You may be aware that in modern forms of various industries and even in homes, hydrotreated vegetable oil or HVO fuel is working as a renewable alternative to diesel. The reason behind this is that this fuel significantly reduces GHG emissions and other air pollutants. The effectiveness of HVO fuel in reducing carbon emissions is making people use this fuel noticeably. The best thing is that HVO can be used in an existing diesel engine, and you do not need to do any kind of modification to it. Based on the production process of the feedstock, the fuel like HVO can reduce the CO2 discharges by 90%. This is the conclusion of the methods of Life-cycle assessments.

The reduction of CO2 emissions is done by the use of residues and wastes in making the fuel, like HVO. The fuel also releases smaller amounts of Nitrogen Oxide and/or NOx and Particulate Matter.

Nevertheless, HVO has high levels of cost of production, but due to its environmental benefits, people have positive opinions for it. Moreover, this fuel also works for long-term cost savings.

Read this article to get an idea about the effects of HVO emissions and how much carbon it can save in the process of combustion. 

HVO’s Contributions To Saving Carbon

The fuel, like HVO, is making its contribution in the reduction of carbon footprints as it has clean-burning properties. This can be easily used in place of traditional diesel.

Immediate savings of carbon: The fuel, like HVO, can give immediate savings in carbon. This is because it is a fuel that can be used in a machine that was previously using diesel. For this, the system does not need any kind of changes. Thus, people can easily use HVO and can get a reduction in GHG emissions.

Reduced dependency on fossil fuels: The various particles of fossil fuels can make the discharges of more CO2 emissions than that of HVO emissions. At the same time, the form of fuel like HVO is a kind of renewable oil. Thus, people are becoming more dependent on HVO. This fuel is prepared from vegetable oils and fats of animals. This is a paraffinic form of fuel.

Reduce CO2 by 90%: Many of the experiments and trials have been done on the HVO fuel carbon savings by people from sectors like construction, farming, and logistics. They have shown that HVO can reduce the CO2 emissions in a significant amount. People from Kao Data centre of the UK, Certas Energy, etc, have worked on various studies on the potential of HVO for saving carbon.

Wheel-to-wheel calculations: The HVO fuel carbon savings can be checked by the process of WTW and/or Wheel-to-Wheel estimation. This will be added to the complete process of HVO preparation, from the production of feedstock to the emissions of the vehicle tailpipe. This will also be added with emissions from the well to the tank and emissions from the fuel tank to the wheel.

Reduced Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbon Emissions: The fuel sources of HVO also work for the reduction of the emissions of Hydrocarbons and Carbon Monoxide by nearly 50%. This is because this fuel has high levels of Cetane. This reduces the delays in the process of combustion. You cannot find any unburned fuel here, which can have particles of CO and HC.

Variations in carbon savings in 2024 and 2025 by HVO: In the UK, people have seen excellent levels of HVO fuel carbon savings during the time frame of 2024 and 2025. This is based on their best fuel usage and handling. Some of the companies are making an entire group of vehicles to run on HVO.

HVO use and Net Zero Target: The government and the people of the UK have the aim of being carbon neutral by the time frame of 2050. Here, HVO fuel is working as the base, especially for people who are in the business and commerce of transport. Many of the other businesses in the UK are also adopting HVO fuel.

Low levels of NOx: The existence of NOx in the air can result in the forms of acid rain and/or smog. For the concerns and issues of sustainability, the particles of NOx should be reduced. It has been seen in studies that the use of HVO fuel can reduce the particles of NOx by 7% to nearly 30%. This has been done in the dual-fuel studies and/or experiments.

Reduction of Particulate Matter: The HVO emissions can also work for reducing the particles of particulate matter at a higher level than that of the conventional kind of diesel. Many studies and researchers have found that the number, mass, and other relevant particles of PM are lower while using HVO. Nevertheless, it depends on the type of the engine and the conditions of its operations.

Low levels of other pollution: The HVO emissions can help reduce other forms of pollutants from the air. They can be in the form of PAHs, or Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

Circular Economy: The fuel, like HVO, works for the circular economy. It is prepared by the use of waste products and is changed into renewable diesel fuel. By changing the unusable fuel into usable fuel, the HVO works by creating a closed-loop system.

