Crane companies switch to hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO)

The Construction Index reports that Crane hire companies Cadman Cranes and GGR are switching from red diesel to hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) to power their machines.

Cadman Cranes has vowed to switch 50% of its crane fleet immediately HVO fuel, with plans for 100% adoption by the end of 2021.

GGR’s southern headquarters in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, has an HVO fuel tank already been installed and operational and its northern base in Oldham will follow soon, the company said.

HVO is a fossil-free, paraffinic fuel made from 100% traceable renewable raw materials, such as waste fats, vegetables and oils, that are transformed into biofuel by hydrogeneration. The result is generally regarded as a cleaner, more sustainable and higher quality diesel fuel that is suitable for all diesel-powered vehicles, construction equipment and industrial powered generators.

GGR is using Green D+ supplied by Green Biofuels (GBF), reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 30%, particulates by up to 85% and greenhouse gases by up to 90%. GGR said that the flexibility of Green D+ means that it can be mixed in any quantity with other diesels, thus providing improved utility and convenience for end users.

Cadman Cranes calculated that it had been producing, on average, 645 tonnes of CO2 a year, with 519 tonnes of this solely from the use of red diesel in its fleet of mobile cranes.

Cadman Cranes managing director Matt Waddingham said: “We are a mobile crane company, and we can’t avoid taking these big vehicles on the road. But we can do it in the most responsible way possible by investing in the huge advances in green technology that exist right now. The introduction of HVO to 50% of our crane fleet will mean an immediate reduction in CO2 of 230-tonnes a year and our planned move to 100% HVO will see our carbon footprint drop by 72% overall. This is on top of greatly improved air quality caused by a substantial reduction in nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. The benefits of a switch to HVO are undeniable and for Cadman Cranes it is a vital first step on our journey to net zero carbon.”