Temporary utilities equipment supplier Aggreko believes rising gas prices area factor, along with decarbonisation, in a surge in customers switching to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to power their installations.
The company said HVO use had grown rapidly from constituting a negligible part of its supplied fuel volume in 2020, to 18% of the total by Q3 2021. Aggreko said it had increased investment in the fuel, which can be used as a ‘drop-in’ to replace fossil fuel.

“While issues around fluctuating gas prices have dominated the headlines in recent weeks, it is not the only pressing concern industry faces,” says Chris Rason, Managing Director at Aggreko Northern Europe. “The need to decarbonise in line with net zero targets will continue to be a priority, as shown by the latest National Energy report highlighting further gas supply issues”.
He added, “Though many stakeholders may have previously been understandably reticent about the use of these green fuels due to concerns around practicality and performance, technological developments have removed these barriers”, as HVO is distributed, handled and stored in the same way as traditional fuel, and can be stored longer without risk of contamination or spoiling due to cold.

The company claims studies and field trials have shown that using HVO can eliminate up to 90% of net carbon dioxide, while also reducing fine particulate emissions by up to 33%. It also lowers Acarbon monoxide emissions by 24%, nitrogen oxide by 9% and produces lower levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Aggreko says its viability as a fuel has enabled it to commit to cut the amount of diesel used in its fleet by at least 50% by 2030, ahead of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.