ICS Cool Energy: Is HVO the way to go?

ICS Cool Energy has announced that from 1 April it will introduce the Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fossil-free, diesel fuel as an option for its generator, boiler and heater hire product portfolio.

The biodegradable HVO leads to a 90 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as well as Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and particulate matter pollution (PM) from the burner or engine, with unchanged performance. The HVO biodiesel can be used as a drop-in replacement or mixed with regular diesel, with no requirements for engine or burner modifications or more frequent maintenance intervals.

Although this alternative fuel source has been criticised for being energy intensive, Dave Palmer, General Manager for UK and Ireland at ICS Cool Energy, believes its positives will more than offset its negatives: “[W]e have set ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions from our products and thus help our customers to reduce impact upon the environment and achieve their sustainability targets. By approving and validating the use of HVO in our heating hire solutions we give our customers another option to increase the sustainability of their operations.”

Recently, ASCO’s HGV fleet also made the switch to HVO in an attempt to cut carbon emissions. Its 100 or so vehicles will be using a 100 per cent biofuel that is produced from non-food crops, ensuring the biomass is not in direct competition with food growth. Crane operator Ainscough Crane Hire has done the same.

ICS Cool Energy is the first temperature control solutions provider for the manufacturing industry to continue the trend as it pursues its ambitious eMission Critical initiative to reduce carbon emission by a billion metric tonnes by 2030.