Toyota Material Handling UK’s Sales Training and Product Development Manager, Sam Gray, discusses HVO Fuel - a new alternative to fossil diesel that’s said to cut the net CO2 emissions of ic-engine-powered forklifts by as much as 90 per cent

Cut your CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent with HVO fuel
With the growing drive to tackle the root causes of climate change, companies of all
sizes now demand the most sustainable energy solutions for their forklift fleets. HVO
– the latest fuel to come on to the market – is said to allow IC engine-powered
forklift truck users to cut their net CO2 emissions by as much as 90 per cent,
reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx), and cut both particulate matter (PM) and carbon
monoxide (CO) emissions.
Unsurprisingly, many experts consider that HVO has a vital role to play in helping the
UK achieve its 2050 net zero target for greenhouse gas emissions.
HVO – or, to give it its full name, Hydrotreated vegetable oil – is a low carbon, low
emission, fossil-free, environmentally-friendly and sustainable alternative to
conventional fossil diesel.
Part of the paraffinic family of fuels, it is clean and safe and meets all relevant fuel
standards and EN 15940:2016 specifications.
Endorsed by a wide range of original engine manufacturers, HVO is synthetically
produced using a complex refinery process that removes oxygen from vegetable oil
and waste animal fat molecules and creates hydrocarbons very similar to regular
diesel. But it is important to understand that HVO is not biodiesel: it’s fundamentally
different and, as such, doesn’t suffer from any of the negative issues sometimes
associated with biodiesel.
Impurities are removed from the fuel during the production cycle leaving a
consistent, quality product that significantly reduces harmful emissions from diesel
engines.
To add to HVO’s green credentials, only completely renewable materials are used in
the production process and the crops from which the fuel is made are grown and
harvested without damaging the environment or the natural ecosystem.

Information classification: Internal

Already used to power a wide range of modern vehicles as well as construction
machinery and industrial power systems, HVO is considered an eco-upgrade on
diesel because it is a fuel that not only reduces emissions and burns more cleanly,
but is also safer to handle than mineral diesel. While reduced particulate production
during the combustion process reduces the ageing of engine oils and improves local
air quality.
One of the biggest advantages of HVO is the fact that truck users do not need to
modify their diesel-powered forklifts to use it. For example, nearly all Toyota
industrial IC engines will run perfectly with HVO fuel and, importantly, no changes
are required to the daily running or servicing regimes of Toyota diesel engines if the
switch to HVO is made.
A further plus-point is the fact that, because HVO is 100 per cent interchangeable
with conventional fossil diesel, it can be blended at any ratio. So forklift users can
simply ‘top-up and go’ without any need to drain or clean fuel tanks. This ability to be
interchanged with an absolute minimum of fuss has been recognised and most major
engine manufacturers’ warranties will support an instant switch from diesel to HVO.
Possibly the only down-side is that when it comes to price HVO is slightly more
expensive than traditional diesel. However, with the high-profile of climate change
and environmental concerns always close to the top of the business agenda, many
lift truck truck users believe that the relatively modest extra cost is a price worth
paying to be seen to be doing the right thing for the planet.
Call Toyota on 0370 850 1409 or complete this form and a Toyota expert will be in
touch.