Volvo Group Australia announces first fill-up with HVO
New Volvo and Mack trucks will now receive an initial fill of Hydro Treated Vegetable Oil fuel at VGA’s Wacol factoryAs part of Volvo Group Australia’s broad push towards sustainable transport, the firm has announced that new Volvo and Mack trucks will receive their first fill-up with Hydro Treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of traditional diesel fuel.
“The recent recognition of HVO100 as a fuel on the Australian market has allowed us to speed up our adoption of this renewable fuel as a part of our manufacturing process,” says Martin Merrick, President and CEO of Volvo Group Australia.
“While HVO is not strictly a zero-emissions fuel, it is a fossil-free alternative that reduces well-to-wheel emissions by up to 90 per cent, which makes a significant step forward in reducing our environmental impact.
“We will continue to take steps to cut our emissions and meet our decarbonisation targets by thinking globally whilst acting locally.”
What is HVO?
A renewable and sustainable synthetic fuel produced from vetted waste vegetable oils and animal fats, Volvo says HVO100 has a low carbon footprint and zero sulfur, and it can be safely used in any Volvo Group engine without requiring any modification.
The company also says it can either replace diesel or be blended with diesel, with zero impact on service intervals or engine components.
Volvo Group Australia has signed a 12-month agreement with Ampol to supply the HVO100 fuel to its fleet of trucks produced at VGA’s Wacol production facility in Queensland. The move comes after the program first commenced in Volvo Group’s Tuve facility in Sweden in 2022.
All the trucks on the VGA stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show were branded with HVO decals on their fuel tanks
Multi-pronged approach
“Incorporating HVO100 into our manufacturing process is just one part of our multi-pronged approach to decarbonisation,” says Mr Merrick.
“We’ve been very clear that the future of fossil-free transport here in Australia will still utilise the internal combustion engine, however the fuel that the engine consumes will no doubt continue to evolve as we move to a fossil-free future.”
Globally, Volvo Group is targeting net-zero value chain emissions by 2040 to allow it to meet net-zero targets by 2050.
While electric trucks are a significant part of Volvo's push towards sustainable transport, so too are innovative fuels like HVO
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