Simpsons Malt has reduced net CO2 emissions from its transport by up to 90% after switching its fleet from diesel to HVO fuel.
Photograph: Simpsons Malt
HVO, or hydrotreated vegetable oil, is a synthetic, paraffinic fuel made from 100% renewable raw materials. It is stable, sustainable, and high quality, offering better combustion, filterability, and cold temperature resistance than other diesel products.
In January, Simpsons Malt took delivery of a 140,000-litre steel bunded HVO fuel storage tank from provider Crown Oil. In the weeks that followed, 28 trucks in the company’s fleet, based out of its Berwick-upon-Tweed headquarters, have gradually transitioned to HVO. Additional haulage partners are also using the fossil-free fuel for their malt deliveries with the company.
As well as reducing net CO2 emissions by up to 90% — which equates to more than 4,000 tonnes based on litres the company’s fleet consumes in a regular year — HVO is also found to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 27% and particulate matter by up to 84%. It is the best available technology to do this until electric or hydrogen powered haulage vehicles become viable, which is still a few years away.
To showcase that the wagons are running more sustainably, an HVO logo — designed by Courage Creative Ltd in County Durham — has been applied to the rear of the trailer of each truck.
The switch to HVO marks the completion of another of Simpsons Malt’s sustainability objectives.
David McCreath, Simpsons Malt’s group fleet Manager, said: “In the five months our wagons have been running on HVO, we have been very impressed with the performance, with no change in the miles per gallon of the vehicles, while refueling has also been made simple through our on-site HVO tank, supplied and regularly restocked by Crown Oil.”
