HVO Fuel FAQs

Questions & Answers About HVO Fuel

It’s clear to most of us that the continued and sustained use of fossil fuels, whether that be petrol or diesel in motor vehicles or heating oils such as kerosene in oil fired heating systems, cannot continue. It is the responsibility of all of us to reduce our own carbon emissions to help combat climate change.

Since you’ve found yourself here, it’s clear that you’re looking to learn more about HVO fuel and what you can do to lower your own carbon emissions. So for that, we’re grateful you’ve chosen our website to help you improve your understanding of HVO fuel and other renewable diesel fuel alternatives to give you the knowledge and understanding to make your own better and more informed decisions.

When it comes to alternatives to diesel and heating oil (kerosene), there are many options available, but two of the most popular renewable fuels are HVO fuel and biodiesel. Both offer significant benefits, but which one is the best choice? In this FAQ, we’ve answered many of the questions that people have about HVO fuel and renewable fuels in general, to help you make an informed decision.

What is HVO fuel and how is it made?

HVO fuel is a drop-in alternative to regular diesel fuels and heating oils (such as kerosene) which are made from fossil fuels. What this means is, the majority of modern diesel engine vehicles and oil fired boilers in homes and businesses should be able to operate on HVO fuel with little to no modifications in order to do so. However, we suggest that you check with the manufacturer of the engine or boiler before you make the switch!

You may see it written or spoken about as HVO fuel, but HVO stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. HVO is a renewable diesel fuel which means that it’s made from  many kinds of vegetable oils, such as rapeseed, sunflower, soybean, and animal fats to name just a few of the waste products it is derived from. You may also have seen online or heard from other sources that HVO fuel is made from palm oil, which in itself isn’t a bad oil. However palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests which is where the issue lies.

However, as the demand has increased for HVO fuel in UK, Europe and around the World, there has become more concern about the use of palm oils in the manufacturing of HVO fuel. As so, many manufacturers of HVO fuel have taken steps to move away from the use of palm oils in favour of other waste materials that are far less controversial and sustainable.

HVO fuel itself is produced through a process called hydrotreatment, which involves heating vegetable oils or animal fats with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst. This process removes the impurities and transforms the long-chain hydrocarbons present in the oils or fats into shorter, more stable chains that are similar to those found in conventional diesel, but with far lower emissions, making it more environmentally friendly as a result.

What are the benefits of using HVO fuel?

The benefits really depend on the reasons for you looking for alternatives to regular fossil derived fuels. In short, using HVO fuel can help you to lower emissions compared to fossil fuels, lowering a range of greenhouse gases (GHGs). 

The three most important benefits of using HVO fuel are:

HVO fuel has lower emissions than conventional diesel, including up to 90% fewer particulate emissions and up to 24% less greenhouse gas emissions.
HVO fuel has higher cetane ratings, which can improve fuel efficiency and reduce engine noise.
HVO fuel is compatible with existing diesel engines and can be used without modification, making it a practical alternative to conventional diesel.

Is HVO fuel really better if it’s still derived from plants and animals?

Of course, it’s a fair point that some people have made when they say that fossil fuels are made from the remains of dead plants and animals in the same way that HVO fuel and other renewable fuels are today. However there is a key difference here, the fossil fuels we use today, locked away carbon dioxide millions of years ago, helping to lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which slowly changed the Earth’s climate over millions of years.

When modern trees and plants grow, they absorb the carbon dioxide already in our atmosphere and lock it away inside. If you were to chop down a tree which has likely been growing for tens to hundreds of years for example and burn it. it will be impossible for the wood to emit more carbon dioxide than was absorbed whilst it was growing, so they effectively make it carbon neutral as that carbon dioxide was recently in our atmosphere and will have no impact on the environment when released.

In scientific terms, a few hundred years, even a thousand years is still considered modern in terms of the atmosphere and the carbon dioxide these plants and trees will have locked away. As so, they will be considered far less polluting when they release their carbon dioxide than the comparable fossil fuels in use today.

How does HVO fuel compare to other renewable fuels?

When it comes to choosing an alternative to fossil fuels such as diesel, we need to give mention to other renewable fuels that are also available beyond HVO fuel which has become the poster child for low-carbon alternatives.

However, the fact is, HVO fuel has several advantages over other renewable fuels, including greater energy density and better compatibility with existing engines. It also has fewer issues with cold weather performance than older renewable fuels such as biodiesel.

Fuels such as biodiesel are known as first-generation biofuels, whereas HVO fuel is known as second-generation biofuels. As a result, HVO has benefited from many improvements over biodiesel which should allow it to be more widely adopted in the coming years as a credible alternative to mineral diesel fuel.

The three most important points to consider when comparing HVO fuel to other renewable fuels are:

• HVO fuel has a higher energy density than biodiesel, meaning it can provide more power per volume of fuel.
• HVO fuel has fewer cold weather performance issues than biodiesel, which can solidify in cold temperatures and clog fuel filters.
• HVO fuel is more compatible with existing diesel engines than many other renewable fuels, making it a more practical alternative to conventional diesel.

Where is HVO fuel being used today?

Although it may appear to people across the UK that HVO fuel is a new and modern fuel, it’s far more widely used and adopted in several countries around the world, most namely Sweden and Finland where it’s available at petrol stations.

