Volvo Group Australia (VGA) has announced that from December this year all Volvo and Mack trucks built at its Wacol factory in Queensland will be filled with Hydro Treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of 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,” said Volvo Group Australia President and CEO, Martin Merrick.
“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 percent, 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.”
Volvo Trucks first adopted the HVO first fill program at its Tuve, Sweden factory in 2022, however, this Australian announcement represents the first time a multi-branded Volvo Group manufacturing facility has implemented the approach to fossil-free fuel use.
HVO100 is a renewable and sustainable synthetic fuel made from vetted waste vegetable oils and animal fats. It has a low carbon footprint, zero sulfur, and can be used in Volvo Group engines without any modifications. It can also be used as a standalone fuel or blended with diesel, without impacting service intervals or engine components.
VGA recently signed a 12-month agreement with Ampol to supply HVO100 to its fleet of trucks built at the Wacol QLD factory.
“Incorporating HVO100 into our manufacturing process is just one part of our multi-pronged approach to decarbonisation,” said 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.”
