HVO100 meets the requirements of the European fuel standard EN 15940 and is considered a“drop-in”fuel. Compared to conventional fossil diesel, greenhouse gas emissions can be significantly reduced over the entire life cycle. However, the actual environmental benefit depends largely on the raw materials used and their sustainability certification.
What is HVO100 and how is it produced?
Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, or HVO for short, is marketed in its pure form as HVO100. Unlike conventional biodiesel, it is not produced through transesterification but rather through a hydrogenation or hydroprocessing process.
This chemical and technical difference is crucial to the fuel’s properties.
During hydrogenation, hydrogen is introduced to the triglycerides contained in the feedstock under elevated pressure and temperature, using a catalyst. This removes oxygen and, among other things, eliminates the double bonds that can negatively affect the oxidation stability and low-temperature performance of conventional biodiesel.
The result is hydrocarbon chains whose properties are very similar to those of fossil diesel fuel. HVO100 therefore does not behave chemically like an ester-based biodiesel, but rather like a paraffinic diesel fuel. This is precisely why its storage, combustion, and cold-weather properties differ from those of biodiesel.
What raw materials are used to produce HVO?
The origin of the feedstocks has a significant impact on the sustainability profile of the finished fuel.
Virgin vegetable oils:
Rapeseed, soybean, and palm oils are technically established feedstocks for HVO production. However, since their cultivation takes up agricultural land and can be associated with corresponding emissions, they often fare less favorably in life-cycle assessments than residual and waste materials.
Waste and residual fats:
Used cooking oils, animal fat residues, and similar waste streams do not require additional agricultural land. They therefore often score better in sustainability assessments and are becoming increasingly important for refineries.
Industrial byproducts and processing residues:
Residual oils, such as those from food or fish processing, can supplement the feedstock base. This allows for the development of additional feedstocks without directly competing with food production.
The HVO100 Production Process
Production essentially consists of two interconnected process stages.
In the first step, the feedstocks are treated via hydroprocessing or hydrodeoxygenation. During this process, the triglycerides are hydrogenated, oxygen is removed, and predominantly straight-chain paraffinic hydrocarbons are produced.
This is followed by isomerization. During this step, the structure of some of these straight-chain molecules is altered, primarily to improve the fuel’s cold-flow properties.
This process is technically important because unmodified straight-chain paraffins would tend to crystallize at low temperatures. Through targeted isomerization, HVO can be formulated so that the fuel can be used even under typical European winter conditions.
The processes required for this are largely based on established refining and hydrogenation technologies. This is one reason why the industrial production of HVO could be scaled up more quickly than that of various earlier generations of biofuels.
Studies on the Use of HVO in Diesel Engines
An engine test bench study published in 2026 in *European Transport Studies* examined a turbocharged common-rail diesel engine at a total of 169 steady-state operating points. The study compared pure HVO with conventional diesel fuel in accordance with EN 590 B7.
Source:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950298526000140
The study shows that the combustion behavior of HVO and B7 is largely comparable. Differences arise, among other things, due to the higher cetane number of the HVO fuel. The study also found a slight reduction in fuel consumption as well as lower nitrogen oxide emissions under most of the operating conditions examined.
At the same time, the study highlights a key challenge: The current HVO production capacity in the European Union is sufficient to meet only a relatively small portion of the fuel demand in the transportation sector addressed by RED III.
Thus, the main practical obstacle at present lies less in engine compatibility and more in production capacity, availability, price, and security of supply.
HVO100: Fuel Properties and Engine Compatibility
The paraffinic molecular structure of HVO100 results in a number of technical properties that clearly distinguish the fuel from conventional FAME biodiesel.
HVO contains virtually no fuel-bound oxygen and has very low levels of aromatics and sulfur. This results, among other things, in a high cetane number as well as good oxidation and storage stability.
The energy content is sufficiently close to that of fossil diesel fuel, so that, in suitable engines, there is generally no need for a reduction in power or reprogramming of the engine control system solely due to the use of HVO.
Furthermore, isomerization enables very good cold-weather performance to be achieved. This eliminates a significant operational drawback that has limited the use of older biodiesel variants, particularly at low outdoor temperatures.
