Asco’s 100-strong fleet to run on vegetable oil-based fuel

Asco’s 100-strong fleet to run on vegetable oil-based fuel

Asco is switching its heavy goods vehicle fleet from fossil fuel to vegetable oil-based renewable diesel from this month.

The change is part of the global logistics and materials management company’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions – it aims to be net-zero by 2040.

Aberdeen-based Asco said its switch to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) – a form of renewable diesel that’s been synthesised from renewable and sustainably sourced fats and oils – would reduce direct carbon emissions from its business by more than 3,040 tonnes.

This equates to a 46% cut in the UK and a 20% reduction across Asco’s global operations against its 2019 baseline.

Asco said the 3,040 tonnes of CO2 saved was equivalent to the amount absorbed by 150,586 trees in one year or the volume produced by heating 453 homes in a year.

HVO is a biofuel made from industrial waste and non-food crops.

It can be used as a drop-in replacement for diesel in the transition to low-carbon fuel alternatives.

Asco’s fleet of around 100 vehicles will be using a 100% biofuel that is produced from non-food crops, ensuring the biomass is not in direct competition with food growth.

Having completed a successful field trial using HVO in July 2021, the project has received