Regenerative infrastructure provider ACCIONA is working with the Australian Construction Association to champion Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a renewable alternative to diesel and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
ACCIONA has been globally carbon-neutral since 2016, and is uniquely positioned to road-test this renewable diesel fuel in the construction industry to demonstrate its effectiveness using real-world heavy machinery.
“HVO provides a remarkably sustainable alternative to traditional diesel fuel with no modifications and no adverse effects to machine output,” said General Manager Plant & Equipment at ACCIONA, Hamish MacCormick.
“Our leadership in sustainable practices drives us to investigate carbon-reducing solutions like this.
“We hope our use of HVO will encourage further demand for HVO and eventually bring the costs down through increased supply and demand.”
According to the National Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reporting Scheme, HVO is considered to reduce over 99 percent of Scope 1 emissions (tailpipe emissions) compared to traditional diesel.
A total of 46,000 litres of the fuel, produced through the hydro-processing of vegetable oils and fats, was purchased through the ACCIONA decarbonisation fund and tested in earthmoving equipment at the MacIntyre Wind farm in Queensland.
By being one of the first to adopt the low-emission solution and introduce it into projects, ACCIONA is focused on leading the wider adoption of HVO to help kick-start a domestic industry.
Increased take-up in Australia will spur local HVO production and eventually provide a significant carbon-reducing option for heavy vehicle operators in Australia, ACCIONA says, and the firm is currently investigating further use cases for the renewable fuel across its Australian projects.
