See all Motoring AdviceIt’s rare that a completely new fuel arrives in Ireland. Sure, we’ve seen huge growth in electric vehicles, but that’s hardly new technology - the first electric car was made in the 1880s. In fact, not since LPG was popularised have we seen a completely new and commercially available fuel arrive on forecourts. Until the arrival of HVO, that is…
This new, more eco-friendly fuel offers all the advantages of diesel – long range, short fuelling times and ample efficiency – but with lower overall emissions and no need to drill it from the ground. It sounds good, doesn’t it? But is this the quickest way to clean up ‘dirty’ diesel’s act?
What is HVO?
HVO stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, which gives you some idea of where it comes from. Yes, it’s made with used vegetable oil (a waste product) that’s saturated with hydrogen to create an end product that is chemically identical to the diesel you find in fuel tanks up and down the country. That means drivers of many existing diesel vehicles can simply swap to HVO immediately, with no concerns about economy, functionality or reliability.
If it’s chemically identical, how is it more eco-friendly?
In terms of fuel economy, the difference is small. In theory, HVO-fuelled cars could be marginally more economical than conventional diesel cars, but only because diesel often has more impurities than HVO. Nitrogen oxide emissions and particulate emissions can be reduced, too. The big advantage is the whole-life CO2 emissions of the fuel, said to be in the order of 90 per cent lower than that of regular diesel.
The other advantage is that HVO is not a fossil fuel, and though the production process requires a lot of energy, the vegetable oil is a waste product from the food industry, so there’s a bit of recycling going on there. As a result, using HVO means there’s no need to use up precious fossil fuel resources, which means there will be fewer emissions from drilling, and both of those things are positive for the environment.
How is it made?
In essence, the vegetable oil is saturated with hydrogen at temperatures exceeding 300 degrees (that’s the ‘hydrotreated’ bit that requires a lot of energy), before it goes through the ‘cracking’ process (that’s isomerisation, to those of a scientific persuasion) to get rid of the impurities and make HVO more pure than conventional fossil-fuel diesel.
So, it’s biodiesel?
Not quite. It is a biological alternative to diesel, it’s true, but it’s made in a very different way. The hydrotreatment of HVO removes any organic impurities, whereas biodiesel can still contain these impurities, which are called Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, or FAME. There’s no problem with FAME per se – it won’t do any harm – but it can go off over time, which means biofuels have a shelf life of about a year before they deteriorate. HVO can be stored for up to 10 years without any contaminants appearing, assuming it’s stored correctly.
Is it hard to get hold of?
It isn’t available at every filling station yet, but it’s becoming more common in Ireland. And globally, there’s increasing supply as interest grows.
Are there any other advantages to HVO?
Yes, although we’re unlikely to spot them in Ireland. Theoretically, it’s better for cold starts, but a more useful advantage is found in the Nordic countries, where temperatures can regularly drop below -12 degrees Celsius. Below that temperature – assuming no anti-freeze additives have been mixed with the fuel – diesel becomes a gel, and gels are no use when you want to run a diesel engine. With HVO, however, that ‘freezing’ process doesn’t happen.
What are the drawbacks of HVO?
For starters, there’s the price. HVO is a little more expensive than conventional diesel at the moment, but not by a huge amount. Admittedly, it’s unlikely to pay for itself in terms of fuel economy improvements, but it will make a considerable difference to your carbon footprint – particularly if you regularly travel long distances.
The other problem is the lack of availability. While it is offered at some service stations, it isn’t as universally accessible as regular diesel. But if you can’t find it anywhere, it isn’t a problem. Simply put normal diesel in and refill with HVO when you get a chance.
On a global scale, there are question marks about supply, with limited numbers of processing plants around the world. That said, some traditional oil refineries have been converted to HVO production, which should be enough to keep up with demand for the foreseeable future. The other issue is the vegetable oil itself, which is plentiful, but is sometimes made with palm oil, the subject of numerous environmental and ethical debates.
My diesel car is old. Can I use HVO?
Theoretically, yes. It’s chemically identical to the diesel you find on the forecourt today, so if your car is happy with that, it should be happy with HVO. There’s no need for any conversions or reprogramming of fuel systems. That said, not every manufacturer has approved its vehicles for use with HVO, even though most modern cars will run the fuel without any trouble at all. Owners are advised to check their vehicle will take HVO before they try filling up.
Can I mix HVO and regular diesel?
Absolutely. Because they’re chemically identical, there’s no concern there. The only thing to note is that regular diesel contains biofuels, so mixing it with HVO means the fuel will go off if stored for a prolonged period. That’s no less true of conventional diesel, though, so there’s nothing new there.
How do I fill up with HVO?
In exactly the same way as you’d fill your car with diesel. There’s no difference, except for the fact the pump will be pink, rather than black.
What’s the point of HVO? Isn’t everybody going electric?
For all the talk about hybrid and electric power, the realities of motoring in Ireland mean ditching diesel power altogether simply isn’t an option just yet. Progress has been made, but diesel cars still account for around a quarter of all new car sales, and given their popularity a few years ago, there are thousands of perfectly serviceable diesel cars on Irish roads and used car forecourts.
So, while nobody is pretending HVO is the long-term solution to road traffic decarbonisation – a ban on the sale of new diesel cars is coming in 2035 – it is a helping hand in the medium term. If new diesel vehicles can still be sold for another decade, it could easily be another 30 years before we live in a diesel-free world. If HVO can reduce emissions over that period without impacting the reliability or value of the cars already on the road, that can only be a good thing.