HVO fuel

[matthewdickie]

Hi,

Looking for some advice. Being asked by a supplier to start using HVO fuel in my on field machinery to lower my carbon footprint on farm.

Will it ruin my tractor engine? The supplying company say it is a straight drop in replacement for Diesel but I am not sure about seals etc.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Is it more expensive...

 

[Dave W]

Was a thread on here last week. Supposed to be a better purer diesel but dearer.
Can't see it's worth the extra money but happy to have my mind changed

 

[Frankzy]

HVO is pretty much exactly the same as fossil diesel except that it has literally zero impurities since it is chemically produced out of natural fatty oils, such as vegetable oil and Tall oil, rather than just separated crude oil.

Volvo has spent several years testing HVO in their trucks under all kinds of conditions and found no negative effects of using it in a completely standard euro 5 / 6 diesel engine, rather they found a couple small positives such as a near zero sulphur content leading to lower SOx emission and build-up in engine components, about 10% less emission of NOx, and roughly 20% better lubricity which should in theory be good for the engine. (Though I'm not sure if unsatisfactory fuel lubrication is the cause of any significant amount of breakdowns in modern engines...)

Since it is 100% pure diesel it will store just as long as the old kind of diesel where you didn't have to worry about algae...
It does cost roughly 10% more.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

Hi,

Looking for some advice. Being asked by a supplier to start using HVO fuel in my on field machinery to lower my carbon footprint on farm.

Will it ruin my tractor engine? The supplying company say it is a straight drop in replacement for Diesel but I am not sure about seals etc.

Have a look at gtl (gas to liquid) made by Shell. We haven’t blocked any filters since switching from gas oil.

 

[Baker9]

Is your supplier going to pay you more for your produce or are they expecting you to jump through more hoops just because they feel like telling you to and they can tick a few more boxes that does not cost them any money.

 

[ollie989898]

Have a look at gtl (gas to liquid) made by Shell. We haven’t blocked any filters since switching from gas oil.

GTL is supposed to be a whole lot cleaner and make diesel engines easier to start/quieter in operation? Is it more costly than regular diesel?

 

[ollie989898]

Is your supplier going to pay you more for your produce or are they expecting you to jump through more hoops just because they feel like telling you to and they can tick a few more boxes that does not cost them any money.

There are some situations where you need to use HVO and bio oils and greases for reasons of pollution risk etc. It would drop the OP's carbon emissions substantially as well.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

GTL is supposed to be a whole lot cleaner and make diesel engines easier to start/quieter in operation? Is it more costly than regular diesel?

Yes GTL is a few pennies dearer per litre but I believe it’s worth it.

 

[Frankzy]

I'd ask if they would be prepared to cover the extra 10% in cost.

Oh wait it's your fuel supplier asking? I first read it as a customer wanting you to switch...

Well my previous post still stands, the supplier is correct in that it is a straight drop-in replacement that brings no downsides and a couple small advantages but with a slightly higher price.