The Department for Transport has launched an investigation into the environmental credentials of a fuel dubbed “green diesel”, a renewable diesel increasingly adopted by UK fleets. [emphasis, links added]
According to a new report from Transport & Environment (T&E), HVO [Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil] has seen dramatic growth in popularity among businesses aiming to reduce transport emissions.
Government data reveals its use in the UK has surged from just eight million liters in 2019 to approximately 699 million liters in 2024.
Producers of this drop-in biofuel claim it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90 percent due to its production from waste materials such as used cooking oil.
However, serious questions have emerged about whether the fuel delivers on its environmental promises following a new study by T&E, which has uncovered alarming discrepancies in the supply chain of HVO fuel.
The research found that almost twice as much palm oil mill effluent (POME) is being used in European biofuels than is globally available.
The green credentials of HVO rely heavily on its being produced from waste sources, particularly used cooking oil…
Official figures show more than two million tonnes of POME oil were consumed in European biofuels in 2023. This significantly exceeds the estimated one million tonnes available worldwide.
The green credentials of HVO rely heavily on its being produced from waste sources, particularly used cooking oil or POME.
Industry whistleblowers believe large amounts of these materials are not waste but virgin palm oil being fraudulently relabelled.
This suspicion comes as conventional palm oil use in biofuels has fallen 80 percent since 2019, following the EU’s decision to phase out palm oil biofuels from renewable targets by 2030.
Meanwhile, waste-based alternatives like POME have taken their place, now comprising 40 percent of EU biofuels.
T&E warns that palm oil may simply be entering Europe under a different name.
Cian Delaney, biofuels campaigner at T&E, commented on the report, saying: “It appears a lot of POME could be just palm oil in disguise.
“This raises serious concerns as to whether this renewable diesel or HVO is as green as oil majors say it is.”
Top photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
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