Euro 5 trial approves use of HVO, sees strong emissions drop
Volvo Trucks has approved the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO) for all Euro 5 engines after a two-year, one million kilometre test of the renewable diesel.
Trialling the effects of 100 per cent HVO fuel on the engine performance and components of six trucks, Volvo says the fuel performs in line with regular diesel and cuts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by between 30 and 90 per cent.
The large CO2 discrepancy stems from the quality of the renewable raw materials used to produce the fuel. This can include vegetable and animal fats, as well as waste oils.
“The field test showed that the HVO works very well in our engines and can be used under the same conditions as regular diesel,” product manager Tobias Bergman says. “It is also possible to freely mix diesel and HVO.”
As HVO can be distributed through existing diesel stations via the same tanks and pumps, Volvo’s innovation director Lars Mårtenssonsays the fuel’s potential is worth the investment. The challenge, he says, lies in its production.
“We believe in HVO’s potential and see an increasing interest from both customers and transport buyers,” Mårtensson says.
“The major challenge is the availability of raw materials and refineries. We therefore hope that our investment in fuel will contribute to increased demand and that the HVO can be used in many other parts of the world in future.”
D5 and D6 Euro 6 engines will receive a global certification in September while certifications for D11, D13 and D16 engines are underway.
“The fuel is suitable for all customers who want to reduce their CO2 emissions and we see no restrictions regarding the type of transport or business,” Bergman says.
“Combining HVO with the low emissions of our Euro 6 engines will allow the environmental impacts of the trucks to be minimised.”
Volvo says the use of HVO fuels in Euro 5 engines will not impact service intervals.