Slough, UK: There is an alternative to fossil diesel, says Sam Gray, sales training and product development manager, Toyota Material Handling UK.
And it is said to cut the net CO2 emissions of internal combustion-engine-powered forklifts by as much as 90%.
Hydrotreated vegetable oil is the latest fuel to come on to the market. It goes some way to tackling the root causes of climate change, and meets the needs of companies of all sizes that demand the most sustainable energy solutions for their forklift fleets.
Hydrotreated vegetable oil is not to be confused with bio-diesel, and is said to allow internal combustion engine forklift truck users to cut net CO2 emissions by as much as 90%, reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx), and cut both particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions.
Many experts consider that hydrotreated vegetable oil has a vital role to play in helping the UK achieve its 2050 net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions, Gray says.
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 and its use is endorsed by many original engine manufacturers.
Hydrotreated vegetable oil 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 hydrotreated vegetable oil is not biodiesel: it is fundamentally different and, as such, does not 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 hydrotreated vegetable oil’s green credentials, only 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.
Already used to power a range of modern vehicles as well as construction machinery and industrial power systems, hydrotreated vegetable oil 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. And reduced particulate production during the combustion process reduces the ageing of engine oils and improves local air quality.
One of the biggest advantages of hydrotreated vegetable oil is the fact that truck users do not need to modify their diesel-powered forklifts to use it. For example, nearly all Toyota industrial internal combustion engines will run perfectly with hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel and, importantly, no changes are required to the daily running or servicing regimes of Toyota diesel engines if the switch to hydrotreated vegetable oil is made.
A further plus-point is the fact that, because hydrotreated vegetable oil is totally 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,” Gray, says.
“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 forklift 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,” he says.
