ADVICE & OPINION
FUTURE FUELS
FMJ AIMS TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN THE FM MARKET
Simon Lawford, Technical Manager at Crown Oil explains how paraffi nic fuels are leading
the way in terms of providing an immediate and reliable solution to tackling air pollution
Fuel is a global requirement
for economic growth and is
the cornerstone of developing
communities and facilitating the
construction of the built environment.
But as the world’s population
continues to rise and we continue to
use more energy, we face a di icult
challenge: to reduce emissions whilst
enabling society to grow.
UNTANGLING THE RED TAPE
The building sector is responsible for
over 70 per cent of the world’s energy
consumption and has seen around a one
per cent increase in building-related CO
emissions every year for the last decade.
Therefore, the transition towards a lowcarbon
built environment must consider
both new and existing buildings.
While the government’s well publicised
2050 net-zero emissions target has
laid out the UK’s green ambitions,
there has been little insight into the
minutiae needed to implement energye
icient and low-carbon solutions for
infrastructure systems and society.
Workable long-term solutions for the
industry and consumers have yet to
materialise, which means air quality
and climate change are not e ectively
tackled.
16 MARCH 2020
Current policies include reducing
emissions from both new and existing
buildings, increasing the use of zero or
low carbon fuels and reducing vehicle
emissions to zero, with a proposed ban
of fossil-fuelled vehicle sales by 2035.
Although the decarbonisation of
electricity is developing and electric
vehicles (EVs) o er a reduction in
emissions, there are some issues that
complicate matters.
Firstly, the government’s aim is to
tackle emissions at the point of use;
however, the entire lifespan of a vehicle
produces greenhouse gases, from the
production to the eventual disposal.
Secondly, the infrastructure needed to
build charging points and lay cables to
power EVs will undoubtedly be fuelled by
fossil fuels.
And finally, there are an estimated
308.3 million passenger vehicles in use
across Europe, with an average lifespan
of 12 years, and 99 per cent of these are
diesel/petrol.
Given the urgency of the climate crisis,
there simply isn’t enough time to wait for
an increase in EVs to make a significant
reduction in emissions. The adoption of
electric vehicles is not the sole answer;
and renewable, para inic fuels o er a
much easier and immediate solution.
THE DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABLE,
LOW CARBON FUELS HAS NEVER
BEEN MORE ACUTE
The built environment accounts
for around 40 per cent of the UK’s
energy consumption and as much as
half of that is used in buildings and
infrastructure that is separate to its
functional operation. As deadlines
approach, the industry is under
increasing pressure to reduce its
environmental impact and cut fuel
costs.
The need for clean, a ordable and
secure energy, coupled with the
specialist knowledge needed to deliver
innovation are a national precedence.
These are highlighted as requirements
in The Business Industrial Strategy and
Clean Air Strategy.
Historically, a drop-in fuel that
matched the performance attributes
of fossil fuels with green credentials
did not exist. However, innovations
in modern chemistry have led to the
creation of low-emission alternatives
derived from renewable and
sustainable sources which contain no
oxygen or impurities.
PARAFFINIC FUELS ARE PAVING THE
WAY FOR A CLEANER FUTURE
Renewable, para inic fuels o er a more
accessible and immediate solution for
the built environment to significantly
reduce its carbon footprint. They
have been designed to combat
the operational and performance
inadequacies of conventional fuels and
earlier generation biofuels.
HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) is
part of the para inic family of fuels,
characterised by having low aromatic
and naphthenic hydrocarbon content
and zero sulphur, which makes them
extremely pure fuels.
Through hydrotreatment and
isomerisation, the feedstocks are
saturated with hydrogen at high
temperatures and pressures which
removes any esters and oxygen and
enables it to resist ‘diesel bug’ attack.
The crops used bypass damage to the
environment, natural ecosystem and the
drive for global deforestation, and can be
regrown when stock is needed.
The proven benefits of using HVO
are aplenty, including year-round
usability, up to a 90 per cent reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions and direct
drop-in functionality.
CHALLENGES OF ADOPTING CLEANER
FUELS
While low-emission fuels can help
reduce harmful emissions and social
impact, the challenge is scaling the
market and increasing awareness.
Currently within the UK, the benefits of
these drop-in solutions are restricted to a
small, well-informed group. The general
lack of awareness hinders their ability to
tackle the legislative, reputational and
environmental consequences of relying
on fossil fuels.
HVO is already available at the pump in
Finland, Sweden and several European
countries.
In the UK, the main barrier to its
uptake is cost; the tax rebate on diesel
fuels makes them significantly more
appealing to organisations, so investing
in alternative fuels is a commercially
challenging case to argue.
What’s more, alternative fuels have
been previously hard to source in
bulk quantities in the UK. However,
fuel producers are already working to
address these hindrances, by improving
the supply chain and boosting HVO
production to enable greener fuel
adoption.
AN IMMEDIATE AND RELIABLE
SOLUTION TO AIR POLLUTION
Despite evidential obstacles, para inic
fuels provide vast scope for an
immediate and tangible e ect on
tackling air pollution. With 11,900 large
UK corporations legally required to
report their emissions and a proposed
ban of petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the
government needs to further encourage
innovation in alternative fuels.
While there is no silver bullet when it
comes to air quality, the available shortterm
wins in the form of low-emission
fuels are paving the way to a greener and
cleaner future for many industries. With a
strong infrastructure and a supply chain
that is already developed, para inic fuels
can play a crucial part in tackling air
pollution on a significant scale.
FAST FACTS