FAQs

What makes GREEN D+ biofuel a good alternative to standard diesel?

GREEN D+ HVO is a drop-in fuel, requiring no modification whatsoever to engines, just fill up and go. It also offers the lowest emissions for a diesel replacement fuel saving up to 29% NOx and 85% of particulates over standard diesel. For users of off road or Red Diesel it lasts longer in the tank and provides better fuel stability.

How does the efficiency of GREEN D+ biofuel compare to regular diesel?

Long term operation shows that the fuel consumption of GREEN D+ HVO matched that of regular diesel, find out more HERE

Where does GREEN D+ fuel come from?

The HVO in GREEN D+ fuel is manufactured in a number of refineries around the world. The fuel is entirely made from waste materials such as used cooking oils, tallows and other waste oil. The fuel does not include any virgin crops.

Will GREEN D+ biofuel damage engines?

No, all major engine manufacturers support the use of our fuels. GREEN D+ HVO leaves no carbon deposits and in fact has a cleaning effect on engines. You can find out more about our fuel's specification HERE

Does the use of GREEN D+ affect engine warranties?

No, using our fuel does not affect warranties. GREEN D+ is an EN15940 fuel which is recognised by almost all major engine manufacturers.

How does GBF’s infrastructure operate?

Our Advanced Fuels are delivered to customers across the UK from our storage facilities in the North West and South East of the UK.

Does the price of the fuel vary or are customers able to obtain a long-term fixed price contract?

Customers can obtain a long-term fixed price contract when they sign up for a year or more.

Is GREEN D+ more expensive than regular diesel?

GREEN D+ HVO is more fuel efficient, so it can be argued that you get better value for money than regular diesel. The expectation is that you will have to use around 10% more fuel (due to the density difference between diesel and GREEN D+). In fact, numerous studies reveal that the volumetric fuel consumption may increase by 3 to 5%. Sometimes no increase at all is seen. Make no mistake, you are burning less fuel (i.e. mass of hydrocarbon) to achieve the same results with GREEN D+ HVO than you would with diesel – hence the generation of lower CO2 emissions in fixed cycle chassis dynamometer testing. The amount of CO2 generated to perform a fix duty cycle is lower (relative to diesel) and 90% of the CO2 generated is from a sustainable source and not a fossil fuel.

Cutting emission and pollutants by up to 90% is a big claim, what’s that measured against?

Full test data is available on request (info@gbf.ltd) and all statements are factual from recognised test procedures.

To get into the details however, we’ll break this down into regulated emissions (NOx, CO, HC, PM) and unregulated emissions (chiefly CO2).

GREEN D+ HVO uses the same source material as biodiesel – vegetable oils, fats, used oils. Biodiesel production involves removing part of the molecule (glycerol) and swapping it with methanol (wood alcohol). This produces FAME – fatty acid methyl ester and glycerol -hence the glut in glycerol. FAME is similar to diesel and has been used as a partial substitute for diesel (currently around 7% of diesel). The plans originally were to replace even more diesel with FAME. Biodiesel (FAME)’s greatest credential is that the carbon backbone comes from atmospheric carbon dioxide and not from fossil fuels. Plants are unique in their ability to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide, through photosynthesis, into useful organic molecules, including vegetable oils (meaning oils extracted from seeds of plants - sunflower, palm, rape etc.).

However many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are not too fond of biodiesel (FAME) – why?

The problem with FAME or biodiesel is that it retains the carbon – carbon double bonds – the unsaturated bonds which are found around the middle of the 16-18 long carbon chain. They are prone to reaction with oxygen which causes all sorts of problems, varnish formation, thickening of the lubricant etc.

GREEN D+ is a clever solution to these limitations – the same vegetable raw materials used to make biodiesel are used to make hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The oils are reacted in such a way that no double bonds are left and the molecule is isomerised (rearranged lego-wise to make the structure linear) to make more effective molecules. No glycerol is produced. The molecule resembles the ideal diesel molecule – there’s no sulphur, no aromatics and no double bonds. Unlike biodiesel you can replace 100% of diesel with this fuel. It’s a pure aliphatic hydrocarbon which burns cleanly. All the carbon in the molecule comes from atmospheric CO2.

Hence there’s a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions associated with GREEN D+ HVO, which is the Greenhouse Gas saving. The CO2 is taken from the atmosphere by the vegetable growth process and returned on combustion. In the case of GREEN D+ (Whereas in the case of diesel, it is extracted from fossil fuels and on combustion contributes an augmentation of atmospheric CO2). The remaining 10% is due to the energy expended in growth, harvesting and processing of the material. In addition to the CO2 reductions of around 90% this fuel is formulated to reduce the regulated emissions when compared directly to diesel fuel in diesel engines. The reductions in NOx, PM, CO by HVO based fuels is well documented and accepted. With this in mind, cutting emissions in pollutants by 90% seems a modest claim.

How much GREEN D+ is available?

We estimate the UK addressable market to be approximately 10bn litres and we are targeting 1-2bn litres. The available product for UK market is estimated at up to 4bn litres.

Isn't it better to switch to electric vehicles?

The transition to electric cars is definitely needed and we fully support this shift. Unfortunately, the transition is not happening fast enough and there is an urgent need to reduce air pollution and emissions now. Many companies operate using large fleets of diesel engines which have a significant impact on the environment and human health. Until they are able to switch to electric fleets, which is an expensive and logistically challenging process at this point in time, they are able to use our fuel instead, thereby dramatically reducing air pollution and emissions quickly, easily and affordably. We believe our fuel is crucial in bridging the gap whilst the market awaits the emergence and implementation of new technologies.