Why is HVO100 considered a drop-in fuel?
A key characteristic of HVO100 is its broad compatibility with existing diesel technology.
With appropriate approval from the vehicle or engine manufacturer, HVO100 can be used in existing diesel engines without the need for mechanical modifications to the engine.
HVO can also be blended with conventional diesel fuel or used in its pure form as HVO100.
This miscibility is particularly appealing for fleets that wish to transition their fuel strategy gradually. Vehicles, tanks, fuel lines, and injection systems generally do not require separate infrastructure simply because HVO is used instead of conventional diesel.
However, specific manufacturer approval and the respective warranty conditions always remain decisive.
EN 15940 as the Technical Basis
The technical basis for the use of HVO100 in Europe is the EN 15940 standard for paraffinic diesel fuels.
It defines the essential requirements that a paraffinic fuel must meet in order to be used as fuel for appropriately approved diesel engines.
For fleet operators, therefore, the product designation “HVO100” alone is not sufficient. Before use, it should be verified whether the fuel actually delivered meets the requirements of EN 15940.
This may also be important for compliance with the respective manufacturer’s terms and warranty conditions.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability of HVO
CO₂ Footprint and Emissions Over the Entire Life Cycle
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the key reasons for using HVO100 in the decarbonization of vehicle fleets.
However, for a proper assessment, it is not sufficient to consider only exhaust emissions.
A life-cycle analysis takes into account, among other things:
- Extraction or collection of raw materials,
- agricultural production,
- processing and refining,
- process energy used,
- transport and logistics, and
- the final combustion of the fuel.
On this basis, HVO100 generally has lower greenhouse gas emissions than fossil diesel fuel. However, the extent of the actual reduction depends significantly on the feedstock used for the respective HVO product.
HVO produced from waste and residual materials generally achieves a more favorable life-cycle assessment than HVO produced from purpose-grown vegetable oils, since, for example, additional emissions from agricultural production and land use can be avoided.
Additional Emission Effects
The potential benefits are not limited exclusively to CO₂ or greenhouse gases.
Compared to conventional diesel, the combustion properties of paraffinic fuels can also affect emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
This is particularly relevant for vehicle fleets operated in metropolitan areas, environmental zones, or under other local air quality regulations.
However, the actual achievable values depend on the specific engine, the exhaust aftertreatment system, the operating conditions, and the specific fuel.
Sustainability Certification and Origin of Raw Materials
Precisely because the greenhouse gas balance depends heavily on the feedstock used, sustainabilitycertification is of central importance.
Certification systems are designed to ensure the traceability of raw materials and to document that a specific volume of fuel meets the applicable national or European requirements for renewable energy sources.
For fleet operators, therefore, verifying the certification should not be a purely formal process.
For example, anyone wishing to document emission reductions in their sustainability reporting should be able to trace the raw materials used to produce the HVO they actually purchased.
This is the only way to avoid relying on a fuel supplier’s blanket average values when the specific batch may actually have a different raw material composition.
What role can HVO100 play in a fleet’s fuel strategy?
From a fleet management perspective, one of the greatest advantages of HVO100 is that it can be integrated relatively easily into an existing vehicle and refueling infrastructure.
HVO is not an additional propulsion system; rather, it replaces the previous fuel in approved vehicles.
As a result, unlike electrification, the transition generally requires neither a completely new charging infrastructure nor an immediate replacement of the existing vehicle fleet.
HVO100 can therefore serve as a tool for fleets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short term, while longer-term transformation strategies for vehicles and powertrains continue to be developed in parallel.
HVO100 Compared to Biodiesel
A comparison with conventional biodiesel highlights the differences.
Both biodiesel and HVO can be produced from vegetable oils as well as animal or other biogenic fats. However, their chemical structures differ significantly.
Conventional biodiesel consists primarily of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).
HVO, on the other hand, is processed through hydrogenation into paraffinic hydrocarbons. This reduces or eliminates various disadvantages of ester-based fuels, particularly with regard to oxidation stability, storage life, and cold-weather performance.
As a result, HVO100 can be handled in a manner very similar to that of conventional diesel fuel.