As things stand in the UK, the closest a renewable fuel has come to mass adoption is the B7 diesel at the pump (the B7 means up to 7% renewable biodiesel blend) along with E7 and E10 petrol also available at the pump (the E7 and E10 meaning up to 7% and up to 10% renewable ethanol blends).

As so, if you’re ready to try HVO fuel in your diesel engine vehicle, diesel generator or oil-fired heating system, HVO fuel is available from the vast majority of existing oil suppliers which you can find on our sister websites – red diesel near me and heating oil near me. (We’ll launch a comprehensive list of all the oil suppliers across the UK that can supply HVO fuel soon).

So in short, where and how HVO fuel is being used today:

• HVO fuel is used in several European countries, including Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
• It is also gaining popularity in other countries as a sustainable alternative to conventional diesel.
• HVO fuel is used in various applications, including agricultural vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, buses, construction equipment and more.

Are there any challenges facing the wider adoption of HVO fuel?

t Howeve HoweverOver the years, as a civilisation, we’ve begun to fall out of love with the internal combustion engine that powers the vast majority of vehicles on our roads, our railways and the high seas. Manufacturers have made great strides to ensure that modern engines are far more efficient than those on the roads even as recent as 20 or 30 years ago.

Even so, with the march towards electrification of road vehicles and their obvious lack of a tailpipe and zero emissions from the vehicles themselves. They have found themselves in the limelight as the poster child for all modern transport thanks to governmental policy in the UK and around the World.

As so, there are several challenges facing the broader adoption of HVO fuel, including the current availability, cost, and competition from other renewable fuels.

Current availability

As things stand, there are no HVO fuel manufacturing facilities in the UK, meaning that we’re solely reliant on imports for the HVO fuel we’re using. That does of course mean that we’re in a global market for the supplies of HVO fuel currently available. However, as more countries implement policies and regulations to encourage the use of renewable fuels, the availability of HVO fuel is likely to increase as more production facilities come online to meet demand.

Cost

Currently, HVO fuel does tend to cost a little more than conventional diesel and heating oil which is preventing many from switching and benefiting from the use of HVO fuel. However, it is often competitive in price with other renewable fuels that are currently available. As already mentioned, as more countries begin to adopt HVO, demand and prices may increase but we’d expect more production facilities to come online as it becomes more and more profitable.

Although there are no manufacturing plants in the UK, more and more are opening to produce HVO fuel across Europe and the USA as the popularity of this fuel increases. So it is possible that we’ll begin to see prices become more affordable sooner rather than later as production costs begin to decrease and increased competition between suppliers leads to a lowering of prices.

However, the cost of HVO fuel still largely depends on several factors, including the cost of feedstock, the production process, and the market demand.

Competition from other renewable fuels

With other more widely adopted renewable fuel options such as biodiesel being used to lower the CO2 emissions from vehicles in the form of blended diesel fuels. HVO fuel has some way to go to meet the popularity that biodiesel has around the World, with them both offering similar environmental benefits. This of course may cause the demand for HVO fuel to be limited in some markets as a consequence.

Current use of biodiesel in the form of blended diesel fuels at petrol stations sees the mass availability of B7 diesel at the pumps (B7 meaning up to 7% biodiesel blended with standard fossil diesel). Some countries use different percentages of biodiesel in their blended diesel with amounts varying between 5% or B5 through to 20% or B20.

To overcome the challenges of availability, cost and competition, it will be important for countries governments, fuel producers, and other stakeholders to work together to increase the availability and promotion of HVO fuel, in order to help reduce its cost, and educate consumers about the benefits of switching from standard fossil diesel to advanced renewable fuels such as HVO fuel.

Is HVO fuel safe to use?

We’re going to say yes to this, but with a caveat – It’s important that you check with the manufacturer or your diesel engine, diesel generator or oil-fired heating system before switching, especially if you’re still within the warranty period to ensure that the use of HVO fuel doesn’t invalidate any warranties.

So again, yes, HVO fuel is perfectly safe to use in many applications in place of fossil diesel fuel. The reason for this is that it has a very similar chemical composition to conventional fossil diesel, and has undergone rigorous testing to ensure its safety and reliability around the World. Not only that, but it is also in regular use in many countries with lots of companies, local authorities and other organisations and even domestic properties using oil-fired heating systems using it without issue over the years.

So in short, the safety of HVO fuel comes down to:

• HVO fuel having a similar chemical composition to conventional diesel, making it safe to use.
• HVO fuel has undergone rigorous testing in countries around the World to ensure its safety and reliability.
• HVO fuel, just like any other fuel, required proper handling and storage procedures to be followed to ensure safety.

What are the environmental benefits of HVO fuel?

Of course, one of the main reasons for people and organisations switching to HVO fuel is the potential environmental benefits that it offers over the continued use of fossil fuels. These environmental benefits include lower emissions and reduced reliance on fossil fuels, which benefit both businesses and organisations

Some of the environmental benefits of HVO fuel include:

• HVO fuel has lower emissions than conventional diesel, including up to 90% fewer particulate emissions and up to 24% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
• HVO fuel is made from renewable sources, which in turn helps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
• HVO fuel is biodegradable and non-toxic, which reduces its environmental impact when disposing old fuels.