As fleet operators develop long-term plans to adopt electric vehicles, many are also turning to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to reduce emissions from their existing diesel fleets and meet short- and medium-term decarbonisation targets.
HVO is an advanced, renewable diesel fuel produced from waste fats and oils. It can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared with conventional fossil diesel, offering an immediate route to lower carbon operations. Crucially for operators, HVO is a drop-in replacement that can be used in the latest Euro-6 trucks without any engine modifications.
One business adopting the fuel is LKQ UK and Ireland, which is transitioning its HGVs to run on HVO as part of a wider investment in the sustainability of its 3,000-strong delivery fleet. The switch is predicted to save more than four million kilogrammes of CO₂e per year, making a significant contribution towards the company’s goal of achieving net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050.
The HGVs form part of the LKQ Euro Car Parts logistics operation, which completes around 55,000 deliveries each day. Vehicles transport a stock range of more than 136,000 parts from hubs in Tamworth to a network of 280 branches nationwide.
Alongside HVO, LKQ UK and Ireland is pursuing a multi-technology approach to decarbonisation. During 2024, the company added 30 compressed natural gas Scania tractor units to its fleet and is also in the process of acquiring a batch of battery electric vans.
Stewart Giles, director of group logistics at LKQ UK and Ireland, said: “The sheer mileage that our HGVs cover makes them the ideal candidate for introducing biofuel to, because of the significant carbon savings that we’re able to achieve immediately.
“Introducing biofuel works in tandem with other schemes to reduce our fleet’s emissions, enabling us to make headway towards our goal to operate sustainably at all levels of business.”
Waste management specialist Axil has also switched its entire HGV fleet to HVO. The fuel is sustainably sourced from waste-derived raw materials, contains no virgin palm oil or Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), and is fully fossil-free. It complies with EN 15940 fuel standards and is ISCC-certified for sustainability and traceability.
In addition to carbon savings, the HVO used by Axil offers lower nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions, delivering air quality benefits. The move supports the company’s 2030 carbon reduction roadmap and represents a key milestone in its wider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.
The transition is also helping customers across manufacturing, food production, logistics and pharmaceutical sectors – including Beko Europe, CBRE, BMW Group and Lush – to improve supply chain sustainability.
Image: SMMT
Gina Rudkin, head of sustainability and zero waste at Axil, said: “This isn’t just a fuel switch – it’s a strategic investment in cleaner, smarter logistics.
“By adopting HVO across our HGV fleet, we’re cutting Scope 1 emissions significantly and helping our clients reach their Scope 3 reduction goals too.
“It’s a win for the environment and a win for future-focused waste management.”
Local authorities are also adopting HVO. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has begun running its fleet of 28 waste collection vehicles on biofuel instead of diesel. The switch is expected to reduce the carbon emissions of each 26-tonne refuse truck by at least 76% and cut the council’s total operational carbon emissions by around a quarter.
This equates to approximately 500 tonnes of carbon saved each year, according to the council. Importantly, HVO is compatible with the authority’s existing waste collection vehicles, with no conversion costs required.
The council continues to trial electric refuse collection vehicles and is currently assessing options for a viable electric garden waste collection vehicle.
Cllr Hannah Avery. Image: SMMT
Cllr Hannah Avery, executive member for neighbourhood services at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, said: “Running our existing refuse vehicles on HVO fuel will cut our operational carbon emissions by at least a quarter.
“This allows us to take significant steps towards meeting our net zero target by 2030, while we continue the longer-term work towards replacing the waste collection fleet with electric or other low carbon alternatives.”
In the ports sector, DP World has launched a Low Carbon Truck Programme (LCTP) at its London Gateway and Southampton hubs, giving HGV operators access to HVO fuel. With more than 4,000 truck visits per day across its two UK ports, the company aims to support at least 500 trucks in transitioning to the alternative fuel.
Delivered in partnership with Certas Energy and New Era Fuels, the programme allows hauliers to access HVO at the same cost as diesel, helping remove financial barriers to adoption. The trial will run into 2027 and is aimed at operators regularly serving DP World’s UK ports with fully laden import or export containers.
Under the scheme, every truck visiting a DP World UK port with a loaded container more than 90 times over a three-month period will qualify for up to 5,000 litres of HVO per vehicle, per port. The fuel can be supplied either via bulk delivery to operators’ yards or through fuel cards at UK refuelling stations.
The Low Carbon Truck Programme is funded through an Energy Transition Contribution levied on all import laden containers transiting DP World’s UK port facilities.
John Trenchard, vice president for sustainable international supply chains at DP World, said: “Cargo owners and freight forwarders can significantly reduce their supply chain scope 3 emissions if they use trucking companies that participate in the programme.
“This is an innovative first for the container sector and we estimate that more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide could be reduced each year if all our trucking partners register.
“Our hope is to encourage early adoption as a transitional step towards the eventual goal of electrification.”
For operators running diesel trucks while preparing for electric HGVs – or where electrification or hydrogen is not yet viable – HVO offers a practical and immediate solution. Its growing adoption across logistics, local government and ports highlights its role as a valuable transitional fuel on the industry’s journey towards net zero.
