Emissions from HVO

Project description

Liquid energy sources are characterized by a high energy density and have the advantage that they can be easily stored and transported. Biofuels have been used in the transport sector since 2005, and in recent years they have also been increasingly used in the space heating sector. Various liquid energy sources are used for this purpose. Hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO) are hydrocarbons that are produced from vegetable or animal oils or fats. HVOs have very similar properties to fossil fuels, especially diesel or heating oil. Since HVOs can be used as a climate-friendly substitute for heating oil, e7 has prepared an expert report on behalf of EWO (Energie.Wärme.Österreich) to determine conversion factors (primary energy and greenhouse gas emissions) for the revision of OIB Guideline 6 in 2025.

Due to the use of palm oil, HVOs have been criticized in the past, but the proportion of palm oil is declining sharply. In the transport sector, HVO fuels based on palm oil may no longer be counted towards national targets as of July 1, 2021. Manufacturing companies require full proof of compliance with the required sustainability criteria, which also applies to the raw materials used. In Austria, all trade flows of HVO must be documented in the National Biofuel Register elNA. HVOs were produced in Austria for the first time in 2016, with the vast majority being imported in previous years.

The greenhouse gas emission factors for HVOs have decreased significantly in recent years, which is due to the change in the composition of raw materials, in particular the increase in waste-based raw materials. This means that the conversion factor for greenhouse gas emissions for HVOs is around one fifth of the value for fossil heating oil or comparable to district heating from heating plants (renewable) or district heating from high-efficiency CHP according to OIB-RL 6 (2023).

The expertise can be made available on request. Please send inquiries to christof.amann@e-sieben.