Swapping To Biofuel:
What Is HVO Fuel?

The substantial swing to remote working and a recent pandemic may have decreased personal car journeys, but commercial road transport continues to be highly active. It also continues to have a serious negative impact on the environment. This makes it vital for any organisation with a fleet - or even with a few vehicles or other equipment for business purposes – to consider swapping to biofuel.
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For organisations currently using red diesel to fuel vehicles and equipment, the switch to using biofuel alternatives, such as HVO fuel, are even more pressing. With some industries being unable to use red diesel after April 2022, the cost of using white diesel may have significant financial implications. HVO fuel therefore represents an attractive alternative in many sectors.

Biofuel Basics

The fundamental definition of biofuel is that it is a fuel created from a living biological material (biomass). So, things like plants or animal waste. This contrasts with fuel traditionally used in all forms of transport and machinery which depend on refined crude oil and therefore ever-dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel is ancient plant and animal matter, in the form of hydrocarbons.
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One of the most common examples of biofuel is plant-derived ethanol. This is an alcohol-based liquid. The other main category of biofuel is biodiesel, which is derived usually from plant oils.

Biodiesel is sometimes created from new plant oils and liquid animal fats. It is therefore renewable fuel, as replenishing the crops used is straightforward compared to creating new fossil fuel sources!
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However, you may see the term “Advanced Biofuels”. This refers to the green fuel that some would argue is even more sustainable and superior. It is produced via modern methods to recycle pre-used animal fats and cooking oils.
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When the concept of biofuel was first developed for commercial use, there were some concerns about efficiency and performance compared to traditional petrol and diesel. The earliest types of biofuel were also prone to storage issues due to microorganisms contaminating and degrading them.
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Fortunately, the science behind biofuels has advanced a great deal. Contemporary versions of clean, green fuels are an attractive prospect for companies operating commercial vehicles. Also, as we explain below, storing biofuels correctly is not as tricky as people sometimes imagine.

Costs Of Swapping To Green Fuel

The next question when considering swapping to biofuel is probably going to be the cost implications. You may also be wondering whether you need biofuel tanks in vehicles, new HVO fuel storage tanks, or whether you can just ‘go green’ immediately?
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The common wisdom is that the switch can be seamless. Contemporary versions of biodiesel and HVO have been formulated to offer a seamless transition, without making any adjustment to standard, unmodified diesel-driven engines. In fact, you can even blend traditional and green diesel if you need to, as part of your transition to a more environmentally-sound supply. For example, mixing a small amount of biodiesel with a petroleum-based version, or going right to 100% biofuel straight away.

However, it is recommended that you drain and clean fuel tanks before making the switch. It’s a general housekeeping recommendation to do this periodically with commercial vehicles, so cleaning your fuel tank prior to the switch makes sense.
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As the above indicates, it is not a 'given' that you need special filters or additional equipment to convert to using biofuel. As long as you already use specialist fuel handling equipment, you can switch as soon as you make this sustainable choice for commercial vehicle management.
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Though it is important to consider the last section in this guide to swapping to biofuels, which covers storage issues.

Do You Need Specialist Biofuel or HVO Storage Systems?

In the interests of keeping your biofuel stored safely – and to separate out different grades of green fuel – it is wise to invest in a biodiesel storage system, and separate HVO fuel storage.

It’s all about keeping your green fuel in a contaminate-free tank and ensuring no water can get into it. This simply makes it important to source fuel storage and transfer equipment that’s bespoke to your site, operations and fuel of choice.
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It is always essential to store diesel in an appropriate vessel and use specialist handling systems to transfer it from delivery tanks or into your vehicles.
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However, on the topic of storing green fuel, biofuel does offer important storage advantages, compared to traditional alternatives.
Firstly, HVO fuel has a higher flashpoint. This reduces some of the risks around storing it. Also, it is biodegradable. This means if you do experience spills when transporting or storing biofuel of this kind, the damage to the environment is substantially less.