Trialling the use of HVO

Challenge

In 2023 GB Materials used over 27 million litres of diesel in its operations. Over 2.5kgCO₂e is released per litre of diesel used, meaning that GB Materials emitted over 72,000tCO₂e from the use of diesel in 2023. Electric or hydrogen quarrying machines would significantly reduce emissions but due to the size and performance requirements of our machines there are currently limited cases where this would be practicably and economically viable.

Solution

Sustainably sourced Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) offers a flexible interim solution until electric and hydrogen solutions mature and the total cost of ownership becomes comparable with diesel options. HVO can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 90 per cent compared to diesel. It’s diesel like qualities and storage stability mean HVO can be used as a drop-in fuel to replace diesel without any engine modifications. EN15940 standard HVO is approved by a large number of OEMs and engine manufacturers and is already in use in many industries. At present HVO comes at a 10-15 per cent price premium compared to diesel.

In July 2024, Raisby Quarry started a three-month trial of HVO. As HVO can be mixed with the existing fuel in the tank at any ratio the diesel stock was run down, but not completely empty before the first HVO delivery was received.

During the trial HVO was used in:

• 16x mobile plant
• 8x processing equipment 
• 3x water pumps

Impact

• No reported changes in power or performance of the machines. Only notable difference is the mobile kit is potentially completing more engine re-gens. This is not recorded on the telematics so this will need to be confirmed by CAT. 
• During the trial period HVO has cost an average 20ppl more than diesel. Resulting in the total additional cost of £43,000 compared to diesel.
• Improved fuel efficiency between 11 per cent and 35 per cent in three out of eight CAT machines. The other five CAT machines show a decrease between 2 per cent and 28 per cent. The machines are alternated across activities so the workload may not be consistent between the time periods being compared.
• The monthly average diesel usage based on 18 months prior to the trial was 78,100 litres while the monthly average for HVO during the trial was 71,100 litres. This supports that HVO has a similar energy content to diesel and we are unlikely to need significant additional volumes of HVO compared to diesel.