6 Renewable Fuels as an Alternative to Fossil Fuels

6 renewable fuels as an alternative to fossil fuels

Many people who run on fossil diesel today are thinking about the renewable fuels available on the market. Here is a review of what you can choose with plus and minus for the fuels included in the discussion:

The future of all vehicle traffic is often described as “electric driving”, both for passenger cars and for professional traffic. This is where political decisions are taken, where there is interest in the media. But you are driven by the desire to change to fossil-free NOW and contribute to a better planet directly, yes there are alternatives.

Vehicle

It can be manufactured from bio-waste such as food waste and sludge from wastewater treatment plants. Then it is CO2 neutral and is called biogas.
It can also come from fossil sources and then it is called natural gas. Natural gas gives almost the same emissions as fossil diesel. To be able to drive on vehicle gas requires investing in new vehicles that are intended for gas.

Ethanol

Ethanol is considered a renewable fuel after it is made from biomass, wheat and sugar cane and therefore does not contribute to increasing the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

The engines should be ethanol-adapted. Ethanol has a lower energy content than fossil diesel and therefore more fuel is counted in liters. Ethanol is available at many gas stations.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a new form of fuel and the first commercial vehicles will soon be in production. Hydrogen is an energy carrier used to store and supply energy – you “pack” electricity into hydrogen and then avoid large batteries. If the electricity entering the hydrogen gas is renewable, the hydrogen gas will also be renewable and fossil-free.

RME

RME is a renewable fuel made from rapeseed, biomethanol and alcohol. The advantage is that you can refuel RME like a regular diesel, and the challenges are mainly two: firstly you cannot be sure that it is reliable when it is colder than minus 20-25 degrees depending on quality, and partly some users have problems with algae bloom in the tank and increased need for service.

Electric power

More and more of the passenger cars sold are electric. But the development of smarter batteries that provide longer reach is ongoing and moving forward, electric-powered vehicles will be a strong alternative when vehicle fleets are to be renewed.

HVO

HVO stands for Hydrated Vegetable Oil, and is a copy of fossil diesel. It is made entirely from renewable raw materials such as vegetable oils and waste from the food industry.
You can refuel HVO in all diesel-powered vehicles without changing the engine, and thus become fossil-free directly, from one refueling to the next. HVO works just like fossil diesel.
There has been a discussion that Neste MY is made from palm oil and the residual product PFAD – but no palm oil is found in the Neste MY sold here, and the PFAD contained in the fuel comes exclusively from certified plantations, which does not entail deforestation.