Neste reaches 1B gallons renewable diesel sale, runs in fire trucks, ambulances and school vehicles
In Texas, Neste U.S., Inc. (NEF.F, NESTE.HE, NTOIF, NTOIY) is celebrating its 1 billionth gallon of Neste MY Renewable Diesel sold in North America which has effectively helped reduce more than seven million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the Earth’s atmosphere. This is the equivalent of removing 1.6 million passenger vehicles from the road for one year.
“There’s never been a better time to take a closer look at the steps we’re taking to ensure we’re leaving our planet in a healthier state for future generations,” said Jeremy Baines, vice president of sales, Neste U.S., Inc. “Companies looking for ways to make a positive impact on the environment can start with simply lowering traffic emissions, which can also lower maintenance costs and improve their bottom line.”
What is Neste MY Renewable Diesel?
Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a low-carbon diesel produced from 100% renewable and sustainable raw materials, such as waste animal and fish fat, vegetable oils and used cooking oil. It emits up to 80 percent less carbon when compared to petroleum diesel. Unlike biodiesel, Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a drop-in fuel that requires no blending and is compatible with all diesel engines.
With the goal of empowering commercial fleet vehicles, city sanitation, utility companies, and schools to become more environmentally responsible by making clean and renewable fuel readily available, Neste has been leading the charge on creating cleaner renewable fuels and supplying the North American market since 2012, according to their press release. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is available to public and private fleets in California through authorized distributors.
The company’s efforts have been recognized in a number of sustainability indexes. Most recently, Neste ranked second in the 2018 Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies.
Even firefighters like it!
In California, the Pasadena Fire Department has switched much of its fleet of apparatus from operating on petroleum diesel to using Neste MY Renewable Diesel. The department currently operates one truck, four engines and four Rescue Ambulances on renewable diesel and plans to transition all remaining apparatus to renewable diesel by 2019.
Pasadena Fire Chief Bertral Washington, said that the switch to renewable diesel fuel has contributed to the City’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint, thanks to exceptional work completed by staff to test this product. He said it has been seamless and smooth and his firefighters have had zero apparatus issues reported.
“We have received very positive feedback from personnel assigned to the apparatus. Firefighters and engineers have reported a reduction in vapors they are exposed to while fueling the trucks,” Chief Washington said. “It has been a huge step forward for the health and safety of our firefighters and community.”
Fire Station 32 Captain David Marquez, added that firefighters tasked with connecting their vehicle exhaust removal systems are reporting that the smell of exhaust has been reduced to near zero levels.
“Our fleet mechanic also has nothing but good things to report about the fuel,” Captain Marquez said. “We will continue to assemble this kind of feedback with the hopes that it will assist in making this fuel available in all our city pumps,” he said.
“We are so proud to be supporting Pasadena Fire Department’s first responders with this clean, safe and odorless fuel that reduce fumes and is less harmful to the environment and especially to those risking their lives for their communities each day,” said Jeremy Baines, vice president of sales, Neste US, Inc.
IPC (USA), Inc., headquartered in Santa Ana, California, is the exclusive distributor of Neste MY Renewable Diesel to the Pasadena Fire Department.
Neste brings biofuel to school too
In California, Pittsburg Unified School District, a public-school district based in Contra Costa County, has switched some of its vehicles from operating on petroleum diesel to using Neste MY Renewable Diesel as well.
Matthew Belasco, Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation, PUSD cites the health of the students in his community as the main reason for the switch to clean-burning, zero odor renewable fuel. “We have a high prevalence of upper respiratory incidents here and we are committed to doing everything we can to reduce the level of emissions our students and community are exposed to,” Belasco said.
Asked if there were initial concerns about switching to renewable diesel, Belasco admitted “We did have a major concern, especially my mechanics. They were concerned this would ruin the engines and would provide less power. The reality was exactly the opposite, clean burning fuel and no mechanical issues related to the fuel,” he said.
“We are so proud to be supporting PUSD with this premium fuel that’s not only renewable and sustainable, but a clean, safe, odorless fuel that reduces vapors and is less harmful for the children, the drivers and the environment,” said Jeremy Baines, vice president of sales, Neste US, Inc.
Western States Oil, based in San Jose, California, is the exclusive distributor of Neste MY Renewable Diesel to PUSD.
Bottom Line
What is mind-blowing about all this is it is just the news about Neste’s MY renewable diesel over the past few weeks! If you look a little further back this year, it’s even more impressive. As reported in the Digest in March, Valtra became the first tractor factory in the world to begin using Neste MY Renewable Diesel as the start-up fuel for all new tractors. As a result, around 700,000 litres of fossil diesel fuel will be replaced each year by 100-percent renewable fuel.
As reported in the Digest in April, a San Francisco Bay area sightseeing cruise company switched its entire fleet of vessels from operating on conventional diesel to using 100% Neste MY Renewable Diesel. The company found absolutely no disruption to any aspects of their operation, from fueling procedures and maintenance intervals to vessel performance and costs. In addition, they observed clean stack emissions and longer fuel filter life.
So what’s this all telling us? That drop-in renewable diesel is a real solution for fleets, vessels, tractors, school buses, fire engines, and more. If it’s good enough for those crucial markets, even life or death markets like fire engines, it’s good enough for anyone.
by Helena Tavares Kennedy is a writer for Biofuels Digest, where this article was first published. Biofuels Digest is the most widely read Biofuels daily read by 14,000+ organizations. Subscribe here.
