Certas Energy says it has created the industry’s first HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) fleet balancing calculator, allowing fleet operators to calculate the cost of mixing HVO with traditional diesel to aid decarbonisation.
HVO is a lower carbon alternative diesel which offers immediate greenhouse gas emissions savings of up to 90% compared to diesel across the product life cycle. It also burns cleaner, emitting fewer particulates compared to conventional diesel. In addition, storage is simpler because HVO has a shelf life of up to 10 years and is biodegradable and non-toxic. It can be used in traditional diesel engines with no modifications required.
However, HVO is more expensive per litre than conventional diesel, making it more practical for some operators to blend HVO with diesel, or only use HVO in some situations. For example, an operator could commit to one tank of HVO a month or use HVO in congested areas to reduce air pollution.
Certas Energy’s new calculator is a free online tool that will provide the average fuel cost when including HVO as part of the fuel mix, helping operators make decisions about how and when to drop in the renewable alternative diesel.
Reece Hampton, national sales manager at Certas Energy, said: “Trucks make up a large proportion of road users, which means the sector can be a powerful force for good when it comes to reducing emissions. If all fleet operators committed to making one small change, it would have a big impact.
“HVO is an obvious choice when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, but many operators are put off by the cost, which at first glance can appear much higher.
“The reality is, if you use a blend, or only use HVO in some vehicles, the cost difference can be negligible, but still make a vital difference to decarbonisation.
“Whether operators are planning a full or partial switch to HVO, we can help them find out how much it is going to cost, and what is feasible for their business. Our calculator is the first tool able to automatically work out these figures so we can help more businesses decarbonise in a realistic way.”
