The engines that have been certified to use Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (HVO) are the 5-litre and 8-litre Euro 6 engines *. Volvo Buses also approves HVO as a fuel for all buses with Euro 5 engines, with no reduction in service interval. This means that the majority of newer Volvo buses can now run on renewable fuel with very low environmental impact.
Renewable and resistant to cold and storage
HVO is made from renewable materials such as vegetable and animal oils, from sources such as rapeseed or slaughter waste, and is a direct replacement for regular diesel fuel. It reduces carbon emissions by between 30 and 90 per cent compared to regular diesel, depending on the raw material. Otherwise, HVO has the same properties as regular diesel, such as storage life and cold-resistance, and the two fuels can be mixed. HVO can be distributed by existing fuel depots using the same types of tanks and nozzles.
*Volvo Buses’ 5-litre and 8-litre Euro 6 engines are certified to the paraffinic fuels CEN TS 15940 standard, which in addition to HVO also covers tall oil diesel and gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuels.