Co-developed by Shell and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) producer Green Biofuels, the new fuel is formulated using 45% HVO Gd+ and Shell GTL fuel, a diesel alternative derived from natural gas, offering a cleaner burn than crude oil-based diesel
Through the initiative, Hoyer has moved part of its Shell-dedicated fleet over to using the fuel. The pilot programme, the first application of the fuel in heavy-duty vehicles for Shell globally, began in May 2022 and will run for six months.
Shell said the fuel offers a partly renewable alternative to conventional diesel and allows fleets to experience potential CO2e emission reductions of more than a third (40%).
After analysing the outcomes, Shell aims to expand the initiative across its UK supply operations and to its commercial road transport customers.
“Balancing demand and the need for more sustainable operations is a key challenge for businesses across the industry,” said Steve Brown, Distribution Operations Manager for UK at Shell.
“With this pilot programme, we hope to demonstrate that switching to lower-carbon fuel alternatives doesn’t need to be a complex process and drop-in solutions are an effective way for fleets to progress their environmental goals.
“With Gd45 powered by Shell GTL Fuel, we see a future fuel that can drive down emissions across the sector. We are pleased to be working closely with our partner Hoyer in the UK to lead the way in commercial road transport decarbonisation by not only offering innovative solutions for our customers, but also by using them to decrease our own carbon footprint,” Brown added.
Allan Davison at Hoyer said: “Our pilot with Shell is already yielding positive results and we are proud to be leading the way in this area. The drop-in nature of Gd45 makes it an especially attractive option for emissions reduction, helping fleets to decarbonise without having to carry out an expensive conversion process.
“We look forward to expanding our efforts to improve our environmental impact through initiatives like this and establishing new routes forward for the UK commercial road transport industry.”