO100.
Duvenbeck was the first German logistics company to test the plant-based fuel in daily practical situations over a fairly long period as part of a pilot project. The experience gained was thoroughly positive. In comparison with diesel fuel, HVO is one of the renewable energy sources, combustion with it is cleaner and it remains liquid even at low temperatures far below zero.
“Having HVO in our trucks’ tanks helps us to significantly reduce our own CO2 footprint and that of our customers,” says Hakan Bicil, the CEO of Duvenbeck, explaining the ramifications. “Using HVO as a replacement for fossil diesel fuel supports our plans to neutralise the climate-relevant emissions from operating our fleet by the year 2040. In addition to trucks powered by batteries and drive systems using biogas, we can now use another alternative, which is effective immediately, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in road transport traffic within our existing fleet.”
With the biogenic fuel HVO100 in the tank, the Duvenbeck Group is reducing its CO2 footprint in road freight transport. (Photo: EDi Energie-Direkt/Jochen Weissert)
Duvenbeck’s professional drivers are also convinced by the new fuel. “Trucks fuelled by HVO are much quieter and provide the same performance as diesel vehicles,” says Bernd Reining, the Vehicle Fleet Manager at Duvenbeck. “And there is no typical diesel smell when you fill up the tank. Our drivers have a good feeling that they are on the road without damaging the climate.” It is not necessary to refit vehicles to use HVO. Reining recommends, however, that companies obtain approval for the vehicles to use HVO from the truck suppliers. Old diesel residual material at company fuelling points should be removed before any HVO is accepted.
HVO is made from biogenic raw materials such as used cooking oils, plant and animal fats as well as organic elements from household waste. These raw materials are converted (hydrated) into combustible hydrocarbons. Although HVO emits up to 90 percent fewer CO2 emissions in comparison with fossil diesel fuel, there is no difference between the two as regards taxes in Germany. Carsten Sanders, the Project Manager for Sustainable Drive Systems at Duvenbeck, comments, “A maturity level model forms the basis for our CO2 management and it enables us to keep our eye on the status of our emissions at any time so that we’re able to derive further reduction measures from it. Thanks to the introduction of HVO, we’ve taken a significant step along our journey towards climate neutrality.”
