Excellent results from biofuel trial involving Neste Oil, Helsinki Region Transport, and Proventia: significantly reduced local emissions
Neste Oil Corporation
Press release
10 February 2011 at 11 am (EET)
Excellent results from biofuel trial involving Neste Oil, Helsinki Region Transport, and Proventia: significantly reduced local emissions
A three-year biofuel trial organized by Neste Oil, Helsinki Region Transport (HSL), and Proventia has recently been completed, and the results have confirmed that Neste Oil's NExBTL renewable diesel can significantly reduce local emissions that have a direct impact on urban air quality. Data collected by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland show that particulate emissions were reduced by 30% and NOx emissions by 10%. No problems were encountered with vehicles' tailpipe emissions control systems. VTT estimates that, if all the buses in Greater Helsinki were to use 100% NExBTL renewable diesel, the reduction in traffic-related particulate emissions would be the equivalent of taking a third of the buses in the region off the road.
"The results of the trial show that NExBTL renewable diesel is a good solution for reducing public transport local emissions," says Sakari Toivola, Neste Oil's Executive Vice President, Oil Retail. "Bus fleets do not have to be replaced or upgraded to use the fuel, which is a major financial plus. The fuel also works very well in older buses and performs excellently even in challenging winter conditions."
NExBTL renewable diesel produced from currently available raw materials offers a more than 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil diesel. NExBTL is currently produced from vegetable oil, such as palm oil and rapeseed oil, and waste fat from food manufacturers. In the future, the raw material base is set to be broader, as extensive R&D work is currently under way to develop new raw material sources.
50 million kilometers covered in the world's largest biofuel trial
The trial in Greater Helsinki was the world's largest renewable fuel field trial to date. The partners involved were Helsinki Region Transport, Neste Oil, Proventia, an expert in emission control technologies, VTT, which was responsible for measurement work, and local bus companies. The project was part of the BioRefine research project coordinated by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. Around 300 vehicles, or over 20% of HSL's buses, took part in the trial, driving more than 50 million kilometers in all.
During the initial phase of the trial, buses used a blend of 30% NExBTL renewable diesel and 70% standard diesel fuel. From 2008 onwards, some ran on 100% NExBTL. Those running solely on NExBTL renewable diesel achieved the largest reductions in emissions. In addition to lower particulate and NOx emissions, using NExBTL also results in lower emissions of aromatic PAH hydrocarbons.
Use of NExBTL renewable diesel by buses will continue
Use of Neste Oil's NExBTL renewable diesel will continue in buses in Greater Helsinki after the conclusion of the Optibio trial. Following the outcome of competitive tenders for routes in Espoo and Vantaa announced on 14 December 2010, the 2011 fall timetable will see 19 buses running on NExBTL. This was the first time that CO2 emissions were used as one of the criteria in HSL's competitive tender process, joining other emissions that have been used previously.
Neste Oil Corporation
Hanna Maula
Director, Corporate Communications
Further information: Simo Honkanen, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and HSSE, tel. +358 10 458 4170
Neste Oil in brief
Neste Oil Corporation is a refining and marketing company concentrating on low-emission, high-quality traffic fuels. The company produces a comprehensive range of major petroleum products and is the world's leading supplier of renewable diesel. The company had net sales of EUR 11.9 billion in 2010 and employs around 5,000 people. Neste Oil's share is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.
Neste Oil has been selected into the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and is also featured in the Ethibel Pioneer Investment Register. The company is included in The Global 100 list of the world's most sustainable corporations. Forest Footprint Disclosure (FFD) has ranked Neste Oil as the best performer in the oil & gas sector. Further information: www.nesteoil.com.