Do you use palm oil in GREEN D+?

We do not use any virgin crops in our fuel, it is sourced from 100% waste materials. All the feed stocks used within our GREEN D+ HVO fuel are sustainably and responsibly sourced. In March 2018 the European Union published the Renewable Energy Directive II, helpfully in annex IXb of the directive, it lists the recommended feed stocks based on their sustainability qualification.
There are 15 main feed stocks in our product, one of these can be palm oil mill effluent, which is the waste from palm oil production, we only source this from mills taking raw material from plantations that are older than 2007, and certified within the ISCC and RSPO schemes. The effluent from these commercial processes historically went into landfill, and its inclusion in fuels has significantly improved the local environments around the mills.

What does HVO look like on a global scale?

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is widely available today throughout Europe but has not so far been adopted to the same degree within the UK but this is rapidly changing as testified by the growth in our business. Our GREEN D+ biofuel can help businesses decarbonise. Sweden is one of the pioneers in using HVO in Europe. The fuel accounts for the third largest transportation fuel type in the country. We have made considerable progress in convincing the market that our GREEN D+ biofuel is a viable and trustworthy alternative to dirty diesel. The challenge now is for Government to get behind it. Here is a helpful article for a bit of background on the HVO market (dated 2017): https://www.greenea.com/publication/new-players-join-the-hvo-game/

Aren't biofuels bad because they cause deforestation?

Some biofuels use virgin crops as their source of fuel and have therefore been linked to deforestation, however our fuel GREEN D+ HVO is sourced from 100% used cooking oil and feedstock which would otherwise go to waste and is categorised as preferable by the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive II. No virgin crops are used in our fuel.

Can I purchase your fuel for my car?

Green Biofuels supplies its own brand of biofuel – GREEN D+ – to customers using diesel consuming fleets. This fuel is sold at volume and not on an individual basis. Hopefully one day soon we will be able to supply cars and private vehicles with GREEN D+ HVO.

You can learn more about our markets HERE

Aren't modern diesel engines low emission anyway?

Modern diesel engines are very efficient in turning fuel into power as they are far less polluting today than even 10 years ago. But we need to further reduce emissions by using GREEN D+ HVO, we can do this in a sustainable and renewable way. The combustion engine can be further improved by using our fuels; its not the engine it’s the fuel.

Isn't it faster to reduce pollution with petrol and LPG?

Petrol and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) are not suitable for all applications. The UK has very large fleets of diesel-powered equipment deeply embedded across many sectors. To replace these with new technologies not only has a significant capital expenditure effect but also has a high carbon impact through manufacture of the new vehciles. Using GREEN D+ HVO in existing diesel assets does not create any additional carbon or costs through manufacture of new equipment.

What is in GREEN D+’s additive?

All fuels on the market use additives to aid lubricity, and combustion; some of these may contain metals. Our proprietary additive formulated specifically for our class of fuels is organic; it contains no metals or harmful chemicals. It significantly improves the performance of straight HVO.
The incorporation of fuel additives by the fuel distributor is an opportunity to differentiate their fuel from competitors. All fuels on sale have to comply to European and International standards. This guarantees a minimum performance. Additive can, and does, enhance the handling, storage and performance of the fuel; for example they can ensure greater cleanliness of the fuel system, good ignition quality during combustion and can help mitigate the formation of undesirable emissions.

Very few technologies can reduce both PM and NOx simultaneously. As well as reductions in PM, GREEN D+ significantly reduces NOx. This in part is due to the differences in the chemistry of the base fuel (absence of aromatics) but also because of the incorporation of our additive.

What’s the difference between HVO and GREEN D+?

GREEN D+ is not ‘just’ HVO. GREEN D+ is the 3rd generation of HVO. Green Biofuels adds a proprietary additive formulated specifically for our class of fuel. It significantly improves the performance over straight HVO. GREEN D+ has been shown in independent trials, conducted by the market leading Millbrook testing centre, to reduce particulate matter by 44% over regular HVO. GREEN D+ fully complies with the EN1594 (Paraffinic fuels) standard and ASTM 975 and Japanese one is JIS K 2204

Why is the 44% reduction in particulate matter important?

High levels of particulate matter has an adverse effect on air quality and hence directly on health and especially respiratory conditions. Particulates are measured in two groups; PM10 and PM2.5. The smallest PM2.5’s are widely recognised as those that have the greatest effect on health. PM2.5’ and below are also known as Super Fines these are so small they behave like gases and can pass through the skin and into the blood stream.

A coroner made legal history December 2020 by ruling that air pollution was a cause of the death of a nine-year-old girl. Philip Barlow, the inner south London coroner, said Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death in February 2013 was caused by acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and air pollution exposure. He said she was exposed to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM) pollution in excess of World Health Organization guidelines, the principal source of which were traffic emissions.

The coroner said the failure to reduce pollution levels to legal limits possibly contributed to her death, as did the failure to provide her mother with information about the potential for air pollution to exacerbate asthma.

At the time a government spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with Ella’s family and friends. We are delivering a £3.8bn plan to clean up transport and tackle NO2 pollution, and going further in protecting communities from air pollution, particularly PM2.5 pollution, which we know is particularly harmful to people’s health.”

What’s the difference between regular diesel and GREEN D+ HVO

• Improving local air quality through:
  • NOx reduction of approximately 30%
  • Particulates reduction by 70%
    
• Reducing Green House Gases
  • Reducing CO2e by approx. 90%