A partnership between Neste and Valtra supports farmers’ sustainability goals globally

Food production generates approximately 25% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Legislation and the increased consumer awareness around sustainability are the transformation drivers across the global food production systems. 

Neste and the Finnish tractor manufacturer Valtra, a global brand of AGCO, are partners whose collaboration on increasing the awareness and availability of Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ and piloting new solutions together helps farmers meet their sustainability goals. 

From collaboration on renewable diesel to agricultural pilot project 

Valtra is the first tractor factory in the world to fill its new tractors with Neste MY Renewable Diesel, a fuel made from 100% renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat from food industry waste. By switching to Neste-produced renewable diesel, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) can be reduced by as much as 75-95%* when compared to fossil diesel over the fuel’s life cycle. Since 2017, Valtra has used 4.5 million liters of Neste MY Renewable Diesel as a factory-fill fuel in Valtra's tractors, thereby preventing approximately 13,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions** from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from the usage of over 4,700 diesel-powered passenger cars.*** 

“We know many farmers are looking for ways to be more sustainable without compromising their bottom line. Valtra supports farmers’ productivity and profitability through easy-to-use smart farming technology, efficient machines and data insights. Neste MY Renewable Diesel offers huge potential for farmers to reduce their carbon footprint. Since 2017, every tractor leaving Valtra’s factory in Suolahti, Finland has been filled with Neste MY Renewable Diesel. During this time, we’ve sent more than 45,000 tractors to over 30 countries. That’s tens of thousands of farmers to whom we have shown their tractors can run on renewable diesel that can help reduce their machinery’s GHG emissions by as much as 75-95%. Also older Valtra tractors can run well on renewable diesel,” says Mikko Lehikoinen, Managing Director, Valtra EME.   

“The climate challenge is enormous, and it's clear that it can only be solved by using all available solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and creating new innovations. In addition to their partnership, Neste and Valtra have recently joined the Finnish Future Farm project, a three-year EU-funded program taking place at the bioeconomy campus in Saarijärvi, Finland. The program enables the use and  development of solutions that minimize greenhouse gas emissions and improve economic profitability of arable farming of grass and grain. I’m excited to see our collaboration developing and involving also new players to create smart and sustainable agriculture," says Mats Hultman, Head of OEM Partnerships, Neste.

_{* The GHG emission reduction varies depending on the region-specific legislation that provides the methodology for the calculations (e.g. EU RED II 2018/2001/EU for Europe and US California LCFS for the US), and the raw material mix used to manufacture the product for each market.}

_{**Calculation method complies with the EU Renewable Energy Directive II (EU) 2018/2001}

_{***Source: VTT Lipasto}