Use of waste products while producing HVO: HVO is prepared by the use of various waste products in the form of feedstock. If they are not used in the production of this fuel, they are disposed of. It also uses the by-products from the industry of palm oil and various residues.

Drop-in fuel: The fuel, like HVO, works as a drop-in fuel. It can be used in a machine and/or engine which were previously using a conventional kind of diesel. This fuel comes in the category of saturated hydrocarbon and series of alkanes, and it has similar kinds of molecules to those of fossil diesel. As a drop-in fuel, it works better for HVO fuel carbon savings.

Lifecycle Carbon Savings: The HVO fuel emissions work significantly in lifecycle carbon savings. This has the combustion process that is biogenic.

Scalable Solution: The HVO fuel works for providing scalable solutions in the process of reducing CO2 emissions. This is applicable for the work process of vehicles used for aviation, vehicles used for marine world and different heavy duty vehicles.

Key Takeaways

• The company, like Wren Kitchen in the UK, has worked on switching and/shifting 94% of its fleet of HGVs to HVO. 
• Companies like DHL of the UK and Rolls-Royce have worked on adding HVO fuel in their business activities and operations.
• Companies like Compass Energy and Crown Oil have encouraged their customers to switch to HVO. 

Factors That Impact Carbon Savings By HVO Emissions

Various factors have an impact on the carbon savings from the use of HVO fuel. They are connected to sourcing the feedstock and the production process of this fuel. 

Sourcing of feedstock: The feedstock sourcing for HVO works significantly to capture carbon particles. This is because HVO uses by-products. It works for reducing the CO2 emissions that are connected with the production and harvesting of virgin feedstock.

Process of hydrotreatment: The process of hydrotreatment reduces the CO2 emissions. It works for improving the quality of the fuel. This process also removes the particles of nitrogen, sulphur, and the levels of oxygen from the fuel. 

Operational condition of the engine: The operational conditions of the engine works as a great source for HVO fuel carbon savings. The engine can have high and/or low levels of loads; it can have the optimal levels of speed and/or higher levels of speed. These factors affect the process of carbon capture and savings.

Blends of fuel: There are situations where HVO is added with some sort of ethanol and/or gasoline. The ratio of these blends works for reducing the levels of carbon monoxide and various forms of hydrocarbons.

Transportation and distribution: The process of transporting and distributing HVO fuel works significantly in reducing the CO2 emissions. These always release lower levels of emissions than that of the traditional kinds of fuel.

Land use changes: The effect of HVO emissions on the climate is dependent on the land use changes. This process can be added with direct and/or indirect land use changes.

Improved Thermal Efficiency: Many of the studies have shown that fuel like HVO has a significant level of thermal efficiency. This can be calculated as approximately 43%. This happens when the fuel is used in PPCI and/or a partially premixed combustion process and/or engine.

Technical Approaches For HVO Fuel Carbon Savings 

There are also some technical approaches by which the HVO emissions can help reduce the CO2 discharges and other pollutants from the air.

Direct Air Capture or DAC: With the use of HVO fuel, the DAC technology can be implemented to reduce the CO2 emissions. This is done by the methods of filtration and the methods of absorbing chemicals.

Waste valorisation: Waste valorisation by the use of HVO fuel carbon savings has become a basic strategy for the people of the UK. In this, the waste products are changed into useful fuel.

Carbon offsetting: HVO can also be supportive of carbon offsetting. Here, the remaining parts of the CO2 emissions from its use can be reduced by making more investments. It works for making a balance in various renewable energy developments.

HVO use with digitisation and AI: In the current time, the sources of HVO are being used in various data centres to use them as a backup power. This fuel helps the data centres reduce their carbon footprints.

The Bottom Line

HVO fuel and HVO emissions work for reducing the CO2 discharges from the atmosphere significantly. There are various methods by which it can be checked how much carbon HVO actually can save. From the process of production, transportation, and use, this fuel works as a low carbon fuel.

It can also work as a drop-in fuel in an old form of diesel engine. In the UK the government has prepared plans to decrease the level of co2 by 78% till the time frame of 2035. The government is also giving various grants to people for using this fuel.Due to the high numbers of HVO fuel carbon savings, the production and usage of this fuel is gaining attention. For safe use in the future and achieving the target of net zero, the people of the UK should know how this fuel can be used honestly. However, there are some emissions that HVO can still release. You need to work on proper studies to know the whole lifecycle of this fuel.