Deutz has opened a filling station for the latest generation of biofuels – hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) at its factory site in Cologne-Porz, Germany. All diesel-powered vehicles of Deutz AG can now be refueled at the site with HVO. This covers the entire Deutz fleet in Cologne, comprising company cars, forklift trucks, test vehicles, service vehicles and Deutz security vehicles.
Generators, for example, in the site’s emergency power generators, can also run on this alternative fuel.
HVO is a second-generation biofuel that should not be confused with biodesiel. The renewable, paraffinic biofuel uses renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil, animal fats and residues from vegetable oil processing. This means that the remanufacturing of HVO does not compete with food production. The switch to HVO will result in an immediate reduction of the Deutz fleet’s environmental footprint, without the need for expensive and complex retrofitting or replacements.
“This step will help to reduce our Scope 1 emissions and brings us closer to our goal of becoming a climate neutral company by 2050,” said Deutz CEO Dr. Sebastian Schulte. “Switching our fleet to HVO also demonstrates how diesel engines can immediately help to mitigate climate change, with minimum effort and cost. An internal combustion engine is only as dirty, or clean, as the fuel it runs on. That is why this technology can be much more than just a stopgap.”
“All Deutz engines are already approved for use with HVO,” said Deutz chief technology officer Dr. Markus Muller. “Some of our customers are already using the fuel to power their new vehicles. Now is the time for incentives that encourage emission-intensive industries such as agriculture to switch to alternative fuels like HVO. Everyone involved in off-highway applications needs to embrace new technologies – and not just new drive solutions but also alternative fuels.”
Deutz has already started this conversation with its logistics partners, as switching them to HVO would have a positive impact on its Scope 3 emissions. Deutz will initially purchase the fuel, which is guaranteed to be palm-oil free from Finnish supplier Neste, which has been developing renewable fuels since 1996.
In Germany, HVO is currently only approved and available for use in commercial vehicles. The introduction of HVO at public filling stations is expected in the coming months.
