HVO for Temporary Solutions
August 26, 2021
How you can lower your carbon footprint thanks to Temporary Solutions running on HVO, a fossil-free bio-fuel.
At Atlas Copco Rental, we’re on a road to zero emissions. Lowering our carbon footprint is an important part of our mission. And while we’re at it, we want to help our customers to achieve their sustainability goals as well. The use of HVO, a fossil-free biofuel, is just one step in our mission, but one with big impact. Switching to HVO lowers your carbon footprint immediately, while it requires little adaptation to equipment and infrastructure. This newest generation of fossil-free biodiesel has plenty of benefits for us as well as for our customers. Read more on why we believe HVO is the fuel of the future.
What is HVO?
HVO, or "hydrotreated vegetable oil", is the newest generation biodiesel, produced from recycled vegetable oils and fats, mostly waste products of the fish and meat industry. It’s 100% fossil-free, non-toxic and carbon neutral, because it’s a recycled product. HVO also burns cleaner than diesel. Simply fueling with 100% pure HVO makes equipment run carbon-free and lowers the emission of NOx and particular matter at the same time. That’s another benefit of HVO: you can blend it with diesel at any percentage, contrary to “older” biofuels.
HVO quality levels
When it comes to HVO, just like other fuels, it’s a numbers game. We at Atlas Copco Rental keep it simple. It’s 100. Nothing else.
HVO100 is the quality label given to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Fuel which is derived entirely from renewable resources and is devoid of fossil fuels. HVO100 is subject to the EN15940 Standard in Europe. While HVO won’t be the long-term fix-it-all for global emission reduction, it is a more than capable alternative to traditional fuels, and it is the most efficient and available option to rapidly contribute to carbon emission reduction.
How can you benefit from HVO?
Fueling with HVO is an easy and fast way to lower the carbon footprint of your operations. In some regions, it is the only way to meet sustainability guidelines while still benefitting from the independence of a diesel engine. Think of drilling jobs in remote areas or compressors that need to move from one location to the next.
Diesel-driven equipment runs as efficiently on HVO as on regular diesel. In the early days, HVO met with the fear of efficiency loss when used in diesel engines because of a difference in density. However, we extensively tested HVO with all our engines, in various circumstances and detected no impact on performance whatsoever. Myth busted. In fact, we found that in some cases HVO outperforms diesel, for example when starting a compressor up in cold conditions. In general, HVO is less likely to “wax” in extreme temperatures than regular diesel.
Which Rental equipment is compatible with HVO?
All our Stage V engines with electronic fuel-injection, above 19kW, are selected and tested to run on HVO without any performance loss. As we continuously update and improve our fleet, you can meet your sustainability goals and ambitions, even when you have to rely on temporary equipment.
How do you use HVO?
You can blend HVO with diesel at any percentage. This is an important benefit of HVO compared to other types of biodiesel. You can use 100% HVO one day and fill it up with diesel the next.
Do I still need DEF when using HVO?
Yes, you do. HVO improves the engine's NOx and particular matter emissions, but it still behaves as diesel. So you need a diesel after-treatment system in the larger engines.
HVO won't save the world. But on the road to zero emissions, every step matters. As governments and companies look for more sustainable ways to run their businesses, you can count on us to explore the alternatives of the future.
At Atlas Copco, we have been turning industrial ideas into business-critical benefits since 1873. By listening to our customers and knowing their needs, we deliver value and innovate with the future in mind. Great ideas reinforce sustainable development. At Atlas Copco Specialty Rental, we team up with our customers to set up state-of-the-art temporary air, flow, steam and nitrogen solutions. Our passionate experts have extensive application and equipment knowledge. We understand our customers' needs and can provide a total solution for any industry, no matter if it is for emergencies or planned projects. We are a division of the Power Technique business area, headquartered in Boom, Belgium and offer specialty rental solutions under several brands around the globe.