HVO is also suitable for construction equipment, service fleets, and other diesel-powered systems
The potential use of HVO100 is not limited to traditional passenger car or truck fleets.
Diesel-powered construction equipment, work machines, and other mobile machinery can also—provided they are approved by the respective manufacturer—generally be operated with HVO.
This is particularly appealing to companies that have a mixed fleet of vehicles and machinery and wish to organize their fuel usage as uniformly as possible.
The same applies to service and customer service fleets. Vans and service vehicles are often supplied through the same procurement and refueling contracts as the rest of the fleet.
In such structures, HVO can, in principle, be used as a cross-fleet fuel.
However, supplysecurity remains a critical factor. Production capacities and regional availability are not yet sufficient everywhere to guarantee an uninterrupted supply without corresponding delivery agreements.
Added to this is a potential price premium compared to conventional diesel fuel. The extent of this premium depends, among other things, on the regional market, tax regulations, delivery volumes, and contract terms.
How should fleets prepare for the transition from diesel to HVO100?
Regardless of fleet size and vehicle composition, a systematic approach is recommended before making the switch.
1. Check manufacturer approval
First, the vehicle or engine documentation should be reviewed to determine whether the manufacturer has expressly approved the use of HVO100 or corresponding HVO blends.
Even if an engine is technically suitable for paraffinic fuels in principle, manufacturers’ warranty terms may vary.
2. Ensure compliance with EN 15940
The fuel supplier should confirm that the HVO batches actually delivered meet the requirements of EN 15940.
The product designation “HVO100” alone should not be considered sufficient proof.
3. Verify certification and raw material origin
For the environmental assessment, it must be clarified from which raw materials the fuel was produced and what sustainability certification is available for the specific quantities procured.
This is particularly relevant if the achieved greenhouse gas reduction is to be documented for customers, clients, or as part of sustainability reporting.
4. Ensure supply security
Before making a major switch, it should be verified whether the supplier can reliably provide the required quantities throughout the intended contract period.
Due to regional variations in availability, a continuous supply is not automatically guaranteed at every location.
5. Monitor fuel consumption and operational data after the transition
After introducing HVO100, actual fuel consumption should be monitored using real-world vehicle and operational data.
The differences identified in test bench studies can only be evaluated—in terms of their actual impact on the respective operating profile—by comparing them with real fleet data.
Real-world operating data instead of theoretical assumptions
Especially when switching fuels, practical evaluation within one’s own fleet is crucial.
Test bench values and manufacturer specifications provide important indicators. However, real-world operating conditions are what matter for operational assessment: vehicle type, load, driving profile, outside temperature, route structure, engine type, and driving behavior all influence actual fuel consumption.
Fleets that already collect vehicle and engine data via OBD, FMS, or CAN bus interfaces can therefore systematically compare fuel consumption figures and other operating parameters before and after switching to HVO100.
This is precisely where telematics and fleet management systems, as well as apps, can provide added value: not as a prerequisite for HVO, but as a data foundation for an objective evaluation under real-world operating conditions.
With AREALCONTROL’s telematics and fleet management solutions, relevant vehicle, fuel consumption, and operational data can be collected, analyzed, and compared over the long term.
This enables a company to verify whether the expected effects of an HVO transition are actually being realized in its own fleet.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About HVO100
Is HVO100 compatible with existing diesel engines?
In principle, HVO100 can be used in diesel engines approved for this purpose without any technical modifications to the engine.
However, approval from the respective vehicle or engine manufacturer is essential.
What is HVO100 made from?
HVO100 is produced from vegetable oils, biogenic fats, and waste and residual materials.
Unlike conventional biodiesel, it is not produced through transesterification but through a hydrogenation or hydroprocessing process.
This produces paraffinic hydrocarbons with properties very similar to those of conventional diesel fuel.
Does HVO100 have to meet a specific fuel standard?
In Europe, the EN 15940 standard applies to paraffinic diesel fuels.
Before use, it is therefore important to ensure that the supplied HVO100 fuel meets the requirements of this standard and that the respective vehicles or engines have the appropriate manufacturer approval.
