If you are not clear on what “HVO” is…there’s no wonder why really… This article will provide you with clarity on what HVO actually is.
If you are not clear on what “HVO” is…there’s no wonder why really… The common acronym "HVO" stands for "Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil" or "Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil".
This name originates from the last decade when “HVO” was made from vegetable oils.
Today HVO is produced from waste, animal fats and tall oil (a by product from the paper and pulp industry), as well as vegetable oil.
So, the names "HVO" and "Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil" are no longer really accurate terms to describe the origin of the fuel. However, the names have “stuck” because they were written into European regulation, fuel standards, and original engine manufacturer (OEM) approvals.
The hydrotreatment process is a complex refinery process where, hydrogen is used to remove oxygen from the triglyceride vegetable oil molecules and split the triglyceride into three separate chains, thus creating hydrocarbons which are very similar to crude-oil derived Diesel molecules.
At a molecular-level, HVO is very similar to crude-oil derived Diesel. As such, it can be used as a drop-in replacement to crude-oil derived Diesel and it is interchangeable.
HVO is fundamentally different to Biodiesel FAME
It is important to be aware that HVO is fundamentally different to Biodiesel FAME.
What is biodiesel FAME?
FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats that have undergone esterification – the process of changing a vegetable or other cooking oil into an ester, using methanol as the catalyst. FAME contains oxygen, has varying degrees of unsaturation and can absorb water - making it prone to oxidation, absorbing atmospheric moisture, and 'Diesel bug' - microbial attack.
What problems are associated with the use of biodiesel FAME?
Poor cold weather performance (cold-flow waxing and precipitation.)
Line and filter blockages. These result from residual deposits.
Short shelf life - prone to waxing, 'diesel bug' - microbial attack, degradation and contamination.
It is not good-to-go when required
Prema HVO is produced using a complex refinery process that removes oxygen from vegetable oil molecules and splits them into three separate chains, thus creating hydrocarbons very similar to regular diesel – in fact, every molecule has a petroleum structure and there is no ester link.
This creates a very stable fuel with a long shelf life of up to 10 years. HVO provides superior performance in storage and application than either fossil diesel or FAME.
HVO is also renewable, sustainable and provides up to 90% reduction in GHG CO2 Emissions. For this reason, HVO is often referred to as the ‘second generation diesel’.