Coca-Cola's Dutch fleet to run on renewable diesel

As the Netherlands' fossil-fuel vehicle ban inches closer, Coca-Cola deliveries in the country may soon be powered using renewable diesel provided by Finnish energy company Neste.

This could see across-the-board emissions reductions for the nearly 50,000 trips made by the company's truck fleets which transport major names like Fanta, Fuze Tea, and Coca-Cola, among others.

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In this case, the HVO100 fuel used by Coca-Cola is made from hydroheated vegetable oil.

Neste claims its renewable diesel can reduce emissions by up to 90% while remaining "fully compatible" with many existing diesel systems. The diesel is supposedly made from 100% renewable raw materials.

Renewable diesel is most commonly made using hydroheating but also via gasification, pyrolysis, and other biochemical and thermochemical technologies. It is most notable for reductions in air pollution due to cleaner combustion and lower sulphur levels. 

“On many of our routes, we drive with EcoCombi trucks - extra-long trucks that can take more products at once, and that saves a lot of trips per year,  with Coca-Cola already having switched to 30% biofuel with some trucks," according to Marijke Jacobs-Heefer, the associate director of Country Logistics at Coca-Cola Netherlands. 

"With the complete transition to HVO100 for the transport of all our drinks, we are building on previous steps and taking another big step forward. It means investing, of course, but the importance of our climate ambitions goes far."

HVO100 is described as a "drop-in" fuel, which means it can be inserted into a diesel vehicle without the need for modifications.

It is made at both Neste's refinery in Rotterdam as well as another plant in Singapore.

Neste claims 3.3 million tonnes of renewable diesel is refined annually, with this expected to reach 4.5 million tonnes by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

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Peter Zonneveld, Neste's Vice President for Sales in Europe and Asia-Pacific at Neste Renewable Road Transportation said the firm was pleased to help Coca-Cola reduce emissions in the Netherlands.

“We are committed to supporting our customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tonnes annually by 2030", he added.

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