Meanwhile, Volvo Buses has approved HVO for its Euro 6 engines in city and intercity buses – both 5-litre and 8-litre Euro 6 variants – as well as for all buses with Euro 5 engines, with no reduction in service interval.
In extensive field testing, says Volvo, the HVO fuel delivered the same performance as regular diesel but with reduced CO2 emissions of 30—90%. It also coped with storage and low temperatures in the same way as regular diesel.
In 2013, Volvo Trucks started a field trial with Renova, DHL Freight and OKQ8 – with six Euro 5 test trucks subsequently covering one million kilometres in commercial service over the two-year period.
"The field test showed that the HVO works very well in our engines and can be used under the same conditions as regular diesel," says Tobias Bergman, product manager for alternative fuels and hybrids at Volvo Trucks.
"It is also possible to freely mix diesel and HVO," he adds.
In September 2015, there will be a global type-approval for HVO in Volvo FL and FE Euro 6 engines and, in parallel, work is also underway to certify FM, FMX, FH and FH16 engine variants.
"The fuel is suitable for all customers who want to reduce their CO2 emissions and we see no restrictions regarding the type of transport or business," continues Bergman.
"Combining HVO with the low emissions of our Euro 6 engines will allow the environmental impacts of diesel trucks to be minimised," he adds.
HVO is a synthetic diesel produced from renewable raw materials such as vegetable and animal fats, or from rapeseed oil or abattoir waste.
The fuel can be distributed via existing diesel depots and uses the same types of tanks and pumps as regular diesel.
CO2 emissions are reduced by 30—90% well-to-wheel, depending on the raw material.